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Dorset, England

Dorset
County
The Dorset Cross flag of Dorset Coat of arms of Dorset
Flag Coat of arms
Motto: "Who's Afear'd"
Dorset within England
Dorset in England
Coordinates: 50°50′N 2°20′W / 50.833°N 2.333°W / 50.833; -2.333Coordinates: 50°50′N 2°20′W / 50.833°N 2.333°W / 50.833; -2.333
Sovereign state United Kingdom
Country England
Region South West
Established Ancient
Ceremonial county
Lord Lieutenant Angus Campbell
High Sheriff Sir Philip Williams, Bt (2016-17)
Area 2,653 km2 (1,024 sq mi)
 • Ranked 20th of 48
Population (mid-2015 est.) 765,700
 • Ranked 31st of 48
Density 288/km2 (750/sq mi)
Ethnicity 97.9% White
Non-metropolitan county
County council Dorset County Council
Executive Conservative
Admin HQ Dorchester
Area 2,542 km2 (981 sq mi)
 • Ranked 17th of 27
Population 420,600
 • Ranked 27th of 27
Density 165/km2 (430/sq mi)
ISO 3166-2 GB-DOR
ONS code 19
GSS code E10000009
NUTS UKK22
Website www.dorsetforyou.com
www.bournemouth.gov.uk
www.poole.gov.uk
Unitary authorities
Councils Bournemouth Borough Council
Poole Borough Council
NUTS UKK21
Dorset Ceremonial Numbered.png
Districts of Dorset
Unitary County council area
Districts
  1. Weymouth and Portland
  2. West Dorset
  3. North Dorset
  4. Purbeck
  5. East Dorset
  6. Christchurch
  7. Bournemouth
  8. Poole
Members of Parliament List of MPs
Police Dorset Police
Time zone GMT (UTC)
 • Summer (DST) BST (UTC+1)

Dorset /ˈdɔːrst/ (or archaically, Dorsetshire) is a county in South West England on the English Channel coast. The ceremonial county comprises the non-metropolitan county, which is governed by Dorset County Council, and the unitary authority areas of Poole and Bournemouth. Covering an area of 2,653 square kilometres (1,024 sq mi), Dorset borders Devon to the west, Somerset to the north-west, Wiltshire to the north-east, and Hampshire to the east. The county town is Dorchester which is in the south. After the reorganisation of local government in 1974 the county's border was extended eastward to incorporate the Hampshire towns of Bournemouth and Christchurch. Around half of the population lives in the South East Dorset conurbation, while the rest of the county is largely rural with a low population density.

The county has a long history of human settlement stretching back to the Neolithic era. The Romans conquered Dorset's indigenous Celtic tribe, and during the early Middle Ages, the Saxons settled the area and made Dorset a shire in the 7th century. The first recorded Viking raid on the British Isles occurred in Dorset during the eighth century, and the Black Death entered England at Melcombe Regis in 1348. Dorset has seen much civil unrest: during the English Civil War an uprising of vigilantes was crushed by Oliver Cromwell's forces in a pitched battle near Shaftesbury; the doomed Monmouth Rebellion began at Lyme Regis; and a group of farm labourers from Tolpuddle were instrumental in the formation of the trade union movement. During the Second World War, Dorset was heavily involved in the preparations for the invasion of Normandy, and the large harbours of Portland and Poole were two of the main embarkation points. The former was the sailing venue in the 2012 Summer Olympics, and both have clubs or hire venues for sailing, Cornish pilot gig rowing, sea kayaking and powerboating.


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