council area of southwestern Scotland whose coast borders the Solway Firth, the Irish Sea, and the North Channel. It encompasses the historic counties of Dumfriesshire, Kirkcudbrightshire, and Wigtownshire and a small section of Ayrshire in the west. The council area extends eastward from the Rhins—a hammer-shaped peninsula that includes the Mull of Galloway, the most southerly point in Scotland—to take in the hills and moors of Galloway Forest Park in the north and the coastal plain and river valleys in the south. Galloway is a historic region comprising the counties of Kirkudbrightshire and Wigtownshire. The area is relatively sparsely populated and encompasses mountainous forests and moorlands and a long and scenic coastline. Dairy farming and forestry are the most widespread economic activities, but service industries, including tourism, are increasingly important. Dumfries, on the River Nith near the border with England, is Dumfries and Galloway's largest town and administrative centre. Area 2,481 square miles (6,426 square km). Pop. (2006 est.) 148,030.