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	County Town: Shrewsbury County Population: 430,000 (estimate)
	Situated on the Welsh border, Shropshire is a fine pastoral county. Featuring gently rolling hills and large areas of woodland, it is divided by the River Severn, which rises in Powys, Wales, flows through Shrewsbury, then heads southeast. To the south and west of the river, Shropshire comprises of a continuation of the Welsh mountain ranges, an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. Gently undulating lowlands take up the area to the north and east of the Severn, and an area of marshland, peat bogs, and small lakes is found in the far northwest of the county.
	Bronze Age round barrows and a large number of Iron Age hill-forts are found throughout the county. The Roman legionary fortress at Viroconium (Wroxeter) grew into one of the largest towns in Roman Britain. After the Romans left the land fell into the hands of the Welsh Princes of Powys. The Saxons later conquered the area, and constructed Watt's and Offa's Dykes, protective boundaries between the kingdoms of Mercia and Wales (Offa's Dyke being the longest archaeological monument in the UK). Conflicts with the Welsh continued after the Norman invasion, and a large number of castles were built to defend against Welsh attacks. By the 13th century, peace with the Welsh had been established and the wool trade brought considerable prosperity to the area, with Shrewsbury acting as the principal market town for north Wales.
	Today the county is mainly supported by agriculture, in particular sheep and cattle farming in the south, and dairy cattle in the north. Tourism plays a major role in the economy of Shropshire, with holidaymakers drawn to the beauty of the River Severn, the charm of the lakes around Ellesmere, and the magnificent scenery of the upland ranges, including the Long Mynd and the jagged crags of Stiperstones.
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