is located in southwestern England. It is bordered by Cornwall County to the west, Dorset and Somerset counties to the east, the English Channel to the south, and the Bristol Channel to the north.

The name Devon derives from the name of the Celtic people who inhabited the southwestern peninsula of Britain at the time of the Roman invasion, about 50 A.D. These people were known as the Dumnonii, which is believed to have meant "deep valley dwellers."

Administrative Headquarters

Exeter

Population (2005 est)

1,109,900

Districts
	1. Exeter (county town) 2. East Devon 3. Mid Devon 4. North Devon 5. Torridge 6. West Devon 7. South Hams 8. Teignbridge 9. Plymouth (unitary authority) 10. Torbay (unitary authority)

Cities and Towns

Axminster, Barnstaple, Bideford, Brixham, Dartmouth, Dawlish, Exeter, Exmouth, Great Torrington, Honiton, Ilfracombe, Lynmouth, Newton Abbot, Okehampton, Paignton, Plymouth, Salcombe, Sidmouth, Tavistock, Tiverton, Torquay, Totnes

Government

The Devon County Council has 58 members.

Devon has 11 seats in Parliament.

Official Symbols

The Devon County Council received a grant of arms on October 11, 1926. The main part of the shield displays a red-crowned lion on a silver field, the arms of Richard Plantagenet, Earl of Cornwall. The chief portion of the shield depicts an ancient ship on wavers, for Devon's seafaring traditions. The Latin motto Auxilio Divino (by Divine Aid) was used by Sir Francis Drake.

A further grant of crest and supporters was obtained on March 6, 1962. The crest is the head of a Dartmoor Pony rising from a "Naval Crown." This distinctive crown is formed from the sails and sterns of ships, and is associated with the Royal Navy. The supporters are a Devon Bull and a Sea Lion.

The Devon flag was adopted in 2003, after a competition run by BBC Devon. The design is reminiscent of the flag flown by the first Viscount Exmouth at the Bombardment of Algiers. The flag was hoisted for the first time on October 17, 2006, outside County Hall in Exeter to mark Local Democracy Week.

Major Industries

tourism, agriculture, fishing, mining

Mineral Resources

tin, copper

Notable Natives

Raymond Cattell (psychology pioneer), Sir Francis Chichester (mariner), Agatha Christie (author), Samuel Taylor Coleridge (poet), Sir Francis Drake (mariner), Sir Humphrey Gilbert (mariner), Sir Richard Grenville (mariner), Sir Walter Raleigh (mariner)

Major Attractions

Dartmoor National Park, Exmoor National Park

Questions or comments about this page?

Devon County Council. www.devon.gov.uk
Dover Pages. www.doverpages.co.uk

Sir Francis Drake
Sir Walter Raleigh

The Robinson Library
History: General and Old World.--Great Britain.--England.--Counties, Regions, Etc., A-Z.

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