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Buckinghamshire

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Buckinghamshire is a ceremonial county in South East England.

Buckingham-215x334
Buckingham-215x334

It is one of the home counties. You can find it near Greater London to the south-east. Many other places sit around its borders. Northamptonshire is to the north. Bedfordshire is to the north-east. Hertfordshire is to the east. Berkshire is to the south. Oxfordshire sits to the west.

Buckinghamshire numbered districts 2020
Buckinghamshire numbered districts 2020

The county is split into two main areas. One is called Buckinghamshire and the other is Milton Keynes. The largest settlement in the whole county is the city of Milton Keynes.

Civic Offices, 1 Saxon Gate East, Milton Keynes
Civic Offices, 1 Saxon Gate East, Milton Keynes

The land changes quite a bit as you travel through it. The south is home to the Chiltern Hills. This area is known as an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

Wendover Dean
Wendover Dean

These hills contain the highest point called Haddington Hill. The hills are where the River Ouzel begins. This river flows across the lowland Vale of Aylesbury. It moves through Milton Keynes before meeting the River Great Ouse at Newport Pagnell.

Medmenham River Thames geograph-4090549-by-Ben-Brooksbank
Medmenham River Thames geograph-4090549-by-Ben-Brooksbank

The River Thames also forms part of the southern boundary. You might also see the Grand Union Canal passing through the area.

Buckinghamshire has a very old story. The name comes from the Anglo-Saxons. It means the district of Bucca's home. Bucca was an Anglo-Saxon landowner.

Buckingham Church - geograph.org.uk - 715502
Buckingham Church - geograph.org.uk - 715502

The county has existed since the time of the kingdom of Mercia. History here goes back even further to Roman times. In the 16th century, King Henry VIII was involved in local politics. Later, the English Civil War was said to have started in mid-Bucks.

Neolithic Barrow Whiteleaf Hill ed
Neolithic Barrow Whiteleaf Hill ed

During the 19th century, many people had to move to larger towns. This happened because of famine and cholera. This changed the land and made it a popular, leafy place to live.

Many different people live in the county today. The population was about 754,104 in 2011.

CheshamPondParkView
CheshamPondParkView

Milton Keynes is a very large urban area. It includes places like Bletchley and Olney. Other large settlements are Aylesbury, High Wycombe, and Chesham. The county is ethnically diverse. For example, High Wycombe has large Asian and Afro-Caribbean populations.

MKcentralplatforms
MKcentralplatforms

During the Second World War, many Polish, Czech, and Albanian people lived here too. Some of these communities still leave a mark on the area today.

People do many interesting things in Buckinghamshire. It is a place for work and for fun. Many people live here and travel to London for their jobs. The economy relies a lot on service industries.

Ashton House, Milton Keynes - geograph.org.uk - 1208078
Ashton House, Milton Keynes - geograph.org.uk - 1208078

You can find many national companies with offices in Milton Keynes. There is also Pinewood Film Studios.

Princes Risborough, ercol workshop and showroom - geograph.org.uk - 749399
Princes Risborough, ercol workshop and showroom - geograph.org.uk - 749399

People also visit the Silverstone race track. In the countryside, farming is a very important job. You can also find furniture-making in towns like High Wycombe. The county is well known for its high quality of life.

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🖼️ Images & Media (22)
File:Buckinghamshire numbered districts 2020.svg
Buckinghamshire numbered districts 2020.svg
File:Buckingham-215x334.jpg
Buckingham-215x334.jpg
File:Medmenham River Thames geograph-4090549-by-Ben-Brooksbank.jpg
Medmenham River Thames...
File:CheshamPondParkView.jpg
CheshamPondParkView.jpg
File:CountyHallAylesbury.jpg
CountyHallAylesbury.jpg
File:Wendover Dean.jpg
Wendover Dean.jpg
File:Civic Offices, 1 Saxon Gate East, Milton Keynes.jpg
Civic Offices, 1 Saxon Gate East, Milton...
File:Flag of Buckinghamshire.svg
Flag of Buckinghamshire.svg
File:Neolithic Barrow Whiteleaf Hill ed.jpg
Neolithic Barrow Whiteleaf Hill ed.jpg
File:Ashton House, Milton Keynes - geograph.org.uk - 1208078.jpg
Ashton House, Milton Keynes -...
File:Princes Risborough, ercol workshop and showroom - geograph.org.uk - 749399.jpg
Princes Risborough, ercol workshop and...
File:Lake at Stowe Landscape Garden with Temple in distance - geograph.org.uk - 77696.jpg
Lake at Stowe Landscape Garden with...

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