The modern borough of Sandwell was created in 1974. While no individual town bears the name Sandwell, the borough's identity is firmly fixed within seven distinctive towns, each with long established roots in metal working industries. With the benefit of large deposits of coal and iron, widespread mining, quarrying and ironfounding were set at the heart of a powerhouse of manufacturing industries which included chains, tubes, springs, nails, chemicals and glass. Furthermore an extensive network of canals meant that local industry had a lifeline within a landlocked region, which provided much needed transportation until the 1970s.

Today the focus is on industrial regeneration. Service industries have overtaken manufacturing, but a traditional core of metal working still remains. Micro-chip industries now rub shoulders with car component, haulage, and distribution firms. Sandwell is embracing variety and change - this too is reflected in the growing multicultural population that continues to have a major influence on the borough's future.

• Enter the Sandwell Zone