Dorset (/ˈdɔːrsɪt/ DOR-sit; archaically: Dorsetshire /ˈdɔːrsɪt.ʃɪər, -ʃər/ DOR-sit-sheer, -⁠shər) is a ceremonial county in South West England. It borders Somerset to the north-west, Wiltshire to the north-east, Hampshire to the east, the English Channel to the south, and Devon to the west. The county town is Dorchester and the largest settlement is Bournemouth. The county has an area of 2,653 km2 (1,024 sq mi) and a population of 772,268. Around half of the population lives in the South East Dorset conurbation, which contains several of county's largest settlements: Bournemouth (183,491), Poole (151,500), and Christchurch (31,372). The remainder of the county is largely rural, and its principal towns are Weymouth (53,427) and Dorchester (21,366). For administrative purposes the county is governed by two unitary authorities, Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole Council and Dorset Council. The historic county did not include Bournemouth and Christchurch, which were part of Hampshire. (Source: Wikipedia.org, CC BY-SA)