Dorset

Map of the Dorset Area

Dorset is located on the English Channel Coast in the South West of the UK. It spans an area of 2653 km and its county town is Dorchester. The county borders to the North West with Somerset and to the west with Devon. Wiltshire is in the north-east and Hampshire is to the east. The county has a population of 701,100 with a low density of 265 people per km and almost half of the populace reside in the South East Dorset Conurbation (source: link).

The earliest recorded use of the name Dorset was in 940AD (source: link) and the first human settlement was by Mesolithic hunters in around 8000BC. There are Bronze Age and Neolithic burial mounds on many of the chalk hills within the county as the high hills have provided for defensive settlements throughout the ages. Much of the geology of the county is limestone down-land and a large portion of the native forest has been cleared to allow for arable agriculture. Most of the coastline is part of the World Heritage Site (designated in 2001) due to its geological landforms. The area has been the site of many important fossil discoveries including Jurassic trees and the first finding of a complete fossilised Ichthyosaur (source: link).

Of all the counties in the UK Dorset has the highest concentration of conservation areas including the World Heritage Site (114 km)(source: "Length of coastline and coastal designations". Dorset County Council (2007). Retrieved on 2007-07-25.), an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (44% of Dorset) (source: "Dorset AONB". Natural England (2007). Retrieved on 2007-07-25.), and Sites of Special Scientific Interest (200km) (source: Nature Conservation Designations - SSSIs". Dorset County Council (2007). Retrieved on 2007-07-25.) and two Heritage Coasts (92km) (source: "Length of coastline and coastal designations". Dorset County Council (2007). Retrieved on 2007-07-25.).

Although the main industry in the county used to be agriculture, machination and the reduced profitability that it yields have caused the industry to decline. However, it is still a substantial part of the economic activity in this area with cattle being the most common livestock as well as sheep and pig farming. Tourism is a growing industry in the county and in 2002 260, 00 foreign tourists and 4.2 million UK tourists visited the county (source: link).

Thomas Hardy was born in Dorset and it is the principle setting of many of his novels. Thomas Hardy's cottage still stands in the county and is owned by the National Trust. Among the other writers that have lived in Dorset include Ian Fleming (James Bond), Douglas Adams (Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy), P.D James (Children of Men) and Robert Stevenson (Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde).