South West England is one of the regions of England. It is the largest such region in terms of area, covering 9200 sqmi (23827.9 km2) including Bristol, Gloucestershire, Somerset, Dorset, Wiltshire, Devon, Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly. Five million people live there. The region includes the area often known as the West Country, and much of Wessex. The size of the region is shown by the fact that the northern part of Gloucestershire, near Chipping Campden, is as close to the Scottish border as it is to the tip of Cornwall. The largest city is Bristol. Other major urban centres include Plymouth, Swindon, Gloucester, Exeter, and the South East Dorset conurbation of Bournemouth, Poole and Christchurch.
Two National Parks and four World Heritage Sites, including Stonehenge are in the region.
Traditionally, the South West of England has been well known for producing Cheddar cheese, which originated in the Somerset village of Cheddar, for Devon cream teas, and for cider.
It is now probably equally well known as the home of the Eden Project, Aardman Animations, the Glastonbury festival, the Bristol International Balloon Fiesta, trip hop music and also Cornwall's famous seafood restaurants and surfing beaches.
Key data and facts about the region are produced by the South West Observatory.
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