The areas of Sheffield, a city and metropolitan borough in the north of England, vary widely in size and history. Some of the areas developed from villages or hamlets, that were absorbed into Sheffield as the city grew, and thus their centres are well defined, but the boundaries of many areas are ambiguous. The areas of Sheffield do not play a significant administrative role, but the city is divided into 28 electoral wards for local elections and 6 parliamentary constituencies for national elections.
Prior to 1848 the parish of Sheffield was divided into six townships: Attercliff-cum-Darnall; Brightside Bierlow; Ecclesall Bierlow; Nether Hallam; Sheffield township; and Upper Hallam. In 1832 the new borough constituency of Sheffield was formed from these townships with the exception of most of Upper Hallam and parts of Ecclesall Bierlow. In 1843 the Municipal Borough of Sheffield was created from the whole of the six townships, becoming the City of Sheffield in 1893. The Sheffield constituency was broken into five divisions in 1885: Attercliffe; Brightside; Central; Ecclesall; and Hallam, with the addition of Hillsborough and Park constituencies in 1918 after the City extended its boundaries. The Central and Ecclesall constituencies were abolished in 1950 in favour of two new constituencies, Heeley and Neepsend, but the latter was abolished in 1955 and the former was replaced by a revived Central constituency in 1983.