In the first century AD, during the invasion of the island, the Romans conquered the ancient Durotrig tribe living in the south of Great Britain. During the early Middle Ages, Anglo-Saxons invaded the region. In the 7th century, Dorset became a county.
The geography of the county is diverse:
these are towering chalk cliffs, and steep
limestone ridges, and low-lying clay valleys.
More than half of the territory of Dorset
consists of state-protected reserves, three
quarters of the coast are World Heritage
sites.
Agriculture has traditionally been the
backbone of the county’s economy, but at
the moment its role is declining, while
tourism is becoming increasingly important.
