(UK)
Local name Cymru (Welsh) Area 20 761 km²/8014 sq mi population total (2001e) 2 903 100; Status Principality (Constituent part of the United Kingdom) Capital Cardiff Languages English, Welsh Physical features Situated on the W coast of the UK, divided into 8 counties since 1974; includes the island of Anglesey off the NW coast; land rises to 1085 m/3560 ft at Snowdon (NW), also Cambrian Mts (C); Brecon Beacons (S); drained by the Severn, Clwyd, Dee, Conwy, Dovey, Taff, Towy, and Wye rivers. Economy Coal; slate, lead, steel; industrialized S valleys and coastal plain; tourism in N and NW; ferries to Ireland at Holyhead, Fishguard; important source of water for England. History Rhodri Mawr united Wales against Saxons, Norse, and Danes, 9th-c; Edward I of England established authority over Wales, building several castles, 12th13th-c; Edward I's son created first Prince of Wales, 1301; 14th-c revolt under Owen Glendower; politically united with England by Act of Union, 1535; centre of Non-conformist religion since 18th-c; University of Wales, 1893, with constituent colleges; political nationalist movement (Plaid Cymru) returned first MP, 1966; Welsh television channel, 1982; 1979 referendum opposed devolution; successful referendum for devolved Welsh Assembly, 1997; Welsh Assembly, 1999. Local government reorganization, 1996.
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Motto: Cymru am byth (Welsh for "Wales forever") |
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| Anthem: Hen Wlad Fy Nhadau | |||||
| Capital |
Cardiff 51°29′N 3°11′W |
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| Largest city | Cardiff | ||||
| Official language(s) | English, Welsh | ||||
| Government | Constitutional monarchy | ||||
| - Queen | Queen Elizabeth II | ||||
| - Prime Minister | Tony Blair MP | ||||
| - First Minister | Rhodri Morgan AM | ||||
| Unification | |||||
| - Total | 20,779 km² (3rd in UK) | ||||
| 2,958,600 in UK) | |||||
| - 2001 census | 2,903,085 | ||||
| - Density |
140/km² (2nd in UK) 361/sq mi |
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| GDP (PPP) | 2002 estimate | ||||
| - Total | $48 billion | ||||
| - Per capita | $23,741 | ||||
| Currency | Pound sterling (GBP) | ||||
| Time zone | GMT (UTC0) | ||||
| - Summer (DST) | BST (UTC+1) | ||||
| Internet TLD | .uk3 | ||||
| Calling code | +44 | ||||
| Patron Saint | St David (Dewi Sant) | ||||
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1Office for National Statistics - UK population grows to more than 60 million
2Figures for the UK |
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Wales (Welsh: Cymru; Wales is located in the south-west of Great Britain and is bordered by the English counties of Cheshire, Shropshire, Herefordshire, and Gloucestershire to the east, the Bristol Channel to the south, St George's Channel to the south-west, and the Irish Sea to the west and north, and also by the estuary of the River Dee (Afon Dyfrdwy) in the north-east.
The term Principality of Wales (Tywysogaeth Cymru) is its formal name but is rarely used in everyday business, and is an unpopular term among some. Wales has never been a sovereign state although Gruffudd ap Llywelyn, King of Gwynedd and Powys, brought more of what is today's Wales, together with some English territory, under independent rule, and in 1056 the English recognised his claim of sovereignty. By the time of the English conquest of Wales in 1282, when King Edward I of England defeated Llywelyn ap Gruffydd (Llywelyn II) in the Battle of Cilmeri, Wales had however reverted to its traditional independent kingdoms. Welsh law was not replaced in all cases by English law until the Laws in Wales Acts 1535-1542. It was as recently as 1955 that the Queen declared the capital of Wales to be Cardiff (Caerdydd), although the Prince of Wales - argued by Welsh Nationalists to be an English pretender to the title, the case is arguable - was invested at Caernarfon, and Machynlleth (along with other towns) was the home of a parliament called by Owain Glyndŵr during his rising at the start of the fifteenth century.
In 1999, the National Assembly for Wales was formed, with powers to amend primary legislation from the Parliament of the United Kingdom.
Etymology
See also: List of meanings of countries' names
The English name for Wales originates from the Germanic word Walha, meaning "stranger" or "foreigner", probably derived from the name Volcae. this has reference to their awareness that they were the original countrymen of Wales, and indeed Britain by virtue of their ancestors the Brythoniaid (Brythons), and also in order to distinguish themselves from the foreign invaders of Britain, the Saeson (English).
See also: History of the term Vlach
History
Main article: History of Wales
Colonisation
Humans first inhabited what is now Wales at the end of the last Ice Age. The Romans were also busy in northern Wales, and the mediaeval Welsh tale Breuddwyd Macsen Wledig claims that Magnus Maximus (Macsen Wledig), one of the last western Roman emperors, married Elen or Helen, the daughter of a Welsh chieftain from Segontium, present-day Caernarfon.
See also: List of towns in Wales
Economy
Parts of Wales have been heavily industrialised since the eighteenth century. The Welsh landscape (protected by three National Parks), as well as the unique culture of Wales, attract large numbers of tourists, who play an especially vital role in the economy of rural areas.
The St David's 2 project will include the expansion of the city centre to include a new 6 story city centre library, a new multi-storey car park for the Marriot hotel, 9 new large stores which will include Wales' first John Lewis and many other small stores.
Many other cities are also conducting major projects of regeneration, such as the SA1 Waterfront project in Swansea and in Newport a major regeneration project will vastly improve transport throughout the city, the building of a new retail centre and 6000 homes.
Demographics
The population of Wales in the 2001 census was 2,903,085, which has risen to 2,958,876 according to 2005 estimates.
In the 2001 Labour Force Survey, 72% of adults in Wales considered their national identity as wholly Welsh and another 7% considered themselves to be partly Welsh (Welsh and British were the most common combination).
In 2001 a quarter of the Welsh population were born outside Wales, mainly in England; The proportion of people who were born in Wales differs across the country, with the highest percentages in the South Wales Valleys, and the lowest in Mid Wales and parts of the north-east.
Main cities/towns and their populations (2005 estimates)
Cardiff - 320,524
Swansea - 270,463
Newport - 145,769
Merthyr Tydfil - 54,700
Barry - 50,661
Port Talbot - 49,654
Cwmbran - 47,254
Wrexham - 44,723
Languages
The official languages in Wales are English and Welsh. English is spoken by almost all people in Wales and is the de facto main language (see Welsh English). However, Wales is officially bilingual, with 20.5% of the population able to speak Welsh and a larger proportion having some knowledge of the Welsh language according to the 2001 census, although few (if any) residents of Wales other than small children are monolingual in Welsh these days. The Welsh Language Act 1993 and the Government of Wales Act 1998 provide that the Welsh and English languages should be treated on a basis of equality. Thus the Welsh Assembly, local councils, police forces, fire services and the health sector use Welsh as an official language, issuing official literature and publicity in Welsh versions (e.g. All road signs in Wales should be in English and Welsh, including both versions of place names where names or versions exist in both languages e.g.
During the 20th Century a number of small communities of speakers of languages other than English or Welsh, such as Bengali or Cantonese, have established themselves in Wales as a result of immigration.
Religion
The largest religion in Wales is Christianity, with 72% of the population describing themselves as Christian in the 2001 census. The Presbyterian Church of Wales is the largest denomination and was born out of the Welsh Methodist revival in the eighteenth century and seceded from the Church of England in 1811.
The patron saint of Wales is Saint David, with St David's Day celebrated annually on March 1.
Islam is the largest non-Christian religion in Wales, with over 30,000 reported in the 2001 census, there are also many Hindus and Sikhs mainly in South Wales' cities of Newport, Cardiff and Swansea.
Culture
Food
About 80% of the land surface of Wales is given over to agricultural use. Although both beef and dairy cattle are raised widely, especially in Carmarthenshire and Pembrokeshire, Wales is more well-known for its sheep farming, and thus lamb is the meat traditionally associated with Welsh cooking.
Some traditional dishes include laverbread (made from seaweed), bara brith (fruit bread), cawl cennin (leek stew), Welsh cakes, Welsh rarebit (cheese on toast), and Welsh lamb.
In 2005 the Welsh National Culinary Teams returned from the Culinary World Cup in Luxembourg with eight gold, 15 silver and seven bronze medals;
Music
The principal Welsh festival of music and poetry is the National Eisteddfod.
Wales is often referred to as "the land of song", being particularly famous for harpists, male voice choirs, and solo artists including Sir Geraint Evans, Dame Gwynneth Jones, Dame Anne Evans, Ivor Novello, Madam Adelina Patti, John Cale, Tom Jones, Charlotte Church, Bonnie Tyler, Bryn Terfel, Mary Hopkin, Katherine Jenkins, Shirley Bassey and Aled Jones.
The Welsh traditional and folk music scene, long overshadowed by its Irish and Scottish cousins, is in resurgence with performers and bands such as Crasdant, Carreg Lafar, Fernhill, Siân James, Robin Huw Bowen, Llio Rhydderch, KilBride and The Hennessys.
The 'Sîn Roc Gymraeg' (Welsh language Rock Scene) in Wales is thriving, with acts ranging from rock to hip-hop which routinely attracts immense crowds and audiences.
The BBC National Orchestra of Wales performs in Wales and internationally. The world-renowned Welsh National Opera now has a permanent home at the Wales Millennium Centre in Cardiff Bay.
Sport
The most popular sports in Wales are Rugby union and football.
The Welsh national rugby union team takes part in the annual Six Nations Championship, and the Rugby World Cup.
Wales has its own football league since 1992, but for historical reasons, the 3 major Welsh clubs play in the English Football League and another three minor clubs in its feeder leagues.
Rugby league is now developing in Wales.
Wales has produced some great world class snooker players such as Terry Griffiths Mark Williams and Matthew Stevens and amateur participation in the sport is very high. Wales has also produced a number of athletes who have made a mark on the world stage, including the 110m hurdler Colin Jackson who is a former world record holder and the winner of numerous Olympic, World and European medals.
Wales are the current World Golf Champions.
Although it isn't very well known, Wales have had two drivers compete in the Formula One championship, Alan Rees being the first at the 1967 British Grand Prix, finishing in ninth position, four laps behind the winner, Jim Clark.
Media
Cardiff is home to the Welsh national media. BBC 2W is the Welsh digital version of BBC Two, and broadcasts between 8.30pm and 10pm each week night for specific Wales based programming.
BBC Radio Wales is Wales's only national English-language radio station, while BBC Radio Cymru broadcasts throughout Wales in Welsh. Major radio stations around the country include Marcher Sound, Coast FM, Swansea Sound (the longest-established commercial radio station in Wales) 96.4FM The Wave, Red Dragon and Real Radio.
Most of the newspapers sold and read in Wales are national newspapers sold and read throughout Britain, unlike in Scotland where many newspapers have rebranded into Scottish based titles.
National symbols
The Flag of Wales (Y Ddraig Goch) incorporates the red dragon of Prince Cadwalader along with the Tudor colours of green and white. Since the British Union Flag does not have any Welsh representation, the Flag of Wales has become very popular. The daffodil is the national flower of Wales, and is worn on St David's Day each March 1. The Coat of Arms of the Principality of Wales is used by Charles, Prince of Wales in his personal standard. The Prince of Wales's feathers, the heraldic badge of the Prince of Wales is sometimes adapted by Welsh bodies for use in Wales.Photos of Wales
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Tredegar House, Newport |
Hall of the Mountain Kings, Ogof Craig a Ffynnon, a cave in the Brecon Beacons |
The University of Wales, Lampeter, the oldest higher education institution in Wales |
The Castle and Old College building, Aberystwyth |
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