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Penzance, Cornwall

Town of Penzance, Cornwall

Penzance (Cornish: Pensans) is a port in the Penwith district of Cornwall, England, UK.  Granted various Royal Charters from 1512 onwards and incorporated in 1614, Penzance has a population of 21,168 people (2001 census).  Penzance is situated in the shelter of Mount's Bay, the town faces southeast onto the English Channel, is bordered to the west by the fishing port of Newlyn and by  Ludgvan to the east.  Penzance's location gives it a temperate climate that makes it warmer than most of the rest of Britain.

The District of Penwith comprises the most westerly part of mainland Britain. This compact area 303 km (30,356 hectares, 117 square miles) has a unique atmosphere, and a diverse character. It offers a variety of landscapes from European 'Blue Flag' beaches to moorland, quaint villages and picturesque harbour villages.

The District has a population of 63,000 (Census 2001), of which 28% are over 60 years of age. It consists of 19 parishes and 18 electoral wards, and has about 27,500 occupied households.

The town of Penzance is the largest population centre in the District and features the only promenade in Cornwall.

Penzance, St. Ives and Hayle account for 40% of the resident population of Penwith.

The peninsula's prehistoric and Celtic culture is much in evidence with an abundance of archaeological sites, as is the County's mining heritage, along with internationally recognized places such as Land's End, St. Michael's Mount and Cape Cornwall.

Other historic towns and villages of note in the District include Lamorna, Sennen, St. Just, St. Buryan, Mousehole, Newlyn and Zennor.

Industry in the District was once dominated by agriculture, fishing and mining, but the decline of these industries was a factor in Objective 1 area status being granted to Cornwall.

Tourism now plays a major part in the economy of the District with many small and medium sized businesses catering for tourists and associated support services.

Official Town of Penzance, Cornwall website: www.penwith.gov.uk