The Probert Encyclopaedia of Places of the World

CORNWALL

Cornwall or Kernow (recorded in the Domesday Book as Cornualia) is a maritime county in south west England, forming the south-western extremity of the island, bounded east by Devon, and surrounded on all other sides by the sea; area. The coastline is much broken. Mount's Bay, Falmouth Bay and Harbour, Whitesand Bay, Fowey Harbour, and St Austell Bay are the principal openings on the south coast. The indentations on the north consist of, shallow bays with few or no harbours. Between these two coasts is the promontory of Land's End, terminating in granite cliffs about 60 feet high. Some of the other cliffs exceed 400 ft. in height. At Land's End terminate the hills of the Devonian Range. The part of this range belonging to Cornwall stretches from north-east to south-west, forming the principal watershed of the county. Its highest summit is Brown Willy, 1868 ft. Granite and old red sandstone are the chief rocks.

The rivers are numerous but short. Much of the area, especially in the elevated districts, is barren moorland. The chief wealth of the county was traditionally in its minerals, especially its mines of copper and tin, though the value of both greatly sunk since the 19th century and by the late 20th were of no consequence. Several mines exceeded 350 fathoms in depth. In the Botallack Copper Mine, a few miles north of Land's End, the workings were carried below the sea. Besides tin and copper, silver, lead, zinc, iron, manganese, antimony, cobalt, and bismuth are found in comparatively small quantities. There are also valuable deposits of kaolin or china-clay. The fisheries, particularly of pilchard and mackerel, have long been a valuable part of Cornwall's economy.

Cornwall, with the Scilly Isles, seems to have been the Cassiterides or Tin Islands of antiquity. The natives long maintained their independence against the Saxons, and their country was spoken of as West Wales. Their language also long continued to be Celtic. Cornwall gives the title Duke of Cornwall to the eldest son of the sovereign of Great Britain, and forms a royal duchy, the revenues of which belong to the Prince of Wales for the time being. The dukedom was created for the Black Prince in 1337.

Cornwall is a port and city in Ontario, Canada.

Cornwall is a town in Litchfield County, Connecticut, USA.
Cornwall is a town in Addison County, Vermont, USA.
Cornwall is a township in Spink County, South Dakota, USA.
Cornwall is a borough in Lebanon County, Pennsylvania, USA.
Cornwall is a town in Orange County, New York, USA.
Cornwall is a township in Henry County, Illinois, USA.
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