Devon

Map of the Devon Area

Devon is located in the South West of the UK and it shares borders with Dorset, Somerset and Cornwall to the east. It is the only county in the UK to have two separate coastlines, being bounded to the north with the Bristol Channel and the English Channel to the south. Devon is the third largest county in Britain and its county town is Exeter. It is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county. The area is predominantly rural with a population of 1,122,100 and an area of 6707 squared miles and a low population density (167 people per km) (source: link).

Devon is part of the UK's only natural UNESCO World Heritage Site which is located on the East Devon Coast which is known as the Jurassic Coast due to its geology features. The name Devon originates from the Celtic inhabitants of 50AD and means "deep valley dwellers". Devon was one of the first areas in the UK to be re-populated after the last ice age and it was held under military occupation by the Roman Empire for almost 250 years (source: link). The county has also been the site many of the civil conflicts in Britain including the English Civil War and the Wars of the Roses.

Historically Devon has produced copper and tin and its other core industries used to include fishing and farming. However these industries are in decline and the economy is now heavily reliant on tourism. Its World Heritage Site and spectacular scenery have made it a popular holiday destination. Devon has three professional football teams including Exeter City F.C. and Plymouth Argyle F.C. the county also has its own custom sports such as a specific form of wrestling and "outhurling" (source: link).

Devon is famed for its mariners, due to the coastal nature of its geography, some of whom include Sir Francis Drake, Sir Walter Raleigh and Sir Humphrey Gilbert. Other famous people from Devon include the poet Samuel Taylor Coleridge and writer Agatha Christie. Front man Chris Martin from the band Coldplay and Matt Bellamy from Muse are both from Devon. The dog breeder John "Jack" Russell was also born in the county.