| Oxfordshire (abbreviated Oxon, from the | | | | Historically the area has always had |
| Latinised form Oxonia) is a county in | | | | some importance, it has been valuable |
| the South East of England, bordering on | | | | agricultural land resting between the |
| Northamptonshire, Buckinghamshire, | | | | main southern cities and containing the |
| Berkshire, Wiltshire, Gloucestershire, | | | | prestigious settlement at Oxford (whose |
| and Warwickshire. | | | | name came from Anglo-Saxon Oxenaford = |
| It is divided into five local government | | | | "ford for oxen"). Ignored by the Romans, |
| districts: Oxford, Cherwell, Vale of the | | | | it was not until the formation of a |
| White Horse (after the Uffington White | | | | settlement at Oxford that the area grew |
| Horse), West Oxfordshire and South | | | | in importance. Alfred the Great was born |
| Oxfordshire. | | | | in Wantage. The University of Oxford was |
| The county has a major tourism industry. | | | | founded in 1096. The area was part of |
| The area is noted for the concentration | | | | the Cotswolds wool trade from the 13th |
| of performance motorsport companies and | | | | century. The Great Western Railway |
| facilities. Oxford University Press has | | | | reached Didcot in 1839. Morris Motors |
| headed a concentration of print and | | | | was founded in Oxford in 1912 and MG in |
| publishing firms; the university is also | | | | Abingdon in 1929. The importance of |
| linked to the concentration of local | | | | agriculture as an employer has declined |
| biotechnology companies. | | | | rapidly in the 20th century; currently |
| The main centre of population is the | | | | under one percent of the county's |
| city of Oxford. Other significant | | | | population are involved. |
| settlements are Bicester, Banbury, | | | | In 1808 the county had fourteen |
| Kidlington, and Chipping Norton to the | | | | hundreds, namely Bampton, Banbury, |
| north of Oxford; Witney to the west; | | | | Binfield, Bloxham, Bullingdon, |
| Thame and Chinnor to the east; and | | | | Chadlington, Dorchester, Ewelme, |
| Abingdon, Wantage, Didcot and | | | | Langtree, Lewknor, Pyrton, Ploughley, |
| Henley-on-Thames to the south. Future | | | | Thame and Wootton. |
| population growth in the county is hoped | | | | The Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire |
| to be concentrated around Banbury, | | | | Light Infantry was based at the Barracks |
| Bicester, Didcot and Witney, near the | | | | on Bullingdon Green, Cowley. |
| South Midlands growth area. | | | | The Vale of the White Horse and parts of |
| The highest point of the county is | | | | South Oxfordshire south of the River |
| Whitehorse Hill, in the Vale of White | | | | Thames were historically part of |
| Horse, reaching 856 feet (261m). | | | | Berkshire, but were added to the |
| Oxfordshire's county flower is the | | | | administrative county in 1974. |
| Snake's-head Fritillary. | | | | Conversely, the Caversham area of |
| The county of Oxfordshire, at that time | | | | Reading was historically part of |
| entirely situated to the north of the | | | | Oxfordshire. (See History of Oxfordshire |
| River Thames, was formed in the early | | | | for the traditional county boundaries). |
| years of the 10th century. | | | | |