The West Country
The West Country is an informal term for the area of southwestern England roughly corresponding to the modern South West England government region. The West Country encompasses the counties of Bristol, Cornwall, Devon, Dorset, and Somerset, while the counties of Gloucestershire and Wiltshire are usually included, and definitions sometimes include even wider areas.
The area is mostly rural, with a few notable cities, such as Bristol, Exeter and Plymouth. Tourism and agriculture, especially dairy farming, play a significant role in the economy. The landscape is principally granite moorland in the west, and chalk and limestone downland and clay vales in the east. Historically, tin mining and the fishery were sources of income and employment, but not so much today, although the latter still contributes to the economy. The region is most famous for its production of cider, clotted cream and pasties.
As with any informal area, its boundaries are difficult to define. For example, the further west one goes, the more the region becomes culturally distinct from neighbouring South East England. It is often difficult to define a county as being "West Country" when it is a popular destination for commuters, but it is important to look at the lifestyle and dialects of the true residents before making an informed decision.
Cornwall especially has a distinct view on the exclusivity of what defines a West Country county; it was never truly conquered by Wessex. In 722 the Cornish joined forces with their friends and allies, the Vikings; together the Cornish and Vikings destroyed an Anglo-Saxon army at "Hehil"; somewhere around modern day Padstow. To this day, some natives of Cornwall do not consider themselves English (see Constitutional status of Cornwall, Cornish self-government movement, and Cornish people).