Bath and North East Somerset (pop. 169,045) is a local government area in southwestern England. It consists of the famous city of Bath and the extensive and largely rural area of North East Somerset adjoining it. Apart from Bath, the chief population centers of the area are Midsomer Norton, Radstock, Keynsham, and the Chew Valley. The majority of the working population is employed in service industries, such as banking, insurance, and finance. Agriculture and manufacturing were once important parts of the local economy, but both have declined since the mid-1900's.