Lincolnshire was formed in 1974 through the merger of three former counties: Parts of Lindsey (which included Grantham and Stamford), Kesteven (which included Sleaford and Bourne) and Holland (which included Boston and Spalding). Lincolnshire covers an area of 1,734 square miles and has a population of around 936,200 people, which makes it the 7th most populous county in England and the 3rd most populous county in the East Midlands region after Leicestershire and Nottinghamshire.