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The population is 80,178 (2003 figures)

There are 34, 913 households (Dec. 2005)

The electorate is 63,013 (Dec. 2005)

The Forest of Dean was designated as a National Forest Park in 1938.

There are 4 market towns - Cinderford, Coleford, Lydney and Newent.

It is one of England's few remaining ancient forests, covering over 110 square kilometres (27,000 acres) of woodland, with an estimated 20 million trees.

There are approximately 1,390 Listed Buildings, and 27 Conservation Areas.

The Parliamentary Constituency is Forest of Dean, and the Member of Parliament is Mark Harper (Conservative).

The District is part of the European Parliamentary Constituency of South West England, which returns 7 MEPs to Brussels.

The Forest of Dean is one of six district or borough councils in Gloucestershire.

The Forest of Dean offers spectacular scenery at any time of the year, but in May and June is particularly beautiful, with great swathes of hyacinthoides non-scripta, better known as bluebells. The sight of bluebells growing in woodland is a uniquely British phenomenon, their early flowering enables them to make full use of the light filtering through the trees, whilst providing nectar for bees and butterflies awakening from their winter hibernation.