Administrative county (pop., 2001: 1,059,015) and historic county, southern England.
Surrey is located southwest of London . Sheep raising was an important medieval activity for the county, and by the 16th century a cloth trade was also growing. Its forested hills were a source of timber for charcoal, construction, and shipbuilding. Transport of these products, originally dependent on rivers, was facilitated in 1801 when the Surrey Iron Railway was established as the first public railway. During the 19th century the world's densest network of suburban railways developed in northern Surrey. Suburban growth continued after World War II, proceeding under planning restraints. The county seat is Guildford.