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Cornwall (Cornish: Kernow) is a county in South West England on the peninsula that lies to the west of the River Tamar. The administrative centre and only city is Truro, while the historic capitals are Launceston and then Bodmin. Including the Isles of Scilly, located 28 miles (45 km) offshore, Cornwall covers an area of 1,376 square miles (3,563 km²). There is a population of 513,527, with a population density of 144 people per square kilometre, or 373 per square mile. Tourism forms a significant part of the local economy. However, Cornwall is the poorest area in the United Kingdom with the lowest contribution to the national economy (just behind the Highlands and Island of Scotland and West Wales and the Valleys). Cornwall is the only area in the south of England to qualify for Objective One funding (GDP per capita for the region must be below 75% of the EU average). Cornwall is one of the six historic "Celtic nations" and some people question the present constitutional status of Cornwall, choosing to refer to it as a Duchy which is separate from England. The Cornish language gradually died out as a spoken language during the 18th century, and by the mid 19th century was effectively extinct. However, there have been some attempts to revive it in more recent times.
History The history of Cornwall begins with the pre-Roman inhabitants, including speakers of a Celtic language that would develop into Brythonic and Cornish. After a period of Roman rule, Cornwall reverted to independent Celtic chieftains. The Roman term for the tribe which inhabited what is now Cornwall at the time of Roman rule, possibly the Cornovii, came from the Iberian word corno, meaning the land shape, but it is assumed that it was derived from a Brythonic tribal name which gave modern Cornish Kernow. (For other examples of the survival of Brythonic names noted by the Romans, see Dyfed / Demetae, Cantiaci / Kent , Gwynedd / Veneti and Durotriges / Dorset.) The present English language name of the region derives from suffixing of Old English ''wealhas'' ("foreigners, Britons") to the Celtic name. The first account of Cornwall comes from the Sicilian Greek historian Diodorus Siculus (c.90 BCE–c.30 BCE), supposedly quoting or paraphrasing the fourth-century BCE geographer Pytheas, who had sailed to Britain: The inhabitants of that part of Britain called ''Belerion'' or the Land's End from their intercourse with foreign merchants, are civilised in their manner of life. They prepare the tin, working very carefully the earth in which it is produced…Here then the merchants buy the tin from the natives and carry it over to Gaul, and after travelling overland for about thirty days, they finally bring their loads on horses to the mouth of the Rhône. Who these merchants were is not known. There is no evidence for the theory that they were Phoenicians. 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, in which a makeshift Cornish army marched on London only to be crushed by the royal troops, is attributed to tin miners. In the mid-nineteenth century, however, the tin trade again fell into decline. As Cornwall's reserves of tin began to be exhausted many Cornishmen emigrated to places such as the Americas, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa where their skills were in demand. The tin mines in Cornwall are now worked-out at current prices, but the expertise and culture of the Cornish tin miners lives on in a number of places around the world. It is said that, wherever you may go in the world, if you see a hole in the ground, you will find a Cornishman at the bottom of it (see Cornish emigration). Several Cornish mining words are in use in English language mining terminology, such as costean, gunnies, and vug. Since the decline of tin mining, agriculture and fishing, the area's economy has become increasingly dependent on tourism — some of Great Britain's most spectacular coastal scenery can be found here. Nevertheless, Cornwall remains the poorest part of the United Kingdom and it has been granted Objective 1 status by the EU. A political party, Mebyon Kernow, MK, or 'Sons of Cornwall', was formed in 1951 to attempt to assert some degree of autonomy (see Cornish nationalism); while the flag of St Piran is seen increasingly across Cornwall at protests, demonstrations and generally, the party has not achieved significant success at the ballot box, although they do have a number of district councillors. Two of the current MPs to Westminster; Andrew George, MP for St Ives; and Dan Rogerson, MP for North Cornwall; repeated their Parliamentary oaths in Cornish. Further, there is a caucus of local county councillors who are well-known locally for their persistent advocacy of Cornwall's political uniqueness. Cornwall played an important part during the era of the Celtic Church. Celtic saints sailing from Southern Scotland, Wales and Ireland to Brittany would often disembark on Cornwall's north coast, at the likes of Bude, Tintagel and Padstow (this was to avoid sailing around Lands End, a particularly notorious piece of coast, even to the Celtic saints), walk across Bodmin Moor onto their way to Cornwall's south coast, and then sail to Brittany from ports such as Fowey, Falmouth and Penzance; because of this, Cornwall is known as the 'land of saints'. The likes of Saint Patrick of Ireland, Saint David of Wales, historian Gildas and St Pol of Brittany were all frequent visitors to Cornwall. Of course, Cornwall's most famous visiting saint was Saint Piran, who became venerated as Cornwall's own patron saint. Celtic saints who settled in Cornwall include St Morwenna who founded Morwenstow in the very Northern tip of Cornwall just outside Bude (Morwenstow was famously the parish church of Cornish national hero Robert Stephen Hawker); St Petroc, a Welshman who founded Padstow, St Ia who sailed to what is now St Ives from Ireland on an ivy leaf; St David of Wales founded a small monastic cell on the edge of Bodmin Moor of what is now Davidstow, while his mother St Non founded Altarnun known as the "cathedral of the moors". St Nectan from Wales founded a monastic centre near a waterfall just outside Tintagel in what is now known as St Nectans Glen; he also preached quite regularly just up the coast around Bude. Most famously, especially to the Cornish psyche, St Piran arrived from Ireland at what is now Perranporth with a millstone around his neck, and eventually became Cornwall's recognised patron saint. There is a theory that once Silver was extracted from the copper ores of Cornwall in pre-Roman times, as Silver is easily converted to its chloride (AgCl) by surface waters containing chlorine. Physical geography
Coastline Cornwall forms the tip of the south-west peninsula of 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. 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 Tintagel, is the highest sheer-drop cliff in the county at 735 ft (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 St Ives, Perranporth and Newquay. The only river estuary of any size on the north coast is that of the Camel, which provides Padstow with a safe harbour. The south coast is somewhat more sheltered and there are several broad estuaries formed by drowned valleys or rias that offer safe anchorages to seafarers, 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. Interior The interior of Cornwall consists of a roughly east-west spine of infertile and exposed upland, such as Bodmin Moor, which contains the highest land in the county. This is surrounded by more fertile, mainly pastoral farmland. Near the south coast, deep wooded valleys provide sheltered conditions for a flora that likes shade and a moist, mild climate. Geology The upland spine of Cornwall consists of a series of granite intrusions. From east to west, and with approximately descending altitude, these are Bodmin Moor, the area north of St Austell, the area around Camborne, and the Penwith or Land's End peninsula. These intrusions are the central part of the granite outcrops of south-west England, which include Dartmoor to the east in Devon and the Isles of Scilly to the west, the latter now being partially submerged. The remainder of the centre and south of Cornwall is comprised mainly of Devonian sandstone and slate. The north east of the county lies on Carboniferous rocks known as the Culm Measures. In places these have been subjected to severe folding, as can been seen on the north coast near Crackington Haven and several other locations. The geology of the Lizard peninsula is exceptionally interesting, as it is Britain's only example of an ophiolite. Much of the peninsula consists of the dark green and red rock, Precambrian serpentine, which forms spectacularly beautiful cliffs as at Kynance Cove, and when carved and polished forms attractive ornaments. 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. The intrusion of the granite into the surrounding sedimentary rocks gave rise to extensive metamorphism and mineralisation, and this led to Cornwall being one of the most important mining areas in Europe until the early 20th century. It is thought that Cassiterite (Tin oxide) was exploited in Cornwall as early as the Bronze Age. Over the years, many other metals such as copper, lead, zinc and silver have all been mined in Cornwall. Alteration of the granite also gave rise to extensive deposits of China Clay (Kaolinite), especially in the area to the north of St Austell, and this remains one of the county's most important industries. Climate Cornwall is the southernmost part of Britain, and therefore has a relatively warm and sunny climate. Winters are mild, and frost or snow are uncommon apart from in the central upland areas. The average annual temperature for most of the county is 9.8 to 12 degrees Celsius (49.6 to 53.6 °F), with slightly lower temperatures at higher altitude. The county 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. Ecology 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. Politics Parliamentary representation for Cornwall is dominated by the Liberal Democrats. Cornwall currently returns five MPs to the British House of Commons, all of whom are Liberal Democrats; the new parliamentary boundaries expected to come into force in 2007 will create a sixth parliamentary constituency in Cornwall which will be fought for the first time at the next British General Election - probably in 2009 or 2010. Local councils in Cornwall also have a large portion of Lib Dem representatives. Most local Liberal Democrat MPs and councillors strongly support moves for Cornish devolution, as do some Welsh nationalists. Although Cornwall is administered as a county of England, an independence movement exists that seeks more autonomy along the lines of the other home Celtic nations. Additionally, some groups and individuals question the constitutional status of Cornwall and its relationship to the Duchy of Cornwall. Cornish nationalists have organised into two political parties: Mebyon Kernow and the Cornish Nationalist Party, and in 2005 Mebyon Kernow became the largest political group on Camborne town council after a by-election. In addition to the political parties, the Cornish Stannary Parliament acts as a pressure group on Cornish constitutional issues and Cornwall 2000, the Human Rights organisation works with Cornish cultural issues. Another group concerned with Cornish Rights and promoting discussion on the Cornish constitution is Tyr-Gwyr-Gweryn (meaning 'Land-Truth-People). This group operates a website to examine the factors which have conspired to create a Cornish Paradox and has inter alia posted to the site the full transcript of the Duchy-versus-Crown dispute over the ownership of the Cornish foreshore that took place between 1855 and 1857. This dispute was settled by arbitration and resulted in the Cornwall Submarine Mines Act 1858 In November 2000, the Cornish Constitutional Convention was formed to campaign for a Cornish Assembly. It is a cross-party organisation including representatives from the private, public and voluntary sectors, of all political parties and none. Between 5 March 2000 and December 2001, the campaign for a Cornish Assembly collected the signatures of 41,650 Cornish residents endorsing the Declaration for a Cornish Assembly, in total 50,546 including people outside Cornwall. The British government however has no plans at present to devolve more power to Cornwall. Flag Saint Piran's Flag is regarded as the national flag of Cornwall and an emblem of the Cornish people. The banner of Saint Piran is a white cross on a black background. Saint Piran is supposed to have adopted these two colours from seeing the white tin in the black coals and ashes during his supposed discovery of tin. In a history of 1837 Saint Piran's flag was described as the "standard of Cornwall", and another history of 1880 said that: "The white cross of St. Piran was the ancient banner of the Cornish people." The Cornish flag is an exact reverse of the former Breton national flag (black cross on a white field) and is known by the same name "Gwynn ha Du" - white and black. Commonly understood to represent the white tin metal against the black tin ore, the flag symbolically, however, is said to represent the light of truth shining through the blackness/darkness of evil. Another theory of the black and white colours is that the white cross represents the igeneous/metamorphic rocks of colour such as granite and schists (mainly found in the South-West of Cornwall), while the black background represents the weathered Devonian slate and Carboniferous sandstone (both of which are mainly black-greyish in appearance) of the northern part of Cornwall. There are claims that the patron saint of Cornwall is Saint Michael or Saint Petroc, but Saint Piran is by far the most popular of the three and his emblem is internationally ** recognised as the flag of Cornwall. St. Piran's Day (March 5) is celebrated by the Cornish diaspora around the world. Demographics Cornwall's population is 513,527, and population density 144 people per square kilometre, ranking it 40th and 41st respectively compared to the other 47 counties of England. Cornwall has a relatively high level of population growth, however, at 11.2% in the 1980s and 5.3% in the 1990s, giving it the fifth highest population growth of the English counties. The natural change has been a small population decline, and the population increase is due to immigration into the county. According to the 1991 census, the population was 469,800. Cornwall has a relatively high retired population, with 22.9% of pensionable age, compared to 20.3% for the United Kingdom. This may be due to a combination of Cornwall's rural and coastal geography increasing its popularity as a retirement location, and due to the emigration of younger residents to more economically diverse areas. Migration of pensioners from southern England to Cornwall, and emigration of young Cornish people, is a persistent concern. Cornwall is one of the six modern Celtic nations alongside Brittany, Ireland, the Isle of Man, Scotland and Wales. Just under 7% of the population of Cornwall gave their ethnicity as Cornish in the last census, however, in a survey by Morgan Stanley 44% of the population considered themselves Cornish. Following the 2001 Census, Cornish campaigners made representations to the Office for National Statistics (ONS) to provide a clear 'Cornish' tick-box option prior to the next Census to allow people the right to record their nationality as Cornish. Economy This is a chart of trend of regional gross value added of Cornwall and Isles of Scilly at current basic prices published (pp.240-253) by Office for National Statistics with figures in millions of British Pounds Sterling. Cornwall is the poorest area in the United Kingdom. The GDP is 62% of the national average. Cornwall is one of four UK areas that qualifies for poverty-related grants from the EU (European Social Fund). Today, the Cornish economy depends heavily on its successful tourist industry, which makes up around a quarter of the Cornish economy. Traditional areas such as china clay extraction have gradually shed workers in recent years. Educated young people continue to leave the county in numbers and despite Objective One funding the county's economy continues a downward spiral. Objective One funding is due to expire in 2006. Tourism 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, and tourism is a significant economic sector. Five million tourists visit the county each year, mostly drawn from within the UK. In particular, Newquay is a popular destination for surfers. In recent years, the Eden Project has been a major financial success, drawing one in eight of Cornwall's visitors. Industry Other industries are fishing, although this has been significantly damaged by EU fishing policies, and agriculture, which has also declined significantly. Mining of tin and copper was also an industry, but today no longer exists, and several defunct mines applied for status as UNESCO World Heritage Sites. World Heritage Status was granted to the Cornwall and West Devon Mining area on 14 July 2006. This will allow Cornwall County Council the opportunity to expand its Mineral Tramways Project of walking trails along with re-instatement of engine houses and other places of mining interest. Completion of this network is expected some time in 2008. * Creative industries In recent years Cornwall's creative industries have undergone significant growth, thanks in part to Objective One funding. 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. Culture Language The Cornish language is closely related to Welsh and Breton, and less so to Irish, Scots Gaelic and Manx. It continued as a living Celtic language until 1777 and the death of Dolly Pentreath, the last person thought to have used only the Cornish language (although this is disputed on a number of counts). The publication of Henry Jenner's Handbook of the Cornish Language in 1904 caused a resurgence of interest in the Cornish language. The subsequent revival gathered pace during the twentieth century and, although there has never been a census, most estimates agree that there are now around 4,000 Cornish speakers, around 500 of whom are fluent, and there are several families who have raised their children with the language. Cornish was recognised by the UK government as an official minority language in 2002 and it received government funding in 2005. Although currently less than 0.1% of the population speak it fluently, it is taught in many schools and used in religious and civic ceremonies and has boosted Cornish cultural identity. In 2006 a pop group gained fame for Cornish by signing some of the Beatles hits in Kernewek / Cornish. Many Cornish surnames are prefixed by Tre, Pol, or Pen, as celebrated in the Cornish rhyme: These are derived from words in the Cornish language meaning, town (or farm), pool(or lake), and head (or end), respectively. Religion Traditionally, the Cornish have been nonconformists when it comes to religion. Celtic Christianity was a feature of Cornwall and many Cornish saints are commemorated in legends, churches and place names. The Methodism of John Wesley also proved to be very popular with the working classes in Cornwall in the 18th century. Music and festivals Cornwall has a rich and vibrant folk music tradition which has survived into the present. Cornwall is well known for its unusual folk survivals such as Mummers Plays, the Furry Dance in Helston, and Obby Oss in Padstow. Cornish players are regular participants in inter-Celtic festivals, and Cornwall itself has several lively inter-Celtic festivals such as Perranporth's Lowender Peran folk festival*. On a more modern note, contemporary musician Richard D James (also known as Aphex Twin) grew up in Cornwall. Sports and games Cornwall has its own unique form of wrestling related to Breton wrestling and another unique Cornish sport is hurling, a kind of medieval football played with a silver ball (distinct from Irish Hurling). The sport now takes place at St. Columb Major and St Ives although hurling of a silver ball is part of the beating the bounds ceremony at Bodmin every five years. Rugby union has the largest following in Cornwall (more so than football), with the Cornish Pirates (recently renamed from Penzance & Newlyn RFC) in National League 1 and hoping to tap into the large amount of Cornish nationalist sentiment). Launceston RFC "the Cornish All Blacks" and Redruth RFC "the Reds" are also in the national leagues and get good support. The Cornish rugby team regularly draws large crowds of supporters, dubbed Trelawny's Army, especially if they are progressing towards a Twickenham final! The Cornwall County Cricket side compete in the Minor Counties Championship, the second tier National County structure. Talented players, produced by the vigorous County league sides, have frequently found employment in the First Class Counties and two have gone on to represent England. Due to its large coastline, various maritime sports are popular in Cornwall, notably sailing and surfing. International events in both are held in Cornwall. Cornwall will host the Inter-Celtic Watersports Festival in 2006. Rock climbing on the sea cliffs and inland cliffs has been popular since the pioneeering work of A. W. Andrews and others in the early 1900s, and is now highly developed. Euchre is a popular card game in Cornwall, it is normally a game for four players consisting of two teams. Its origins are unclear but some claim it is a Cornish game. There are several leagues in Cornwall at present. A recent application for a place in the 2006 Commonwealth Games was refused by the Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF). The Cornwall Commonwealth Games Association claimed that Cornwall should be recognised with a team, in the way that other sub-state entities such as England, Guernsey and the Isle of Man are. However, the CGF noted that it was not their place to make political decisions on whether or not Cornwall is a separate nation. Food and drink Cornwall has a strong gastronomic heritage. Surrounded on three sides by the sea amid fertile fishing grounds, Cornwall naturally has fresh seafood readily available; Newlyn is the largest fishing port in the UK by value of fish landed. Television chef Rick Stein has long operated a fish restaurant in Padstow for this reason, and Jamie Oliver recently chose to open his second restaurant, Fifteen, in Newquay. One famous local fish dish is star-gazy pie, a fish-based pie in which the heads and tails of the fish stick through the pasty crust, as though "star-gazing". The pie is cooked as part of traditional celebrations for Tom Bawcocks Eve. Cornwall is perhaps best known for its pasties, a savory dish made from pastry containing suet. Those seen today most commonly contain a filling of beef steak, onion, potato and swede (the latter two more correctly referred to as, 'teddies and turnip', q.v. Scottish Tatties & Neeps) with salt and white pepper, but historically pasties had a variety of different fillings, including the licky pasty, comprised mostly of leeks, and the herb pasty, which contained watercress, parsley, and shallots. Pasties are often locally referred to as oggies or 'Teddy Oggies'. Also a sweet version filled with jam. The wet climate and relatively poor soil of Cornwall make it unsuitable for growing many arable crops. However, it is ideal for growing the rich grass required for dairying, leading to the production of Cornwall's other famous export, Cornish clotted cream. This forms the basis for many local specialities including Cornish fudge, Cornish ice cream, and other traditional recipes such as thunder and lightning (bread with clotted cream and treacle), and burnt cream. Cornish clotted cream is protected under EU law and cannot be made anywhere else. True Cornish clotted cream has a minimum fat content of 55% and must be made from unpasteurised milk or the clots will not form. Local desserts include Saffron Cake, Cornish Heavy (''Hevva'') Cake, Cornish fairings Biscuits, Figgy 'obbin, and Whortleberry Pie. There are also many types of beers brewed in Cornwall — the St Austell brewery is the best-known — including a stout, and there is some small scale production of wine, mead, and cider. Settlements This is a list of the main towns and cities in the county; for a complete list of settlements see list of places in Cornwall. Transport 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 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 has an airport which has flights from London Gatwick, London Stansted, Bristol, Manchester, Leeds Bradford, Dublin, Birmingham, Durham Tees Valley. The airport shares RAF St. Mawgan's runways and facilities; however, this is under threat as the Ministry of Defence has announced that military flights will cease at the base from October 2007. The handover of the runway will depend on funding being found to bring it up to civil aviation standards. Perhaps the best (although expensive) way to travel to North Cornwall is from Cardiff or Swansea on a boat-trip across the Bristol channel, usually to Padstow. Swansea in particular has several boat companies who can arrange boat trips to North Cornwall, which allows the traveller to pass by the North Cornish coastline and its superb sights, such as Tintagel castle and Padstow harbour. Very occasionally, the Waverley and Balmoral paddle steamers cruise from Swansea 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). Further flights to St Mary's, Isles of Scilly, are available from Exeter International Airport in Devon. Places of interest Miscellanea The Isles of Scilly have in some periods been served by the same county administration as Cornwall, but are today a separate Unitary Authority. The Health Authority covering Cornwall, however, does include The Isles of Scilly in its area of responsibility. See also Tourist Information General Information News and Sport Culture, Language and History Photographs History Source | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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