|
| Cornwall is the most southwesterly
county of England, on the peninsula that lies to the west of the River
Tamar. The administrative centre and only city is Truro. Cornwall
covers an area of 1,376 square miles (3,563 km²), including the Isles
of Scilly, located 28 miles (45 km) offshore. Cornwall has a population
of 513,528, with a relatively low population density of 373 people
per square mile (144 /km²). Cornwall is noted for its wild moorland
landscapes, its extensive and varied coastline and its mild climate.
Also notable is Cornwall''s Stone Age and industrial archaeology, especially
its historic mining landscape, a World Heritage Site. Tourism therefore
forms a significant part (24%) of the local economy. Cornwall is the
homeland of the Cornish people and is also considered one of the six
"Celtic nations" by many residents and scholars. |
|
|
|
| Cornwall forms the tip of the south-west peninsula
of the island of Great Britain, and is therefore exposed to the full
force of the prevailing winds that blow in from the Atlantic Ocean.
The coastline is composed mainly of resistant rocks that give rise
in many places to impressive cliffs. Cornwall is the only county in
England to have a border with only one county, Devon. Link title The
north and south coasts have different characteristics. The north coast
is more exposed and therefore has a wilder nature. The prosaically
named High Cliff, between Boscastle and St Gennys, is the highest
sheer-drop cliff in Cornwall at 735 feet (224 m). However, there are
also many extensive stretches of fine golden sand which form the beaches
that are so important to the tourist industry, such as those at Bude,
St Agnes, St Ives, |
 |
| Perranporth, Porthtowan, Polzeath,
Fistral Beach, Lusty Glaze Beach and Watergate Bay, Newquay. There
are two river estuaries on the north coast: Hayle estuary and the
estuary of theRiver Camel, which provides Padstow and Rock with a
safe harbour. The south coast, dubbed the "riviera", is more sheltered
and there are several broad estuaries offering safe anchorages, such
as at Falmouth and Fowey. Beaches on the south coast usually consist
of coarser sand and shingle, interspersed with rocky sections of wave-cut
platform. |
| The interior of the county consists
of a roughly east-west spine of infertile and exposed upland, with
a series of granite intrusions, such as Bodmin Moor, which contains
the highest land within Cornwall. From east to west, and with approximately
descending altitude, these are Bodmin Moor, the area north of St Austell,
the area south of Camborne, and the Penwith or Land''s End peninsula.
These intrusions are the central part of the granite outcrops of south-west
Britain, which include Dartmoor to the east in Devon and the Isles
of Scilly to the west, the latter now being partially submerged. |
| The intrusion of the granite into
the surrounding sedimentary rocks gave rise to extensive metamorphism
and mineralization, and this led to Cornwall being one of the most
important mining areas in Europe until the early 20th century. It
is thought Tin was mined here as early as the Bronze Age, and copper,
lead, zinc and silver have all been mined in Cornwall. Alteration
of the granite also gave rise to extensive deposits of China Clay,
especially in the area to the north of St Austell, and the extraction
of this remains an important industry. The uplands are surrounded
by more fertile, mainly pastoral farmland. Near the south coast, deep
wooded valleys provide sheltered conditions for flora that like shade
and a moist, mild climate. These areas lie mainly on Devonian sandstone
and slate. The north east of Cornwall lies on Carboniferous rocks
known as the |
 |
| Culm Measures. In places these
have been subjectedto severe folding, as can been seen on the north
coast near Crackington Haven and in several other locations. The geology
of the Lizard peninsula is unusual, in that it is mainland Britain''s
only example of an ophiolite, a section of oceanic crust now found
on land. Much of the peninsula consists of the dark green and red
Precambrian serpentine rock, which forms spectacular cliffs, notably
at Kynance Cove, and carved and polished serpentine ornaments are
sold in local gift shops. This ultramafic rock also forms a very infertile
soil which covers the flat and marshy heaths of the interior of the
peninsula. This is home to rare plants, such as the Cornish Heath,
which has been adopted as the county flower. Cornwall has varied habitats
including terrestrial and marine ecosystems. One of the lower plant
forms in decline locally is the Reindeer lichen, which species has
been made a priority for protection under the national UK Biodiversity
Action Plan. Cornwall is the southernmost part of Britain, and therefore
has a relatively warm and sunny climate. Winters are mild, and frost
and snow are uncommon away from the central upland areas. The average
annual temperature for most of Cornwall is 9.8 to 12 degrees Celsius
(49.6 to 53.6 °F), with slightly lower temperatures at higher altitude.
Cornwall is exposed to mild, moist westerly winds from the Atlantic
Ocean and has relatively high rainfall, though less than more northern
areas of the west coast of Britain, at 1051 to 1290 mm (41.4 to 50.8
in) per year. Most of Cornwall enjoys over 1541 hours of sunshine
per year |
|
| Cornwall''s only city, and the
home of the county council, is Truro. Nearby Falmouth is notable as
a port, while the ports at Penzance, the most westerly town in England,
St Ives and Padstow have declined. Newquay on the north coast is famous
for its beaches and is a popular surfing destination, as is Bude further
north. St Austell is Cornwall''s largest town, and a centre of the
china clay industry. Redruth and Camborne is the largest urban area
in Cornwall, and both were significant as the centre of the global
tin mining industry. Cornwall borders the county of Devon at the River
Tamar. Major road links between Cornwall and the rest of Great Britain
are the A38 which crosses the Tamar at Plymouth via the Tamar Bridge
and the town of Saltash, the A39 road (Atlantic Highway) from Barnstaple,
passing through North |
 |
| Cornwall to end eventually in Falmouth,
and the A30 which crosses the border south of Launceston. A car ferry
also links Plymouth with the town of Torpoint on the opposite side
of the Hamoaze. A rail bridge, the Royal Albert Bridge, built by Isambard
Kingdom Brunel (1859) provides the only other major transport link.
Newquay Airport shares RAF St. Mawgan''s runways and facilities and
connects Cornwall to the rest of the UK and Ireland. Cardiff and Swansea,
across the Bristol Channel, are connected to Cornwall by ferry, usually
to Padstow. Swansea in particular has several boat companies who can
arrange boat trips to north Cornwall, which allow the traveller to
pass by the north Cornish coastline, including Tintagel Castle and
Padstow harbour. Very occasionally, the Waverley and Balmoral paddle
steamers cruise from Swansea or Bristol to Padstow. The Isles of Scilly
are served by ferry (from Penzance), helicopter (Penzance Heliport)
and fixed wing aeroplane (Land''s End Aerodrome, near St Just) and
from Newquay Airport. Further flights to St. Mary''s, Isles of Scilly,
are available from Exeter International Airport in Devon |
| Historically tin mining was important
in the Cornish economy. The first reference to this appears to be
by Pytheas: see above. Julius Caesar was the last classical writer
to mention the tin trade, which appears to have declined during the
Roman occupation. The tin trade revived in the Middle Ages, and the
Cornish Rebellion of 1497 is attributed to tin miners. In the mid-nineteenth
century, however, the tin trade again fell into decline. Cornwall''s
unique culture, spectacular landscape and mild climate make it a popular
tourist destination, despite being somewhat distant from the United
Kingdom''s main tourist centres. Surrounded on three sides by the English
Channel and Celtic Sea, Cornwall has miles of beaches and cliffs.
Other tourist attractions include moorland, country gardens and wooded
valleys. Five |
 |
| million tourists visit Cornwall
each year, mostly drawn from within the UK. Visitors to Cornwall are
served by airports at Newquay and Plymouth, whilst private jets, charters
and helicopters are also served by Perranporth airfield; nightsleeper
and daily rail services run between Cornwall, London and other regions
of the UK. Newquay and Porthtowan are popular destinations for surfers.
In recent years, the Eden Project near St Austell has been a major
financial success, drawing one in eight of Cornwall''s visitors. Other
industries are fishing, although this has been significantly re-structured
by EU fishing policies, (the Southwest Handline Fisherman''s Association
has started to revive the fishing industry), and agriculture, which
has also declined significantly. Mining of tin and copper was also
an industry, but today the derelict mine workings survive only as
a World Heritage Site. However, the Camborne School of Mines is still
a world centre of excellence in its field and the grant of World Heritage
status has attracted funding for conservation and heritage tourism.
China clay extraction has also been an important industry in the St
Austell area, but this sector has been in decline, and this, coupled
with increased mechanisation, has led to a decrease in employment
in this sector. In recent years Cornwall''s creative industries have
undergone significant growth, thanks in part to Objective One funding,
as it is the only British county poor enough to receive such money.
There is now a significant creative industry in Cornwall, encompassing
areas like graphic design, product design, web design, packaging design,
environmental design, architecture, photography, art and crafts. |
|
