Norfolk

For other meanings, see '' Norfolk (pronounced ) is a low-lying  in  in the east of southern. It has borders with to the west,  to the west and southwest and with  to the south. Its northern and eastern boundaries are the coast, including. The county capital is, located at 52.63306°N, 1.29389°W. Norfolk is the fifth largest ceremonial county in England, with an area of 5,371 (2,074 ).

Of the 34 non-metropolitan English counties, Norfolk is the seventh most populous, with a population of 816,500. However, as a largely county it has a low population density, 152 people per, making it 25th highest by population density. This is reflected in Norfolk's economy which is dominated by agriculture and tourism. lie partly within the county. A recent bid to have them declared a National Park failed, because it would have meant conservation being more important than navigation. Historical sites, such as the centre of Norwich, also contribute to tourism.

In a contest held by, Norfolk's was voted to be the   after complaints that the first choice  was not representative.

History
Norfolk was settled in pre-Roman times, with camps along the higher land in the west where s could be quarried. A ic tribe, the, inhabited the county from the first century , to the end of the first century (AD). The Iceni revolted against the in 47 AD, and again in 60 AD led by. The crushing of the second rebellion opened the county to the Romans. During the Roman era roads and ports were constructed throughout the county and farming took place.

Situated on the east coast, Norfolk was vulnerable to invasions from and northern Europe, and forts were built to defend against the  and. By the 5th century the, for whom and  itself are named, had established control of the region and later became the "north folk" and the "south folk", hence, "Norfolk" and "Suffolk". Norfolk, and several adjacent areas, became the kingdom of East Anglia, later merging with and then. The influence of the Early English settlers can be seen in the many "thorpes", "tons" and "hams" of placenames. In the 9th century the region again came under attack, this time from s who killed the king,. In the centuries before the the wetlands of the east of the county began to be converted to farmland, and settlements grew in these areas. Migration into East Anglia must have been high, as by the time of the Conquest and survey, it was one of the most densely populated parts of the British Isles.

During the high and late the county developed arable agriculture and woolen industries. The economy was in decline by the time of the, which dramatically reduced the population in 1349, suffice to say that the current population has yet to equal the population from this time. By the 16th century had grown to become the second largest city in England, but in 1665 the  again killed around one third of the population. During the Norfolk was largely Parliamentarian. The economy and agriculture of the region declined somewhat, and during the Norfolk developed little industry and was a late addition to the  network.

In the 20th century the county developed a role in aviation. The first development in airfields came with the ; there was then a massive expansion during the Second World War with the growth of the and the influx of the American USAAF  which operated from many. During the agriculture rapidly intensified, and has remained very intensive since with the establishment of large fields for  and  growing. Norfolk's low-lying land and easily eroded cliffs, many of which are chalk and clay, make it vulnerable to the sea, the most recent major event being the.

Economy and industry
In 1998 Norfolk had a of 9,319 million, making it 1.5% of England's economy and 1.25% of the United Kingdom's economy. The GDP per head was £11,825, compared to £13,635 for East Anglia, £12,845 for England and £12,438 for the United Kingdom. In 1999-2000 the county has an unemployment rate of 5.6%, compared to 5.8% for England and 6.0% for the UK.

Much of Norfolk's flat and fertile land has been drained and converted to. Over 20% of employment in the county is in the agriculture and food industries. has been successful in the county, and farming is very intensive with large fields, and many formerly family-run farms have been agglomerated into large farms which are highly efficient but criticised for reducing and employment.

Well-known companies in Norfolk are, and. The is based on the former airfield of. The region is centred on Norwich (though covers as far west as ).

To help local industry in Norwich, Norfolk, the local council offers a wireless service

Education
Norfolk has a completely comprehensive state education, with secondary school age from 11 to 16 or 18, as well as several private schools. In many rural areas, there is no nearby sixth form. s are found in larger towns. There are twelve independent schools including the in  in the north of the county. The Kings Lynn district has the largest school population.

Politics
Norfolk is a shire county, under the control of Norfolk County Council. This is divided into seven local government districts,, , , , , and.

The is currently considering whether  should become a new  separate from Norfolk County Council.

Norfolk County Council is -controlled and led by Daniel Cox. There are 46 Conservative councillors, 22 councillors, 14  councillors and two  councillors. There was 63% turnout at the most recent local election.

In the, Norfolk is represented by four Conservative , three Labour MPs and one Liberal Democrat. Labour represent the more urban areas of Norwich and Great Yarmouth. The former, , represents.

Settlements and communications
Norfolk's county town and only is, one of the largest settlements in England during the. Norwich is home to Norfolk's only university, the, and is the county's main business and culture centre. Other principal towns include the port-town of and the seaside resort and Broads gateway town of. There are also several s:, , , , , , , and.

Norfolk is one the few counties in England that does not have a. The connects Norfolk to  and  and the  runs west to the. The is a major  from London  to Essex, Suffolk and Norfolk. The only major in the county is, which offers flights within , including a link to  which offers onward flights throughout the world.

Dialect, accent and nickname
The Norfolk Dialect, also known as "Broad Norfolk", is the accent/dialect of people living in Norfolk, although over the modern age much of the vocabulary and phrases have died out due to a number of factors, such as radio, TV and people from other parts of the country coming to Norfolk. As a result the speech of Norfolk is more of an than, though one part retained from the Norfolk dialect is the distinctive grammar of the region.

More cutting, perhaps, was the formerly-used pejorative medical term "", now discredited, the use of which is banned by the profession.

Tourist highlights
Norfolk is a popular tourist destination; major attractions include beaches, the Broads, and the city of Norwich. Rural parts of the county, notably the area around, are also popular locations for city dwellers to purchase weekend homes.

People of Norfolk
see also Category:People from Norfolk Some notable people who were born and/or raised in Norfolk:


 * Cricket commentator
 * , lifeboatman, was from
 * , queen of the people in ancient Britain and scourge of the occupying, was born in the part of Norfolk that is close to Norwich, at a settlement near the
 * , English renaissance writer, physician and early archaeologist
 * , former motor-racing driver and now popular commentator was born in
 * Former BBC Radio 2 and current BBC presenter
 * , archaeologist who discovered s tomb. His childhood was spent primarily in
 * Admiral and British hero who played a major role n the Battle of Trafalgar, born and schooled in Norfolk
 * , the singer and songwriter, from Norwich
 * , footballer, was born in Norwich


 * , first wife of, was born and grew up near
 * , landowner and Deputy Lord Lieutenant of Norfolk
 * , the inventor and entrepreneur, was born at Cromer, grew up at and was educated at
 * and, racing drivers, were both born and brought up in Norfolk and educated at
 * , the butterfly collector, was born in Norfolk, and her collection is housed in Museum
 * , Actor, comedian, writer, producer, director and author. Was born in and was brought up in the village of  near  and also briefly attended
 * , the actress who starred in, was raised in Norfolk
 * , the actress, hails from north Norfolk and was educated at
 * , drummer of band, was born in
 * , BBC presenter, spent most of his childhood in Norwich
 * footballer, grew up in
 * , Norfolk humourist, author, songwriter and singer
 * , former singer, hails from
 * , actor who starred in, was born in
 * , actress, was born in Norwich
 * , sketch comedy duo well known in Norfolk
 * , singer/songwriter, was born in and raised in Norwich
 * , philosopher, born in Thetford
 * , snooker player. comes from Norwich
 * , British rower, was born in
 * , author, born in Norwich
 * , 'The Singing Postman' who sang songs in his Norfolk dialect, was from
 * , playwright, satirist and poet laureate
 * , actress and former singer, is from
 * , drummer of the rock band was born in  and spent the early part of his childhood in Norfolk
 * , sociolinguist on accents and dialects including his own native Norfolk dialect, was born and bred in Norwich
 * ,Born .Captain in the Royal Navy
 * , regarded as the first British prime minister
 * , rap DJ and Radio 1 presenter, grew up in and around Norwich
 * , angler
 * , 18th century clergyman and diarist

People associated with Norfolk
The following people were not born or brought up in Norfolk but are long-term residents of Norfolk, are well known for living in Norfolk at some point in their lives, or have contributed in some significant way to the county.
 * , British TV cook and major Norwich City Football Club shareholder
 * TV and stage actress, lives in the village of
 * British Prime Minister from 1990 to 1997, has a holiday home in
 * , 19th century clergyman, religious controversialist, Rector of St Swithun,
 * Popular fictional character associated with Radio Show Norfolk Nights
 * , TV personality, lives in Norwich and writes columns in the local newspapers the and.