Worcestershire (/ˈwʊstəʃə/WUUS-tə-shə or /ˈwʊstəʃɪər/WUUS-tər-sheer; written abbreviation: Worcs) is a county in the West Midlands of England. Between 1974 and 1998, it was merged with the neighbouring county of Herefordshire as Hereford and Worcester.