Editing Cambridgeshire (section)

==History==
{{Main|History of Cambridgeshire}}

Cambridgeshire is noted as the site of [[Flag Fen]] in [[Fengate]], one of the earliest-known [[Neolithic]] permanent settlements in the [[United Kingdom]], compared in importance to [[Balbridie]] in Aberdeen, Scotland. [[Must Farm]] quarry, at [[Whittlesey]], has been described as "Britain's [[Pompeii]] due to its relatively good condition, including the 'best-preserved [[Bronze Age]] dwellings ever found in the UK'". A great quantity of [[archaeology|archaeological]] finds from the [[Stone Age]], the [[Bronze Age]], and the [[Iron Age]] were made in [[East Cambridgeshire]]. Most items were found in [[Isleham]].<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Malim |first1=Tim |title=The environmental and social context of the isleham hoard |journal=The Antiquaries Journal |date=September 2010 |volume=90 |page=74 |doi=10.1017/S0003581509990485 |s2cid=161572936 }}</ref>

The area was settled by the [[Anglo-Saxons]] starting in the fifth century. [[Genetic testing]] on seven skeletons found in Anglo-Saxon era graves in [[Hinxton]] and [[Oakington]] found that five were either migrants or descended from migrants from the continent, one was a native Briton, and one had both continental and native ancestry, suggesting intermarriage.<ref>Stephan Schiffels and Duncan Sayer, ''Investigating Anglo-Saxon migration history with ancient and modern DNA'' (2017)</ref>

[[File:Historical Administrative Boundaries in Cambridgeshire.svg|thumb|left|Map showing the historical administrative boundaries in the modern ceremonial county of Cambridgeshire. Historical administrative counties showed in the background, short-lived combined counties of 1965–1974 in red outlines, and modern county council areas, unitary authorities, and districts in black outlines.]]
Cambridgeshire was recorded in the ''[[Domesday Book]]'' as "Grantbridgeshire" (or rather ''Grentebrigescire'') (related to the [[river Granta]]). Covering a large part of [[East Anglia]], Cambridgeshire today is the result of several local government unifications. In 1888 when [[county council]]s were introduced, separate councils were set up, following the traditional division of Cambridgeshire, for
* the area in the south around Cambridge, and
* the liberty of the [[Isle of Ely]].
In 1965, these two administrative counties were merged to form [[Cambridgeshire and the Isle of Ely]].<ref>The Cambridgeshire and Isle of Ely Order 1964 (SI 1964/366), see [[Local Government Commission for England (1958 - 1967)]], ''Report and Proposals for the East Midlands General Review Area'' (Report No.3), 31 July 1961 and ''Report and Proposals for the Lincolnshire and East Anglia General Review Area'' (Report No.9), 7 May 1965.</ref>
Under the [[Local Government Act 1972]] this merged with the county to the west, [[Huntingdon and Peterborough]], which had been formed in 1965, by the merger of [[Huntingdonshire]] with the [[Soke of Peterborough]] (the latter previously a part of [[Northamptonshire]] with its own county council). The resulting county was called simply Cambridgeshire.<ref>[[wikisource:The English Non-metropolitan Districts (Definition) Order 1972|The English Non-metropolitan Districts (Definition) Order 1972]] (SI 1972/2039) Part 5: County of Cambridgeshire</ref>

Since 1998, the [[City of Peterborough]] has been separately administered as a [[Unitary authorities of England|unitary authority]] area. It is associated with Cambridgeshire for ceremonial purposes such as [[Lord-Lieutenant|Lieutenancy]] and joint functions such as policing and the fire service.<ref>[http://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/1996/1878/made The Cambridgeshire (City of Peterborough) (Structural, Boundary and Electoral Changes) Order 1996] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140710043436/http://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/1996/1878/made |date=10 July 2014 }} (SI 1996/1878), see [[Local Government Commission for England (1992)]], ''Final Recommendations for the Future Local Government of Cambridgeshire'', October 1994 and ''Final Recommendations on the Future Local Government of Basildon & Thurrock, Blackburn & Blackpool, Broxtowe, Gedling & Rushcliffe, Dartford & Gravesham, Gillingham & Rochester upon Medway, Exeter, Gloucester, Halton & Warrington, Huntingdonshire & Peterborough, Northampton, Norwich, Spelthorne and the Wrekin'', December 1995.</ref>

In 2002, the conservation charity [[Plantlife]] unofficially designated Cambridgeshire's [[county flower]] as the [[Pulsatilla vulgaris|Pasqueflower]].<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/1461011/The-floral-emblem-of-your-county.html|title=County Flowers|newspaper=Daily Telegraph|date=5 May 2004}}</ref>

The [[Cambridgeshire Regiment]] (nicknamed the Fen Tigers), the county-based army unit, fought in the [[Boer War]] in South Africa, the First World War and Second World War.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.cambridgeshireregiment1914-18.co.uk/the-cambridgeshire-regiment-1914-18.html|title=Cambridgeshire Regiment|website=www.cambridgeshireregiment1914-18.co.uk|access-date=27 February 2020|archive-date=27 February 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200227170908/http://www.cambridgeshireregiment1914-18.co.uk/the-cambridgeshire-regiment-1914-18.html|url-status=dead}}</ref>

Due to the county's flat terrain and proximity to the continent, during the Second World War the military built many airfields here for [[RAF Bomber Command]], [[RAF Fighter Command]], and the allies [[USAAF]]. In recognition of this collaboration, the [[Cambridge American Cemetery and Memorial]] is located in [[Madingley]]. It is the only WWII burial ground in England for American servicemen who died during that event.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Cambridge American Cemetery {{!}} American Battle Monuments Commission|url=https://www.abmc.gov/Cambridge|access-date=20 February 2022|website=www.abmc.gov|date=January 1956 |language=en}}</ref>

Most English counties have nicknames for their people, such as a "[[Tyke (dialect)|Tyke]]" from [[Yorkshire]] and a "[[Yellowbelly (Lincolnshire)|Yellowbelly]]" from [[Lincolnshire]]. The historical [[nickname]]s for people from Cambridgeshire are "Cambridgeshire Camel"<ref>{{cite book |title= Provincial Glossary|url= https://archive.org/details/provincialglossa00gros| author= Grose|year=1790}}</ref> or "Cambridgeshire Crane", the latter referring to the wildfowl that were once abundant in the Fens. The term "Fen Tigers" is sometimes used to describe the people who live and work in the Fens.<ref name="Pryor1991">{{cite book|author=Francis Pryor|title=Book of Flag Fen: prehistoric Fenland centre|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=CIlnAAAAMAAJ&q=%22Fen+Tigers%22|date=October 1991|publisher=Batsford|isbn=978-0-7134-6752-9|page=18}}</ref>

Original historical documents relating to Cambridgeshire are held by [https://www.cambridgeshire.gov.uk/residents/libraries-leisure-culture/archives Cambridgeshire Archives]. [https://www.cambridgeshire.gov.uk/residents/libraries-leisure-culture/libraries Cambridgeshire County Council Libraries] maintains several [https://www.cambridgeshire.gov.uk/residents/libraries-leisure-culture/local-studies Local Studies] collections of printed and published materials, significantly at the [[Cambridgeshire Collection]] held in the [https://www.cambridgeshire.gov.uk/directory/listings/Cambridge-Central-Library Cambridge Central Library].