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Norfolk ( in East Anglia in the east of southern England . It has borders with Lincolnshire to the west, Cambridgeshire to the west and southwest and with Suffolk to the south. Its northern and eastern boundaries are the North Sea coast, including The Wash . The county capital is Norwich , located at . Norfolk is the fifth largest ceremonial county in England, with an area of 5,371 Km&2 (2,074 Sq Mi ). Of the 34 non-metropolitan English counties, Norfolk is the seventh most populous, with a population of 816,500. However, as a largely Rural county it has a low population density, 152 people per Square Kilometre , making it 25th highest by population densityBased on Office For National Statistics 2004 population estimates, see List Of Non-metropolitan Counties Of England By Population .. This is reflected in Norfolk's economy which is dominated by agriculture and tourism. The Broads 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 was not representative. HISTORY See Also: Prehistoric Norfolk See Also: History of Norfolk Norfolk was settled in pre-Roman times, with ic tribe, the Iceni , inhabited the county from the first century BC , to the end of the first century (AD). The Iceni revolted against the Roman Invasion in 47 AD, and again in 60 AD led by Boudica . 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 Scandinavia and northern Europe, and forts were built to defend against the Angles and Saxons . By the 5th century the Angles , for whom East Anglia and England 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 Mercia and then Wessex . 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 Viking s who killed the king, Edmund The Martyr . In the centuries before the Norman Conquest 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 Domesday Book survey, it was one of the most densely populated parts of the British Isles. During the high and late Norfolk was largely Parliamentarian. The economy and agriculture of the region declined somewhat, and during the Industrial Revolution Norfolk developed little industry and was a late addition to the Railway network. In the 20th century the county developed a role in aviation. The first development in airfields came with the First World War ; there was then a massive expansion during the Second World War with the growth of the Royal Air Force and the influx of the American USAAF 8th Air Force which operated from many Norfolk Airfields . During the Second World War agriculture rapidly intensified, and has remained very intensive since with the establishment of large fields for Cereal and Oil Seed Rape 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 North Sea Flood Of 1953 . ECONOMY AND INDUSTRY In 1998 Norfolk had a .. Much of Norfolk's flat and fertile land has been drained and converted to 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 Biodiversity and employment. Well-known companies in Norfolk are Norwich Union , Colman's and Bernard Matthews . The Construction Industry Training Board is based on the former airfield of RAF Bircham Newton . The BBC East region is centred on Norwich (though covers as far west as Milton Keynes ). To help local industry in Norwich, Norfolk, the local council offers a wireless service {Link without Title} EDUCATION Norfolk has a completely comprehensive education, with secondary school age from 11 to 16 or 18. In many rural areas, there is no nearby sixth form. Sixth Form College s are found in larger towns; these normally achieve good results. There are twelve independent schools including the well-renowned Gresham's School in Holt in the north of the county. The Kings Lynn district has the largest school population. The England average for five good GCSE s including English and Maths is 45.8%. For Norfolk LEA , it is 44.5%. However the results vary, and outside of Norwich, Great Yarmouth, Thetford and King's Lynn, the results are above average. Every school in South Norfolk performs well apart from the one in less-rural Costessey (close to Norwich). Norwich has a large variation in school results. The best school in the LEA at GCSE by a considerable margin is Wymondham College , followed by Diss High School. The worst school is Earlham High School in west Norwich. At A level, Wymondham High School is far above any other school in Norfolk, getting better results than the independent schools apart from the Norwich High School For Girls in Norwich. The next best is Wymondham College. In general, the results at A level for Norfolk are not as good as other nearby counties, and are quite some way under the England average which is unusual for a rural county. GCSE results by council district (%)
POLITICS Norfolk is a shire county, under the control of Norfolk County Council. This is divided into seven local government districts, Breckland District , Broadland District , Great Yarmouth Borough , King's Lynn And West Norfolk Borough , North Norfolk District , Norwich City and South Norfolk . The Department For Communities And Local Government is currently considering whether Norwich should become a new Unitary Authority separate from Norfolk County Council. Unitary Norwich City Council - The business case for unitary Norwich Communities and Local Government - Proposals for future unitary structures: Stakeholder consultation Norfolk County Council is Conservative -controlled and led by Daniel Cox. There are 46 Conservative councillors, 22 Labour councillors, 14 Liberal Democrat councillors and two Green councillorsNorfolk County Council, 2005. County election results .. There was 63% turnout at the most recent local election. In the House Of Commons , Norfolk is represented by four Conservative Members Of Parliament , three Labour MPs and one Liberal Democrat. Labour represent the more urban areas of Norwich and Great Yarmouth. The former Home Secretary , Charles Clarke , represents Norwich South . SETTLEMENTS AND COMMUNICATIONS Norfolk's county town and only , Downham Market , East Dereham , Fakenham , Holt , North Walsham , Swaffham , Thetford and Wymondham . Norfolk is one the few counties in England that does not have a Motorway . The A11 connects Norfolk to Cambridge and London and the A47 runs west to the East Midlands . The Great Eastern Main Line is a major Railway from London Liverpool Street Station to Essex, Suffolk and Norfolk. The only major Airport in the county is Norwich International Airport , which offers flights within Europe , including a link to Amsterdam which offers onward flights throughout the world. DIALECT, ACCENT AND NICKNAME See Also: Norfolk dialect The Norfolk Dialect also known as "Broad Norfolk" is the accent/dialect of people living in Norfolk, although over the modern age, a lot 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 Accent than Dialect though one part retained from the Norfolk dialect is the distinctive grammar of the region. Most English counties have nicknames for people from that county, such as a Tyke from Yorkshire and a Yellowbelly from Lincolnshire ; the traditional Nickname for people from Norfolk is 'Norfolk Dumpling' or 'Norfolk Pudden' ("pudding"): two of the county's culinary dishes. More cutting, perhaps, was the formerly-used pejorative medical term " Normal For Norfolk ", 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 Burnham Market , are also popular locations for city dwellers to purchase weekend homes. PEOPLE OF NORFOLK see also Some notable people who were born and/or raised in Norfolk:
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.
Trisha Goddard, TV personality, lives in Norwich and writes columns in the local newspapers the Eastern Daily Press and Evening News. SEE ALSO
REFERENCES EXTERNAL LINKS
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