Wiltshire

Wiltshire
Ceremonial county
Kennet Avenue near Avebury, Salisbury Cathedral, and a view of Swindon
Wiltshire within England
Coordinates: 51°18′N 1°54′W / 51.3°N 01.9°W / 51.3; -01.9
Sovereign state	United Kingdom
Constituent country	England
Region	South West
Established	Ancient
Time zone	UTC+0 (GMT)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+1 (BST)
Members of Parliament	List of MPs
Police	Wiltshire Police
Ceremonial county
Lord Lieutenant	Sarah Troughton
Area	3,485 km2 (1,346 sq mi)
• Ranked	14th of 48
Population (2022)	720,060
• Ranked	34th of 48
Density	207/km2 (540/sq mi)
Unitary authority
Council	Wiltshire Council
Executive	Conservative
Admin HQ	County Hall, Trowbridge
Area	3,255 km2 (1,257 sq mi)
• Ranked	6th of 296
Population	515,885
• Ranked	11th of 296
Density	158/km2 (410/sq mi)
ISO 3166-2	GB-WIL
ONS code	00HY
GSS code	E06000054
ITL	UKK15
Website	wiltshire.gov.uk swindon.gov.uk
Districts
Districts of Wiltshire   Unitary
Districts	Wiltshire Swindon

Wiltshire (/ˈwɪlt.ʃər, -ʃɪər/;^[1] abbreviated to Wilts) is a ceremonial county in South West England. It borders Gloucestershire to the north, Oxfordshire to the north-east, Berkshire to the east, Hampshire to the south-east, Dorset to the south, and Somerset to the west. The largest settlement is Swindon, and Trowbridge is the county town.

The county has an area of 3,485 km² (1,346 square miles) and a population of 720,060. The county is mostly rural, and the centre and south-west are sparsely populated. After Swindon (183,638), the largest settlements are the city of Salisbury (41,820) and the towns of Chippenham (37,548) and Trowbridge (37,169). For local government purposes the county comprises two unitary authority areas, Swindon and Wiltshire.

Undulating chalk downlands characterize much of the county; the North Wessex Downs in the east, Salisbury Plain in the centre, and Cranbourne Chase in the south. The north-west is part of the Cotswolds, a limestone area. The county's two major rivers are both called the Avon; the northern Avon enters the county in the north-west and flows in a south-westerly direction before leaving it near Bradford-on-Avon, and the southern Avon rises on Salisbury Plain and flows through Salisbury, then into Hampshire.

Salisbury Plain is noted for the Stonehenge and Avebury stone circles, which together are a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and other ancient landmarks. Much of the plain is a training area for the British Army. The city of Salisbury is notable for its medieval cathedral. Large country houses open to the public include Longleat, where there is also a safari park, and the National Trust's Stourhead.