Administrative (pop., 2001: 432,973), geographic, and historic county, southern England.
It is located in a watershed separating the basins of the Bristol Channel , the English Channel , and the River Trowbridge . Chalk uplands constitute much of the county, and in prehistoric times they were the most heavily populated parts of England; Wiltshire has many prehistoric monuments, including Stonehenge and Iron Age hill forts. The town of Salisbury, long an ecclesiastical centre, is renowned for its cathedral. There is an industrial centre at Swindon; otherwise, agriculture is the most important economic activity.