Facts and figures - introduction

Hampshire’s coast is important for many reasons, particularly its commercial ports, wildlife, historic heritage recreation (especially sailing), tourism, and marine industries. The area between the Hampshire coast and the Isle of Wight is generally known as the Solent. It is one of the busiest coastal zones in England, yet it retains areas of national importance for their landscape and nature conservation value.

Maintaining the balance between economic prosperity, environmental protection and conservation, and meeting social and recreational needs presents the County Council and other relevant authorities and agencies with an immense, ongoing challenge. 

This section summarises the main features of the Hampshire coastline through the use of pertinent facts and figures.