 Norfolk is situated to the east of southern England in the area of East Anglia. It shares borders with Lincolnshire, Cambridgeshire and with Suffolk. It has a North Sea coastline and lies alongside The Wash. It was settled by the people known as the Angles in the 5th century from whom we get the name England. Before them, there is evidence that the area was widely settled by prehistoric man and there are numerous prehistoric burial sites, henges, hill forts and a flint mine. Later, the Romans settled the area and Romanised locals extensively farmed cerials and planted vineyards. A number of Roman roads cross the county and evidence of Roman settlement is widespread. In the 1st century A.D. the county was home to the British Iceni tribe and these under the leadership of their Queen Boudicca, caused havoc among the Roman settlers before her defeat at the hands of the massed legions. Norfolk's history is one of invasion and settlement. Following the departure of the Romans, the area was invaded and settled in succession by Saxons, Angles and Vikings. The area was eventually subdued following the Norman Conquest and the county enjoyed relative peace and prosperity under the influence of the new controlling dynasty. The area became home to a more organised system of agriculture and sheep farming became a major economic factor. Existing trade routes to the Low Countries were expanded and by the start of the 13th century, King's Lynn had become the fifth largest port in England. During the wars with France in the 18th century, the county's ports were of vital importance and again the county did well from supplying the navy with men and supplies - Norfolk's most famous military hero is Admiral Lord Horatio Nelson who was born in Burnham Thorpe. Norfolk continued to thrive until the economic depressions of the 19th century badly effected the rural population of Norfolk, many of whom left to seek work in London and the larger cities of the newly industrialised Midlands. Ironically, World War II saved local farming and the fertile fields provided much needed food for the embattled island. Geography. The county town of Norfolk is Norwich. The county is predominantly made up of farmland interspersed with the 'broads' - Britains largest area of natural wetlands consisting of rivers, shallow lakes and marshes. The area is rich in wildlife and rare plant species and are of major international importance as a nature reserve for wildlife and flora. The county is famously flat. The highest point of the county is the 100 meter high Beacon Hill on the coast at Cromer. The coastline itself is made up of long shingle beaches, innumerable small inlets and estuaries with the River Ouse at Kings Lynn being the widest and forming the drain for the fenland area. Industry Agriculture still plays a large role in Norfolk's economy but today, tourism is the major source of the county's wealth thanks to The Broads and the popular coastal towns such as Great Yarmouth attracting millions of visitors annually. Kings Lynn is still a working port with fishing for prawns, shrimps and cockles, food processing and a small chemical production industry playing an important part in the local economy. |
