pop (2001e) 84 900; area 851 km²/328 sq mi. County (unitary authority from 1996) in SE Wales, UK; drained by R Wye and R Usk; Brecon Beacons in NW; administrative centre, Cwmbran; other chief towns, Abergavenny, Monmouth, Chepstow; agriculture; tourism, especially in Wye Valley; castles at Abergavenny, Caldicott, Chepstow, Monmouth, Raglan, Usk; Tintern Abbey (12th-c).
Monmouthshire (Welsh: Sir Fynwy) is a historic county and principal area in south-east Wales.
Historic county
Monmouthshire was formed from the Welsh Marches by the Laws in Wales Act 1535.
The principal area
The current unitary authority was created on April 1, 1996 as a successor to the district of Monmouth along with the Llanelly community from Blaenau Gwent, both of which were districts of Gwent.
The use of the name 'Monmouthshire' rather than 'Monmouth' for the area was mildly controversial, being supported by the MP for Monmouth, Roger Evans, but being opposed by Paul Murphy, MP for Torfaen (inside the historic county of Monmouthshire but being reconstituted as a separate unitary authority).
In comparison to the pre-1974 areas it covers:
the former boroughs of Abergavenny and Monmouth the former urban districts of Chepstow and Usk the former rural districts of Abergavenney, Chepstow and Monmouth the former rural district of Pontypool, except the community of Llanfrechfa Lower the parish of Llanelly from the former Crickhowell Rural District in Brecknockshire
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