It is mainly flat and thinly wooded and crossed by a few slow rivers. The northern part of the county, consisting mainly of the Isle of Ely, is low-lying ground. Much of this northern area was formerly marshy land that has been drained and reclaimed. Cambridge, the home of Cambridge University, is the county's administrative center and largest city. Agriculture is the main industry in Cambridgeshire.
Farmers grow barley and wheat, onions, potatoes, soft fruit, and sugar beets.
Farm animals include beef and dairy cattle, pigs, poultry, and sheep. Much of Cambridgeshire's manufacturing industry is linked with agriculture. The county has large food-freezing and canning industries and factories that extract sugar from sugar beets. Brewing is a widespread industry, using local barley. Engineering works manufacture diesel engines and production machinery.