is the largest settlement.

The county has an area of 2590 mi2 and had an estimated population of in . The south of the county is more densely populated than the north, with Plymouth in the south-west and the city of Exeter in the south-east. The seaside resorts of Torquay and Paignton are adjacent to each other in the south. The largest town in the north is Barnstaple. For local government purposes,