CALEDONIA

county, northeastern Vermont, U.S., bounded on the southeast by New Hampshire, the Connecticut River constituting the border. Piedmont terrain occupies most of the county except the northeastern corner, which lies in a highland region. The principal waterways are the Passumpsic, Lamoille, Wells, and Moose rivers, as well as Lake Groton, Harvey Lake, and Peacham Pond. The main species of timber are spruce, fir, white pine, and hard maple. Recreational lands include Groton and Willoughby state forests and Burke Mountain Ski Area. The county, formed in 1792, was named Caledoniathe historic name of Scotland through the 11th centurybecause many early settlers were Scottish. The county seat is St. Johnsbury, which developed into a manufacturing centre after the arrival of the Fairbanks family in the early 19th century; Thaddeus Fairbanks invented the platform scale in 1830. The family founded St. Johnsbury Academy (1842), the Athenaeum (1871), and the Fairbanks Museum and Planetarium (1889). The county's economy now rests primarily on manufacturing, retail trade, and health care services. Logging and maple sugar production are also important. Area 651 square miles (1,686 square km). Pop. (1990) 27,846; (1996 est.) 28,800. historical area of north Britain beyond Roman control, roughly corresponding to modern Scotland. It was inhabited by the tribe of Caledones (Calidones). The Romans first invaded the district under Agricola about AD 80 and later won a decisive battle at Mons Graupius. They established a legionary fortress at Inchtuthil (near Dunkeld, in Perth and Kinross district, Tayside region) as well as several auxiliary forts in strategic highland passes. But they were forced to evacuate Inchtuthil and all the sites north of the Earn River about AD 90 and all of Scotland during the rule of Trajan (AD 98117). Although the frontier between Roman territory and Caledonia was fixed south of the Cheviot Hills by the emperor Hadrian, the Romans subsequently pushed the frontier northward again to the Firth of Forth, building the Antonine Wall by about 144 to guard the new border. They retreated a decade later but reoccupied the wall temporarily later in the 2nd century and made temporary military occupations of regions farther to the north in 209 and 296. Excavations of the area have revealed native crannogs (lake dwellings) and weems (underground stone houses) containing Roman objects of trade.