Cumberland is the north-west part of Cumbria in North West England. It consists of three districts (Allerdale, Carlisle, Copeland).

The area is predominantly rural and contains parts of the Lake District, considered one of England's most outstanding areas of natural beauty, serving as inspiration for artists, writers, and musicians. An upland, coastal, and rural area, Cumberland's history is characterised by invasions, migration, and settlement, as well as battles and skirmishes between the English and Scottish. Historic sites include Carlisle Castle and Hadrian's Wall, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

In the early Middle Ages, the entire county was called Westmoringland (West-mara-ingas-land - the people who lived by the western sea) by the Scandinavians on the east side of England. Gradually, however, as the Industrial Revolution grew in strength, the county became partitioned along the lines of connections. The area north of Whitehaven, round through Carlisle, had its strongest connection to the North East, across the Pennines, which is still reflected in the dialect of the locals there. This became known as Cumberland.

The division of unified Cumbria was not accepted everywhere. Now that heavy industry is all but non-existent in the county, the historic ties have been broken and the main industry has become tourism.