Shire

A shire refers to a plot of land, and this word is used by most human kingdoms. A shire is held by a Baron or Baroness, and multiple shires are usually held by a Lord.
Shires vary greatly from one to the other, however some things do count for all or at least most of them, these things are listed below.
Main Town A shire usually has at least one larger town, usually this is the largest town in the Shire and also hosts the largest market in the shire. The Baron or Baroness tend to reside in these towns, as does a majority of their militia.
Production centers A shire will usually have a handful of industries or goods that they specialize in producing. All shires produce food, but some will have a production beyond their own needs and so will sell it to the larger kingdom, others will have special resources such as iron, gold or other such things. Shires do not have official ratings, but usually a shire is considered better if it has more unique resources.
Population A shire will vary greatly in population density, but there are some general tendencies who are especially clear when looking at shires.

• Land attracts peasants: Farmers have little use of living in dense areas, instead staying on their farmland, and since peasants make up a large portion of the population, this means that most of the population in a shire can't be found in towns or cities.
• Towns attract skill: In towns and cities there will be alot of industries and professions, these usually indicate a level of knowledge and skill beyond the simple man. A profession that requires training, skill and knowledge will generally have less workers in said profession, meaning that even though towns can have alot of professions, there won't be a single overbearing profession. A profession will have no room in a town if their trade is already meeting all the demand of the town and surrounding area, the profession is simple not profitable for additional workers.