Facts about Norfolk
History
Situated on the east coast, the homelands of the Iceni were vulnerable to attacks from continental Europe and other parts of Britain, and forts were built to defend against raids by the Saxons and the Picts. A period of depopulation, which may have been due to these threats, seems to have followed the departure of the Romans. Soon afterwards, Germanic peoples from the North Sea area settled in the region. Though they became known as Angles, they were likely not affiliated to any tribe in particular at the time of their migration.
By the 5th century the Angles had established control of the region and later became the “north folk” and the “south folk”; hence “Norfolk” and “Suffolk”. Norfolk, Suffolk and several adjacent areas became the kingdom of East Anglia, which later merged with Mercia and then with Wessex. The influence of the Early English settlers can be seen in the many place names ending in “-ham”, “-ingham” and “-ton”. Endings such as “-by” and “-thorpe” are also fairly common, indicating Danish toponyms.
General Info
Norfolk is a county in East Anglia in England. It borders Lincolnshire to the northwest, Cambridgeshire to the west and southwest, and Suffolk to the south. Its northern and eastern boundaries are the North Sea and to the northwest, The Wash. The county town is the city of Norwich. With an area of 2,074 square miles and a population of 859,400. Norfolk is a largely rural county with a population density of 401 per square mile.
Of the county’s population, 40% live in four major built-up areas: Norwich, Great Yarmouth, King’s Lynn and Thetford. The Broads is a network of rivers and lakes in the east of the county, extending south into Suffolk. The area is not a national park although it is marketed as such. It has similar status to a national park, and is protected by the Broads Authority.
