Central Belt
| Central Belt | |
|---|---|
| Area | |
2012 night image of Scotland from space, with band of near-continuous light from habitation across the Central Belt | |
Location within Scotland | |
| OS grid reference | NS 83764 74675 |
| Country | Scotland |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
The Central Belt of Scotland is the area of highest population density within Scotland. Depending on the definition used, it has a population of between 2.4 and 4.2 million (the country's total was around 5.4 million in 2019), including multiple major Scottish settlements such as Paisley, Glasgow, East Kilbride, Livingston, and Edinburgh.
Despite the name, it is not geographically central but is nevertheless at the "waist" of Scotland on a conventional map and the term "central" is used in many local government, police, and NGO designations.
It was formerly known as the Midlands or Scottish Midlands, but this term has fallen out of fashion.
The Central Belt lies between the Highlands to the north and the Southern Uplands to the south.
In the early 21st century, predictions were made that due to economic migration indicators, the urban areas of Glasgow and Edinburgh, whose centres are approximately 41 miles (66 km) apart, could merge to create a megalopolis over the coming decades.