The East of England is one of nine official regions of England at the first level of ITL for statistical purposes. It consists of the ceremonial counties of Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire, Essex, Hertfordshire, Norfolk and Suffolk. The northern part of the region, consisting of Norfolk, Suffolk and Cambridgeshire, is known as East Anglia. The latter region has been considered an informal region in its own right due to its differing cultural identity.