North Lanarkshire is a county in the centre of Scotland, North of Glasgow with a population of 328,000 making it one of the most populous regions of Scotland.  Main towns in North Lanarkshire are: Airdrie, Motherwell, Wishaw, Coatbridge, Cumbernauld, Bellshill and Kilsyth. Many of the inhabitants of these towns commute to nearby Glasgow to work.

Heavy industry dominates the economy of North Lanarkshire and ironwork foundries are common near Airdrie, whereas Motherwell (Ravenscraig) and Gartcosh are both known for their steel production. These heavy industries have declined in recent years and have been replaced by hi-tech, call centres and various service industries.

Famous residents of North Lanarkshire include: ex MP and Cabinet member Robin Cook, football managers extraordinaire Sir Matt Busby, Doctor Finlay actor Ian Bannen and ex Labour leader John Smith was the MP for North Lanarkshire.

The largest towns in North Lanarkshire are Coatbridge with (over 40,000) and Cumbernauld (with 51,000). Cumbernauld is a new modern town built mainly in the 1960s due to the shortage in affordable housing for the growing population of Greater Glasgow. Coatbridge has been settled since Iron Age times and is still home to the oldest college in Scotland: Coatbridge College has over 4,000 students and has existed for over 200 years.