Clackmannanshire

Clackmannanshire (Siorrachd Chlach Mhannainn in ; nicknamed "the wee county") is one of the 32  of, and a , bordering ,  and.

The council area was created in 1996, under the, with the boundaries of the former Clackmannan district of the. The district had been created in 1975, under the, to include the of Clackmannan and   area of the.

According to the legislation of 1996, the council area was to have the name, Clackmannan, of the former district, but this was changed to Clackmannanshire, by the council using its own powers.

In terms of population, it is the smallest council area in mainland Scotland, with a population of 49,000, around half of whom live in the main town,, which is the administrative centre, having outgrown the town of in 1822.

The motto of Clackmannanshire is 'Look Aboot Ye' (Circumspice in ).

Geography
The lie in the northern part of the area. It mostly comprises a lowland, forming the s of the and of the , which joins the Forth near.

Economy
The main industries are, , and formerly. In 2006, permission was given for a waterfront development of the Docks area of Alloa, which has been in decline since the 1960s. A new railway line connecting Kincardine and Stirling, reconnecting Alloa to the national rail network for the first time since 1968, is currently under construction.

History
Between 1889 and 1975, the County of Clackmannan was a, bordering on , and. As Scotland's smallest historic county, it is often nicknamed 'The Wee County'

Towns and villages

 * - administrative centre