Portal:Cornwall
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 Cornwall (Cornish: Kernow) is a county of England, United Kingdom, located at the tip of the south-western peninsula of Great Britain. It is bordered to the north by the Atlantic Ocean, to the south by the English Channel, and to the east by the county of Devon, over the River Tamar. Cornwall has a population of 526,300, covering an area of 1,376 square miles (3,563 km²), and its administrative centre and only city is Truro.  Cornwall during the time of the Celts was a part of the Brythonic area of Britain, separated from Wales after the Battle of Deorham. The Kingdom of Cornwall often came into conflict with the expanding Saxon kingdom of Wessex, before the boundary between English and Cornish people was set at the Tamar. The Cornish language continued to be spoken until the 18th century, although a recent revival has seen the number of Cornish speakers increasing over the past few decades. Cornwall is the homeland of the Cornish people and diaspora, and is considered one of the six "Celtic nations" by many residents and scholars. The county continues to retain its distinct identity, with its own history, language and culture. Cornwall's economy struggles after the decline of the mining and fishing industries, and has become dependent on tourism. The area is noted for its wild moorland landscapes, its extensive and varied coastline and its mild climate.  Newquay is a town on Cornwall's north coast. It is bounded to the west by the Gannel River and its associated salt marsh, and in the east by the Porth valley. The town has been expanding inland since it was founded. According to the 2001 census it has a population of 19,423. The curve of the headland around what is now Newquay harbour provided natural protection from bad weather and a small fishing village grew up in the area. When the village was first occupied is unknown but it is not mentioned in the Domesday Book although a local house (now a bar known as "Trenninick Tavern") is included. By the 15th century the village was called "Towan Blystra", but the anchorage was exposed to winds from the North East and in 1439 the local Burghers applied to Edmund Lacey, Bishop of Exeter for leave and funds to build a "New quay" from which the town derives its current name. Newquay is now a major tourist destination, principally on account of the 10 long and accessible sandy beaches. The town has a resident population of around 22,000 but this can increase to 100,000 or more in the summer because Newquay has a large stock of holiday accommodation.  Richard Trevithick (13 April 1771 - 22 April 1833) was a British inventor, engineer and builder of the first working steam locomotive. He was born in Tregajorran, in between Camborne and Redruth, which at the time was a rich mining area of Cornwall. The son of a mine 'captain' and a miner's daughter, as a child he would watch steam engines pump water from the deep tin and copper mines. His first job was building and modifying steam engines, and as he became more experienced, he realised that improvements in boiler technology permitted the safe production of high pressure steam, and that this could be made to move a piston in a steam engine on its own account. In 1799 he became the first person to make high pressure steam work, and started building his first models of high pressure steam engines. Trevithick built a full-size steam road locomotive in 1801 on a site near the present day Fore Street in Camborne, the 'Puffing Devil', and demonstrated it by successfully carrying several men up Fore Street and then continuing on up Camborne Hill, from Camborne Cross to the nearby village of Beacon. This event is recognised as the first demonstration of steam powered transportation, and it later inspired the popular Cornish folk song "Camborne Hill". Trevithick went on to work in Shropshire and then in Wales, where he designed and successfully tested the world's first railway locomotive.
See also: List of topics related to Cornwall
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Geography
Politics
Economy and demographics
Culture
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