City and County of Cardiff Dinas a Sir Caerdydd
Flag Coat of arms
Motto: Y ddraig goch ddyry cychwyn (The red dragon will lead the way)
Location of the city of Cardiff (Light Green) within Wales (Dark Green)
Sovereign state	United Kingdom
Constituent country	Wales
Region	South Wales
Historic county	Glamorgan
Government
- Leader of Cardiff Council	Rodney Berman
- Welsh Assembly and UK Parliament Constituencies	Cardiff West, Cardiff South and Penarth, Cardiff North, Cardiff Central
- European Parliament	Wales
Area
- Urban	54. A motto (from the Italian word motto, meaning witticism sentence is a phrase meant to formally describe the general motivation or intention of a social group This list of sovereign states, alphabetically arranged gives an overview of States around the world with information on the extent of their Sovereignty. The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located Constituent country is a phrase used often by official institutions in contexts in which a country makes up a part of a larger entity or grouping South Wales (De Cymru is an area of Wales bordered by England and the Bristol Channel to the east and south and Mid Wales and West Wales The historic counties of Wales are ancient subdivisions of Wales. Glamorgan or Glamorganshire (Morgannwg is one of the thirteen historic counties and a former administrative county of Wales. Political makeup Elections take place every four years The last election was 1 May 2008. Rodney Berman, a Liberal Democrat Councillor for the Plasnewydd ward is leader of Cardiff County Council The National Assembly for Wales (Cynulliad Cenedlaethol Cymru is a devolved assembly with power to make legislation in Wales. This is a list of the 646 constituencies currently represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, as at the 2005 general election The European Parliament ( Europarl or EP) is the only directly elected parliamentary institution of the European Union (EU Area is a Quantity expressing the two- Dimensional size of a defined part of a Surface, typically a region bounded by a closed Curve. 1 sq mi (140 km²)
Population (2006 local government estimates)
- City	317,500
- Density	11,375. Population density (in agriculture standing stock and Standing crop) is a measurement of Population per unit area or unit volume 2/sq mi (4,392/km²)
- Urban	327,706 (2,001)
- Demonym	Cardiffian
- Ethnicity	91. A demonym or gentilic is a word that denotes the members of a People or the inhabitants of a place 57% White 1. 99% Mixed 3. 96% S. Asian 1. 28% Black 1. 20% Chinese or other.
Time zone	GMT (UTC0)
- Summer (DST)	BST (UTC+1)
Post codes	CF3, CF5, CF10, CF11, CF14, CF15, CF23, CF24
Area code(s)	029
Website: http://www.cardiff.gov.uk/

Cardiff (English: Cardiff (help·info) IPA: /'cɑːdɪf/, Welsh: Caerdydd (info)) is the capital and largest city of Wales. Greenwich Mean Time ( GMT) is a term originally referring to mean solar time at the Royal Observatory in Greenwich, London Coordinated Universal Time, the basis for the world's civil time frequently referred to by the name of its predecessor Greenwich Mean Time Western Daylight saving time ( DST Western European Summer Time ( WEST) is a summer Daylight saving time scheme 1 hour ahead of Coordinated Universal Time. UTC+1 is used in the following locations Central European Time West Africa Time Western European Summer Time A telephone numbering plan is a plan for allocating Telephone number ranges to countries regions areas and exchanges and to non-fixed telephone networks This is a list of geographic UK dialling codes covering Wales that are currently in use English is a West Germanic language originating in England and is the First language for most people in the United Kingdom, the United States Welsh ( cy Cymraeg or cy y Gymraeg, kəmˈrɑːɨɡ and {{IPA|[ə ɡəmˈrɑːɨɡ]}}, is a member of the Brythonic branch of Celtic A city is an Urban area with a large Population and a particular Administrative, Legal, or Historical status It is Wales's major commercial, sporting, tourism, transport, media and political centre. According to recent local government estimates, the population of the unitary authority area is 317,500. See also Independent city A unitary authority is a type of Local authority that has a single tier and is responsible for all Local government functions ^[1]

The city of Cardiff is the county town of the historic county of Glamorgan (and later South Glamorgan). A county town is the 'capital' of a County in the United Kingdom or Republic of Ireland. The historic counties of Wales are ancient subdivisions of Wales. Glamorgan or Glamorganshire (Morgannwg is one of the thirteen historic counties and a former administrative county of Wales. South Glamorgan is a preserved county of Wales. It was originally formed in 1974 under the Local Government Act 1972, as a county council Cardiff is part of the Eurocities network of the largest European cities. The Eurocities network was founded in 1986 by Mayors from six large European cities ^[2] Cardiff Urban Area covers a slightly larger area, including Dinas Powys, Penarth and Radyr. The Cardiff Urban Area is the name given to the urban area around Cardiff. Dinas Powys (previously Dinas Powis is a large Village and a community in the Vale of Glamorgan in South Wales. Penarth is a Town in the Vale of Glamorgan (Bro Morgannwg Wales (Cymru 5 Radyr (pronounced Rard-Err, including the administratively linked community of Morganstown is an outer Suburb within the capital city of Cardiff It was a small town until the early 19th century and came to prominence as a major port for the transport of coal following the arrival of industry in the region. Cardiff was made a city in 1905, and proclaimed capital of Wales in 1955. The Capital of Wales is a De facto designation usually applied to Cardiff since 1955 Since the 1990s Cardiff has seen significant development with a new waterfront area at Cardiff Bay which contains the new Welsh Assembly Building, and the city centre is currently undergoing a major redevelopment. Cardiff Bay (Bae Caerdydd is the area created by the Cardiff Barrage in South Cardiff, Wales. The National Assembly for Wales (Cynulliad Cenedlaethol Cymru is a devolved assembly with power to make legislation in Wales. Cardiff City centre is a large and sprawling area that spreads out from Butetown in the south to Cathays Park in the north and from Canton International sporting venues in the city include the Millennium Stadium (Rugby and Football) and Sophia Gardens (Cricket). Cardiff is a significant tourist centre with 11. 7m visitors in 2006. ^[3]

Cardiff is home to the biggest media sector in the United Kingdom outside London, being home to a number of television studios and radio stations, such as the BBC, ITV, HTV, S4C as well as independent broadcasters. The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located London ( ˈlʌndən is the capital and largest urban area in the United Kingdom. Independent Television (generally known as ITV) is a public service network of British commercial television broadcasters set up under the Independent HTV, now legally known as ITV Wales and West, is the ITV contractor for Wales and the West of England. S4C (Sianel Pedwar Cymru meaning Channel Four Wales) is a television channel in Wales ^[4]

Contents 1 History 1.1 Origins of the name 1.2 Roman period to the Middle Ages 1.3 County town of Glamorganshire 1.4 Building of the docks 1.5 City and capital city status 2 Governance 2.1 Local government 2.2 National Assembly for Wales 2.3 Political representation 3 Geography 3.1 Cityscape 3.2 Climate 4 Demography 4.1 Religion 5 Economy 6 Landmarks and attractions 6.1 Castles 7 Culture and recreation 7.1 Language 7.2 Festivals 7.3 Parks 7.4 Music and nightlife 7.5 Shopping 8 Media 8.1 Use in media 9 Sport 10 Notable people 11 Transport 12 Education 13 Health 14 International relations 15 Telecommunications 16 See also 17 References 18 External links

History

Main articles: History of Cardiff and Timeline of Cardiff history

Origins of the name

The name Cardiff is probably an Anglicisation of the Welsh name "Caerdydd". Timeline of Cardiff history The history of Cardiff, the capital of Wales, began with a Roman fort on the site built in 54 AD. WikipediaCiting sources --> See also History of Cardiff Cardiff Castle (Castell Caerdydd is a medieval Castle and Victorian revival Mansion, transformed from a Norman keep erected over a Roman fort in Cardiff Welsh ( cy Cymraeg or cy y Gymraeg, kəmˈrɑːɨɡ and {{IPA|[ə ɡəmˈrɑːɨɡ]}}, is a member of the Brythonic branch of Celtic There is some uncertainty concerning the origin of "Caerdydd", although most modern experts believe that "Dydd" or "Diff" was a modification of "Taff", the river on which Cardiff Castle stands. The River Taff is a large river in Wales. It is known as the Afon Taf in Welsh. Cardiff Castle (Castell Caerdydd is a medieval Castle and Victorian revival Mansion, transformed from a Norman keep erected over a Roman fort in Cardiff "Cardiff" then means "the fort on the river Taff" (in Welsh the T mutates to D). According to a leading modern authority on toponymy, the Welsh pronunciation of "Caerdyff" as "Caerdydd" shows the colloquial alternation of Welsh "-f" and "-dd". Toponymy refers to the scientific study of place-names ( toponyms) their origins meanings use and Typology. ^[5]

Others favour a link with Aulus Didius Gallus, as it is known that the Romans established a fort in Cardiff when he was governor of the nearby province, in which case Cardiff might mean "the Fort of Didius". Aulus Didius Gallus was a Roman general and politician of the 1st century AD Roman Britain refers to those parts of the island of Great Britain controlled by the Roman Empire between AD 43 and 410 Slaters Commercial Directory states that the town was first named Caerdidi (after Didius), then became corrupted into Caer-Taffe (meaning Fort on the Taff), then Caerdaff, then Cardiff. ^[6]

Roman period to the Middle Ages

The history of what is now Cardiff began with a Roman fort on the site, built in 75 CE. The Roman Empire was the post-Republican phase of the ancient Roman civilization, characterised by an autocratic form of government and large territorial ^[7] As Roman rule in Britannia ended near the start of the 5th century the fort was abandoned. Britannia was the term originally used by the Romans to refer first to the British Isles, and later to the island of Great Britain. ^[7]

In 1091 Robert Fitzhamon began work on the castle keep within the walls of the old Roman fort. John Speed (1542–1629 was a Historian, now best remembered as the Cartographer whose maps of English counties are often found framed in homes throughout the Robert Fitzhamon (died March 1107 or Robert FitzHamon Sieur de Creully in the Calvados region and Torigny in the Manche region of Normandy Cardiff Castle has been at the heart of the city ever since. Cardiff Castle (Castell Caerdydd is a medieval Castle and Victorian revival Mansion, transformed from a Norman keep erected over a Roman fort in Cardiff ^[8] The castle was substantially altered and extended during the Victorian period by John Crichton-Stuart, 3rd Marquess of Bute, and the architect William Burges. John Patrick Crichton-Stuart 3rd Marquess of Bute KT ( 12 September, 1847 &ndash 9 October, 1900, landed Aristocrat, industrial An architect is a licensed individual who leads a design team in the Planning and Design of buildings and participates in oversight of Building Construction William Burges ( 2 December, 1827 &ndash 20 April, 1881) was an English Architect and Designer. Original Roman work can, however, still be distinguished in the wall facings.

Soon a little town grew up in the shadow of the castle, made up primarily of settlers from England. ^[9] Cardiff had a population of between 1,500 and 2,000 in the Middle Ages, a relatively normal size for a Welsh town in this period. ^[10] By the end of the 13th century, Cardiff was the only town in Wales with a population exceeding 2,000, but it was relatively small compared to most other notable towns in the Kingdom of England. The Kingdom of England was a State (927-1707 located in Western Europe dating from the ninth or tenth century to the early eighteenth century when it was legally ^[11]

Cardiff was a busy port in the Middle Ages, in 1327, it was declared a Staple port^[7]. A staple port is a port designated by a government or monarch as a place where specific goods may be exported or imported In the early 12th century a wooden palisade was erected around the city to protect it.

In 1404 Owain Glyndwr burned Cardiff and took Cardiff Castle. Owain Glyndŵr (pronounced 'owain glin'dwr or Owain Glyn Dŵr, Anglicised by Shakespeare into Owen Glendower (c ^[7] As the town was still very small, most of the buildings were made of wood and the town was reduced to ashes. However, the town was rebuilt not long after and began to flourish once again. ^[10]

County town of Glamorganshire

In 1536, the Act of Union between England and Wales led to the creation of the shire of Glamorgan. The Laws in Wales Acts 1535–1542 (Y Deddfau Uno 1535 a 1542 were a series of parliamentary measures by which the legal system of Wales was annexed to England and A shire is an Administrative division of Great Britain and Australia. Cardiff was made the county town. A county town is the 'capital' of a County in the United Kingdom or Republic of Ireland. Around this same time the Herbert family became the most powerful family in the area. ^[9] In 1538, Henry VIII closed the Dominican and Franciscan friaries in Cardiff, the remains of which were used as building materials. Henry VIII (28 June 1491 &ndash 28 January 1547 was King of England and Lord of Ireland, later King of Ireland and claimant to the Kingdom of The term Franciscan is commonly used to refer to members of Catholic ^[10] A writer around this period described Cardiff: "The River Taff runs under the walls of his honours castle and from the north part of the town to the south part where there is a fair quay and a safe harbour for shipping. " ^[10]

Cardiff had become a Free Borough in 1542. ^[7] In 1573, it was made a head port for collection of customs duties. In 1581, Elizabeth I granted Cardiff its first royal charter^[9]. A Royal Charter is a Charter granted by the Sovereign on the advice of the Privy council to legitimize an incorporated body such as a city company By 1602 Pembrokeshire historian George Owen described Cardiff as "the fayrest towne in Wales yett not the welthiest. Geography Pembrokeshire is a maritime County, bordered by the sea on three sides by Ceredigion (Cardiganshire to the northeast and by George Owen of Henllys ( 1552 - August 26, 1613) was a Welsh Antiquarian, author and naturalist. ^[9] The town gained a second Royal Charter in 1608. A Royal Charter is a Charter granted by the Sovereign on the advice of the Privy council to legitimize an incorporated body such as a city company ^[12] During the Second English Civil War, St. Fagans just to the west of the town, played host to the Battle of St. Fagans. The Second English Civil War ( 1648 &ndash 1649) was the second of three wars known as the English Civil War (or Wars) which refers to the St Fagans ( Welsh Sain Ffagan) is a village in the west of the City of Cardiff, Wales and in the traditional county of The Battle of St Fagans was a Pitched battle in the Second English Civil War in 1648. The battle, between a Royalist rebellion and a New Model Army detachment, was a decisive victory for the Parliamentarians and allowed Oliver Cromwell to conquer Wales. Cavalier was the name used by Parliamentarians for a Royalist supporter of King Charles I during the English Civil War ( 1642 &ndash 1651 The New Model Army was formed in 1645 by the Parliamentarians in the English Civil War. Oliver Cromwell (25 April 1599 Old Style &ndash 3 September 1658 Old Style) was an English military and political leader best known ^[7] It is the last major battle to occur in Wales, with a total death toll of about 200 (mostly Royalist) soldiers killed. ^[9]

In the ensuing century Cardiff was at peace. In 1766, John Stuart, 1st Marquess of Bute married into the Herbert family and was later created Baron Cardiff. John Stuart 1st Marquess of Bute, PC, FRS ( 30 June 1744 &ndash 16 November 1814) was a British nobleman Marquess of the County of Bute, shortened in general usage to Marquess of Bute, is a title in the Peerage of Great Britain. ^[9] In 1778, he began renovations on Cardiff Castle. ^[13] In the 1790s a racecourse, printing press, bank and coffee room all opened, and Cardiff gained a stagecoach service to London. A race track (or 'racetrack' or 'racing track' is a purpose-built facility for Racing of animals (eg A printing press is a mechanical device for applying pressure to an inked surface resting upon a medium (such as paper or cloth thereby transferring an image A banker or bank is a Financial institution whose primary activity is to act as a payment agent for customers and to borrow and lend money For other meanings see Stagecoach (disambiguation. A stagecoach (also called diligence) is a type of four-wheeled enclosed Despite these improvements, Cardiff's position in the Welsh urban hierarchy had declined over the 18th century. Urban hierarchy a term that relates the structure of Towns within an area Iolo Morgannwg called it "an obscure and inconsiderable place", and the 1801 census found the population to be only 1,870, making Cardiff only the twenty-fifth largest town in Wales, well behind Merthyr and Swansea. Iolo Morganwg (or Morgannwg in modern spelling ˈjolo morˈganːug was the Bardic name of Edward Williams ( March 10 1747 &ndash The Census Act 1800 also known as the Population Act 1800 (citation 41 Geo Merthyr Tydfil today Government The current Borough boundaries date back to 1974 when the former county borough of Merthyr Tydfil expanded slightly to cover Swansea ( Abertawe "mouth of the Tawe " is a city and county in Wales. ^[14]

Building of the docks

In 1793, John Crichton-Stuart, 2nd Marquess of Bute was born. John Crichton-Stuart 2nd Marquess of Bute KT FRS ( 10 August 1793 &ndash 18 March 1848) was the son of John Lord He would spend his life building the Cardiff docks and would later be called "the creator of modern Cardiff". ^[9] In 1815, a twice-weekly boat service between Cardiff and Bristol was established. Bristol ( ˈbrɪstəl is a city, Unitary authority and ceremonial county in South West England, west of London ^[13] In 1821, the Cardiff Gas Works was established. ^[13]

The town grew rapidly from the 1830s onwards, when the Marquess of Bute built a dock which eventually linked to the Taff Vale Railway. Marquess of the County of Bute, shortened in general usage to Marquess of Bute, is a title in the Peerage of Great Britain. History On February 10 1804 a young engineer Richard Trevithick, drove the world's first ever steam locomotive along a track at the Penydarren ironworks near Cardiff became the main port for exports of coal from the Cynon, Rhondda, and Rhymney valleys, and grew at a rate of nearly 80% per decade between 1840 and 1870. Cynon Valley is an ex- mining area near Rhondda in Wales, in the South Wales Valleys area The Rhymney Valley (Cwm Rhymni is a Valley encompassing the villages of Fochriw, Pontlottyn and the town of Rhymney in south-east Much of the growth was due to migration from within and outside Wales: in 1851, a quarter of Cardiff's population were English-born and more than 10% had been born in Ireland. By the 1881 census, Cardiff had overtaken both Merthyr and Swansea to become the largest town in Wales. Cardiff's new status as the premier town in South Wales was confirmed when it was chosen as the site of the University College South Wales and Monmouthshire in 1893. The University of Wales ( Prifysgol Cymru in Welsh) is a confederal University founded in 1893. ^[14]

Cardiff faced a challenge in the 1880s when David Davies of Llandinam and the Barry Railway Company promoted the development of rival docks at Barry. David Davies ( 18 December 1818 - 20 July 1890) was a highly influential Welsh industrialist The Barry Railway Company was promoted by interests in coal mining and steel in the South Wales valleys as an alternative to the existing rail service to Cardiff docks in Barry docks had the advantage of being accessible in all tides, and David Davies claimed that his venture would cause "grass to grow in the streets of Cardiff". Characteristics A tide is a repeated cycle of sea level changes in the following stages Over several hours the water rises or advances up a beach in the flood From 1901 coal exports from Barry surpassed those from Cardiff, but the administration of the coal trade remained centred on Cardiff, in particular its Coal Exchange, where the price of coal on the British market was determined and the first million-pound deal was struck in 1907. The Coal Exchange was a market floor for trading in Coal in Cardiff, Wales as well as containing a number of offices ^[14] The city also strengthened its industrial base with the decision of Guest, Keen and Nettlefolds, owners of the Dowlais Ironworks in Merthyr, to build a new steelworks close to the docks at East Moors in 1890. GKN plc ( is a leading British Engineering company The Company was formerly known as Guest Keen and Nettlefolds and can tracing its origins back The Dowlais Ironworks was a major Ironworks and Steelworks located at Dowlais near Merthyr Tydfil, in Wales. Steel Mill was one of Bruce Springsteen 's early bands and performed regularly on the Jersey Shore, in Virginia, and also in California from 1969

City and capital city status

King Edward VII granted Cardiff city status on 28 October 1905, and the city acquired a Roman Catholic Cathedral in 1916. Events 306 - Maxentius is proclaimed Roman Emperor. 312 - Battle of Milvian Bridge: Constantine Year 1905 ( MCMV) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year starting This article is about the history and organisation of the cathedral In subsequent years an increasing number of national institutions were located in the city, including the National Museum of Wales, Welsh national war memorial, and the University of Wales registry - although it was denied the National Library of Wales, partly because the library's founder, Sir John Williams, considered Cardiff to have "a non-Welsh population". National Museum Cardiff (Amgueddfa Genedlaethol Caerdydd is a Museum and Art gallery in Cardiff, Wales A war memorial is a building monument statue or other edifice to celebrate a War or victory or (predominating in modern times to commemorate those who died or were injured The University of Wales ( Prifysgol Cymru in Welsh) is a confederal University founded in 1893. The National Library of Wales (Llyfrgell Genedlaethol Cymru is the national Legal deposit library of Wales, located in Aberystwyth. ^[14]

After a brief post-war boom, Cardiff docks entered a prolonged decline in the interwar period. By 1936, their trade was less than half its value in 1913, reflecting the slump in demand for Welsh coal. The South Wales Coalfield is a large region of South Wales that is rich with Coal deposits ^[14] Bomb damage in during the Cardiff Blitz in World War II included the devastation of Llandaff Cathedral, and in the immediate postwar years the city's link with the Bute family came to an end. During World War II, Cardiff, Wales was the biggest port in the United Kingdom, and one of the biggest ports in the World. World War II, or the Second World War, (often abbreviated WWII) was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including Llandaff Cathedral is the seat of the Anglican Bishop of Llandaff (of the Church in Wales) situated in the suburb of Llandaff in the city of

The city was proclaimed capital city of Wales on 20 December 1955, by a written reply by the Home Secretary Gwilym Lloyd George. Events 69 - Vespasian, formerly a general under Nero, enters Rome to claim the title of Emperor. Year 1955 ( MCMLV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays the 1955 Gregorian calendar) The Secretary of State for the Home Department, commonly known as the Home Secretary, is the minister in charge of the United Kingdom Home Office Major Gwilym Lloyd George 1st Viscount Tenby, ( 4 December 1894 &ndash 14 February 1967) was a politician and cabinet minister in the Caernarfon had also vied for this title. Caernarfon (the original Welsh spelling is now almost always used in preference to the anglicised forms "Caernarvon" or "Carnarvon" is a ^[15] Cardiff therefore celebrated two important anniversaries in 2005. An anniversary (from the Latin anniversarius, from the words for year and to turn meaning (returning yearly known in English since c. The Encyclopedia of Wales notes that the decision to recognise the city as the capital of Wales "had more to do with the fact that it contained marginal Conservative constituencies than any reasoned view of what functions a Welsh capital should have". The Conservative Party (officially the Conservative and Unionist Party) is a Political party in the United Kingdom. Although the city hosted the Commonwealth Games in 1958, Cardiff only became a centre of national administration with the establishment of the Welsh Office in 1964, which later prompted the creation of various other public bodies such as the Arts Council of Wales and the Welsh Development Agency, most of which were based in Cardiff. The Commonwealth Games is a multinational Multi-sport event. Held every four years it involves the elite athletes of the Commonwealth of Nations. See also Council of Wales The Welsh Office ( Swyddfa Gymreig) was The Arts Council of Wales (ACW ( Welsh: Cyngor Celfyddydau Cymru) is an Assembly Sponsored Public Body, responsible for funding and developing the The Welsh Development Agency (WDA was an Assembly Sponsored Public Body (ASPB established in 1976 to encourage Business development and Investment

The East Moors Steelworks closed in 1978 and Cardiff lost population during the 1980s,^[16] consistent with a wider pattern of counter urbanisation in Britain. However, it recovered and was one of the few cities (outside London) where population grew during the 1990s. London ( ˈlʌndən is the capital and largest urban area in the United Kingdom. ^[17] During this period the Cardiff Bay Development Corporation was promoting the redevelopment of south Cardiff; an evaluation of the regeneration of Cardiff Bay published in 2004 concluded that the project had "reinforced the competitive position of Cardiff" and "contributed to a massive improvement in the quality of the built environment", although it had failed "to attract the major inward investors originally anticipated". The Cardiff Bay Development Corporation was set up by the Government of the United Kingdom on 3 April 1987 to undertake redevelopment of one sixth of Urban Renewal (similar to Urban Regeneration in British English) is a controversial U ^[18]

In the 1999 devolution referendum, Cardiff voters rejected the establishment of the National Assembly for Wales by 55. Devolution is the statutory granting of powers from the central government of a State to government at subnational level A referendum (plural referendums or referenda) ballot question, or plebiscite (from Latin plebiscita The National Assembly for Wales (Cynulliad Cenedlaethol Cymru is a devolved assembly with power to make legislation in Wales. 4% to 44. 2% on a 47% turnout, which Denis Balsom partly ascribed to a general preference in Cardiff and some other parts of Wales for a 'British' rather than exclusively 'Welsh' identity. British people, or Britons, are the native inhabitants of Great Britain and their descendants or citizens of the United Kingdom, of the The Welsh people ( Welsh: Cymro ("Welshman" Cymraes ("Welsh woman" Cymry ("Welshmen/women" Cymry A nation is a Human Cultural and Social Community. In as much as most members never meet each other yet feel a common bond it may be considered ^[19][20] The relative lack of support for the Assembly locally, and difficulties between the Welsh Office and Cardiff Council in acquiring the original preferred venue, Cardiff City Hall, encouraged other local authorities to bid to house the Assembly. City Hall is a Civic building in Cathays Park, Cardiff, Wales. ^[21][22] However, the Assembly eventually located at Crickhowell House in Cardiff Bay in 1999; in 2005, a new debating chamber on an adjacent site, designed by Richard Rogers, was opened. The Senedd ( Welsh for Legislature, Parliament or Senate; pronounced /ˈsɛnɛth/ (the th pronounced as in the word the is the home Richard George Rogers Baron Rogers of Riverside, CH, FRIBA (born 23 July 1933) is a British Architect noted

The city was county town of Glamorgan until the council reorganisation in 1974 paired Cardiff and the now Vale of Glamorgan together as the new county of South Glamorgan. A county town is the 'capital' of a County in the United Kingdom or Republic of Ireland. Glamorgan or Glamorganshire (Morgannwg is one of the thirteen historic counties and a former administrative county of Wales. Geography It has been a County borough (unitary authority since 1996, previously being part of South Glamorgan county South Glamorgan is a preserved county of Wales. It was originally formed in 1974 under the Local Government Act 1972, as a county council Further local government restructuring in 1996 resulted in Cardiff city's district council becoming a unitary authority, the City and County of Cardiff, with the addition of Creigiau and Pentyrch. In 1974, Wales was re-divided for local government purposes into thirty-seven districts. See also Independent city A unitary authority is a type of Local authority that has a single tier and is responsible for all Local government functions Political makeup Elections take place every four years The last election was 1 May 2008. Creigiau is a Dormitory settlement in Cardiff, the capital of Wales. Pentyrch is a Welsh Village, situated on the outskirts of Cardiff, the capital city of Wales.

Governance

Local government

Main article: Cardiff Council

Since local government reorganisation in 1996, Cardiff has been governed by The City and County Council of Cardiff, which is based at County Hall in Atlantic Wharf, Cardiff Bay. Political makeup Elections take place every four years The last election was 1 May 2008. City Hall is a Civic building in Cathays Park, Cardiff, Wales. Political makeup Elections take place every four years The last election was 1 May 2008. The County Hall is the head office of Cardiff County Council, located beside a disused dock in Butetown, Cardiff. Voters elect 75 councillors every four years, with the next elections due to be held in 2012.

Since the 2004 local elections, no individual political party has held a majority on Cardiff County Council. The Liberal Democrats have 35 councillors and have formed a minority administration, the Conservatives have 17, Labour have 13, Plaid Cymru have 7 and three councillors sit as Independents. The Liberal Democrats, often shortened to Lib Dems, are a liberal Political party in the United Kingdom, formed in 1988 by merging the The Conservative Party (officially the Conservative and Unionist Party) is a Political party in the United Kingdom. The Labour Party is a Political party in the United Kingdom. Founded at the start of the 20th century it has been since the 1920s the principal party of the Plaid Cymru (plaɪd ˈkəmri The Party of Wales often referred to simply as Plaid) is a Political party in Wales. The Leader of the Council, Cllr Rodney Berman, is from the Liberal Democrats. Rodney Berman, a Liberal Democrat Councillor for the Plasnewydd ward is leader of Cardiff County Council The Liberal Democrats, often shortened to Lib Dems, are a liberal Political party in the United Kingdom, formed in 1988 by merging the

National Assembly for Wales

Main article: National Assembly for Wales

The National Assembly for Wales has been based in Cardiff Bay since its formation in 1999. The National Assembly for Wales (Cynulliad Cenedlaethol Cymru is a devolved assembly with power to make legislation in Wales. Cardiff Bay (Bae Caerdydd is the area created by the Cardiff Barrage in South Cardiff, Wales. The building which is now known as the Senedd (Welsh for Legislature, Parliament or Senate) was opened on 1 March 2006, by The Queen. The Senedd ( Welsh for Legislature, Parliament or Senate; pronounced /ˈsɛnɛth/ (the th pronounced as in the word the is the home Events 86 BC - Lucius Cornelius Sulla, at the head of a Roman Republic army enters in Athens, removing the Tyrant Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. For the ship see RMS Queen Elizabeth 2 Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary Context States headed by Elizabeth II The executive and civil servants of the Welsh Assembly Government are based in Cardiff's Cathays Park while the Assembly Members, the Assembly Parliamentary Service and Ministerial support staff are based in Cardiff Bay. The Welsh Assembly Government (WAG (Llywodraeth Cynulliad Cymru LlCC) was firstly an executive body of the National Assembly for Wales, consisting of Cathays Park is a Civic centre area in central Cardiff, the Capital city of Wales, consisting of a number of early 20th century buildings Cardiff elects four constituency Assembly Members (AMs) to the Assembly, with the individual constituencies for the Assembly being the same as for the UK Parliament. All of the city's residents have an extra vote for the South Wales Central region which increases proportionality to the Assembly. Constituencies The eight constituencies have the names and boundaries of constituencies of the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom The most recent Welsh Assembly elections were held on 3 May 2007. An election is a Decision-making process by which a population chooses an individual to hold formal office Events 1491 - Kongo monarch Nkuwu Nzinga is baptised by Portuguese missionaries adopting the baptismal name of João Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century.

Cardiff is host to the National Assembly for Wales, which is situated in Cardiff Bay. The National Assembly for Wales (Cynulliad Cenedlaethol Cymru is a devolved assembly with power to make legislation in Wales. Cardiff Bay (Bae Caerdydd is the area created by the Cardiff Barrage in South Cardiff, Wales.

Political representation

Cardiff is presently split into four parliamentary constituencies which form the electoral basis for elections to the United Kingdom Parliament and the National Assembly for Wales. The Parliament of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the supreme legislative body in the United Kingdom and British overseas territories The National Assembly for Wales (Cynulliad Cenedlaethol Cymru is a devolved assembly with power to make legislation in Wales.

The constituencies and their representatives are:

• Cardiff Central: MP Jenny Willott, AM Jenny Randerson (Both Liberal Democrat)
• Cardiff North: MP Julie Morgan (Labour), AM Jonathan Morgan (Conservative)
• Cardiff South and Penarth: MP Alun Michael, AM Lorraine Barrett (Both Labour)
• Cardiff West: MP Kevin Brennan, AM Rhodri Morgan (Both Labour)

The South Wales Central Assembly Region elects four Assembly Members to serve the area covered by Cardiff, Rhondda-Cynon-Taf and the Vale of Glamorgan local authority areas. Cardiff Central ( Canolog Caerdydd in Welsh) is a Borough constituency in the city of Cardiff. Jennifer Nancy Willott (born 29 May 1974) is a British Politician and the Liberal Democrat Member of Parliament for Jennifer (Jenny Randerson (born 26 May 1948) is a Welsh Liberal Democrat politician and Member of the Welsh Assembly for Julie Morgan MP (born 2 November 1944) is a Labour politician in Wales. Jonathan Morgan, (born November 12, 1974 in Tongwynlais, Rural North Cardiff) is a Welsh Conservative politician currently Alun Edward Michael JP MP (born 22 August 1943 is a Welsh politician Lorraine Barrett AM (born 18 March 1950 is a Labour Co-operative Member of the Welsh Assembly for Cardiff South and Penarth Kevin Denis Brennan (born 16 October 1959) is a British Politician. Rt Hon Hywel Rhodri Morgan AM (born 29 September 1939) is a Welsh Politician; the Labour National Assembly for Constituencies The eight constituencies have the names and boundaries of constituencies of the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom History The county borough was formed on 1 April 1996, by the merger of the former Mid Glamorgan districts of Cynon Valley, Geography It has been a County borough (unitary authority since 1996, previously being part of South Glamorgan county These are currently:

• David Melding (Conservative)
• Andrew R. T. Davies (Conservative)
• Leanne Wood (Plaid Cymru)
• Christopher Franks (Plaid Cymru)

Famous politicians who have represented Cardiff constituencies include:

• Lord Callaghan
• George Thomas, 1st Viscount Tonypandy

Cardiff is part of the Wales constituency in European Parliament elections - the current MEP is Glenys Kinnock, who has represented the constituency since 1999. David Melding (born in Neath, 28 August 1962) is a Welsh Conservative Party member of the National Assembly for Wales for Andrew Robert Tudor Davies (born 1968 is a British farmer and politician who has been a Conservative Party member of the National Assembly for Wales since Leanne Wood, born in the Rhondda, Wales, in 1971, is a member of the National Assembly for Wales, representing the South Wales This page is on the Welsh engineer and politician For the soccer player see Chris Franks (soccer. Leonard James Callaghan Baron Callaghan of Cardiff, KG, PC (27 March 1912 – 26 March 2005 was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1976 to 1979 Thomas George Thomas 1st Viscount Tonypandy PC ( 29 January 1909 &ndash 22 September 1997) was a British Labour The European Parliament ( Europarl or EP) is the only directly elected parliamentary institution of the European Union (EU A Member of the European Parliament ( English abbreviation MEP) is a member of the European Union 's legislative body the European Parliament. Glenys Elizabeth Kinnock Baroness Kinnock FRSA (born Glenys Elizabeth Parry 7 July, 1944) is a Welsh politician who has been a Labour

Geography

Cardiff is a relatively flat city bounded by hills on the outskirts to the east, north and west. Its geographic features were influential in its development as the world's largest coal port,^[23] most notably its proximity and easy access to the coal fields of the south Wales valleys.

Cardiff is built on reclaimed marshland on a bed of Triassic stones; this reclaimed marshland stretches from Chepstow to the Ely Estuary, which is the natural boundary of Cardiff and the Vale of Glamorgan. Barry (Y Barri is a Town in the Vale of Glamorgan, Wales. Located along the northern coast of the Bristol Channel less than 7 miles (11 kilometers The Triassic is a geologic period and system that extends from about 251 to 199 Ma (million years ago Chepstow (Cas-gwent is a town in Monmouthshire, Wales, adjoining the border with Gloucestershire, England. Triassic landscapes are usually shallow and low-lying which accounts and explains Cardiff's flatness. The classic Triassic marl, sand and conglomerate rocks are used predominantly throughout Cardiff as building materials. Marl or Marlstone is a Calcium carbonate or lime -rich mud or Mudstone which contains variable amounts of Clays and Aragonite Sand is a naturally occurring Granular material composed of finely divided rock and Mineral particles A conglomerate (kɒnˈglɒmərət is a rock consisting of individual stones that have become cemented together Many of these Triassic rocks have a purple complexion, especially the coastal marl found near Penarth. Marl or Marlstone is a Calcium carbonate or lime -rich mud or Mudstone which contains variable amounts of Clays and Aragonite One of the Triassic rocks used in Cardiff is "Radyr Stone", a freestone which as it name suggests is quarried in the Radyr district. Cardiff has also imported some materials for buildings: Devonian sandstones (the Old Red Sandstone) from the Brecon Beacons has been used. The Devonian is a geologic period and system of the Paleozoic era spanning from to  million years ago. The Old Red Sandstone is a Rock formation of considerable importance to early Paleontology. The Brecon Beacons (Bannau Brycheiniog is a Mountain range located in the south-east of Wales. Most famously, the buildings of Cathays Park, the civic centre in the centre of the city, are built of Portland stone which was imported from Dorset. Cathays Park is a Civic centre area in central Cardiff, the Capital city of Wales, consisting of a number of early 20th century buildings Portland stone is a Limestone from the Jurassic period quarried on the Isle of Portland, Dorset. A widely used building stone in Cardiff is the surreal yellow-grey Liassic limestone rock of the Vale of Glamorgan, including the very rare "Sutton Stone", a conglomerate of lias limestone and carboniferous limestone that is, apart from Radyr Stone, the only free-stone in south-east Wales (freestones can be cut to a perfectly smooth surface). For general context see Jurassic. The Early Jurassic (in geology referred to as the Lower Jurassic, originally (and still in Europe the Limestone is a Sedimentary rock composed largely of the Mineral Calcite ( Calcium carbonate: CaCO3 Geography It has been a County borough (unitary authority since 1996, previously being part of South Glamorgan county The Carboniferous is a geologic period and system that extends from the end of the Devonian period about 359

Cardiff is bordered to the west by the rural district of the Vale of Glamorgan, which is also known as The Garden of Cardiff,^[24] to the east by the city of Newport, to the north by the South Wales Valleys and to the south by the Severn Estuary and Bristol Channel. Geography It has been a County borough (unitary authority since 1996, previously being part of South Glamorgan county Newport (Casnewydd is a city and principal area in Wales, in the United Kingdom. The South Wales Valleys (Cymoedd De Cymru are a number of industrialised valleys in South Wales, stretching from eastern Carmarthenshire in the west to western For other rivers named "Severn" see Severn River. The River Severn ( Welsh: Afon Hafren, Latin The Bristol Channel ( Môr Hafren) is a major inlet in the island of Great Britain, separating South Wales from Devon and Somerset The River Taff winds through the centre of the city and together with the River Ely flows into the freshwater lake of Cardiff Bay. The River Taff is a large river in Wales. It is known as the Afon Taf in Welsh. The River Ely (Afon Elai is a River in South Wales flowing generally south east from Tonyrefail to the Capital city of Cardiff Cardiff Bay (Bae Caerdydd is the area created by the Cardiff Barrage in South Cardiff, Wales. A third river, the Rhymney flows through the east of the city entering directly into the Severn Estuary. The Rhymney River (Rhymni is a River in the Rhymney Valley, south-east Wales, flowing into the Severn estuary.

Cardiff is situated near the Glamorgan Heritage Coast, stretching westward from Penarth and Barry (which are commuter towns of Cardiff), with its striped yellow-blue Jurassic "lias" limestone cliffs that thrust outwards towards the Bristol Channel. Glamorgan or Glamorganshire (Morgannwg is one of the thirteen historic counties and a former administrative county of Wales. A Heritage Coast is a strip of UK Coastline designated by the Countryside Agency in England and the Countryside Council for Wales as having notable Barry (Y Barri is a Town in the Vale of Glamorgan, Wales. Located along the northern coast of the Bristol Channel less than 7 miles (11 kilometers The Glamorgan coast is the only part of the Celtic Sea that has exposed Jurassic (blue lias) geology. The Celtic Sea (An Mhuir Cheilteach Y Môr Celtaidd An Mor Keltek Ar Mor Keltiek La Mer Celtique is the area of the Atlantic Ocean off the South Coast The Jurassic is a geologic period and system that extends from about Ma (million years ago to  Ma that is from the end of the Triassic to the beginning Blue Lias is a sequence of layers of Limestones and Shales laid down in Jurassic times between 195 and 200 million years ago This west facing stretch of coast, which takes the brunt of brutal Atlantic westerlies and has reefs, sandbanks and serrated cliffs aplenty (like Cornwall) was a ship graveyard during the age of sail; ships sailing up to Cardiff during the industrial era often never made it as far as Cardiff as most were wrecked around this hostile coastline during brutal west/south-westerly gales. Cornwall ( Kernow ˈkɛɹnɔʊ is the most southwesterly county of England, on the Peninsula that lies to the west of the River Tamar Consequently, just like its Celtic cousin in Cornwall, smuggling, deliberate shipwrecking and attacks on ships became a way of life for many people living in the small coastal villages of the Vale. ^[25]

Destinations from CARDIFF
Llantrisant	Pontypridd, Brecon, Caerphilly, Aberdare	Newport, Chepstow
Maesteg, Neath, Bridgend	N W E S	Bristol Channel
Llantwit Major, Cardiff International Airport	Penarth, Dinas Powys	Bristol Channel

Cityscape

See also: List of places in Cardiff

Roughly speaking, "Inner Cardiff" can be considered to consist of the following wards: Penylan, Plasnewydd, Gabalfa, Roath, Cathays, Adamsdown and Splott ward on the north and east of the city centre, and Butetown, Grangetown, Riverside and Canton to the south and west. Llantrisant is a Town in the County borough of Rhondda Cynon Taff, within the historic county boundaries of Glamorgan, Wales Pontypridd is both a community and a Town in Glamorgan, Wales, in the County borough of Rhondda Cynon Taff and is situated 12 Brecon (Aberhonddu is an historic Market town in southern Powys, mid Wales, with a population of roughly 8000 with around 6000 in the surrounding area Caerphilly (Caerffili is a town in the County borough of Caerphilly, south Wales, located at the bottom of the Rhymney Valley, with Aberdare (Aberdâr is an industrial Town in the County borough of Rhondda Cynon Taff, Wales, situated (as the name implies at the Newport (Casnewydd is a city and principal area in Wales, in the United Kingdom. Chepstow (Cas-gwent is a town in Monmouthshire, Wales, adjoining the border with Gloucestershire, England. Maesteg is a town in the County Borough of Bridgend, Wales. It lies at the northernmost end of the Llynfi Valley, close to the border with the county Neath (Castell-nedd is a Town and community situated in the principal area of Neath Port Talbot, Wales, UK with a Bridgend (Pen-y-bont ar Ogwr is a town in the Country Borough of Bridgend in Wales. The Bristol Channel ( Môr Hafren) is a major inlet in the island of Great Britain, separating South Wales from Devon and Somerset Llantwit Major ( Welsh: Llanilltud Fawr -- llan church enclosure + Illtud + mawr great is a small coastal Town Cardiff International Airport (Maes Awyr Rhyngwladol Caerdydd is the main airport for Wales serving around 2 million people in Cardiff and the rest of South and Penarth is a Town in the Vale of Glamorgan (Bro Morgannwg Wales (Cymru 5 Dinas Powys (previously Dinas Powis is a large Village and a community in the Vale of Glamorgan in South Wales. The Bristol Channel ( Môr Hafren) is a major inlet in the island of Great Britain, separating South Wales from Devon and Somerset This is a listing of places in Cardiff, capital city of Wales. Cardiff Bay (Bae Caerdydd is the area created by the Cardiff Barrage in South Cardiff, Wales. Capital Tower located in Cardiff, Wales, otherwise known as Pearl House and completed in 1967 is the second tallest structure in Wales standing at 80 metres (262 Penylan is a district of Cardiff, the Capital city of Wales, known for its Victorian era period houses and spacious tree lined roads and Plasnewydd is an electoral ward of Cardiff, Wales. It falls within the parliamentary constituency of Cardiff Central. Gabalfa is a district of the City of Cardiff, Wales. It is characterised by an enormous Fly over road (the Gabalfa Interchange which crosses Roath ( Welsh: Y Rhath) is a central district of the City of Cardiff, Wales. The Cathays electoral ward of Cardiff consists of some or all of the following areas Blackweir, Cardiff city centre, Cathays, Adamsdown ( Waunadda) is an Inner city area in the south east of Cardiff, the Capital city of Wales. Splott is an electoral ward and parish of Cardiff, Wales. The electoral ward includes the areas of Pengam Green, Splott and Butetown (or The Docks) is a district in the south of the City of Cardiff, Wales. Grangetown ( Trelluest) is an area in Cardiff, Wales. It is one of the largest districts in the south of the city and is bordered by Riverside Riverside ( Welsh: Glan yr Afon) is an Inner-city area of Cardiff, Wales. Canton (Treganna is an inner-city district 2 miles (32 kilometres west of the civic centre in the capital city of Cardiff, Wales. The inner-city areas to the south of the A4161 road known as the "Southern Arc" are, with the exception of affluent and trendy Cardiff Bay, some of the poorest districts of Wales with low levels of economic activity and high ethnic minority populations. The A4161 is a main road in Cardiff, Wales, United Kingdom. The road links Cardiff city centre with Ely and the M4 motorway On the other hand Gabalfa, Plasnewydd and Cathays north of the 'arc' have very large student populations,^[26] and Pontcanna north of Riverside and alongside Canton is a favourite for young professionals and media types. Penylan which lies to the north east side of Roath Park is an affluent area popular with those with older children and the retired. Penylan is a district of Cardiff, the Capital city of Wales, known for its Victorian era period houses and spacious tree lined roads and

"Suburban Cardiff" can be broken down into three distinct areas. To the west lie Ely, Caerau and Fairwater which contain some of the largest housing estates in the United Kingdom. Ely ( Welsh Trelai tref town + Elai River Ely) is a Suburb primarily dominated by Council housing in western Caerau is a district of west Cardiff, Capital city of Wales. Caerau Lane is the main road or Avenue which is very much lined with large Fairwater ( Tyllgoed) is a district in northwest Cardiff. It is located a few miles from Culverhouse Cross which connects Cardiff to the M4 motorway With the exception of some of the outlying privately built estates at Michaelston Super Ely and 1930s developments near Waun-Gron Road, this is an economically disadvantaged area with high numbers of unemployed households. Culverhouse Cross is a more affluent western area of the city. Culverhouse Cross (Croes Cwrlwys is Suburban district of the City of Cardiff, Wales. Radyr, Llandaff, Llandaff North, Whitchurch & Tongwynlais, Rhiwbina, Heath, Llanishen, Lisvane, and Cyncoed which lie in an arc from the north west to the north east of the centre can be considered the main middle class suburbs of the city. Radyr (pronounced Rard-Err, including the administratively linked community of Morganstown is an outer Suburb within the capital city of Cardiff Llandaff ( Welsh Llandaf llan church + Taf) is a district in the City of Cardiff, Wales, having Llandaff North (Ystum Taf is part of Cardiff, the Capital city of Wales. Whitchurch ( Welsh Yr Eglwys Newydd eglwys church + newydd new is a Suburb of Cardiff, Wales Tongwynlais is a Village in the Taff Valley in South Wales. It is situated 5 Miles north of Cardiff city centre and 7 miles south of Rhiwbina ( Welsh: Rhiwbeina or Rhiwbeuno - Rhiw slope + Beuno Saint Beuno) is a prosperous northern Heath ( Welsh Y Mynydd Bychan) is an area of north Cardiff, Wales, originally called the Great Heath and named as a result of the large There is also a Llanishen in Monmouthshire Llanishen ( Welsh Llanisien llan church + Isien Lisvane (Llys-faen llys court+ maen stone is a Suburb district within the city boundary of Cardiff, Wales and located approximately Cyncoed is a district of the City of Cardiff, Wales. Located in the north east of the City, Cyncoed is one of the most affluent Suburbs In particular, Cyncoed, Radyr and Lisvane contain some of the most expensive housing in Wales. Radyr (pronounced Rard-Err, including the administratively linked community of Morganstown is an outer Suburb within the capital city of Cardiff Further to the east lie the wards of Pontprennau & Old St Mellons, Rumney, Pentwyn, Llanrumney and Trowbridge. Pentwyn is a district of Cardiff, Wales, located northeast of the city centre Llanrumney ( Welsh Llanrhymni: llan Parish + Rhymney River) is a district of the City of Cardiff, Wales Trowbridge is an Electoral ward of the City of Cardiff, South Wales. The latter three are again largely of public housing stock, although new private housing is being built in Trowbridge in considerable number. Pontprennau is the newest 'suburb' of Cardiff, whilst Old St Mellons has a history going back to the Norman Conquest in the 11th century. Pontprennau is a district of the City of Cardiff, Wales. History Pontprennau is the Welsh language for St Mellons (Llaneirwg is a district and Suburb of the Welsh Capital city of Cardiff, Wales. ^[27]

To the north west of the city lies a region that may be called "Rural Cardiff" containing the villages of St. Fagans, Creigiau, Pentyrch, Tongwynlais and Gwaelod-y-garth. St Fagans ( Welsh Sain Ffagan) is a village in the west of the City of Cardiff, Wales and in the traditional county of Creigiau is a Dormitory settlement in Cardiff, the capital of Wales. Pentyrch is a Welsh Village, situated on the outskirts of Cardiff, the capital city of Wales. Tongwynlais is a Village in the Taff Valley in South Wales. It is situated 5 Miles north of Cardiff city centre and 7 miles south of Gwaelod-y-Garth ( Welsh for Foot of the Garth) is a Village in the Parish of Pentyrch, Cardiff in Wales St. Fagans, home to the Museum of Welsh Life, is protected from further development. St Fagans National History Museum ( Welsh: Sain Ffagan Amgueddfa Werin Cymru) commonly referred to as St Fagans, is an open-air Museum chronicling ^[28]

Climate

Climate chart for Cardiff
J	F	M	A	M	J	J	A	S	O	N	D
119   8 2	91   8 2	89   11 4	65   13 5	65   17 8	66   19 11	61   22 13	90   21 13	104   18 10	117   15 8	117   11 4	128   9 3
temperatures in °C • precipitation totals in mm source: Met Office
Imperial conversion J F M A M J J A S O N D     4. 7   46 36     3. 6   46 36     3. 5   52 39     2. 6   55 41     2. 6   63 46     2. 6   66 52     2. 4   72 55     3. 5   70 55     4. 1   64 50     4. 6   59 46     4. 6   52 39     5   48 37 temperatures in °F • precipitation totals in inches

Cardiff has a temperate climate where summers and winters are generally mild. Climate encompasses the temperatures humidity rainfall atmospheric particle count and numerous other meteorogical factors in a given region over long periods of More specifically Cardiff has an oceanic climate, with prevailing winds blowing in from the south-west over the Atlantic Ocean. An oceanic climate (also called marine west coast climate and maritime climate) is the Climate typically found along the west coasts at the middle latitudes

Cardiff has a relatively dry climate compared with most of Wales,^[29] with an average rainfall of 1,065 millimetres (41. 9 in). It is also a relatively mild city,^[30] with an average January temperature of 4. 5 °C (40. 1 °F) and an average July temperature of 16 °C (61 °F)^[31]

Demography

Year	Population of Cardiff
1801	6,342
1851	26,630
1861	48,965
1871	71,301
1881	93,637
1891	142,114
1901	172,629
1911	209,804
1921	227,753
1931	247,270
1941	257,112
1951	267,356
1961	278,552
1971	290,227
1981	274,500
1991	272,557
2001	292,150
2006	317,500*
source: Vision of Britain except * , which refers to the local authority area and is estimated by the Office for National Statistics

Following a period of decline during the 1970s and 1980s, Cardiff's population is growing. The local authority area had an estimated population of more than 317,500 in 2006, compared to a 2001 Census figure of 305,353. A nationwide Census, commonly known as Census 2001, was conducted in the United Kingdom on Sunday 29 April 2001 ^[32] According to Census 2001 data, Cardiff was the 14th largest settlement in the United Kingdom,^[33] and the 21st largest urban area. For a list of the largest contiguous urban areas or Conurbations in the UK see here. The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located A Conurbation is formed when towns expand sufficiently that their urban areas join up with each other ^[34]

Official estimates derived from the census regarding the city's total population have been disputed. The city council has published two articles that argue the 2001 census seriously under reports the population of Cardiff and, in particular, the ethnic minority population of some inner city areas. ^[35][36]

Cardiff has a ethnically diverse population due to its past trading connections, post-war immigration and the large numbers of foreign students who attend university in the city. The ethnic make-up of Cardiff's population at the time of the 2001 census was: 91. 6% white, 2% mixed race, 4% South Asian, 1. 3% Black, 1. 2% Other ethnic origin. According to a report published in 2005, over 30,000 people from an ethnic minority live in Cardiff, around 8. 4% of the city's total - many of these communities live in Butetown, where ethnic minorities make up around a third of the total population. Butetown (or The Docks) is a district in the south of the City of Cardiff, Wales. ^[37] This diversity, and especially that of the city's long-established African and Arab communities, has been celebrated in a number of cultural exhibitions and events, along with a number of books which have been published on this subject. ^[38][39]

Religion

See also: History of the Jews in Wales

Since 1922 Cardiff has included the suburban cathedral 'village' of Llandaff, whose bishop is currently Archbishop of Wales. The History of the Jews in Wales starts with the establishment of Jewish communities in South Wales in the Eighteenth century CE Llandaff ( Welsh Llandaf llan church + Taf) is a district in the City of Cardiff, Wales, having The Province of Wales in the Anglican Communion was created in 1920 as the Church in Wales, independent from the Church of England (of There is also a Roman Catholic cathedral in the city. Cardiff Roman Catholic Cathedral (also known as Cardiff Metropolitan Cathedral of St David and St David's Cathedral Cardiff) is a Roman Catholic cathedral Since 1916 Cardiff has been the seat of a Catholic archbishop, but there appears to have been a fall in the estimated Catholic population, with estimated numbers in 2006 being around 25,000 less than in 1980. Catholic is an Adjective derived from the Greek adjective '' / 'katholikos' meaning "whole" or "complete". Catholic is an Adjective derived from the Greek adjective '' / 'katholikos' meaning "whole" or "complete". ^[40]. Likewise, the Jewish population of the city has also appeared to have fallen - there are currently two synagogues in Cardiff, one in Cyncoed and one in Moira Terrace, as opposed to seven at the turn of the 20th century. PLEASE TAKE NOTE************ ^[41] There are a significant number of nonconformist chapels, an early-20th century Greek Orthodox church and eleven mosques. Nonconformism is the refusal to conform to common standards conventions rules customs traditions norms or laws ^[42][43][44]

In the 2001 census 66. 9% of the city's population described themselves as Christian, below the Welsh and UK average, while 3. 7% described themselves as Muslim, significantly above the Welsh average but in line with the UK average. The proportion of people declaring themselves to be Hindu, Sikh and Jewish were all considerably higher than the Welsh averages, but less than the UK figures. 18. 8% stated they had no religion, while 8. 6% did not state a religion. ^[45]

Cardiff has one of the longest-established Muslim populations in the UK, started by Yemeni sailors who settled in the city during the 19th century. ^[46] The first mosque in the UK (on the site of what is now known as the Al-Manar Islamic Centre) opened in 1860 in the Cathays district of Cardiff. ^[47] Cardiff is now home to over 11,000 Muslims from many different nationalities and backgrounds. ^[48]

The city has been home to a sizable Hindu community since Indian immigrants settled there during the 1950s and 1960s. The first Hindu temple in the city was opened in Grangetown on April 6, 1979 on the site of an abandoned printing press (which itself was the former site of a synagogue). Events 46 BC - Julius Caesar defeats Caecilius Metellus Scipio and Marcus Porcius Cato in the Battle of Thapsus Year 1979 ( MCMLXXIX) was a Common year starting on Monday (link displays the 1979 Gregorian calendar) ^[49] The 25th anniversary of the temple's founding was celebrated in September 2007 with a parade of over 3000 people through the city centre, including Hindus from across the United Kingdom and members of Cardiff's other religious communities. ^[50] Today, there are over 2000 Hindus in Cardiff, worshipping at three temples across the city. ^[48]

Economy

Main article: Economy and industry of Cardiff

As the capital city of Wales, Cardiff is the main engine of growth in the Welsh economy. As the Capital city of Wales, Cardiff is the main engine of growth in the Welsh economy the city "has been developing as a significant service centre and economic The economy of Cardiff and adjacent areas makes up nearly 20% of Welsh GDP and 40% of the city’s workforce are daily in-commuters from the surrounding south Wales area. ^[51][52]

Industry has played a major part in Cardiff's development for many centuries. The main catalyst for its transformation from a small town into a big city was the demand for coal required in making iron and later steel, brought to the sea by packhorse from Merthyr Tydfil. A packhorse (UK or pack horse (USA refers generally to an Equid such as a Horse, Mule, Donkey or Pony used for carrying Merthyr Tydfil today Government The current Borough boundaries date back to 1974 when the former county borough of Merthyr Tydfil expanded slightly to cover This was first achieved by the construction of a 25-mile (40 km) long canal from Merthyr (510 feet above sea-level) to the Taff Estuary at Cardiff. ^[53] Eventually the Taff Vale Railway replaced the canal barges and massive marshalling yards sprang up as new docks were developed in Cardiff - all prompted by the soaring world-wide demand for coal from the South Wales valleys. History On February 10 1804 a young engineer Richard Trevithick, drove the world's first ever steam locomotive along a track at the Penydarren ironworks near

At its peak, Cardiff's port, known as Tiger Bay, became the busiest port in the world and—for some time—the world's most important coal port. ||-||-|-||-||-||-||-||-||-|} A port is a facility for receiving Ships and transferring cargo This article relates to the place in Wales, for other meanings see Tiger Bay (disambiguation. In the years leading up to the First World War, more than 10 million tonnes of coal was exported annually from Cardiff. World War I (abbreviated WWI; also known as the First World War, the Great War, and the War to End All ^[54] In 1907, Cardiff's Coal Exchange was the first host to a business deal for a million pounds Sterling. The Coal Exchange was a market floor for trading in Coal in Cardiff, Wales as well as containing a number of offices The Pound Sterling ( symbol £; ISO code: GBP) subdivided into 100 pence (singular penny) is the Currency ^[55] After a period of decline, Cardiff's port has started to grow again - over 3 million tonnes of cargo passed through through the docks in 2007. ^[56]

Today, Cardiff is the principal finance and business services centre in Wales, and as such there is a strong representation of finance and business services in the local economy. The field of finance refers to the concepts of Time, Money and Risk and how they are interrelated A service is the non-material equivalent of a good. A service provision is an economic activity that does not result in Ownership, and this is what differentiates This sector, combined with the Public Administration, Education and Health sectors, have accounted for around 75% of Cardiff's economic growth since 1991. ^[57] The city was recently placed seventh overall in the top 50 European cities in the fDI 2008 Cities of the Future list published by the Foreign Direct Invester (FDI) magazine, and also ranked seventh in terms of attracting foreign investment. ^[58] Notable companies such as Legal & General, Admiral Insurance, HBOS, Zurich, ING Direct, The AA, Principality Building Society, 118118, British Gas, Brains, SWALEC Energy and BT, all operate large national or regional headquarters and contact centres in the city, some of them based in Cardiff's office towers such as Capital Tower and Brunel House. Legal & General Group Plc ( is a British based Financial services company that provides life, health and other insurance as well as Admiral is the rank, or part of the name of the ranks of the highest Naval officers HBOS plc ( is a Banking and Insurance group in the United Kingdom, the Holding company for Bank of Scotland plc, which Zurich Financial Services Group is a major Financial services group based in Zürich, Switzerland. ING Direct is a marketing name for a branchless direct bank with operations in Australia, Canada, France, Germany (branded History On June 29, 1905 a group of motoring enthusiasts met at the Trocadero restaurant in the West End of London. Principality is a Welsh Building society based in Cardiff, Wales. Centrica plc ( is a large multinational utility company based in the United Kingdom but also with interests in North America and Europe. Brains ( SA Brain & Company Ltd) is a regional Brewery founded in 1882 in Cardiff Wales by Samuel Arthur Brain SWALEC (South Wales Electricity was an electricity supply and distribution company which was bought out in 1996 for £872m following the de-regulation of the electricity supply industry Capital Tower located in Cardiff, Wales, otherwise known as Pearl House and completed in 1967 is the second tallest structure in Wales standing at 80 metres (262 Other major employers include NHS Wales and the National Assembly for Wales. NHS Wales (GIG Cymru is the publicly funded healthcare system of Wales. The National Assembly for Wales (Cynulliad Cenedlaethol Cymru is a devolved assembly with power to make legislation in Wales. On 1 March 2004, Cardiff was granted Fairtrade City status. Events 86 BC - Lucius Cornelius Sulla, at the head of a Roman Republic army enters in Athens, removing the Tyrant "MMIV" redirects here For the Modest Mouse album see " Baron von Bullshit Rides Again " Fairtrade Town is a marketing tool in which this status is awarded by a recognized Fairtrade certification body (i

Cardiff is the one of the most popular tourist destination cities in the United Kingdom, with one survey recording just under 12 million visitors in 2006. ^[59] One result of this is that one in five employees in Cardiff are based in the distribution, hotels and restaurants sector, highlighting the growing retail and tourism industries in the city. ^[57] There are a large number of hotels of varying sizes and standards in the city, providing almost 9,000 available bed spaces. ^[59]

The majority of Cardiff's shopping portfolio is in the city centre around Queen Street and St. Cardiff Market, also known as Cardiff Central Market, is a Victorian indoor Market in the Cardiff city centre, capital city of Mary's Street, with large suburban retail parks located in Cardiff Bay, Culverhouse Cross, Newport Road and Pontprennau, together with markets in the city centre, Splott and Leckwith. Splott (Y Sblot is a District of the City of Cardiff, Wales, east of the city centre Leckwith (Lecwydd is a District of Cardiff, Wales, United Kingdom. Cardiff is also home to the oldest record shop in the world in Spillers Records, which was established in 1894. A record shop (or record store) is an outlet that sells recorded Music. Spillers Records, established in 1894, is the oldest Record shop in the world ^[60] A major £675 million regeneration programme for Cardiff's St. David's Centre is currently underway which, when completed in 2009, will provide a total of 1,400,000 square feet (130,000 m²) of shopping space, making it one of the largest shopping centres in the United Kingdom. This article refers to the shopping centre in Cardiff For the shopping centre of the same name in Swansea see St ^[61]

Cardiff is home to the Welsh media and the UK's largest film, TV & multimedia sector outside London with BBC Wales, S4C and ITV Wales all having studios in the city. BBC Wales ( BBC Cymru) is a division of the British Broadcasting Corporation for Wales. S4C (Sianel Pedwar Cymru meaning Channel Four Wales) is a television channel in Wales HTV, now legally known as ITV Wales and West, is the ITV contractor for Wales and the West of England. ^[4] In particular, there is a large independent TV production industry sector of over 600 companies, employing around 6000 employees and with a turnover estimated at £350m. ^[4]

Cardiff is currently enjoying several regeneration projects such as extension to the St David's Centre and surrounding areas of the city centre, and the $1. 4billion International Sports Village in Cardiff Bay which will play a part in London 2012 Olympics. Cardiff International Sports Village ( Welsh: Pentref Chwaraeon Rhyngwladol Caerdydd) which is also known It features the only Olympic-size swimming pool in Wales, the Cardiff International Pool, which opened on 12 January 2008. An Olympic-size swimming pool is the type of Swimming pool used in the Olympic Games and other "long course" events The Cardiff International Pool ( Welsh: Pwll Rhyngwladol Caerdydd) is located in the Cardiff International Sports Village in Cardiff, Wales

Landmarks and attractions

Cardiff has many landmark buildings such as the Millennium Stadium, Pierhead Building and the National Assembly for Wales. Wales Millennium Centre (Canolfan Mileniwm Cymru which also has a nickname locally as The Armadillo, is a centre for the Performing arts located in the Cardiff Castle (Castell Caerdydd is a medieval Castle and Victorian revival Mansion, transformed from a Norman keep erected over a Roman fort in Cardiff The Millennium Stadium (Stadiwm y Mileniwm is the National stadium of Wales, located in the capital Cardiff. The Pierhead Building is a Grade 1 listed building of the National Assembly for Wales and is adjacent to the Senedd building and the Wales Millennium The National Assembly for Wales (Cynulliad Cenedlaethol Cymru is a devolved assembly with power to make legislation in Wales. However Cardiff is also famous for Cardiff Castle, St David's Hall, Llandaff Cathedral, the Wales Millennium Centre. Cardiff Castle (Castell Caerdydd is a medieval Castle and Victorian revival Mansion, transformed from a Norman keep erected over a Roman fort in Cardiff St David's Hall (Welsh Neuadd Dewi Sant) is a Performing arts and conference venue in the heart of Cardiff city centre, the capital of Llandaff Cathedral is the seat of the Anglican Bishop of Llandaff (of the Church in Wales) situated in the suburb of Llandaff in the city of Wales Millennium Centre (Canolfan Mileniwm Cymru which also has a nickname locally as The Armadillo, is a centre for the Performing arts located in the A prominent future landmark in Cardiff Bay, Bay Pointe which is set to include Wales' tallest building, has been granted planning permission. Cardiff Bay (Bae Caerdydd is the area created by the Cardiff Barrage in South Cardiff, Wales. Bay Pointe is a proposed development of ten apartment buildings in Cardiff Bay, Cardiff, Wales. ^[62]

Cardiff Castle is a major tourist attraction in the city and is situated in the heart of the city centre, near the main shopping area of Queen Street and St. Cardiff Castle (Castell Caerdydd is a medieval Castle and Victorian revival Mansion, transformed from a Norman keep erected over a Roman fort in Cardiff Mary's Street. The National History Museum at St Fagans in Cardiff is a large open air museum housing dozens of buildings from throughout Welsh history that have been moved to the site in Cardiff. St Fagans National History Museum ( Welsh: Sain Ffagan Amgueddfa Werin Cymru) commonly referred to as St Fagans, is an open-air Museum chronicling

The Civic Centre in Cathays Park comprises a collection of Edwardian buildings such as the City Hall, National Museum and Gallery of Wales, Cardiff Crown Court, and buildings forming part of Cardiff University, together with more modern civic buildings. Cathays Park is a Civic centre area in central Cardiff, the Capital city of Wales, consisting of a number of early 20th century buildings Edwardian architecture is the style popular when King Edward VII of the United Kingdom was in power he reigned from 1901 to 1910 but the architecture style is generally considered City Hall is a Civic building in Cathays Park, Cardiff, Wales. National Museum Cardiff (Amgueddfa Genedlaethol Caerdydd is a Museum and Art gallery in Cardiff, Wales Cardiff Crown Court is a historic building situated in Cathays Park, Cardiff, Wales. Cardiff University (Prifysgol Caerdydd is a leading University located in the Cathays Park area of Cardiff, Wales, United Kingdom These buildings surround a small green space containing the Welsh National War Memorial and a number of other smaller memorials. The Welsh National War Memorial is situated in Alexandra Gardens, Cathays Park, Cardiff.

Other major tourist attractions are the Cardiff Bay regeneration sites which include the recently opened Wales Millennium Centre and the Senedd, and many other cultural and sites of interest including the Cardiff Bay Barrage and the famous Coal Exchange. Cardiff Bay (Bae Caerdydd is the area created by the Cardiff Barrage in South Cardiff, Wales. The Senedd ( Welsh for Legislature, Parliament or Senate; pronounced /ˈsɛnɛth/ (the th pronounced as in the word the is the home The Cardiff Bay Barrage lies across the mouth of Cardiff Bay, Wales between Queen Alexandra Dock and Penarth Head. The Coal Exchange was a market floor for trading in Coal in Cardiff, Wales as well as containing a number of offices The New Theatre was founded in 1906 and completely refurbished in the 1980s. The New Theatre (Welsh Theatr Newydd although it usually uses its English name as a title is one of the principal Theatres in Cardiff, Until the opening of the Wales Millennium Centre in 2004, it was the premier venue in Wales for touring theatre and dance companies. Other venues which are popular for concerts and sporting events include Cardiff International Arena, St David's Hall and the Millennium Stadium. See also Cardiff Arena for the temporary ice hockey arena in Cardiff Bay, home to the Cardiff Devils. St David's Hall (Welsh Neuadd Dewi Sant) is a Performing arts and conference venue in the heart of Cardiff city centre, the capital of The Millennium Stadium (Stadiwm y Mileniwm is the National stadium of Wales, located in the capital Cardiff.

In total, Cardiff has over 1,000 listed buildings. These range from the more prominent buildings such as the castles, to smaller buildings, houses and structures. ^[63]

Cardiff has walks of special interest for tourists and ramblers alike, such as the Centenary Walk, which runs for 2. Walking (also called ambulation) is the main form of Animal Locomotion on land, distinguished from Running and crawling The Cardiff Centenary Walk is a tourist Walkway through Cardiff city centre in Wales. 3 miles (3. 7 km) within Cardiff city centre. Cardiff City centre is a large and sprawling area that spreads out from Butetown in the south to Cathays Park in the north and from Canton This route passes through many of Cardiff's landmarks and historic buildings.

Castles

Complementing Cardiff Castle is a second castle north of the city, called Castell Coch (Welsh: "Red Castle"). Castell Coch ( English translation: Red Castle) is a 19th century Gothic Revival Castle built on the remains of a genuine 13th century fortification Castell Coch ( English translation: Red Castle) is a 19th century Gothic Revival Castle built on the remains of a genuine 13th century fortification The current castle is an elaborately decorated Victorian folly designed by Burges for the Marquess and built in the 1870s. However, the Victorian castle stands on the footings of a much older medieval castle possibly built by Ifor Bach, a regional baron with links to Cardiff Castle also. Ifor Bach (meaning Ivor the Short) (fl 1158 also known as Ifor ap Meurig and in anglicised form Ivor Bach, lord of Senghenydd, was a twelfth The exterior has become a popular location for film and television productions.

Situated on the narrowest part of the south Wales coastal plain, Cardiff had a crucial strategic importance in the wars between the Normans (who had occupied lowland Wales) and the Welsh who maintained their hold on the uplands. As a result Cardiff claims to have the largest concentration of castles of any city in the world. A castle is a defensive structure seen as one of the main symbols of the Middle Ages. ^[64] As well as Cardiff Castle and Castell Coch, the remains of Twmpath Castle,^[65] the Llandaff Bishop's Palace and Saint Fagans Castle are still in existence, whilst the site of Treoda (or Whitchurch Castle) has now been built over. St Fagans National History Museum ( Welsh: Sain Ffagan Amgueddfa Werin Cymru) commonly referred to as St Fagans, is an open-air Museum chronicling ^[66]

Culture and recreation

See also: List of cultural venues in Cardiff

Cardiff many cultural sites varying from the historical Cardiff Castle and out of town Castell Coch to the more modern Wales Millennium Centre and Cardiff Bay. This is a list of cultural venues in the City of Cardiff, capital of Wales. Cardiff Castle (Castell Caerdydd is a medieval Castle and Victorian revival Mansion, transformed from a Norman keep erected over a Roman fort in Cardiff Castell Coch ( English translation: Red Castle) is a 19th century Gothic Revival Castle built on the remains of a genuine 13th century fortification Wales Millennium Centre (Canolfan Mileniwm Cymru which also has a nickname locally as The Armadillo, is a centre for the Performing arts located in the Cardiff Bay (Bae Caerdydd is the area created by the Cardiff Barrage in South Cardiff, Wales. Cardiff was a finalist in the European Capital of Culture 2008. The European Capital of Culture is a city designated by the European Union for a period of one Calendar year during which it is given a chance to showcase its ^[67] In recent years Cardiff has grown in stature as a tourist destination, with recent accolades including Cardiff being voted the eighth favourite UK city by readers of the Guardian. ^[68] The city was also listed as one of the top 10 destinations in the UK on the official British tourist boards website Visit Britain,^[69] and US travel guide Frommers have listed Cardiff as one of 13 top destinations worldwide for 2008. ^[70]

Language

Cardiff has a chequered linguistic history with Welsh, English, Latin and Norse dominating at different times. Welsh ( cy Cymraeg or cy y Gymraeg, kəmˈrɑːɨɡ and {{IPA|[ə ɡəmˈrɑːɨɡ]}}, is a member of the Brythonic branch of Celtic English is a West Germanic language originating in England and is the First language for most people in the United Kingdom, the United States Latin ( lingua Latīna, laˈtiːna is an Italic language, historically spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. Although it was the Romans who established the "castle on the Taff" it was the Vikings who began developing the maritime trade from which Cardiff was to derive its prosperity. A Viking is one of the Norse ( Scandinavian Explorers Warriors Merchants, and pirates who raided and colonized wide areas The Vikings—who controlled the Bristol Channel—used Cardiff as a raiding base, a port and a trading post. A Viking is one of the Norse ( Scandinavian Explorers Warriors Merchants, and pirates who raided and colonized wide areas Many street-names in Cardiff are of Viking origin including Dumballs Road and the oldest street in the city, Womanby Street (Womanby Street is a corruption of the original Norse name Humandaby Street). Welsh was the majority language in Cardiff from the 13th century until the city's explosive growth in the Victorian era. Culture The Victorian fascination with novelty resulted in a deep interest in the relationship between modernity and cultural continuities ^[71] As late as 1850, five of the twelve Anglican churches within the current city boundaries conducted their services exclusively in the Welsh language, while only two worshipped exclusively in English. Anglicanism is a tradition of Christian faith Churches in this tradition either have historical connections to the Church of England or have similar beliefs Welsh ( cy Cymraeg or cy y Gymraeg, kəmˈrɑːɨɡ and {{IPA|[ə ɡəmˈrɑːɨɡ]}}, is a member of the Brythonic branch of Celtic ^[71]

A substantial Irish population settled in Cardiff during the 19th century. The Irish people ( Irish: Muintir na hÉireann, na hÉireannaigh, na Gaeil) are a Western European Ethnic group who originate They were drawn to Cardiff by the work available on major building and engineering projects in the docks and the city itself. The intermingling of the Irish, together with migrants from the West Country, the Midlands and rural Mid Wales is credited with having formed the distinctive flat-vowelled "Cardiff accent" (Roots to Cardiff exhibition, 2007). The West Country is an informal term for the area of south western England roughly corresponding to the modern South West England government region This article is mainly about the English Midlands For other uses see Midlands (disambiguation. Rural areas can be large and isolated (also referred to as "the country" and/or "the countryside over the course of time Mid Wales (Canolbarth Cymru or simply Y Canolbarth "The Midlands" is the name given to the area of Wales lying between North and South Wales By 1891 the percentage of Welsh speakers had dropped to 27. 9% and only Lisvane, Llanedeyrn and Creigiau remained as majority Welsh-speaking communities. Lisvane (Llys-faen llys court+ maen stone is a Suburb district within the city boundary of Cardiff, Wales and located approximately Llanedeyrn is a district of the City of Cardiff, Wales. Early History The name "Llanedeyrn" is believed to be derived from Creigiau is a Dormitory settlement in Cardiff, the capital of Wales. The Welsh language became grouped around a small cluster of chapels and churches, the most notable of which is Tabernacl in the city centre, one of four UK churches chosen to hold official services to commemorate the new millennium. Following the establishment of the city's first Welsh School (Ysgol Gymraeg Bryntaf) in the 1950s, Welsh has slowly regained some ground. ^[72]

Aided by Welsh-medium education and migration from other parts of Wales, the number of Welsh speakers in Cardiff rose by 14,451 between 1991 and 2001; Welsh is now spoken by 11% of Cardiffians. The highest percentage of Welsh speakers is in Pentyrch, where 15. Pentyrch is a Welsh Village, situated on the outskirts of Cardiff, the capital city of Wales. 9% of the population speak the language. ^[73]

In additional to English and Welsh, the diversity of Cardiff's population (including foreign students) means that a large number of languages are spoken within the city. One study has found that Cardiff has speakers of at least 94 languages, with Somali, Urdu, Bengali and Arabic being the most commonly spoken foreign languages. Urdu ( ur '''{{Nastaliq اردو}}''' trans Urdū, historically spelled Ordu) is a Central Indo-Aryan language Urdu is a standardised Arabic (ar الْعَرَبيّة (informally ar عَرَبيْ) in terms of the number of speakers is the largest living member of the Semitic language ^[74]

Festivals

The Big Weekend Festival is held annually in the city centre during the summer and plays host to free musical performances (from artists such as Jimmy Cliff, Cerys Matthews, the Fun Loving Criminals, Soul II Soul and The Magic Numbers), fairground rides and cultural events such as a Children's Festival that takes place in the grounds of Cardiff Castle. Radio 1's Big Weekend (previously known as One Big Weekend) is a Music festival run by BBC Radio 1. Jimmy Cliff OM (born James Chambers, 1 April 1948, Somerton District St Cerys Matthews (pronounced) (born 11 April 1969) is a Welsh singer and Songwriter. The Fun Lovin' Criminals (often referred to by their initials FLC) are an American Alternative rap / Alternative rock group from New York City Soul II Soul is a 2-time Grammy winning act that emerged at the end of the 1980s from London. The Magic Numbers are a four-piece Indie rock band from England comprising two pairs of brother and sister who previously went to The Cardinal Wiseman Roman Catholic Cardiff Castle (Castell Caerdydd is a medieval Castle and Victorian revival Mansion, transformed from a Norman keep erected over a Roman fort in Cardiff The annual Cardiff Festival claims to be the UK's largest free outdoor festival, attracting over 250,000 visitors in 2007. ^[75]

Cardiff hosted the National Eisteddfod in 1883, 1899, 1938, 1960 and 1978, and is set to host it again in 2008. The National Eisteddfod of Wales ( Eisteddfod Genedlaethol Cymru) is the most important of several Eisteddfodau that are held annually mostly in Wales. Cardiff is unique in Wales in having two permanent stone circles used by the Gorsedd of Bards during Eisteddfodau. A stone circle is an ancient monument Such a monument is not always precisely circular and often forms an ellipse or a setting of four stones laid on an arc of a circle Etymology The word is a Loanword from descendant languages of Proto-Celtic *bardos, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *gwerh2 The original circle stands in Gorsedd Gardens in front of the National Museum while its 1978 replacement is situated in Bute Park. A national museum is a Museum maintained by a Nation. List of national museums Australia Australian National Aviation Museum Bute Park in Cardiff, Wales, is an extensive area of mature parkland easily accessible from the city centre

Since 1983, Cardiff has hosted the BBC Cardiff Singer of the World competition, a world renowned event on the opera calendar which is held every two years. The city also hosts smaller events such as The Cardiff Design Festival, which began showcasing the best of Welsh design during the summer of 2005, and has since grown into a diverse range of designers exhibiting their work. Cardiff Design Festival is an annual event organised by the University of Wales Institute Cardiff in partnership with a number of Cardiff organisations which since Cardiff also hosts the Sŵn festival, a multiple venue music festival organised by Radio 1 DJ Huw Stevens. The Sŵn Festival is a Music festival curated by Radio 1 DJ Huw Stephens, which takes place annually in Stephens' hometown of Cardiff, Wales Huw Stephens (born 1981 in Cardiff) is a radio presenter currently broadcasting shows on BBC Radio 1. ^[76] The Cardiff Chinese New Year Celebrations, organised by Cardiff Chinese Community Services, are held annually at the Red Dragon Centre in Cardiff Bay. ^[77]

Parks

Cardiff is known for its extensive parkland, with parks and other such green spaces covering around 10% of the city's total area. Roath Park ( Welsh: Parc y Rhath) Cardiff, Wales, is Cardiff's most popular park which still retains a classic Victorian atmosphere ^[78] Cardiff's main park, Bute Park (which was formerly the castle grounds) extends northwards from the top of one of Cardiff's main shopping street (Queen Street); when combined with the adjacent Llandaff Fields and Pontcanna Fields to the north west it produces a massive open space skirting the River Taff. Bute Park in Cardiff, Wales, is an extensive area of mature parkland easily accessible from the city centre The River Taff is a large river in Wales. It is known as the Afon Taf in Welsh. Other popular parks include Roath Park in the north, donated to the city by the 3rd Marquess of Bute in 1887 and which includes a very popular boating lake; Victoria Park, Cardiff's first official park; and Thompson's Park, formerly home to an aviary removed in the 1970s. Roath Park ( Welsh: Parc y Rhath) Cardiff, Wales, is Cardiff's most popular park which still retains a classic Victorian atmosphere John Patrick Crichton-Stuart 3rd Marquess of Bute KT ( 12 September, 1847 &ndash 9 October, 1900, landed Aristocrat, industrial Victoria Park is a public Park in the Canton district of Cardiff in south Wales at Cowbridge Road West. An aviary is a large enclosure for confining Birds. Unlike cages ' aviaries allow birds a larger living space where they can fly hence aviaries are also

In 2006 Cardiff won the prestigious Entente Florale award for large cities due to the beauty of its parks and floral displays. ^[79]

Music and nightlife

Main article: Cardiff music scene

The Cardiff music scene is established and wide-ranging. The Cardiff music scene is a thriving one As Cardiff is the capital city of Wales it draws in musicians and acts from around the principality It is the home to the BBC National Orchestra of Wales and Welsh National Opera. Welsh National Opera ( WNO) is a touring Opera company founded in Cardiff, Wales in 1946 It has produced several leading acts itself and, as a capital city, has acted as a springboard for numerous Welsh bands to go and become famous both nationally and internationally. Acts who hail from Cardiff include Charlotte Church, Shirley Bassey, Catatonia, Super Furry Animals, The Oppressed, Kids In Glass Houses, Los Campesinos, The Hot Puppies, Pagan Wanderer Lu, Budgie, and Shakin' Stevens. Charlotte Maria Church (born 21 February 1986 is a Welsh singer actress and television presenter Dame Shirley Veronica Bassey DBE (born 8 January 1937 Cardiff, Wales) is a Welsh Singer. Catatonia were a Music band from Wales who gained a national following in the United Kingdom in the mid-late 1990s Super Furry Animals (also known as " SFA " the " Furries " and the " Super Furries " are a Welsh Rock band The Oppressed is a Welsh anti-fascist Oi! band that was formed in 1981 in Cardiff. Kids in Glass Houses are a five-piece rock band from the surrounding valleys of Cardiff, the capital of Wales. Los Campesinos! are a seven piece Indie pop band from Cardiff, Wales that formed in early 2006 at Cardiff University The Hot Puppies are a Welsh band from Aberystwyth, now based in Cardiff, previously signed to Fierce Panda Records. Pagan Wanderer Lu is a one-man indie / electronica or ' Indietronica ' band originally formed in Aberystwyth but now based in Cardiff Budgie are a Welsh Hard rock band from Cardiff, South Glamorgan. Shakin' Stevens also known as ' Shaky' (born Michael Barrett, 4 March 1948 in Ely Cardiff, Wales) is a Platinum selling Welsh Rock Also, performers such as The Automatic, Jem, Funeral for a Friend, Lostprophets, Bullet for My Valentine, Stereophonics and Manic Street Preachers all have links with the city. The Automatic, (also known as The Automatic Automatic in the U Jemma Griffiths (born June 18, 1975 in Penarth, Wales) better known as Jem, is a Welsh Singer-songwriter known Funeral for a Friend (commonly abbreviated to FFAF) is a Welsh Post-hardcore band that was previously signed to Ferret Music and later Atlantic Lostprophets (lɒstˈprɒfɪts are a Welsh rock band formed in 1997. Bullet for My Valentine is an award-wining four-piece Metalcore band from Bridgend, Wales. Stereophonics are a British Rock band, consisting of Kelly Jones, Richard Jones, Javier Weyler and Adam Zindani. Manic Street Preachers (often known colloquially as the " Manics " or " MSP " are a Welsh rock band consisting of James

Cardiff has a strong nightlife and is home to many bars, pubs and clubs. Most clubs and bars are situated in the city centre, especially St. Mary's Street, and more recently Cardiff Bay has built up a strong night scene, with many modern bars & restaurants. The Brewery Quarter on St. Mary's Street is a recently developed venue for bars and restaurant with a central courtyard. Charles Street is also a popular part of the city.

Shopping

See also: List of leading shopping streets and arcades in Cardiff

Cardiff is one of the top ten retail destinations in the UK,^[61][80] with three main shopping arcades; St. David's Centre, Queens Arcade and the Capitol Centre. This article refers to the shopping centre in Cardiff For the shopping centre of the same name in Swansea see St Queens Arcade (Arcêd y Frenhines is a Shopping centre in Cardiff, opened 28 April 1994 that connects with St Capitol Centre (previously Capitol Exchange Centre) is an indoor Shopping centre in the city of Cardiff, Wales. The current expansion of St. David's Centre as part of the St. David's 2 project is allowing a huge piece of land between The Hayes and Charles Street to be demolished and redeveloped, bringing around 200 shops, flats and a John Lewis department store to the city. The Hayes (Yr Aes is a commercial street in the city centre of the Welsh capital Cardiff. John Lewis is a chain of upmarket Department stores operating throughout Great Britain and popular amongst the British middle class for its high quality As well as these modern shopping arcades, the city is also home to many Victorian shopping centres, such as High Street Arcade, Castle Arcade, Wyndham Arcade, Royal Arcade and Morgan Arcade.

There are two main shopping streets in the city centre. Queen Street is home to the main chain stores such as Topshop, Topman, Boots, Gap, Dorothy Perkins, Primark, and Zara to name a few. Topshop is a chain of clothing stores that operates in over 100 countries including the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland. TOPMAN is the stand alone fashion business counterpart of Topshop which caters exclusively for men’s clothing The Gap Incorporated ( is an American clothing and accessories retailer based in San Francisco California, and founded in 1969 by Donald Fisher Dorothy Perkins, whose trading name was inspired by a rambler rose of the same name is a large British women's clothing Retailer active mostly in the United Kingdom The second main street, St. Mary Street, is home to Wales' oldest and largest department store, Howells, together with smaller independent stores. Howells is a large Department store located on St Mary's Street in Cardiff, Wales. Also of note is the Hayes, home to Spillers Records, the world's oldest record shop. Spillers Records, established in 1894, is the oldest Record shop in the world ^[60]

Cardiff has a number of markets, including the vast Victorian indoor Cardiff Central Market and the newly-established Riverside Community Market, which specialises in locally-produced organic produce. Cardiff Market, also known as Cardiff Central Market, is a Victorian indoor Market in the Cardiff city centre, capital city of Several out-of-town retail parks exist, such as Newport Road, Culverhouse Cross, Cardiff Gate and Cardiff Bay.

There have been a number of issues relating to city centre shopping, most recently the cost of parking in the city centre and the experimental banning of private cars on St. Mary's Street. Both have been heavily criticised by some sectors of the media, public and retailers. ^[81][82]

Media

Main article: Media in Cardiff

See also: Media in Wales

Cardiff is the Welsh base for the national television broadcasters (BBC, ITV and S4C) along with Capital TV, a locally-based free-to-air television station serving the city on a Restricted Service Licence. As the capital of Wales Media in Cardiff plays a large role in the city and nationwide Media in CardiffThe media in Wales provides services for people in both English and Welsh, and plays an important role in modern Welsh culture. BBC Wales ( BBC Cymru) is a division of the British Broadcasting Corporation for Wales. HTV, now legally known as ITV Wales and West, is the ITV contractor for Wales and the West of England. S4C (Sianel Pedwar Cymru meaning Channel Four Wales) is a television channel in Wales A UK Restricted Service Licence (often called an RSL) is typically granted to Radio stations and Television stations broadcasting within the

The main local newspaper, the South Wales Echo and the national paper the Western Mail are based in the Western Mail and Echo building in the city centre. The South Wales Echo is a daily Newspaper distributed in South Wales. The Western Mail is a daily tabloid Newspaper published by Media Wales Ltd in Cardiff, Wales owned by the UK's largest newspaper corporation Capital Times, Cardiff Post and the South Wales edition of Metro are also based and distributed in the city. Metro is the trading name of a Free daily newspaper, published by Associated Newspapers (part of Daily Mail and General Trust) in the There are also a number of magazines based in the city including Jazz UK, Buzz magazine, Primary Times and a monthly Welsh language paper called Y Dinesydd (The Citizen). Buzz is a free monthly entertainment guide and Magazine printed and distributed in South Wales. Primary Times is a free family Magazine which is distributed to schools across the UK and Republic of Ireland Y Dinesydd is a monthly local Welsh language Newspaper (normally called a Papur Bro) for Cardiff established in 1973

Red Dragon FM (based in the Red Dragon Centre located in Cardiff Bay) is the main radio station serving South Wales. A number of other radio stations also serve the city and are based in Cardiff, including Real Radio, BBC Radio Wales, BBC Radio Cymru, Rookwood Sound, Radio Glamorgan and Xpress Radio. Real Radio is a brand of Independent local radio stations in the United Kingdom owned by GMG Radio. Radio Glamorgan Charity Number 504534 is a Hospital Radio station a member of the Hospital Broadcasting Association who are based in the University Hospital Xpress Radio is a Student radio station based at Cardiff University.

Xfm started broadcasting from Cardiff on 29 November 2007, making the South Wales region its fourth dedicated area. XFM South Wales was a UK Regional Radio Station owned by GCap Media broadcasting alternative music to an 18-25 audience in South Wales

Use in media

Cardiff, along with London, is one of the most-visited locations in the new series of Doctor Who, due to the programme being produced by BBC Wales there. London ( ˈlʌndən is the capital and largest urban area in the United Kingdom. Doctor Who is a British science fiction television programme produced by the BBC. BBC Wales ( BBC Cymru) is a division of the British Broadcasting Corporation for Wales. The spin-off Torchwood is set exclusively in Wales, with all but one episode being mainly set in Cardiff. Torchwood is a British science fiction Drama Television programme, created by Russell T Davies and starring John Barrowman "Countrycide" is an episode of the British science fiction television series Torchwood. In both programmes, a "time rift" transects the city, with specific focus on Roald Dahl Plass and the Millennium Centre. The Cardiff Rift is a fictional wormhole in the Science fiction Television series Doctor Who and Torchwood, Roald Dahl Plass ( Welsh: Plas Roald Dahl) is a public Plaza in Cardiff Bay, part of Cardiff, Wales. In "Boom Town" and "Utopia", the rift's recent activity is used to fuel the TARDIS, while in Torchwood, the eponymous secret government agency is based under the paving. " Boom Town " is an episode in the British Science fiction television series Doctor Who, which was first broadcast on " Utopia " is an episode of the British Science fiction television series Doctor Who. This article is about the organisation within Doctor Who; for the spinoff programme see Torchwood. Parts of "Gavin and Stacey", "The Worst Witch", "Tracey Beaker" and other popular television series are also filmed within Cardiff. Gavin & Stacey is a BAFTA award winning British sitcom originally aired on BBC Three and later shown on BBC Two, written The Worst Witch was a British ITV Television series about a group of young witches at a Magic Academy the series starred Georgina Sherrington and The Story of Tracy Beaker is a British children's book first published in 1991 written by Jacqueline Wilson and illustrated by Nick Sharratt.

Cardiff was referenced by Tom Jones in the Tim Burton film Mars Attacks! and was the setting for several scenes in the film Frankenstein Meets the Wolf Man. Sir Thomas John Woodward, (born 7 June 1940 known by his stage name Tom Jones, is a Welsh pop music singer particularly noted for his powerful voice Timothy "Tim" William Burton (born August 25 1958 is an American Film director, Screenwriter and Set designer, notable for the quirky Mars Attacks! is a 1996 Black comedy and Science fiction Movie by Tim Burton based on the popular card series Mars Frankenstein Meets the Wolf Man, released in 1943 is an American Horror film produced by Universal Studios starring Lon Chaney Jr Cardiff is also the birthplace of Dalek creator Terry Nation and popular children's author Roald Dahl, for whom the plaza outside the Millennium Centre is named. Terry Nation ( August 8 1930 – March 9 1997) was a Welsh Television Screenwriter. Roald Dahl ( 13 September 1916 – 23 November 1990) was a British Novelist Short story Writer

Sport

Main article: Sport in Cardiff

The city has a regional rugby union team, the Cardiff Blues, who play at their Cardiff Arms Park stadium. Overview See also Playing rugby union A rugby union match lasts for 80 minutes (plus stoppage time with a short Cardiff Blues (Gleision Caerdydd are one of the four professional Welsh Rugby union teams Cardiff Arms Park ( Welsh: Parc yr Arfau Caerdydd) also known as The Arms Park, is a Rugby union Stadium situated in the centre The city also has a rugby league team named the Cardiff Demons, as well as several amateur rugby clubs. History See also History of rugby league The grass roots of rugby league can be traced to early football history, through the playing of ball games Cardiff Demons RLFC are a Rugby league side who play out of St

Cardiff's main professional football club, Cardiff City F.C. (nicknamed the Bluebirds), currently play in the English Coca-Cola Football League Championship. Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a Team sport played between two teams of eleven players and is widely considered Cardiff City Football Club (Clwb Pêl-droed Dinas Caerdydd is a football team based in Cardiff, Wales. The Football League Championship (often referred to as The Championship for short or the Coca-Cola Football League Championship for sponsorship reasons Their present stadium is Ninian Park, however a new stadium is currently under construction, which is due to be opened in 2009 and will be shared with the Cardiff Blues. Ninian Park is a football stadium in Leckwith, Cardiff, Wales. The new Cardiff City stadium is a 26500 all-seated ground in the Leckwith area of the city which will be the new home of Cardiff Cardiff Blues (Gleision Caerdydd are one of the four professional Welsh Rugby union teams Cardiff has numerous smaller clubs who play in the Welsh Football System. The Welsh football league system (or pyramid) is a series of football leagues with regular promotion and relegation between them

Cardiff is also home to a county cricket side, Glamorgan CCC. Glamorgan County Cricket Club (Criced Morgannwg is one of the 18 major county clubs which make up the English and Welsh national Cricket structure The team play at the city centre's Sophia Gardens ground, which has undergone a multi-million pound improvement in order to host a Test Match as part of the 2009 Ashes series. SWALEC Stadium is a Cricket stadium on the west bank of the River Taff in Cardiff, one mile north of Cardiff Arms Park and was originally known Test cricket is the longest form of the Sport of Cricket. It has long been considered the ultimate test of playing ability between cricketing nations

Cardiff's professional ice-hockey team, the Cardiff Devils, play in their temporary arena in Cardiff Bay. History Founded in 1986 the club became the dominant force in the sport in the late 80s and early 90s winning a total of 7 league titles Cardiff Bay (Bae Caerdydd is the area created by the Cardiff Barrage in South Cardiff, Wales. The capital is the one of the centres of British Baseball, and hosts the annual England-Wales international game every four years, usually at Roath Park. The origins of the sport known as British baseball, or sometimes as Welsh baseball date to 1892 when the governing bodies of England and Wales agreed to change the Roath Park ( Welsh: Parc y Rhath) Cardiff, Wales, is Cardiff's most popular park which still retains a classic Victorian atmosphere

The Wales Empire Swimming Pool was demolished in 1998 to make way for the Welsh national stadium, the Millennium Stadium. The Millennium Stadium (Stadiwm y Mileniwm is the National stadium of Wales, located in the capital Cardiff. The replacement pool, the Cardiff International Pool was opened on 12 January 2008 in Cardiff Bay as part of the International Sports Village, and is the only Olympic-standard swimming pool in Wales. The Cardiff International Pool ( Welsh: Pwll Rhyngwladol Caerdydd) is located in the Cardiff International Sports Village in Cardiff, Wales Cardiff Bay (Bae Caerdydd is the area created by the Cardiff Barrage in South Cardiff, Wales. Cardiff International Sports Village ( Welsh: Pentref Chwaraeon Rhyngwladol Caerdydd) which is also known

The city also features an international sporting venue, the 74,500 capacity Millennium Stadium, where the Welsh rugby team and the Welsh national football team plays. The Wales national rugby union team represent Wales in international The Wales national football team represents Wales in international men's football. The Millennium Stadium also doubles up as a venue for other concerts and events such as motorsport's World Rally Championship as part of Wales Rally GB, with the first ever indoor special stages of the World Rally Championship being held at the Millennium Stadium in September 2005. History Early The World Rally Championship was formed from well-known international rallies nine of which were previously part of the International Championship Wales Rally GB is the largest and most high profile motor rally in the United Kingdom. It has continued to host this annual event.

Notable people

Main article: List of people from Cardiff

Many notable people have hailed from Cardiff, ranging from historical figures such as the 12th century Welsh leader Ifor Bach and the 17th century pirate Henry Morgan to more recent figures such as Roald Dahl, Michael Aspel, and Griff Rhys Jones. This is a list of famous or notable people born in or associated with Cardiff, Wales. Ifor Bach (meaning Ivor the Short) (fl 1158 also known as Ifor ap Meurig and in anglicised form Ivor Bach, lord of Senghenydd, was a twelfth Admiral Sir Henry Morgan (Hari Morgan in Welsh) ( ca 1635 &ndash August 25, 1688) was a Welsh Privateer, who made a name Roald Dahl ( 13 September 1916 – 23 November 1990) was a British Novelist Short story Writer Michael Terence Aspel OBE (born 12 January 1933) is an English Journalist and Television presenter. Griffith Rhys Jones (born 6th November or 16th November (depending on source speakers agent (6th or BBC (16th 1953 in Cardiff, Wales In particular, the city has been home to many sports stars such as Ryan Giggs, Tanni Grey-Thompson, Colin Jackson and John Toshack (the current manager of the Wales national football team) as well as many Premier League, Football League and international footballers. Ryan Joseph Giggs OBE (born Ryan Joseph Wilson on 29 November 1973 in Ely, Cardiff, Wales, United Kingdom Dame Tanni Carys Davina Grey-Thompson DBE (born 26 July 1969 in Cardiff Wales) is a Welsh athlete and TV presenter Colin Ray Jackson CBE (born 18 February 1967 in Cardiff, Wales) is a Welsh former sprint John Benjamin Toshack OBE (born 22 March 1949) is a Welsh football manager and former player The Wales national football team represents Wales in international men's football. The Premier League, colloquially referred to as the Premiership, is an English professional league for football clubs The Football League, also known as the Coca-Cola Football League for sponsorship reasons is a league competition featuring professional football clubs

Cardiff is also well-known for its musicians such as Ivor Novello, after whom the Ivor Novello Awards are named. David Ivor Davies (15 January 1893 &ndash 6 March 1951 better known as Ivor Novello, was a Welsh Composer, Singer and Actor, who The Ivor Novello Awards, named after the Cardiff born entertainer Ivor Novello, are Awards for Songwriting and Composing. Shirley Bassey is familiar to many as the singer of three James Bond movie theme tunes, whilst Charlotte Church is famous as both an opera and pop singer, and Shakin' Stevens was one of the top selling male artists in the UK during the 1980s. Dame Shirley Veronica Bassey DBE (born 8 January 1937 Cardiff, Wales) is a Welsh Singer. James Bond 007 is a Fictional character created in 1953 by writer Ian Fleming, who featured him in twelve Novels and two Short story Charlotte Maria Church (born 21 February 1986 is a Welsh singer actress and television presenter Shakin' Stevens also known as ' Shaky' (born Michael Barrett, 4 March 1948 in Ely Cardiff, Wales) is a Platinum selling Welsh Rock A number of Cardiff-based bands, such as Catatonia and Super Furry Animals were popular during the 1990s. Catatonia were a Music band from Wales who gained a national following in the United Kingdom in the mid-late 1990s Super Furry Animals (also known as " SFA " the " Furries " and the " Super Furries " are a Welsh Rock band

Transport

Main article: Transport in Cardiff

Cardiff is the major transport hub in Wales and is the focus for many arterial road and rail routes that connect the city to the rest of Wales and England. Transport in Cardiff, capital and most populous city in Wales involves road rail bus water and air

The M4 is the principal motorway in the region that connects Cardiff with Bridgend, Swansea and Carmarthen to the west, and Bristol, Swindon, Reading and London to the east. The M4 motorway is a Motorway in Great Britain linking London with Wales. Bridgend (Pen-y-bont ar Ogwr is a town in the Country Borough of Bridgend in Wales. Swansea ( Abertawe "mouth of the Tawe " is a city and county in Wales. Carmarthen ( Welsh Caerfyrddin - caer fort + Myrddin Moridunum is the County town of Carmarthenshire, Wales. Bristol ( ˈbrɪstəl is a city, Unitary authority and ceremonial county in South West England, west of London Swindon ( is a large town in the ceremonial county of Wiltshire in the South West of England, midway between Bristol (64 km / 40 miles London ( ˈlʌndən is the capital and largest urban area in the United Kingdom. Cardiff is served by junctions 30 to 33 inclusive of the M4, plus junction 29a leading onto the A48(M). The A48(M is a Motorway in Wales between Cardiff and Newport. The A470 is another major road within the city that provides an important link with the Heads of the Valleys road, Mid and North Wales. The A470 is a major long-distance connective spine road in Wales, running from Cardiff on the south coast to Llandudno on the north coast The A465 is a major Road in south Wales. It is more commonly known as the Heads of the Valleys Road because it joins together the north ends The A4232 (also known as the Peripheral Distributor Road or PDR) when completed, will form part of the Cardiff ring-road system along with the M4 motorway between junctions 30 and 33. The A4232, which is known either as the Peripheral Distributor Road (PDR (Ffordd Ddosbarthu Ymylol or the Cardiff Link Road (Ffordd Gyswllt Caerdydd is a ^[83]

As with many other cities car traffic has caused congestion problems and as such the council has designated bus lanes to improve transport into and out of the city centre. The council has also revealed plans to introduce congestion charging, as in London, but only once there has been significant investment in the city's public transport network. Road pricing is an economic concept regarding the various direct charges applied for the use of Roads The road charges includes Fuel taxes licence fees ^[84]

There are several road and rail bridges that cross the River Taff in Cardiff. The River Taff is a large river in Wales. It is known as the Afon Taf in Welsh. These include the Clarence Road Bridge, a comparatively modern bridge which replaced a swing bridge. The original bridge was named after the Duke of Clarence. Prince Albert Victor Duke of Clarence and Avondale (Albert Victor Christian Edward 8 January 1864 &ndash 14 January 1892 was a member of the British Royal Family.

Much of Cardiff's central shopping zone is pedestrianised, and further pedestrianisation is planned as part of the current St David's 2 regeneration scheme. Roath Park ( Welsh: Parc y Rhath) Cardiff, Wales, is Cardiff's most popular park which still retains a classic Victorian atmosphere

The Taff Trail is a walking and cycle path running for 55 miles (88. The Taff Trail is a popular walking and Cycle path that runs for between Cardiff Bay and Brecon in Wales. A walkway is a composite or umbrella term for all formal surfaces supporting walking Segregated cycle facilities are Roads tracks paths or marked lanes designated for use by Cyclists from which motorised traffic is generally excluded 5 km) between Cardiff Bay and Brecon in the Brecon Beacons National Park. Cardiff Bay (Bae Caerdydd is the area created by the Cardiff Barrage in South Cardiff, Wales. Brecon (Aberhonddu is an historic Market town in southern Powys, mid Wales, with a population of roughly 8000 with around 6000 in the surrounding area The Brecon Beacons (Bannau Brycheiniog is a Mountain range located in the south-east of Wales. It runs through Bute Park, Sophia Gardens and many other green areas within Cardiff. Bute Park in Cardiff, Wales, is an extensive area of mature parkland easily accessible from the city centre SWALEC Stadium is a Cricket stadium on the west bank of the River Taff in Cardiff, one mile north of Cardiff Arms Park and was originally known It is possible to cycle the entire distance of the Trail almost completely off-road, as it largely follows the River Taff and many of the old disused railways of the Glamorganshire valleys. A trail is a Path or Road used for Walking, Cycling, Cross-country skiing, or other activities The River Taff is a large river in Wales. It is known as the Afon Taf in Welsh. On Sundays in summer the Beacons Bike Bus enables cyclists to take their bikes into the Beacons and then ride back to Cardiff along the Trail.

Cardiff has a comprehensive bus network, with council-owned Cardiff Bus providing the vast majority of routes in the city and as well as Newport, Penarth, Barry, Cardiff International Airport and Llantwit Major. Cardiff Bus (Bws Caerdydd is the dominant bus operator in Cardiff, Wales and the surrounding area including Barry and Penarth. Cardiff Bus (Bws Caerdydd is the dominant bus operator in Cardiff, Wales and the surrounding area including Barry and Penarth. Cardiff International Airport (Maes Awyr Rhyngwladol Caerdydd is the main airport for Wales serving around 2 million people in Cardiff and the rest of South and Veolia Transport Cymru and Stagecoach in South Wales also provide services in the city. Veolia Environnement SA () is a multinational French company with activities in four main areas - Water, Waste management, Energy and For other meanings see Stagecoach (disambiguation. A stagecoach (also called diligence) is a type of four-wheeled enclosed Cardiff Bus has introduced "bendy buses" on the popular 17 and 18 routes to Canton, Ely and Caerau and on the Cardiff Bay route. Articulated buses (either motorbuses or Trolleybuses) also known as tandem buses, bendy buses, banana buses, slinky buses or Its hub is Cardiff Central Bus Station. List of bus stations in Wales|Transport in Wales Cardiff Central bus station is the main Bus transport interchange in Cardiff, the Capital city of

National Express provides direct services to most cities in the UK, including high frequency services to nearby Swansea and Merthyr Tydfil, as well as major English and Scottish cities. National Express Group plc ( is a UK -based Transport group with headquarters in London that operates Bus, coach, rail Swansea ( Abertawe "mouth of the Tawe " is a city and county in Wales. Merthyr Tydfil today Government The current Borough boundaries date back to 1974 when the former county borough of Merthyr Tydfil expanded slightly to cover England is a Country which is part of the United Kingdom. Its inhabitants account for more than 83% of the total UK population whilst its mainland Scotland ( Gaelic: Alba) is a Country in northwest Europethat occupies the northern third of the island of Great Britain. Megabus also operates frequent discounted services to London. Megabus can refer to Megabus (United Kingdom - a low-cost bus service in Great Britain owned by Stagecoach Group and organized as an intercity bus network London ( ˈlʌndən is the capital and largest urban area in the United Kingdom.

Cardiff has a suburban rail system under the name of Valley Lines, which is operated by Arriva Trains Wales. Commuter rail, regional rail or suburban rail is a Passenger rail transport service between a city center and outer suburbs and Commuter towns Valley Lines (also Valleys & Cardiff Local Routes) is the commonly-known name for the Cardiff and Valleys network of Suburban railway services within Cardiff Arriva Trains Wales (Trenau Arriva Cymru is a train operating company that operates urban and inter urban passenger services in Wales and the Welsh Marches There are eight lines which serve 20 stations in the city, 26 in the wider urban area (including Taffs Well, Penarth and Dinas Powys) and more than 60 in the South Wales valleys and the Vale of Glamorgan. Penarth is a Town in the Vale of Glamorgan (Bro Morgannwg Wales (Cymru 5 Dinas Powys (previously Dinas Powis is a large Village and a community in the Vale of Glamorgan in South Wales. Geography It has been a County borough (unitary authority since 1996, previously being part of South Glamorgan county ^[85] The council is investigating converting the Cardiff City Line, Coryton Line and Butetown Branch Line into light rail line and extending them in the near future. For specific light rail systems many of which use the words "light rail" as part of their name see List of light-rail transit systems. ^[86]

Cardiff Central railway station is the largest railway station in Wales with 7 platforms, and one of the busiest in the UK. Cardiff Central railway station (Caerdydd Canolog is a major British railway station on Central Square in Cardiff, Wales. It provides direct services to major cities such as Newport, Bristol, Birmingham, London, Manchester, Nottingham, Southampton, Portsmouth, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, Edinburgh and Glasgow, as well as serving as an interchange for services from West Wales. Newport (Casnewydd is a city and principal area in Wales, in the United Kingdom. Bristol ( ˈbrɪstəl is a city, Unitary authority and ceremonial county in South West England, west of London Birmingham ( ˈbɜːmɪŋəm Ber -ming-um London ( ˈlʌndən is the capital and largest urban area in the United Kingdom. Nottingham ( is a city in the Ceremonial county of Nottinghamshire, England. Southampton ( IPA /ˌsaʊθˈhæmptən/ is the largest city in the county of Hampshire, on the south coast of England History See also History of Portsmouth There have been settlements in the area since before Roman times mostly being offshoots of Portchester, which Newcastle upon Tyne ( (often shortened to Newcastle) is a city and Metropolitan borough of Tyne and Wear, England Edinburgh ( ˈɛdɪnb(ərə Dùn Èideann) is the Capital of Scotland and is its second largest city after Glasgow. Glasgow (ˈglæzgoʊ is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom There is also a regular shuttle service to Holyhead (for ferries to Ireland) and Wrexham in North Wales. Holyhead ( IPA /ˈhɒlihɛd/ Welsh: Caergybi, "the fort of Saint Cybi " is the largest town in the county of Wrexham (Wrecsam is a town and principal area in Wales. It is the largest town in North Wales and lies to the east of the region North Wales (Gogledd Cymru is the northernmost unofficial region of Wales, bordered to the south by Mid Wales and to the east by England.

Cardiff Queen Street railway station is the second busiest in Wales and is the hub for routes via the Valley Lines services that connect the South Wales valleys and the Cardiff suburbs with the city centre. Cardiff Queen Street railway station (Caerdydd Heol y Frenhines is Wales' second busiest railway station in Cardiff, Wales. Valley Lines (also Valleys & Cardiff Local Routes) is the commonly-known name for the Cardiff and Valleys network of Suburban railway services within Cardiff The South Wales Valleys (Cymoedd De Cymru are a number of industrialised valleys in South Wales, stretching from eastern Carmarthenshire in the west to western South San Jose (cropjpg||thumb|A suburban development in San Jose California. It is located at the eastern end of the city centre, and also provides services to Cardiff Bay.

Two waterbus firms operate half-hourly services from Bute Park in the city centre to Cardiff Bay and onwards to Penarth. Bute Park in Cardiff, Wales, is an extensive area of mature parkland easily accessible from the city centre Throughout the summer (March to October), boats also depart from Cardiff Bay to take visitors to Flat Holm Island. Flat Holm (Ynys Echni is a limestone Island lying in the Bristol Channel approximately from Lavernock Point in Glamorgan. The Paddle Steamer Waverley and MV Balmoral sail from Britannia Quay (in Roath Basin) to various destinations in the Bristol Channel. History The Waverley was built in 1946 as a replacement for an earlier PS Waverley of 1899 that took part in the WW II war effort as a minesweeper The Motor Vessel Balmoral was built by J I Thornycroft at Woolston Southampton in 1949 commissioned by the Southampton Isle of Wight & South of England Royal Mail Steam Packet Co Ltd The Bristol Channel ( Môr Hafren) is a major inlet in the island of Great Britain, separating South Wales from Devon and Somerset

Domestic and international air links to Cardiff and South & West Wales are provided from Cardiff International Airport (CWL), the only international airport in Wales. Cardiff International Airport (Maes Awyr Rhyngwladol Caerdydd is the main airport for Wales serving around 2 million people in Cardiff and the rest of South and The airport is situated in the village of Rhoose, 10 miles (16 km) west of the city. Rhoose (Y Rhws is a Village located near the sea (the Bristol Channel) in the Vale of Glamorgan, Wales, near Barry. There are regular bus services linking the airport with the Cardiff Central Bus Station as well as a train service from Rhoose Cardiff International Airport railway station to Cardiff Central. See also Transport in Wales Rhoose Cardiff International Airport railway station is a Railway station that serves the village of Rhoose and

Education

Cardiff is home to four major institutions of higher education: Cardiff University, founded by Royal Charter in 1883 as the University College of South Wales and Monmouthshire,^[87] is a "red brick" university and member of the Russell Group of leading research led universities; University of Wales Institute, Cardiff (UWIC) gained university status in 1992; The Royal Welsh College of Music & Drama is a conservatoire established in 1949 and is based in the grounds of Cardiff Castle. Cardiff University (Prifysgol Caerdydd is a leading University located in the Cathays Park area of Cardiff, Wales, United Kingdom Cardiff University (Prifysgol Caerdydd is a leading University located in the Cathays Park area of Cardiff, Wales, United Kingdom The Russell Group is a collaboration of twenty UK universities that receive two-thirds of universities' research grant and contract funding in the United Kingdom The University of Wales Institute Cardiff (Athrofa Prifysgol Cymru Caerdydd commonly abbreviated UWIC) is a Higher education institution situated in Cardiff The Royal Welsh College of Music & Drama ( Welsh: Coleg Brenhinol Cerdd a Drama Cymru) is a Conservatoire located in Cardiff. A university school of music or college of music, or academy of music or conservatoire ( French, but used in British English) &mdash Cardiff Castle (Castell Caerdydd is a medieval Castle and Victorian revival Mansion, transformed from a Norman keep erected over a Roman fort in Cardiff The University of Glamorgan has a Cardiff campus, Atrium, which is home to the Cardiff School of Creative & Cultural Industries. The University of Glamorgan (Prifysgol Morgannwg is a University in Pontypridd (in the former County of Mid Glamorgan) Wales with campuses Atrium is a new building and the extension of the University of Glamorgan, which was officially opened on 29 November 2007 The total number of higher education students in the city is around 30,000. ^[48] The city also has two further education colleges: Coleg Glan Hafren and St. Further education (often abbreviated "FE" is Post-secondary Education (in addition to that received at Secondary school) that is distinct from Coleg Glan Hafren is a Further Education college based in Cardiff. David's College, although further education is offered at most high schools in the city.

Cardiff has eighty-six state primary schools (two bilingual, ten Welsh medium), eleven infant schools, ten junior schools and twenty state secondary schools, of which two are Welsh medium. Education in Wales differs in certain respects from the systems used elsewhere in the United Kingdom. ^[88] There are also a number of independent schools in the city, including Llandaff Cathedral School, Kings Monkton and Howell's School, a single-sex girls' school (until sixth form). Notable schools include Whitchurch High School (the largest in Wales),^[89] Fitzalan High School (which is one of the most multi-cultural state schools in the UK),^[90] and Ysgol Gyfun Gymraeg Glantaf, which is the largest Welsh medium secondary in the country. Whitchurch High School is a large co-educational comprehensive Secondary school in the suburb of Whitchurch in Cardiff, Wales Fitzalan High School is a state school located in the Leckwith area (electoral ward of Canton of Cardiff, Wales. Ysgol Gyfun Gymraeg Glantaf ( Glantaf Welsh Comprehensive School) is the largest Welsh-medium School in Wales.

As well as academic institutions, Cardiff is also home to other educational and learning organisations such as Techniquest, a hands-on science discovery centre that now has franchises throughout Wales, and is part of the Wales Gene Park in collaboration with Cardiff University, NHS Wales and the Welsh Development Agency (WDA). Techniquest is a science and discovery centre in Cardiff Bay, Wales. Cardiff University (Prifysgol Caerdydd is a leading University located in the Cathays Park area of Cardiff, Wales, United Kingdom NHS Wales (GIG Cymru is the publicly funded healthcare system of Wales. The Welsh Development Agency (WDA was an Assembly Sponsored Public Body (ASPB established in 1976 to encourage Business development and Investment ^[91] Cardiff is also home of the largest regional office of the International Baccalaureate Organisation (IB). The International Baccalaureate (IB Diploma Programme (DP is an Educational programme examined in one of three languages ( English, French or Spanish This office is home to the orgination's curriculum and assessment centre, which is responsible for overseeing the creation and grading of various IB assessments.

Health

Main article: Cardiff and Vale NHS Trust

There are seven NHS hospitals in the city, the largest of which is the University Hospital of Wales, which is also known as 'The Heath' or 'UHW', is the third largest hospital in the UK and deals with most accidents and emergencies. Cymraeg GIG Caerdydd a Bro Morgannwg Cardiff and Vale NHS Trust is an NHS Trust in Wales. University Hospital of Wales (referred to locally as "the Heath " or UHW) opened in 1971 is a major 1000-bed hospital situated in the inner city district The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located The University Dental Hospital, which provides emergency dental treatment, is also located on this site. Llandough Hospital is located in the south of the city.

The city's newest hospital, St. David's Hospital (built behind the former building) is located in the Canton area and provides services for the elderly and children. Cardiff Royal Infirmary is located on Newport Road, near the city centre. Cymraeg GIG Caerdydd a Bro Morgannwg Cardiff and Vale NHS Trust is an NHS Trust in Wales. The majority of this hospital was closed in 1999 but with the West Wing remaining open for clinic services, genitourinary medicine and rehabilitation treatment. Rookwood Hospital and Whitchurch Hospital are also located within the city, along with Llandaff and Velindre Hospital (which is run by a separate NHS trust). Rookwood Hospital is a spinal injuries rehabilitation hospital situated in Llandaff, in the city of Cardiff in South Wales. Whitchurch Hospital is a Psychiatric hospital in Whitchurch, an area in the north of Cardiff. In addition BUPA has a hospital in the city which is located in Pentwyn. Bupa is a Healthcare organisation with bases on three continents and more than seven million customers in 192 countries

International relations

Cardiff has twinning arrangements with:

• Luhans'k, Ukraine
• Pernik, Pernik Province Bulgaria
• Bergen, Hordaland, Norway
• Nantes, Pays de la Loire France
• Stuttgart, Baden-Württemberg, Germany
• Xiamen, Fujian, China

A total of thirty countries have a diplomatic presence in Cardiff. Luhansk Oblast (Луганська область translit Luhans’ka oblast’, Луганская область translit Ukraine (Україна Ukrayina, /ukrɑˈjinɑ/ is a country in Eastern Europe. Pernik (Перник is a city in western Bulgaria with a population of 91883 As of 2006. Pernik Province is a province in western Bulgaria, neighbouring Serbia. The state of Bulgaria (България transliterated bg-Latn ''Balgaria'' The country preserves the traditions (in ethnic name language and alphabet of the First Bulgarian is the second largest city in Norway. It is located on the south-western coast of Norway in the county of Hordaland in between a group of mountains known as De syv fjell is a county in Norway, bordering Sogn og Fjordane, Buskerud, Telemark, and Rogaland. Norway ( Norwegian: Norge ( Bokmål) or Noreg ( Nynorsk) officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Constitutional Nantes (Naoned Gallo: Naunnt) is a city in western France, located on the Loire River, from the Atlantic coast Pays de la Loire is one of the 26 Regions of France. It is one of the regions created in the late 20th century to serve as a zone of influence for its capital Nantes This article is about the country For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic France topics. Stuttgart (ˈʃtʊtgaɐ̯t is the capital of the state of Baden-Württemberg in southern Germany. Baden-Württemberg is one of the 16 states ( Bundesländer) of the Federal Republic of Germany. Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany ( ˈbʊndəsʁepuˌbliːk ˈdɔʏtʃlant is a Country in Central Europe. This article is about the People's Republic of China province Talk People's Republic of China) PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF CHINA ARTICLE GUIDELINES Many of these nations, such as Germany, Italy, Switzerland, Denmark, Canada, Thailand and the Czech Republic are represented by honourary consulates. Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany ( ˈbʊndəsʁepuˌbliːk ˈdɔʏtʃlant is a Country in Central Europe. Italy (Italia officially the Italian Republic, (Repubblica Italiana is located on the Italian Peninsula in Southern Europe, and on the two largest Switzerland (English pronunciation; Schweiz Swiss German: Schwyz or Schwiiz Suisse Svizzera Svizra officially the Swiss Confederation The Kingdom of Denmark ( ˈd̥ænmɑɡ̊ (archaic ˈd̥anmɑːɡ̊ commonly known as Denmark, is a country in the Scandinavian region of northern Europe Country to "Dominion of Canada" or "Canadian Federation" or anything else please read the Talk Page The Kingdom of Thailand (ˈtaɪlænd ราชอาณาจักรไทย, râːtɕʰa-ʔaːnaːtɕɑ̀k-tʰɑj The Czech Republic ( ˈt͡ʃɛskaː ˈrɛpuˌblɪka short form in Česko ˈt͡ʃɛskɔ also called Czechia, The Republic of Ireland has a permanent consulate, and the British Embassy of the United States operates a satellite office. Ireland ( Irish: Éire, ˈeːrʲə is a country in north-western Europe. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the ^{[92][93][94][95][96][97][98][99]}

Telecommunications

See also: List of Wales dialling codes

029 is the current telephone dialling code for Cardiff, having previously been 0222 and then 01222. This is a list of geographic UK dialling codes covering Wales that are currently in use However it is vastly misconceived (in the city but on a larger scale in South Wales) to be 02920 because initially, at the time of the new dialing code system, all numbers began with 20. Currently all newly issued numbers begin with 21. The code includes the neighbouring towns of Penarth, Dinas Powys and Caerphilly. Penarth is a Town in the Vale of Glamorgan (Bro Morgannwg Wales (Cymru 5 Dinas Powys (previously Dinas Powis is a large Village and a community in the Vale of Glamorgan in South Wales. Caerphilly (Caerffili is a town in the County borough of Caerphilly, south Wales, located at the bottom of the Rhymney Valley, with

The city's dialling code was changed on 22 April 2000 from 01222 to 029 in the Big Number Change along with London, Coventry, Portsmouth, Southampton and Northern Ireland in response to the rapid growth of telecommunications in the late 1990s and the impending exhaustion of numbers. Events 1500 - Portuguese Navigator Pedro Álvares Cabral becomes the first European to sight Brazil. 2000 ( MM) was a Leap year that started on Saturday of the Common Era, in accordance with the Gregorian calendar. The Big Number Change was an update of telephone dialling codes in the UK in response to the rapid late 1990s growth of telecommunications and impending exhaustion of numbers London ( ˈlʌndən is the capital and largest urban area in the United Kingdom. Coventry ( is a city and Metropolitan borough in the County of West Midlands in England. History See also History of Portsmouth There have been settlements in the area since before Roman times mostly being offshoots of Portchester, which Southampton ( IPA /ˌsaʊθˈhæmptən/ is the largest city in the county of Hampshire, on the south coast of England Northern Ireland (Tuaisceart Éireann Ulster Scots: Norlin Airlann) is a Country within the United Kingdom, lying in the northeast of This measure increased the numbers of digits in the subscriber telephone number from 6 to 8, therefore vastly increasing the possible telephone numbers available.

Ofcom has allocated the range of telephone numbers from (029) 2018 0000 to (029) 2018 0999 to be used for drama purposes in television and radio. The Office of Communications (Y Swyddfa Gyfathrebiadau or as it is more often known Ofcom is the independent regulator and competition authority for the Communication These numbers will not be allocated to telephone companies in the foreseeable future. ^[100]

See also

• Cardiff Bay
• Cardiff city centre
• Cardiff music scene
• List of cultural venues in Cardiff
• List of Parliamentary constituencies in South Glamorgan
• List of places in Cardiff
• National Assembly for Wales
• Wikitravel:Cardiff
• Big Number Change
• Erroneous UK telephone codes
• UK telephone numbering plan

References

External links

• Cardiff, BBC
• Cardiff Council site
• Cardiff in Open Street Map
• View of Cardiff from Space
• Cardiff Records: the full text of the edition of historical records for Cardiff, edited by J. H. Matthews (1898-1905. ) Part of British History Online.
• Cardiff World Site
• Cardiff timeline etc. at Cardiffians.co.uk
• Aerial photograph of Cathays Park, Cardiff

Coordinates: 51°29′7″N 3°11′12″W / 51.48528, -3.18667

A geographic coordinate system enables every location on the Earth to be specified in three coordinates using mainly a spherical coordinate system.

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