Leicestershire is a landlocked county, located to the north of Nottinghamshire and to the east of Rutland. The county is spread across a total of 832 square miles and has a population of approximately 1 million people. Over half of these live in Leicester. The next most populous town is Loughborough. Both are university cities.

Leicester market is the largest outdoor covered marketplace in Europe. Leicester is also home to the award winning National Space Centre.

Leicestershireis also home to many historical attractions including Belvoir Castle, which was built in the Regency period and home to the Duke and Duchess of Rutland. The castle is home to one of the largest art collections in the country. Also notable are Ashby de la Zouch Castle and Kirby Muxloe Castle.

Famous people from Leicestershire include Julian Barnes (English novelist) who grew up in Leicester supporting Leicester City Football Club. Other famous residents over the years include Joe Orton (actor), Gok Wan (fashion consultant) and Sue Townsend (writer).

In Leicestershire the River Soar rises near Hinckley before joining the Trent at the county boundary with Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire.