Borders (pop. 116,821) is a region in southeastern Scotland. Officially called Scottish Borders, it is a council area, the primary unit of local government in Scotland. Its administrative center is Newtown St. Boswells. The region covers an area of 1,820 square miles (4,713 square kilometers).
Agriculture is a major industry. Many farms in the region specialize in raising sheep. Farmers also grow some crops, such as grass, rape, turnips, oats, and barley, for animal feed. Many factories in the Borders region produce textiles, especially high-quality knitwear and tweed cloth. Other factories produce light engineering goods, including electronic components such as printed circuit boards.
Much of the land is part of the Southern Uplands of Scotland. Most of the hills are gently rounded and are covered with moorland vegetation. The coast is rocky and cliff-lined along almost its entire length.
Between the region’s hills lie numerous valleys cut by the River Tweed or one of its many tributaries, which include the Blackadder and Teviot. The largest lake is St. Mary’s Loch.
