Cornwall is a Duchy in the far south-west of Great Britain. Its border with Devon, the neighbouring county, comprises mostly of the ancient division between Cornwall and England of the River Tamar. The land border between north Cornwall and north Devon is 28km long. The native language is Cornish, although with the influx of English people, the English language is now more prevalent.
Cornwall is renouned in the present day for being a popular tourist destination, due to its beautiful beaches, mild climate and stunning inland countryside. In the past it relied on three main industries: fishing, farming and mining. The mining industry was particularly prominent, and lead to several famous inventions, for example the Davy Lamp and Trevithick's steam engine. Most of the mining was for copper and tin, quantities of which is still present underground today.
In the modern day there is an independence movement in Cornwall, to break away from wrongly being labelled as part of England. Cornwall has a history different from that of England: as an ancient Celtic nation Cornwall was never invaded by the Romans, Normans, Saxons and so on. The Cornish people nowadays feel that their Celtic heritage, culture, government - the 'Stannaries', language and rights as a national minority have been disregarded by the domineering English, and there is a campaign for the 'Senedh Kernow', the Cornish Assembly, to be established. The declaration for this is stated as:
"Cornwall is a distinct region of the British Isles and Europe with a unique culture, language, and history. Today, however, Cornwall is recognised as one of the poorest regions of the European Union. It has persistent economic problems, which has resulted in it being granted Objective 1 status by the European Commission.
Quoted from www.senedhkernow.com
There is now an urgent need for a fundamental change in the way that Cornwall is governed, the means by which policies are implemented, and the institutions accountable for delivery.
With this in mind, the Cornish Constitutional Convention is leading the campaign for a Cornish Assembly, which has won the support of over 50,000 people who have signed individual declarations calling for a new democratic settlement for Cornwall.
We, the People of Cornwall, must have a greater say in how we are governed. We need a Cornish Assembly than can set the right democratic priorities for Cornwall and provide a stronger voice for our communities in Britain, in Europe and throughout the wider world."
Cornwall is reputed for the quality of its beautiful surf, and the number of surfers. Beaches such as Fistral in Newquay are world renowned, so locals tend to head for Constantine or Watergate Bay. There is tension between the locals and the 'Emmets' - the tourists - as the population of the Duchy (~400 000) doubles in summer, which has obvious implication for the environment, of overcrowding, and water shortage.
Traditional Cornish foods have become popular in a bastardised way in the rest of Britain, foods such as the Cornish Pasty, Starry-gazey pie, Cornish Yarg, Cornish Pepper, and Cream Teas. The 'real thing' are available in any cafe, bakery or local shop in Cornwall.
Much of the Cornish cries for independence are based upon the dire economic situation, caused by the decline on mining and increasing reliance on Tourism - attractions such as the Eden Project effectively controlling the local economy. Poverty is high, especially since the decline of traditional industries. Teenage pregnancies, drug problems (both smuggling and abuse), community breakdowns and unemployment are all effects of this. This is the Cornwall the tourists wont see.