Devon

Devon is a large county in South West England, bordered by Cornwall to the west, and Dorset and Somerset to the east. It is unique among English counties, in that it has two separated coastlines, on the English Channel and Bristol Channel branches of the Atlantic. Although Devon is the official county name, Devon and Devonshire are commonly used interchangeably in general use, with Devonshire often indicating a traditional or historical context.

Devon is geographically the fourth largest of the English counties, with a population of 1,109,900. The county town is the cathedral city of Exeter, and the county contains two independent unitary authorities, the port city of Plymouth and the Torbay conurbation of seaside resorts, in addition to Devon County Council itself. Much of the county is rural or National Park land (365 square miles or so, or about 945 km², are occupied by Dartmoor), and it has consequently, by British standards, a relatively low population density.

The Dorset and East Devon Coast, otherwise known as the Jurassic Coast for its geology and geographical features, is the only natural UNESCO World Heritage Site in England. Geologically, Devon, along with its neighbour Cornwall is known as the "Cornubian massif". This geology gives rise to the unique landscapes of Dartmoor and Exmoor, both National Parks. In addition to these, Devon has many seaside resorts and several historic towns and cities, plus a mild climate, accounting for the large tourist sector of its economy.

There is some dispute over the use of Devonshire instead of Devon, and there is no official recognition of the term 'Devonshire' in modern times. Theories have included that the 'shire' suffix is due to a mistake in the making of the original letters patent for the Duke of Devonshire, resident in Derbyshire. However, there are references to 'Defenascire' in old English texts from before 1000AD, which translates to modern English as 'Devonshire'. The term Devonshire may have originated around the 8th century, when it changed from Dumnonia to Defensascir.