Cornwall

Cornwall Kernow (Cornish)
Ceremonial county
Part of Wheal Coates tin mine, St Michael's Mount, and ponies on Bodmin Moor
Flag
Cornwall shown within England
Coordinates: 50°24′N 4°54′W / 50.400°N 4.900°W / 50.400; -4.900
Sovereign state	United Kingdom
Constituent country	England
Region	South West England
Established	Ancient
Time zone	UTC+0 (GMT)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+1 (BST)
UK Parliament	6 MPs
Police	Devon and Cornwall Police
Ceremonial county
Lord Lieutenant	Edward Bolitho
High Sheriff	Stamford Timothy John Galsworthy (2024-25)[1]
Area	3,562 km2 (1,375 sq mi)
• Rank	12th of 48
Population  (2022)[2]	577,694
• Rank	40th of 48
Density	162/km2 (420/sq mi)
Ethnicity  (2021)[3]	96.8% White 1.2% Mixed 1.1% other 0.7% Asian 0.2% Black
Unitary authority
Council	Cornwall Council
Control	Conservative
Admin HQ	Lys Kernow, Truro
Area	3,545 km2 (1,369 sq mi)
• Rank	4th of 296
Population  (2022)[4]	575,413
• Rank	5th of 296
Density	162/km2 (420/sq mi)
ISO 3166-2	GB-CON
GSS code	E06000052
ITL	TLK30
Website	cornwall.gov.uk
Districts
Districts of Cornwall
Districts	Cornwall (unitary) Isles of Scilly (sui generis unitary)

Cornwall (/ˈkɔːrnwɔːl, -wəl/;^[5] Cornish: Kernow; Cornish pronunciation: [ˈkɛrnɔʊ]; or [ˈkɛrnɔ]^[6]) is a ceremonial county in South West England.^[7] It is recognised by Cornish and Celtic political groups as one of the Celtic nations, and is the homeland of the Cornish people. The county is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, Devon to the east, and the English Channel to the south. The largest urban area in the county is a conurbation that includes the former mining towns of Redruth and Camborne, and the county town is the city of Truro.

The county is rural, with an area of 1,375 square miles (3,562 km²) and population of 568,210. Outside of the Redruth-Camborne conurbation the largest settlements are Falmouth, Penzance, Newquay, St Austell, and Truro. For local government purposes most of Cornwall is a unitary authority area, with the Isles of Scilly having a unique local authority. The Cornish nationalist movement disputes the constitutional status of Cornwall and seeks greater autonomy within the United Kingdom.

Cornwall is the westernmost part of the South West Peninsula, and the southernmost county within the United Kingdom. Its coastline is characterised by steep cliffs and, to the south, several rias, including those at the mouths of the rivers Fal and Fowey. It includes the southernmost point on Great Britain, Lizard Point, and forms a large part of the Cornwall National Landscape. The national landscape also includes Bodmin Moor, an upland outcrop of the Cornubian batholith granite formation. The county contains many short rivers; the longest is the Tamar, which forms the border with Devon.

Cornwall had a minor Roman presence, and later formed part of the Brittonic kingdom of Dumnonia. From the 7th century, the Britons in the South West increasingly came into conflict with the expanding Anglo-Saxon kingdom of Wessex, eventually being pushed west of the Tamar; by the Norman Conquest Cornwall was administered as part of England, though it retained its own culture. The remainder of the Middle Ages and Early Modern Period were relatively settled, with Cornwall developing its tin mining industry and becoming a duchy in 1337. During the Industrial Revolution, the tin and copper mines were expanded and then declined, with china clay extraction becoming a major industry. Railways were built, leading to a growth of tourism in the 20th century. The Cornish language became extinct as a living community language at the end of the 18th century, but is now being revived.