England’s largest and most beautiful region
The south west is the largest of the English regions (23,829 km) covering Bristol, Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly, Devon, Dorset, Gloucestershire, Somerset and Wiltshire. Below, you can explore some of the unique and exciting elements that make this Sport England's most diverse and innovative region.
The online update to "The State of the South West" a comprehensive review of the South West of England's economic, social, environmental and cultural life is available to view from this link State of the South West 2008. This online publication gives an accurate assessment and analysis of information for the South West, across a broad range of policy themes, presenting key issues and priorities along with supporting data.
Environment
The south west is a beautiful and historic part of England. Its two national parks - Dartmoor and Exmoor - cover 1,631 square kilometres (8.3% of the region’s land area). Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) cover approximately a fifth of the region (4,641 square kilometres), and the South West Coast Path, probably England's most beautiful and diverse national trail, provides residents and visitors with an unsurpassed natural resource. The jewel in the South West Coast Path’s crown is the Dorset and East Devon coast (Jurassic Coast), which was declared a World Heritage Site in December 2001. To find out more about visiting the south west of England click here.
Economy
The south west is marked by its economic diversity. The west of England (the former county of Avon) contributes one quarter of the region’s GDP with Bristol alone accounting for almost half of this. Cornwall contributes the least at 7.3%. In terms of economic performance, the sub-regions of Wiltshire and Gloucestershire, and the west of England have experienced the biggest rises in GDP. Growth is slower in the western coastal counties of Cornwall, Devon, and Dorset.
There are almost 210,000 businesses in the south west, with the majority employing less than 10 people. Over three quarters of jobs are in medium and large enterprises. Two fifths of jobs are in organisations employing more than 100 people. However, compared to other regions, the south west has few large businesses. It hosts only seven of the top 100 companies in the UK. This compares to 38 in the south east and 40 in London. If you want to know more about the south west’s economy and economic performance click here.
Culture
The south west region is rich in cultural assets, from community based-festivals to major heritage sites, sports and arts institutions and activities. They all form part of a creative infrastructure which is crucial to the south west’s engagement with the creative and knowledge economy, as well as providing a solid resource base for sustainable tourism. However, culture is not just about economic issues. It also supports a region’s sense of identity, community, place, quality of life and citizenship. To find out more about the south west cultural consortia (Culture South West) click here
To obtain more detail on the diversity of culture in the South West click here
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