Council area (pop., 2001: 349,249) and historic county, eastern Scotland.
An ancient Pictish kingdom, Fife became one of Scotland's leading provinces and one of the kingdom's seven earldoms. Modern Fife consists largely of an agricultural northeast and an industrial southwest. Coal mining long dominated its industry but has all but ceased; manufacturing and light industries now predominate. The service sector includes consulting services for Scotland's petroleum industry. Fife's administrative headquarters is Glenrothes .