CHILTERN

district, administrative and historic county of Buckinghamshire, England, extending over a relatively small central portion of the Chiltern Hills. It comprises the neighbouring towns of Amersham and Chesham with the district offices in the former. Modern residential development about these valley towns, situated within 30 miles (48 km) of central London, has enlarged and almost fused the urban area across the intervening chalk upland by Chesham Bois. Area 76 square miles (196 square km). Pop. (1998 est.) 93,700.