Approximate extent of Mid Wales

Mid Wales (Welsh: Canolbarth Cymru or simply Y Canolbarth "The Midlands") is the name given to the area of Wales lying between North and South Wales. Welsh ( cy Cymraeg or cy y Gymraeg, kəmˈrɑːɨɡ and {{IPA|[ə ɡəmˈrɑːɨɡ]}}, is a member of the Brythonic branch of Celtic North Wales (Gogledd Cymru is the northernmost unofficial region of Wales, bordered to the south by Mid Wales and to the east by England. 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 It borders England via the Welsh Marches to the east and the Irish Sea via Cardigan Bay to the west (West Wales is to the south-west). 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 The Welsh Marches ( Welsh: Y Mers) is an area along the border of England and Wales on the island of Great Britain, in the current The Irish Sea ( Irish: Muir Éireann or Muir Meann; Scottish Gaelic: Muir Eireann Welsh: Môr Iwerddon, Cardigan Bay (Bae Ceredigion is a large inlet of the Irish Sea, indenting the west coast of Wales between the Llŷn and Pembrokeshire peninsulas West Wales (Gorllewin Cymru is the western area of Wales bordered by South Wales to the east and Mid Wales to the north The region approximately consists of the modern counties of Ceredigion and Powys, or the pre-1974 counties of Brecknockshire, Cardiganshire, Montgomeryshire and Radnorshire. For Local government purposes Wales is divided into 22 Unitary authorities, which are responsible for the provision of all local government services including education Geography List of places in CeredigionCeredigion is a coastal county bordered by Cardigan Bay to the west Gwynedd to the north Powys to the east This article is about the county of Wales For the ancient kingdom see Kingdom of Powys. The historic counties of Wales are ancient subdivisions of Wales. Brecknockshire (Sir Frycheiniog also known as the County of Brecknock, Breconshire, or the County of Brecon is one of thirteen historic counties Cardiganshire (Sir Aberteifi was an ancient county of Wales created in 1282 Montgomeryshire, also known as Maldwyn (Sir Drefaldwyn is one of thirteen historic counties and a former administrative county of Wales. Radnorshire (Sir Faesyfed is one of thirteen ancient and former administrative counties of Wales. Mid Wales is also sometimes said to include Merioneth, but this is far from usual. Merionethshire (Meirionnydd Sir Feirionnydd is one of thirteen historic counties of Wales, and a former administrative county

Mid Wales is dominated by the remote Cambrian Mountains which run down the centre of the area including the area sometimes referred to as the "Desert of Wales". The Cambrian Mountains are a series of Mountain ranges in Wales, reaching from and including the South Wales mountains of the Brecon Beacons The Desert of Wales is a large area in central Wales, so called because of its lack of roads and towns and its inaccessibility It is sparsely populated, with most settlements being situated to the east of the mountains, including Builth Wells, Welshpool, and Newtown. Builth Wells (Llanfair ym Muallt is a Town in the modern day Welsh county of Powys, in what was the historic county of Brecknockshire Welshpool (Y Trallwng is a Town in Powys, Wales, only 4 miles (6 km from the border with England. Newtown (Y Drenewydd is the largest Town in the County of Powys, Mid Wales with a Population of 12783 (2001 There are also a few towns on the coast, most notably Aberystwyth, the de facto capital of the region. Aberystwyth (Mouth of the River Ystwyth ˌæbəˈrɪstwɪθ Dialect: abɛrˈəstɔʏθ is a historic Market town, administrative centre and holiday resort within

For many purposes Wales can be divided into only three regions, North Wales, South Wales and West Wales. North Wales (Gogledd Cymru is the northernmost unofficial region of Wales, bordered to the south by Mid Wales and to the east by England. 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 West Wales (Gorllewin Cymru is the western area of Wales bordered by South Wales to the east and Mid Wales to the north In this scenario, the Mid Wales region is divided, with Brecknock and Radnor being included in South Wales, Ceredigion in West Wales and Montgomeryshire and Merioneth included in North Wales.

External links

• The BBC's Mid Wales page
• Overview of Mid Wales by the Welsh Development Agency
• Mid Wales tourism