Cambridgeshire, county, 1,313 sq mi
(3,402 sq km), E central England. The county seat is Cambridge. The county is divided into
five administrative districts: Cambridge, South Cambridgeshire, East
Cambridgeshire, Huntingdonshire, and Fenland. Most of the area is alluvial
fenland, rising to the low, chalky East Anglian Hills in the south, with the
Gogmagog Hills near Cambridge the most conspicuous feature. The main rivers
are the Ouse, with its tributaries, and the Nene. Efforts to reclaim the
fens date back to the days of Roman occupation, but in the subsequent
periods of invasion by Danes, Saxons, and Normans they were abandoned. The
fens were drained after the Dutchman Cornelius Vermuyden completed a vast
drainage project in 1653. Agriculture and light industry are the dominant
economic activities. Wheat, barley, potatoes, sugar beets, and fruits are
raised. Food processing is an important industry as well as radio
engineering and the manufacture of cement, bricks, and scientific
instruments. The town of Ely has been an ecclesiastical center for
centuries. The Univ. of Cambridge dates
from the 12th cent.
The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6th ed. Copyright © 2024, Columbia University Press. All rights reserved.
See more Encyclopedia articles on: British and Irish Political Geography
