[1] It is bounded by Hertfordshire to the south-east, Cambridgeshire to the north-east, Northamptonshire to the north, and Buckinghamshire to the west.
[2] It has an area of 1,235 square kilometres (477 sq mi), and a population estimated in 2016 at 640,000, with an increase of 11% over the previous ten years.
[4] The county is governed by three unitary authorities, Bedford, Central Bedfordshire and Luton.
[6] Much of Luton and southern Bedfordshire lies in the Chilterns Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.
[12] The smallest is Hill Rise at 0.9 hectares (2.2 acres); it is close to Bedford town centre and surrounded on three sides by houses, but it has a variety of habitats.