Cornwall

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Ceremonial County in England
Region: South West

§ This page provides an overview of an England's ceremonial county. Our website has 48 such county pages.

Overview ⁞ Cornwall forms the southwestern tip of mainland England and includes the Isles of Scilly within its ceremonial boundary. Known for its Celtic heritage, dramatic coastline, and unique culture, Cornwall has a distinct identity, including its own Cornish language revival. The area is heavily reliant on tourism, agriculture, and creative industries. Governed by the Cornwall Council unitary authority, the Isles of Scilly are administered separately by the Council of the Isles of Scilly.

Is Cornwall a historic county? Yes—Cornwall is a historic county. Administratively, Cornwall Council is a single unitary authority; however the ceremonial county also includes the separate authority of the Isles of Scilly.

Cornwall has 2 Local Authority Districts. The chart below shows how this compares with other counties in England.

Number of local authority districts in Cornwall and other counties
Number of local authority districts in Cornwall, compared with other counties
This county page, Cornwall, is a sub-page this region page: South West. It zooms in to local authorities, administrative districts, and parliamentary constituencies in this county. We have this list page for easy browsing of all historic counties, ceremonial counties, and administrative counties: List of all counties in the UK.

Local Authorities in Cornwall

Cornwall, in England’s South West region, has a unitary system of local government with Cornwall Council responsible for all local services including education, transport, planning, housing, and social care, following the abolition of its former district councils in 2009. In addition, the Isles of Scilly, while historically linked to Cornwall, are administered separately by the Council of the Isles of Scilly, which also operates as a unitary authority. Together, these councils govern an area celebrated for its rugged coastline, fishing villages, seaside resorts, and the historic town of Truro, as well as the unique island community of the Scillies, combining streamlined governance with attention to both local and regional needs.

Districts in Cornwall

In the International Territorial Levels (ITLs) hierarchy, Cornwall is within or around here:

(ITL 1) South West
(ITL 2) ⇒ Cornwall and Isles of Scilly
(ITL 3) ⇒⇒ Cornwall and Isles of Scilly

Constituencies in Cornwall

A constituency is a specific geographical area that elects one Member of Parliament (MP) to represent them in the House of Commons. The United Kingdom is divided into 650 parliamentary constituencies, 6 of them are in Cornwall.

Counties in South West