district, administrative county of Somerset, southwestern England, encompassing the southeastern part of the county. It lies almost entirely within the historic county of Somerset, except for a few small areas along its southern borders that belong to the historic counties of Dorset or Devon. The district is predominantly rural and has many villages scattered over an agricultural landscape. The district's largest town and administrative centre is Yeovil. Its rapidly developing industries include food processing, light engineering, and the manufacture of helicopters and aircraft equipment, in addition to its traditional glove-making and leather-dressing trades. Area 370 square miles (959 square km). Pop. (2001) 150,974.