Cymru Wales
Flag Coat of arms
Motto: Cymru am byth (Welsh) "Wales Forever"
Anthem: "Hen Wlad Fy Nhadau" (Welsh "Land of my fathers")
Location of  Wales  (orange) in the United Kingdom  (camel)
Location of  Wales  (red) – in the U.K.  (camel & orange) – in the European Union  (camel)
Capital (and largest city)		Cardiff, Caerdydd 51°29′N, 3°11′W
National Languages		Welsh, English
Demonym		Welsh, Cymreig
Government		Constitutional monarchy
-	First Minister of Wales	Rhodri Morgan AM
-	Deputy First Minister for Wales	Ieuan Wyn Jones AM
-	Prime Minister (of the UK)	Gordon Brown MP
-	Secretary of State (in the UK government)	Paul Murphy MP
-	Queen (of the UK)	Queen Elizabeth II
Unification
-	by Gruffudd ap Llywelyn	1056
Area
-	Total	20,779 km²  8,022 sq mi
Population
-	2008 estimate	3,004,6001
-	2001 census	2,903,085
-	Density	140/km²  361/sq mi
GDP (PPP)		2006 (for national statistics) estimate
-	Total	US$85. The National flag of Wales is Y Ddraig Goch ( The Red Dragon) consisting of a Red dragon passant on a Green 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 Welsh ( cy Cymraeg or cy y Gymraeg, kəmˈrɑːɨɡ and {{IPA|[ə ɡəmˈrɑːɨɡ]}}, is a member of the Brythonic branch of Celtic A national anthem is a generally patriotic musical composition that evokes and eulogizes the history traditions and struggles of its people recognized either by a nation's "Hen Wlad Fy Nhadau" (heːn ˈwlaːd vəˈn̥adaɨ usually translated as "Land of My Fathers" ( dear country of my fathers) is by tradition the National 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 United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located The European Union ( EU) is a political and economic union of twenty-seven member states, located primarily in See also 2001 Census Controversy Demographics of Wales as at the 2001 UK Census Population 2903085 Male 1403782 Female 1499303 Cardiff ( 'kɑːdɪf) is the Capital and the largest city and county in Wales. A national language is a Language (or language variant, ie Dialect) which has some connection - de facto or de jure - with 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 A demonym or gentilic is a word that denotes the members of a People or the inhabitants of a place The Welsh people ( Welsh: Cymro ("Welshman" Cymraes ("Welsh woman" Cymry ("Welshmen/women" Cymry For the government of parliamentary systems see Executive (government. A constitutional monarchy, or a limited monarchy, is a form of Constitutional Government, wherein either an elected or hereditary Monarch is The First Minister ( Prif Weinidog) is the leader of the Welsh Assembly Government, Wales ' devolved administration which was established in 1999 Rt Hon Hywel Rhodri Morgan AM (born 29 September 1939) is a Welsh Politician; the Labour National Assembly for The National Assembly for Wales is composed of 60 members known as AMs or Assembly Members (in Welsh: ACau or Aelodau'r Cynulliad The First Minister ( Prif Weinidog) is the leader of the Welsh Assembly Government, Wales ' devolved administration which was established in 1999 Ieuan Wyn Jones, AM (born 22 May 1949) is leader of Plaid Cymru, Deputy First Minister in the Welsh Assembly Government and Member The National Assembly for Wales is composed of 60 members known as AMs or Assembly Members (in Welsh: ACau or Aelodau'r Cynulliad The Prime Minister of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the political leader of the United Kingdom WikipediaManual of Style (biographies#Academic titles --> James Gordon Brown (born 20 February 1951 is Composition Graphical representation of the House of Commons This is a comparison of the party strengths in the British House of Commons The Secretary of State for Wales (Ysgrifennydd Gwladol Cymru is the head of the Wales Office within the United Kingdom cabinet. Paul Peter Murphy (born 25 November 1948) is a British politician Composition Graphical representation of the House of Commons This is a comparison of the party strengths in the British House of Commons TalkCommonewalth realm.--> The monarchy For the ship see RMS Queen Elizabeth 2 Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary Context States headed by Elizabeth II The country of Wales, or Cymru in Welsh has been inhabited by modern humans for at least 29000 years though continuous human habitation See also Gruffydd ap Llywelyn Fawr Gruffydd ap Llywelyn (c 1007 &ndash August 5, 1063) was the ruler of all Wales Area is a Quantity expressing the two- Dimensional size of a defined part of a Surface, typically a region bounded by a closed Curve. To help compare Orders of magnitude of different geographical regions  Areas between 10000 km² and 100000 km² are listed here The square mile is an imperial and US unit of Area equal the area of a square of one statute mile. In Biology a population is the collection of inter-breeding organisms of a particular Species; in Sociology Population density (in agriculture standing stock and Standing crop) is a measurement of Population per unit area or unit volume The purchasing power parity ( PPP) theory uses the long-term equilibrium Exchange rate of two currencies to equalize their Purchasing power. The United States dollar ( sign: $; code: USD) is the unit of Currency of the United States; it has also been 4 billion
-	Per capita	US$30,546
HDI (2003)		0. Per capita is a Latin phrase meaning for each head with Per meaning 'through' or 'by' The United States dollar ( sign: $; code: USD) is the unit of Currency of the United States; it has also been The Human Development Index ( HDI) is an index combining normalized measures of Life expectancy, Literacy, Educational attainment, and GDP 939 (high)
Currency		Pound sterling (GBP)
Time zone		GMT (UTC0)
-	Summer (DST)	BST (UTC+1)
Internet TLD		.uk2
Calling code		+44
Patron saint		David, Dewi
1	Office for National Statistics - UK population grows to more than 60 million
2	Also .eu, as part of the European Union. A currency is a unit of exchange, facilitating the transfer of Goods and/or services It is one form of Money, where money is The Pound Sterling ( symbol £; ISO code: GBP) subdivided into 100 pence (singular penny) is the Currency ISO 4217 is the International standard describing three-letter codes (also known as the currency code) to define the names of currencies established Daylight saving time ( DST A country This is a list of country calling codes defined by ITU-T recommendation E The patron saint of a particular group of people is a Saint who would protect and 'love' the group and its members Saint David ( c. 500–589 ('Dewi Sant' was a church official later regarded as a Saint and as the Patron saint of Wales. The European Union ( EU) is a political and economic union of twenty-seven member states, located primarily in ISO 3166-1 is GB, but .gb is unused. Wikipedia talkFeatured lists for an explanation of this and other inclusion tags below --> ISO 3166-1, as part of the ISO 3166 standard See also Kingdom of Great Britain Great Britain (Breatainn Mhòr Prydain Fawr Breten Veur Graet Breetain is the larger of the two main islands

Wales (Welsh: Cymru;^[1] pronounced /ˈkəmrɨ/ (help·info)) is a constituent country^[2] within the United Kingdom^[3] situated in the west of Great Britain, sharing a land border with England to its east and the Irish Sea and Atlantic Ocean to the west. Welsh ( cy Cymraeg or cy y Gymraeg, kəmˈrɑːɨɡ and {{IPA|[ə ɡəmˈrɑːɨɡ]}}, is a member of the Brythonic branch of Celtic 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 The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located See also Kingdom of Great Britain Great Britain (Breatainn Mhòr Prydain Fawr Breten Veur Graet Breetain is the larger of the two main islands This is a list of land borders between countries 'Note: Entries which are not sovereign states are italicized. 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 Irish Sea ( Irish: Muir Éireann or Muir Meann; Scottish Gaelic: Muir Eireann Welsh: Môr Iwerddon, Wales has a population estimated at three million and is a bilingual constituent country, with English the language spoken by the majority, and Welsh the native tongue. In Biology a population is the collection of inter-breeding organisms of a particular Species; in Sociology 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

Originally (and traditionally) one of the six Celtic nations, a distinct Welsh national identity emerged in the early 5th century, after the Roman withdrawal from Britain. Celtic nations are areas of modern northwest Europe which identify themselves with the Celtic cultures specifically speakers of Celtic languages. The Welsh people ( Welsh: Cymro ("Welshman" Cymraes ("Welsh woman" Cymry ("Welshmen/women" Cymry The Roman departure from Britain was completed by 410. The Archaeological records of the final decades of Roman rule show undeniable signs of decay ^[4] The Edwardian conquest in the 13th Century brought about centuries of English occupation, and Wales was eventually annexed to the English legal system with the formation of the Laws in Wales Acts 1535–1542, creating the legal entity known today as England and Wales. 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 History The Roman occupation of Britain was the first period in which the area of present-day England and Wales was administered as a single unit (with the exception Distinctive Welsh politics developed in the 19th century eventually leading to a devolved legislature and government in 1999, with the formation of the National Assembly for Wales in Cardiff Bay. The emergence of a Welsh polity During the latter part of the 19th century and early part of the 20th century the notion of a distinctive Welsh polity gained credence Devolution is the statutory granting of powers from the central government of a State to government at subnational level The National Assembly for Wales (Cynulliad Cenedlaethol Cymru is a devolved assembly with power to make legislation in Wales. The Welsh Assembly Government (WAG (Llywodraeth Cynulliad Cymru LlCC) was firstly an executive body of the National Assembly for Wales, consisting of Year 1999 ( MCMXCIX) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display full 1999 Gregorian calendar) 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. Today, Wales continues to share political and legal structures to varying degrees with the United Kingdom, while now maintaining more direct ties with various international bodies^[5][6] and the business world. The emergence of a Welsh polity During the latter part of the 19th century and early part of the 20th century the notion of a distinctive Welsh polity gained credence Contemporary Welsh Law is a term applied to the body of primary and secondary Legislation generated by the National Assembly of Wales ^{[7][8][9][10]} The Assembly Government has also increased its direct links with the European Union, although foreign policy remains the reserved responsibility of the UK Government. The European Union ( EU) is a political and economic union of twenty-seven member states, located primarily in For other meanings see Reserved powers disambiguation page In the United Kingdom reserved matters, also referred to as reserved Her Majesty's Government, or when the monarch is male His Majesty's Government, is the title used by the Government of the United Kingdom, based at ^[11][12]

The capital Cardiff (Caerdydd), located in the more urbanised South Wales, is Wales' largest city with 317,500 people. Cardiff ( 'kɑːdɪf) is the Capital and the largest city and county in Wales. 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 ^[13]. Cardiff has been a prosperous city since the Victorian era, when it was the biggest coal port in the world. Culture The Victorian fascination with novelty resulted in a deep interest in the relationship between modernity and cultural continuities ^[14][15] Two-thirds of the Welsh population lives in South Wales, with another concentration in northeastern North Wales. 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 North Wales (Gogledd Cymru is the northernmost unofficial region of Wales, bordered to the south by Mid Wales and to the east by England.

Wales is known for its divergent and often spectacular landscape,^[16] and tourism is popular throughout the land. Wales is an emerging tourist destination with 8078900 visitors to National Trust and Welsh Tourist Board destinations in 2002 ^[17][18] From the late 19th century onwards, Wales acquired its popular image as the "land of song", attributable in part to the revival of the eisteddfod tradition. The 19th century of the Common Era began on January 1, 1801 and ended on December 31, 1900, according to the Gregorian calendar See also An eisteddfod (aɪˈstɛðvəd Welsh ə(iˈstɛðvɔd plural eisteddfodau or eisteddfods) is a Welsh Festival ^[19] Historically, the Welsh tradition for storytelling was an oral one, handed-down over the generations. Vocal performers - actors, singers and speakers - are celebrated in Wales today, often attaining international success. ^[20][21] Wales has in recent years undergone a cultural revival, and the rapidly-developing capital is the home of the largest media centre in the UK outside of London. Media in CardiffThe media in Wales provides services for people in both English and Welsh, and plays an important role in modern Welsh culture. London ( ˈlʌndən is the capital and largest urban area in the United Kingdom. ^[22][23]

Wales is sometimes referred to as a Principality. A principality (or princedom) is a monarchical feudatory or Sovereign state, ruled or reigned over by a monarch with the title of Prince Llywelyn the Great founded the Principality of Wales in 1216, and following the Edwardian Conquest, Owain Glyndŵr briefly restored its independence in the early 15th century. Genealogy and early life Llywelyn was born about 1173 the son of Iorwerth ap Owain and the grandson of Owain Gwynedd, who had been ruler of Gwynedd until his death The Principality of Wales (Tywysogaeth Cymru covered the lands ruled by the Prince of Wales directly and was formally founded in 1216 at the Council of Aberdyfi, Genealogy and early life Llywelyn was the second of the four sons of Gruffydd, the eldest son of Llywelyn the Great, and Senena ferch Rhodri Owain Glyndŵr (pronounced 'owain glin'dwr or Owain Glyn Dŵr, Anglicised by Shakespeare into Owen Glendower (c Traditionally the British Royal Family have used the courtesy title 'Prince of Wales' for the Heir Apparent to the reigning monarch. The British Royal Family is the group of close relatives of the monarch of the United Kingdom. A courtesy title is a form of address in systems of Nobility used by children former wives and other close relatives of a peer. Prince of Wales (Tywysog Cymru is a title traditionally granted to the Heir Apparent to the reigning monarch of the United Kingdom (and formerly the Kingdom An heir apparent is an Heir who (short of a fundamental change in the situation cannot be displaced from inheriting the term is used in contrast to Heir presumptive

Contents 1 Etymology 2 History 2.1 Colonisation 2.2 Medieval Wales 2.3 Nationalist revival 3 Politics 4 Law 5 Principal areas 5.1 Unitary authorities of Wales 6 Geography 6.1 Climate 7 Economy 8 Healthcare 9 Demography 9.1 Languages 9.2 Religion 10 Culture 10.1 Sport 10.2 Media 10.3 Food 10.4 Music 10.5 Literature 11 Transport 12 National symbols 13 Photos of Wales 14 Welsh people 15 See also 16 References 17 External links

Etymology

See also: List of meanings of countries' names and History of the term Vlach

The English name "Wales" originates from the Germanic word Walha, meaning "foreigner," probably derived from the term Volcae. This list covers English language country names with their etymologies. Vlach is a Slavic -derived term from the Germanic word Valah/Valach used to designate the Romance speaking peoples of South-Eastern Europe: Romanians This list covers English language country names with their etymologies. The Germanic languages are a group of related languages that constitute a branch of the Indo-European (IE Language family. The Volcae were a Celtic tribal confederation constituted sometime before the Gallic raid of combined Gauls that invaded Macedon in the 270s and defeated the assembled The term also appears in the "-wall" of Cornwall. Cornwall ( Kernow ˈkɛɹnɔʊ is the most southwesterly county of England, on the Peninsula that lies to the west of the River Tamar The Welsh call their country Cymru in the Welsh language, which most likely meant "compatriots" in Old Welsh. Welsh ( cy Cymraeg or cy y Gymraeg, kəmˈrɑːɨɡ and {{IPA|[ə ɡəmˈrɑːɨɡ]}}, is a member of the Brythonic branch of Celtic Old Welsh (Hen Gymraeg is the label attached to the Welsh language from the time it developed from the Brythonic language generally thought to be in the period ^[24] The name competed for a long time in Welsh literature with the older name Brythoniaid (Brythons). The term Welsh literature may be used to refer to any Literature originating from Wales or by Welsh writers. Only after 1100 did the former become as common as the latter;^[25] both terms applied originally not only to the inhabitants of what is now called Wales, but in general to speakers of the Brythonic language and its descendants, many of whom lived in "the Old North": the placenames Cymru (Welsh for Wales) and Cumbria are of the same origin. The Brythonic languages (or Brittonic languages or British languages) form one of the two branches of the Insular Celtic language family the other being Yr Hen Ogledd is a Welsh term meaning 'The Old North' and referring to the sub-Roman Brythonic kingdoms of what is now Northern England Boundaries and divisions Cumbria is neighboured by Northumberland, County Durham, North Yorkshire, Lancashire, and the Lieutenancy ^[25] The Angles, Saxons and Jutes were known indiscriminately as Saeson in Welsh (the term is cognate with "Saxon"; compare Gaelic Sassenach); Sais, plural Saeson, is the modern Welsh word for "Englishman. The Angles is a modern English word for a Germanic-speaking people who took their name from the cultural ancestral region of Angeln, a modern district located in The Saxons or Saxon people were a Confederation of Old Germanic tribes. The Jutes, Iuti, or Iutae were a Germanic people who according to Bede were one of the three most powerful Germanic peoples of the time Scottish Gaelic ( Gàidhlig) is a member of the Goidelic branch of Celtic languages. Sassenach is a word used chiefly by the Scots to designate an Englishman "

There is also a medieval legend found in the Historia Regum Britanniae of Sieffre o Fynwy (Geoffrey of Monmouth) that derives it from the name Camber, son of Brutus and, according to the legend, the eponymous King of Cymru (Cambria in Latin); this, however, is considered largely the fruit of Geoffrey's vivid imagination. The Historia Regum Britanniae ( English: The History of the Kings of Britain) is a pseudohistorical account of British history Geoffrey of Monmouth ( Gruffudd ap Arthur or Sieffre o Fynwy) (c Brutus ( Brut, Brute, Welsh Bryttys) a legendary descendant of the Trojan hero Aeneas, was known in medieval British legend Cambria is the classical name for Wales, being the Latinised form of the Welsh name Cymru (Wales Latin ( lingua Latīna, laˈtiːna is an Italic language, historically spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. Cumberland and Cumbria in the North of England derive their names from the same Old Welsh word. Cumberland is one of the 39 Historic counties of England. It formed an administrative county from 1889 to 1974 (excluding Carlisle from 1915 and now forms part of Boundaries and divisions Cumbria is neighboured by Northumberland, County Durham, North Yorkshire, Lancashire, and the Lieutenancy

History

Main article: History of Wales

Colonisation

The first documented history was recorded during the Roman occupation of Britain. The country of Wales, or Cymru in Welsh has been inhabited by modern humans for at least 29000 years though continuous human habitation The Roman Empire was the post-Republican phase of the ancient Roman civilization, characterised by an autocratic form of government and large territorial At that time the area of modern Wales was divided into many tribes, of which the Silures in the south-east and the Ordovices in the central and north-west areas were the largest and most powerful. The Silures were a powerful and warlike Tribe of ancient Britain, occupying approximately the counties of Monmouthshire, Breconshire and The Ordovices were one of the Celtic tribes living in the British Islands before the Roman invasion of Britain.

The Romans established a string of forts across what is now South Wales, as far west as Carmarthen (Caerfyrddin; Latin: Maridunum), and mined gold at Dolaucothi in Carmarthenshire. 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 Carmarthen ( Welsh Caerfyrddin - caer fort + Myrddin Moridunum is the County town of Carmarthenshire, Wales. Latin ( lingua Latīna, laˈtiːna is an Italic language, historically spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. The Dolaucothi Gold Mines ( also known as the Ogofau Gold Mine, are Roman surface and deep mines located in the valley of the River Cothi, Geography The county is bounded to the north by Ceredigion, to the east by Powys, Neath Port Talbot and Swansea, to the south by the There is evidence that they progressed even farther west. They also built the legionary fortress at Caerleon (Latin: Isca Silurum), of which the magnificent amphitheatre is the best preserved in Britain. Caerleon (Caerllion is a suburban village and community, situated on the River Usk in the northern outskirts of the city of Newport, South Latin ( lingua Latīna, laˈtiːna is an Italic language, historically spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. An amphitheatre (alternatively amphitheater) is an open-air venue for spectator sports concerts rallies or theatrical performances The Romans were also busy in Northern Wales, and the mediaeval Welsh tale Breuddwyd Macsen Wledig claims that Magnus Maximus (Macsen Wledig), one of the last western Roman Emperors, married Elen or Helen, the daughter of a Welsh chieftain from Segontium, present-day Caernarfon. Magnus Maximus (ca 335&ndash August 28, 388) also known as Maximianus, was an Hispanic usurper of the Western Roman Empire The Roman Emperor was the ruler of the Roman State during the imperial period (starting at about 27 BC Segontium is a Roman fort for a Roman auxiliary force located on the outskirts of Caernarfon in Gwynedd, North Wales. Caernarfon (the original Welsh spelling is now almost always used in preference to the anglicised forms "Caernarvon" or "Carnarvon" is a ^[26] It was in the 4th century during the Roman occupation that Christianity was introduced to Wales. Christianity ( Greek Χριστιανισμός from the word Xριστός ( Christ)is a monotheistic Religion centered on the life and teachings

After the Roman withdrawal from Britain in 410, much of the lowlands were overrun by various Germanic tribes. The Roman departure from Britain was completed by 410. The Archaeological records of the final decades of Roman rule show undeniable signs of decay The Germanic peoples are a historical group of Indo-European -speaking peoples originating in Northern Europe and identified by their use of the Germanic However, Gwynedd, Powys, Dyfed and Seisyllg, Morgannwg, and Gwent emerged as independent Welsh successor states. Gwynedd (pr) is one of several Welsh Successor states that emerged in 5th-century post-Roman Britain.     Gwent was one of the kingdoms or principalities of Mediæval Wales, in the Welsh Marches. Succession of states is a theory in International relations regarding the recognition and acceptance of a newly created State by other states based on They endured, in part because of favourable geographical features such as uplands, mountains, and rivers and a resilient society that did not collapse with the end of the Roman civitas. In the history of the Roman empire, civitas (pl civitates mainly referred to the condition of Roman Citizenship It was also used to describe a type of settlement

The Saxons at anchor on the sea always

The Cymry venerable until doomsday shall be supreme

They will not seek books nor be covetous of poets

The presage of this isle will be no other than this.

[ from The Omen of Prydein The Great, Book of Taliesin VI ]

This tenacious survival by the Romano-Britons and their descendants in the western kingdoms was to become the foundation of what we now know as Wales. The Book of Taliesin (Llyfr Taliesin is one of the most famous Welsh Manuscripts It dates from the first half of the Fourteenth century though many of Romano-British culture is that of the Romanized Britons under the Roman Empire and later the Western Roman Empire, and of those exposed to Roman culture in the years With the loss of the lowlands, England's kingdoms of Mercia and Northumbria, and later Wessex, wrestled with Powys, Gwent, and Gwynedd to define the frontier between the two peoples. Mercia (ˈmɝsiə was one of the kingdoms of the Anglo-Saxon Heptarchy. West Saxon redirects here For other meanings of Wessex or West Saxon see Wessex (disambiguation.

Having lost much of the West Midlands to Mercia in the 6th century and early 7th century, a resurgent late 7th century Powys checked Mercian advancement. The West Midlands is an official Region of England, covering the western half of the area traditionally known as the Midlands. Mercia (ˈmɝsiə was one of the kingdoms of the Anglo-Saxon Heptarchy. Aethelbald of Mercia, looking to defend recently acquired lands, had built Wat's Dyke. Æthelbald (also spelled Ethelbald, or Aethelbald) (died 757 was the King of Mercia, in what is now the English Midlands Wat's Dyke is a 40 Mile earthwork running through the northern Welsh Marches from Basingwerk Abbey on the River Dee Estuary, passing According to John Davies, this endeavour may have been with Powys king Elisedd ap Gwylog's own agreement, however, for this boundary, extending north from the valley of the River Severn to the Dee estuary, gave Oswestry (Welsh: Croesoswallt) to Powys. Elisedd ap Gwylog (died c 755 also known as Elise was king of Powys in eastern Wales. For other rivers named "Severn" see Severn River. The River Severn ( Welsh: Afon Hafren, Latin Oswestry (ˈɒzwəstɹɪ is a town and Civil parish in Shropshire, England, very close to the Welsh border King Offa of Mercia seems to have continued this consultative initiative when he created a larger earth work, now known as Offa's Dyke (Welsh: Clawdd Offa). Offa was the King of Mercia from 757 until his death in July 796 Offa's Dyke (Clawdd Offa is a massive linear earthwork, roughly following some of the current border between England and Wales. Davies wrote of Cyril Fox's study of Offa's Dyke:

In the planning of it, there was a degree of consultation with the kings of Powys and Gwent. Sir Cyril Fred Fox ( 16 December, 1882 &ndash 15 January, 1967) was an English Archaeologist. Offa's Dyke (Clawdd Offa is a massive linear earthwork, roughly following some of the current border between England and Wales. On the Long Mountain near Trelystan, the dyke veers to the east, leaving the fertile slops in the hands of the Welsh; near Rhiwabod, it was designed to ensure that Cadell ap Brochwel retained possession of the Fortress of Penygadden. " And for Gwent Offa had the dyke built "on the eastern crest of the gorge, clearly with the intention of recognizing that the River Wye and its traffic belonged to the kingdom of Gwent. This article is about the river that flows along or close to the Anglo-Welsh border

Offa's Dyke largely remained the frontier between the Welsh and English, though the Welsh would recover by the 12th century the area between the Dee and the Conwy known then as the Perfeddwlad. Perfeddwlad, meaning middle country in Welsh ( Y Berfeddwlad being the usual form was a name adopted during the twelfth century for the territories in By the 8th century the eastern borders with the Anglo-Saxons had broadly been set.

Following the successful examples of Cornwall in 722 and Brittany in 865, the Britons of Wales made their peace with the Vikings and asked the Norsemen to help the Britons fight the Anglo-Saxons of Mercia to prevent an Anglo-Saxon conquest of Wales. Cornwall ( Kernow ˈkɛɹnɔʊ is the most southwesterly county of England, on the Peninsula that lies to the west of the River Tamar Brittany (Breizh bʁejs Bretagne; Gallo: Bertaèyn) is a former independent Celtic kingdom and Duchy, now incorporated into A Viking is one of the Norse ( Scandinavian Explorers Warriors Merchants, and pirates who raided and colonized wide areas For their language see Anglo-Saxon language. Anglo-Saxon is the term usually used to describe the invading Tribes in the south Mercia (ˈmɝsiə was one of the kingdoms of the Anglo-Saxon Heptarchy. In 878 AD the Britons of Wales unified with the Vikings of Denmark to destroy an Anglo-Saxon army of Mercians. Like Cornwall in 722, this decisive defeating of the Saxons gave Wales some decades of peace from Anglo-Saxon attack. In 1063, the Welsh prince Gruffydd ap Llywelyn made an alliance with Norwegian Vikings against Mercia which, as in 878 AD was successful, and the Saxons of Mercia defeated. See also Gruffydd ap Llywelyn Fawr Gruffydd ap Llywelyn (c 1007 &ndash August 5, 1063) was the ruler of all Wales As with Cornwall and Brittany, Viking aggression towards the Saxons/Franks ended any chance of the Anglo-Saxons/Franks conquering their Celtic neighbours. Brittany (Breizh bʁejs Bretagne; Gallo: Bertaèyn) is a former independent Celtic kingdom and Duchy, now incorporated into Celts (ˈkɛlts or /ˈsɛlts/, see Names of the Celts

Medieval Wales

The southern and eastern lands lost to English settlement became known in Welsh as Lloegyr (Modern Welsh Lloegr), which may have referred to the kingdom of Mercia originally, and which came to refer to England as a whole. Mercia (ˈmɝsiə was one of the kingdoms of the Anglo-Saxon Heptarchy. 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 ^[27] The Germanic tribes who now dominated these lands were invariably called Saeson, meaning "Saxons". The Saxons or Saxon people were a Confederation of Old Germanic tribes. The Anglo-Saxons, in turn, labelled the Romano-British as Walha, meaning 'foreigner' or 'stranger'. Romano-British culture is that of the Romanized Britons under the Roman Empire and later the Western Roman Empire, and of those exposed to Roman culture in the years Walh (singular or Walha (plural ( is an ancient Germanic word meaning "foreigner" or "stranger" ( Welsh) or "roman" The Welsh continued to call themselves Brythoniaid (Brythons or Britons) well into the Middle Ages, though the first use of Cymru and y Cymry is found as early as 633 in the Gododdin of Aneirin. The Gododdin (goˈdoðin were a Brythonic people of north-eastern Britain (modern north-east England and south-east Scotland) in the sub-Roman Aneirin or Neirin was a late 6th century Brythonic Poet. He is believed to have been a Bard or 'court poet' in one of the Cumbric kingdoms In Armes Prydain, written in about 930, the words Cymry and Cymro are used as often as 15 times. The term Welsh literature may be used to refer to any Literature originating from Wales or by Welsh writers. It was not until about the 12th century however, that Cymry began to overtake Brythoniaid in their writings.

From the year 800 onwards, a series of dynastic marriages led to Rhodri Mawr's (r. Dolwyddelan Castle (Castell Dolwyddelan is a Castle located in a prominent position on a hill overlooking the A470 trunk road near Dolwyddelan village Genealogy and early life Llywelyn was born about 1173 the son of Iorwerth ap Owain and the grandson of Owain Gwynedd, who had been ruler of Gwynedd until his death Rhodri the Great (in Welsh, Rhodri Mawr; occasionally in English, Roderick the Great) (c 844-877) inheritance of Gwynedd and Powys. History Gwynedd was an independent kingdom from the end of the Roman period until the 13th Century when it was conquered and subjugated by England This article is about the county of Wales For the ancient kingdom see Kingdom of Powys. His sons in turn would found three principal dynasties (Aberffraw for Gwynedd, Dinefwr for Deheubarth, and Mathrafal for Powys), each competing for hegemony over the others. Aberffraw is now a small Village on the south west coast of Anglesey, Wales (Ynys Môn by the west bank of the River Ffraw, at. Dinefwr was a local government district of Dyfed, West Wales from 1974 to 1996   Mathrafal near Welshpool, in Powys, Mid Wales, was the seat of the Kings and Princes of Powys probably from the 9th century until Hegemony (hɨˈdʒɛməni (Amer /hɨˈɡɛməni/ (Brit (ἡγεμονία hēgemonía) is a concept that has been used to describe and explain the dominance of one social Rhodri's grandson Hywel Dda (r. Hywel Dda (c 880?&ndash950 (English Hywel the Good, sometimes anglicized to Howell the Good) was a well-thought-of king of Deheubarth in south-west 900-950) founded Deheubarth out of his maternal and paternal inheritances of Dyfed and Seisyllwg, oust the Aberffraw dynasty from Gwynedd and Powys, and codify Welsh law in 930, finally going on a pilgrimage to Rome (and allegedly having the Law Codes blessed by the Pope). Dyfed ('dɪ ved is a preserved county of Wales. Dyfed was created by the Local Government Act 1972 on 1 April 1974. Seisyllwg was a kingdom of medieval South Wales, covering the areas now known as Ceredigion, part of Carmarthenshire, and the Gower peninsula Aberffraw is now a small Village on the south west coast of Anglesey, Wales (Ynys Môn by the west bank of the River Ffraw, at. Welsh law, the Law of Wales, was traditionally first codified by Hywel Dda ("Hywel the Good" during the period between 942 and 950 when In Religion and Spirituality, a pilgrimage is a long journey or Search of great Moral significance Rome ( Roma ˈroma Roma is the capital city of Italy and Lazio, and is Italy's largest and most populous city with more than 2 History See also History of the Papacy Catholics recognize the Pope as a successor to Saint Peter, who Jesus named as the "shepherd" and Maredudd ab Owain (r. Maredudd ab Owain (ap Hywel Dda (died 999 was a King of Deheubarth, and through conquest also of Gwynedd and Powys, places in medieval Wales 986-999) of Deheubarth (Hywel's grandson) would, (again) temporarily oust the Aberffraw line for control of Gwynedd and Powys. Maredudd's great-grandson (through his daughter Princess Angharad) Gruffydd ap Llywelyn (r. Angharad is a popular name in Celtic countries particularly Wales, having a long association with Celtic royalty history and myth See also Gruffydd ap Llywelyn Fawr Gruffydd ap Llywelyn (c 1007 &ndash August 5, 1063) was the ruler of all Wales 1039-1063) would conquer his cousins' realms from his base in Powys, and even extend his authority into England. Owain Gwynedd (1100-1170) of the Aberffraw line was the first Welsh ruler to use the title princeps Wallensium (prince of the Welsh), a title of substance given his victory on the Berwyn Mountains, according to historian John Davies. Owain Gwynedd (in English " Owen " (c 1100&ndash November 28, 1170) alternatively known by the Patronymic " Owain ap Gruffydd The Berwyn range ( Welsh: Y Berwyn or Mynydd y Berwyn) is an isolated and sparsely-populated area of moorland located in the north-east of Wales John Davies may refer to John Davies of Hereford (1565?&ndash1618 poet and satirist John Davies (Mallwyd (c The Aberffraw dynasty would surge to pre-eminence with Owain Gwynedd's grandson Llywelyn Fawr (the Great) (b. Genealogy and early life Llywelyn was born about 1173 the son of Iorwerth ap Owain and the grandson of Owain Gwynedd, who had been ruler of Gwynedd until his death 1173-1240), wrestling concessions out of the Magna Carta in 1215 and receiving the fealty of other Welsh lords in 1216 at the council at Aberdyfi, becoming the first Prince of Wales. Magna Carta ( Latin for Great Charter, literally " Great Paper " also called Magna Carta Libertatum ( Great Charter of Freedoms An Oath of fealty, from the Latin fidelitas ( Faithfulness) is a pledge of Allegiance of one person to another Aberdyfi (Mouth of the River Dyfi or Aberdovey (the Anglicised spelling is still in common use is a Village on the Estuary of the River Prince of Wales (Tywysog Cymru is a title traditionally granted to the Heir Apparent to the reigning monarch of the United Kingdom (and formerly the Kingdom His grandson Llywelyn II also secured the recognition of the title Prince of Wales from Henry III with the Treaty of Montgomery in 1267. Genealogy and early life Llywelyn was the second of the four sons of Gruffydd, the eldest son of Llywelyn the Great, and Senena ferch Rhodri Prince of Wales (Tywysog Cymru is a title traditionally granted to the Heir Apparent to the reigning monarch of the United Kingdom (and formerly the Kingdom Henry III (1 October 1207 &ndash 16 November 1272 was the son and successor of John "Lackland" as King of England, reigning for fifty-six years from 1216 By means of the Treaty of Montgomery (29 September 1267, Llywelyn ap Gruffydd was acknowledged as Prince of Wales by the English king Henry III Later however, a succession of disputes, including the imprisonment of Llywelyn's wife Eleanor, daughter of Simon de Montfort, culminated in the first invasion by Edward I. Eleanor de Montfort Princess of Wales and Lady of Snowdon ( 1252 - 19 June 1282) was a daughter of Simon de Montfort 6th Earl of Leicester and Simon de Montfort 6th Earl of Leicester (1208 – August 4, 1265) was the principal leader of the Baronial opposition to King Henry III of England Edward I (17 June 1239 – 7 July 1307 popularly known as Longshanks, was a King of England who achieved historical fame by conquering large parts of Wales and almost As a result of military defeat, the Treaty of Aberconwy exacted Llywelyn's fealty to England in 1277. The Treaty of Aberconwy was signed in 1277 by King Edward I of England and Llewelyn the Last of modern-day Wales, who had fought each other on Peace was short lived and with the 1282 Edwardian conquest the rule of the Welsh princes permanently ended. Genealogy and early life Llywelyn was the second of the four sons of Gruffydd, the eldest son of Llywelyn the Great, and Senena ferch Rhodri With Llywelyn's death and his brother prince Dafydd's execution, the few remaining Welsh lords did homage for their lands to Edward I. Dafydd ap Gruffydd (or Dafydd ap Gruffudd) (11 July 1238 &ndash 3 October 1283 was Prince of Wales from 11 December 1282 until his execution on 3 October 1283 See also Welsh Gentry Family Seats This is an index of Welsh peers whose primary Peerage, life peerage, and baronetcy Llywelyn's head was then carried through London on a spear; his baby daughter Gwenllian was locked in the priory at Sempringham, where she remained until her death fifty four years later. Gwenllian ferch Llywelyn ( June 12 1282 &ndash June 7 1337) was the only child of Llywelyn ap Gruffudd, the last native Tywysog A priory is a House of men or women under religious vows headed by a Prior or prioress Located north of Bourne, on the Lincolnshire fen edge, Sempringham is now a very small hamlet consisting of a church a house and a well giving little ^[28]

To help maintain his dominance, Edward constructed a series of great stone castles. A castle is a defensive structure seen as one of the main symbols of the Middle Ages. Beaumaris, Caernarfon, and Conwy were built mainly to overshadow the Welsh royal home and headquarters Garth Celyn, Aber Garth Celyn, on the north coast of Gwynedd. Caernarfon Castle (Castell Caernarfon was constructed at Caernarfon in Gwynedd, north-west Wales, by King Edward I of England, following his Conwy Castle (traditional Conway Castle Welsh Castell Conwy) is a Castle in Conwy, on the north coast of Wales. Garth Celyn at Aber Garth Celyn now known as Abergwyngregyn, Aber in Gwynedd, north Wales was the 13th century home of the Welsh princes (or Tywysog Abergwyngregyn is a Village of historical note in Gwynedd, a principal area in Wales.

There was no major uprising except that led by Owain Glyndŵr a century later, against Henry IV of England. Owain Glyndŵr (pronounced 'owain glin'dwr or Owain Glyn Dŵr, Anglicised by Shakespeare into Owen Glendower (c Henry IV (3 April 1367 &ndash 20 March 1413 was King of England and Lord of Ireland (1399&ndash1413 In 1404 Owain was reputedly crowned Prince of Wales in the presence of emissaries from France, Spain and Scotland; he went on to hold parliamentary assemblies at several Welsh towns, including Machynlleth. Prince of Wales (Tywysog Cymru is a title traditionally granted to the Heir Apparent to the reigning monarch of the United Kingdom (and formerly the Kingdom This article is about the country For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic France topics. Spain () or the Kingdom of Spain (Reino de España is a country located mostly in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Scotland ( Gaelic: Alba) is a Country in northwest Europethat occupies the northern third of the island of Great Britain. Machynlleth ( pronounced; sometimes referred to Colloquially as Mach) is The rebellion was ultimately to founder, however, and Owain went into hiding in 1412, with peace being more or less restored in Wales by 1415.

Although English conquest of Wales took place under the 1284 Statute of Rhuddlan, a formal Union did not occur until 1536, shortly after which Welsh law, which continued to be used in Wales after the conquest, was fully replaced by English law under the Laws in Wales Acts 1535-1542. The Statute of Rhuddlan was enacted on 3 March 1284 after the military conquest in 1282-83 of the Principality of Wales — which had been established by Llywelyn ap Gruffudd 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 Wales remains the largest principality in the world. A principality (or princedom) is a monarchical feudatory or Sovereign state, ruled or reigned over by a monarch with the title of Prince

Nationalist revival

See also: History of Plaid Cymru

In the 20th century, Wales saw a revival in its national status. See also Plaid Cymru The Party of Wales Plaid Cymru The Party of Wales (IPA/plaɪd ˈkəmri/ often referred in common speech simply as Plaid Cymru was formed in 1925, seeking greater autonomy or independence from the rest of the UK. Plaid Cymru (plaɪd ˈkəmri The Party of Wales often referred to simply as Plaid) is a Political party in Wales. The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located In 1955, the term England and Wales became common for describing the area to which English law applied, and Cardiff was proclaimed as capital city. History The Roman occupation of Britain was the first period in which the area of present-day England and Wales was administered as a single unit (with the exception Cardiff ( 'kɑːdɪf) is the Capital and the largest city and county in Wales. In 1962 the Welsh Language Society (Cymdeithas yr Iaith Gymraeg) was formed in response to fears that the language might soon die out. Cymdeithas yr Iaith Gymraeg (The Welsh Language Society often abbreviated to Cymdeithas or Cymdeithas yr Iaith) is a Pressure group in Nationalism grew, particularly following the flooding of the Tryweryn valley in 1965, drowning the village of Capel Celyn to create a reservoir supplying water to Liverpool. Capel Celyn (Holly Chapel was a rural community to the north west of Bala in north Wales, in the Afon Tryweryn Valley that was flooded to create a Capel Celyn (Holly Chapel was a rural community to the north west of Bala in north Wales, in the Afon Tryweryn Valley that was flooded to create a A reservoir is most broadly a place or hollow vessel where Fluid is kept in Reserve, for later use Liverpool ( is a City and Metropolitan borough of Merseyside, England along the eastern side of the Mersey Estuary In 1966 the Carmarthen Parliamentary seat was won by Plaid Cymru at a by-election, their first Parliamentary seat. Carmarthen ( Welsh Caerfyrddin - caer fort + Myrddin Moridunum is the County town of Carmarthenshire, Wales. A terror campaign was waged for a short period by the Free Wales Army and Mudiad Amddiffyn Cymru (MAC - Welsh Defence Movement). The Free Wales Army (Byddin Rhyddid Cymru was a Paramilitary Welsh nationalist organisation formed out of Lampeter, Mid Wales, by William Mudiad Amddiffyn Cymru (Welsh Defence Movement abbreviated as MAC, was a Paramilitary Welsh nationalist organisation modelled to some degree on the In the years leading up to the investiture of Prince Charles as Prince of Wales in 1969, these groups were responsible for a number of bomb blasts destroying water pipes and tax and other offices. Prince of Wales (Tywysog Cymru is a title traditionally granted to the Heir Apparent to the reigning monarch of the United Kingdom (and formerly the Kingdom In 1967, the Wales and Berwick Act 1746 was repealed for Wales, and a legal definition of Wales, and of the boundary with England was stated. The Wales and Berwick Act 1746 (20 Geo II c 42 was an act of the Parliament of Great Britain explicitly expressing that all future laws applying to England

A referendum on the creation of an assembly for Wales in 1979 (see Wales referendum, 1979) led to a large majority for the "no" vote. In a Referendum on St David's Day ( March 1) 1979 the people of Wales voted against proposals by the Labour government of the United Kingdom However, in 1997 a referendum on the same issue secured a "yes", although by a very narrow majority. The National Assembly for Wales (Cynulliad Cenedlaethol Cymru) was set up in 1999 (as a consequence of the Government of Wales Act 1998) and possesses the power to determine how the central government budget for Wales is spent and administered (although the UK parliament reserves the right to set limits on the powers of the Welsh Assembly). The National Assembly for Wales (Cynulliad Cenedlaethol Cymru is a devolved assembly with power to make legislation in Wales. This is about the Act that set up the Welsh Assembly For the newer Government of Wales Act 2006, see that article The 1998 Act was amended by the Government of Wales Act 2006 which enhanced the Assembly's powers, giving it legislative powers akin to the Scottish Parliament and Northern Ireland Assembly. The Government of Wales Act 2006 is an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom that reforms the National Assembly for Wales and allows further The Scottish Parliament ( Scottish Gaelic: Pàrlamaid na h-Alba; Scots: Scottish Pairlament) is the devlolved national unicameral The Northern Ireland Assembly ( Irish: Tionól Thuaisceart Éireann, Ulster Scots: Norlin Airlann Semmlie) is the devolved Following the 2007 Assembly election, the One Wales Government was formed under a coalition agreement between Plaid Cymru and the Welsh Labour Party, under that agreement, a convention is due to be established to discuss further enhancing Wales' legislative and financial autonomy. Plaid Cymru (plaɪd ˈkəmri The Party of Wales often referred to simply as Plaid) is a Political party in Wales. The Wales Labour Party, also known as Welsh Labour (Llafur Cymru is the part of the Labour Party which operates in Wales.

Politics

Main article: Politics of Wales

See also: Politics of the United Kingdom

See also: National Assembly for Wales election, 2007

The head of state in Wales, a constituent part of the United Kingdom, is the British monarch, currently Queen Elizabeth II (since 1952). The emergence of a Welsh polity During the latter part of the 19th century and early part of the 20th century the notion of a distinctive Welsh polity gained credence The politics of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland takes place in the framework of a Constitutional monarchy, in which the Monarch is Head The 2007 National Assembly election was held on Thursday 3 May 2007 to elect members to the National Assembly for Wales. TalkCommonewalth realm.--> The monarchy For the ship see RMS Queen Elizabeth 2 Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary Context States headed by Elizabeth II Executive power is derived by the Queen, and exercised by the Parliament of the United Kingdom at Westminster, with some powers devolved to the National Assembly for Wales in Cardiff. 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 Westminster is an area of Central London, within the City of Westminster. The National Assembly for Wales (Cynulliad Cenedlaethol Cymru is a devolved assembly with power to make legislation in Wales. Cardiff ( 'kɑːdɪf) is the Capital and the largest city and county in Wales. The United Kingdom Parliament retains responsibility for passing primary legislation in Wales. Primary legislation is Legislation made by the Legislative branch of Government. The National Assembly has regulatory authority over laws passed that are applicable to Wales, and has limited power to vary these by secondary legislation. Delegated legislation (also referred to as secondary legislation or subordinate legislation) is Law made by an executive authority under powers given to The National Assembly is not a sovereign authority, and the UK Parliament could, in theory, overrule or even abolish it at any time. However, its powers are set to increase as the Government of Wales Act 2006 will allow it to speed up the passage of 'Assembly Measures'. The Government of Wales Act 2006 is an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom that reforms the National Assembly for Wales and allows further

The National Assembly was first established in 1998 under the Government of Wales Act. The Senedd ( Welsh for Legislature, Parliament or Senate; pronounced /ˈsɛnɛth/ (the th pronounced as in the word the is the home This is about the Act that set up the Welsh Assembly For the newer Government of Wales Act 2006, see that article There are 60 members of the Assembly, known as "Assembly Members (AM)". The National Assembly for Wales is composed of 60 members known as AMs or Assembly Members (in Welsh: ACau or Aelodau'r Cynulliad Forty of the AMs are elected under the First Past the Post system, with the other 20 elected via the Additional Member System via regional lists in 5 different regions. The plurality voting system is a Single-winner voting system often used to elect executive officers or to elect members of a legislative assembly which is based on single-member The Additional Member System (AMS is a branch of Voting systems in which some representatives are elected from geographic constituencies and others are elected under The largest party elects the First Minister of Wales, who acts as the head of government. The First Minister ( Prif Weinidog) is the leader of the Welsh Assembly Government, Wales ' devolved administration which was established in 1999 The Welsh Assembly Government is the executive arm, and the Assembly has delegated most of its powers to the Assembly Government. The Welsh Assembly Government (WAG (Llywodraeth Cynulliad Cymru LlCC) was firstly an executive body of the National Assembly for Wales, consisting of In Political science and Constitutional law, the executive is the branch of government responsible for the day-to-day management of the State. The new Assembly Building designed by Lord Rogers was opened by The Queen on St David's Day (March 1) 2006. Richard George Rogers Baron Rogers of Riverside, CH, FRIBA (born 23 July 1933) is a British Architect noted For the ship see RMS Queen Elizabeth 2 Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary Context States headed by Elizabeth II Saint David's Day ( Welsh: Dydd Gŵyl Dewi) is the feast day of Saint David, the Patron saint of Wales, and falls on

The current First Minister of Wales is Rhodri Morgan^[29] (since 2000), of the Welsh Labour party, with 26 of 60 seats. Rt Hon Hywel Rhodri Morgan AM (born 29 September 1939) is a Welsh Politician; the Labour National Assembly for The Wales Labour Party, also known as Welsh Labour (Llafur Cymru is the part of the Labour Party which operates in Wales. After the National Assembly for Wales election, 2007 Welsh Labour and Plaid Cymru; The Party of Wales, which favours Welsh independence and separation from the United Kingdom entered into a coalition partnership to form a stable government with the "historic" One Wales agreement. The 2007 National Assembly election was held on Thursday 3 May 2007 to elect members to the National Assembly for Wales. Plaid Cymru (plaɪd ˈkəmri The Party of Wales often referred to simply as Plaid) is a Political party in Wales. A coalition is an alliance among individuals during which they cooperate in joint action, each in their own Self-interest. One Wales ( Welsh: Cymru'n Un ˈkəmrɨn ɨn is the Coalition agreement for the National Assembly for Wales between the Welsh Labour As the second largest party in the Assembly with 15 out of 60 seats, Plaid Cymru is currently led by Ieuan Wyn Jones, now the Deputy First Minister of Wales. Ieuan Wyn Jones, AM (born 22 May 1949) is leader of Plaid Cymru, Deputy First Minister in the Welsh Assembly Government and Member The First Minister ( Prif Weinidog) is the leader of the Welsh Assembly Government, Wales ' devolved administration which was established in 1999 The presiding officer of the Assembly is Plaid Cymru member Lord Elis-Thomas. Dafydd Elis Elis-Thomas Baron Elis-Thomas PC AM, (born 18 October 1946 is a Welsh Politician and current Presiding Officer of the Other parties include the Conservative Party, currently the loyal opposition with 12 seats, and the Liberal Democrats with six seats. The Conservative Party (officially the Conservative and Unionist Party) is a Political party in the United Kingdom. Loyal opposition is the concept that one can be opposed to the actions of the government or Ruling party of the day without being opposed to the constitution of the The Liberal Democrats, often shortened to Lib Dems, are a liberal Political party in the United Kingdom, formed in 1988 by merging the The "LibDems" had previously formed part of a coalition government with Labour in the first Assembly. There is one independent member.

In the British House of Commons, Wales is represented by 40 MPs (out of a total of 646) in the Welsh constituencies. The House of Commons' is the Lower house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, which also comprises the Sovereign and the House of Lords A Member of Parliament, or MP, is a representative elected by the voters to a Parliament. 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 Currently, Welsh Labour represents 29 of the 40 seats, the Liberal Democrats hold four seats, Plaid Cymru three and the Conservatives three. The Wales Labour Party, also known as Welsh Labour (Llafur Cymru is the part of the Labour Party which operates in Wales. A Secretary of State for Wales sits in the UK cabinet and is responsible for representing matters that pertain to Wales. The Secretary of State for Wales (Ysgrifennydd Gwladol Cymru is the head of the Wales Office within the United Kingdom cabinet. The Wales Office is a department of the United Kingdom government, responsible for Wales. The Wales Office / Swyddfa Cymru is a United Kingdom government department. The current Secretary of State for Wales is Paul Murphy, who replaced Peter Hain on 24 January 2008 over an investigation on undeclared donations. Paul Peter Murphy (born 25 November 1948) is a British politician Peter Gerald Hain (born 16 February 1950, Nairobi, Kenya) is a British Labour Party Politician who has

Law

Main article: English law

See also: Contemporary Welsh Law

England fully annexed Wales under the Laws in Wales Act 1535, in the reign of King Henry VIII. English law is the legal system of England and Wales, and is the basis of Common law legal systems used in most Commonwealth countriesand the Contemporary Welsh Law is a term applied to the body of primary and secondary Legislation generated by the National Assembly of Wales 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 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 Prior to that Welsh Law had survived de facto after the conquest up to the 15th century in areas remote from direct English control. Welsh law, the Law of Wales, was traditionally first codified by Hywel Dda ("Hywel the Good" during the period between 942 and 950 when The Wales and Berwick Act 1746 provided that all laws that applied to England would automatically apply to Wales (and Berwick-upon-Tweed, a town located on the Anglo-Scottish border) unless the law explicitly stated otherwise. The Wales and Berwick Act 1746 (20 Geo II c 42 was an act of the Parliament of Great Britain explicitly expressing that all future laws applying to England Berwick-upon-Tweed ( ˈbɛrɪk- ( Scots: Berwick or historically South Berwick) situated in the county of Northumberland, is the northernmost This act, with regard to Wales, was repealed in 1967. However, Wales and England, as part of the legal entity England and Wales, share the same legal system — except for a few changes to accommodate the autonomy recently afforded to Wales. History The Roman occupation of Britain was the first period in which the area of present-day England and Wales was administered as a single unit (with the exception In this sense, English law is the law of Wales. English law is the legal system of England and Wales, and is the basis of Common law legal systems used in most Commonwealth countriesand the

English law is regarded as a common law system, with no major codification of the law, and legal precedents are binding as opposed to persuasive. Common law refers to law and the corresponding legal system developed through decisions of courts and similar tribunals rather than through legislative statutes or executive In Law, codification is the process of collecting and restating the law of a Jurisdiction in certain areas usually by subject forming a Legal code. In Common law legal systems, a precedent or authority is a Legal case establishing a principle or rule that a Court or other judicial The court system is headed by the House of Lords which is the highest court of appeal in the land for criminal and civil cases (although this is due to be replaced by a Supreme Court of the United Kingdom). Her Majesty's Courts of Justice of England and Wales are the civil and criminal Courts responsible for the administration of Justice in England The House of Lords is the second house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom and is also commonly referred to as "the Lords" The Supreme Court of the United Kingdom was established in law by Part III of the Constitutional Reform Act 2005. The Supreme Court of Judicature of England and Wales is the highest court of first instance as well as an appellate court. The European Court of First Instance, created in 1989 is a court of the European Union. Court of Appeal, Court of Appeals, and Appellate Division redirect here for a list of specific courts using those titles see Court of Appeal The three divisions are the Court of Appeal; the High Court of Justice and the Crown Court. The Court of Appeal of England and Wales is the second most senior court in the English legal system, with only the Appellate Committee of the House of Lords above For the Cameroonian court by this name see High Court of Justice (Cameroon, for the Israeli court of this name see Supreme Court of Israel. For the TV programme see Crown Court (TV series. The Crown Court of England and Wales is together with the High Court of Justice Minor cases are heard by the Magistrates' Courts or the County Court. A magistrates' court or court of petty sessions, formerly known as a police court, is the lowest level of court in England and Wales and England and Wales The County Court is the Workhorse of the civil justice system in England and Wales.

Following devolution in 2006, the Welsh Assembly has authority to draft and approve some laws outside of the UK Parliamentary system to meet the specific needs of Wales. Devolution is the statutory granting of powers from the central government of a State to government at subnational level The National Assembly for Wales (Cynulliad Cenedlaethol Cymru is a devolved assembly with power to make legislation in 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 Under powers conferred by Legislative Competency Orders agreed by all parliamentary stakeholders, it is able to pass laws known as Assembly Measures in relation to specific fields, such as health and education. In Wales, a Legislative Competency Order or LCO (pronounced 'elco') is a piece of constitutional legislation in the form of an Order In Council In Wales, an Assembly Measure is Primary legislation that is a category lower than an Act of Parliament. Schedule 5 of the Government of Wales Act 2006 describes the 20 "Fields" and "Matters" in which the National Assembly for Wales has Legislative As such, Assembly Measures are a subordinate form of primary legislation, lacking the scope of UK-wide Acts of Parliament, but able to be passed without the approval of the UK parliament or Royal Assent for each 'act'. Primary legislation is Legislation made by the Legislative branch of Government. An Act of Parliament is a Law enacted as Primary legislation by a national or sub-national Parliament. Through this primary legislation, the Welsh Assembly Government can then also draft more specific secondary legislation. The Welsh Assembly Government (WAG (Llywodraeth Cynulliad Cymru LlCC) was firstly an executive body of the National Assembly for Wales, consisting of Delegated legislation (also referred to as secondary legislation or subordinate legislation) is Law made by an executive authority under powers given to With devolution, the ancient and historic Wales and Chester court circuit was also disbanded and a separate Welsh court circuit was created to allow for any Measures passed by the Assembly.

Principal areas

Main article: Subdivisions of Wales

See also: History of local government in Wales

The traditional counties of Wales have changed over the years. City Hall is a Civic building in Cathays Park, Cardiff, Wales. For Local government purposes Wales is divided into 22 Unitary authorities, which are responsible for the provision of all local government services including education The history of local government Wales in a recognisably modern form emerged during the late 19th century For the purposes of local government, Wales was divided into 22 council areas in 1996. These "unitary authorities" are responsible for the provision of all local government services. 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 There are five cities in Wales: Bangor, Cardiff (the capital), Newport, St David's and Swansea. Bangor, in Gwynedd, North Wales, is one of the smallest cities in the United Kingdom. Cardiff ( 'kɑːdɪf) is the Capital and the largest city and county in Wales. Newport (Casnewydd is a city and principal area in Wales, in the United Kingdom. St David's ( Welsh: Tyddewi) is the smallest city in the United Kingdom, with a population of under 2000 people Swansea ( Abertawe "mouth of the Tawe " is a city and county in Wales.

Unitary authorities of Wales

Merthyr Tydfil (Merthyr Tudful) † Caerphilly (Caerffili) † Blaenau Gwent † Torfaen (Tor-faen) † Monmouthshire (Sir Fynwy) Newport (Casnewydd) * Cardiff (Caerdydd) * Vale of Glamorgan (Bro Morgannwg) † Bridgend (Pen-y-bont ar Ogwr) † Rhondda Cynon Taf (Rhondda Cynon Tâf) † Neath Port Talbot (Castell-nedd Porth Talbot) † Swansea (Abertawe) * Carmarthenshire (Sir Gaerfyrddin) Ceredigion Powys Wrexham (Wrecsam) † Flintshire (Sir y Fflint) Denbighshire (Sir Ddinbych) Conwy † Gwynedd Isle of Anglesey (Ynys Môn) Pembrokeshire (Sir Benfro)

Areas are Counties, unless marked * (for Cities) or † (for County Boroughs). Merthyr Tydfil today Government The current Borough boundaries date back to 1974 when the former county borough of Merthyr Tydfil expanded slightly to cover History The county borough was formed on April 1, 1996 by the merger of the Rhymney Valley district of Mid Glamorgan with the Islwyn Government The borough was formed in 1974 as a local government district of Gwent. Education Secondary schools in the area are St Albans RC High School, Pontypool West Monmouth School, Pontypool Croesyceiliog School Ancient county See also Monmouthshire (historic The ancient county of Monmouthshire was formed from the Welsh Marches by the Laws in Wales Newport (Casnewydd is a city and principal area in Wales, in the United Kingdom. Cardiff ( 'kɑːdɪf) is the Capital and the largest city and county in Wales. Geography It has been a County borough (unitary authority since 1996, previously being part of South Glamorgan county Government The region is governed by Bridgend County Borough Council. History The county borough was formed on 1 April 1996, by the merger of the former Mid Glamorgan districts of Cynon Valley, Geography The majority of the population of Neath Port Talbot resides in the developed areas along corridors surrounding the M4 Motorway / South Wales Main Line Swansea ( Abertawe "mouth of the Tawe " is a city and county in Wales. Geography The county is bounded to the north by Ceredigion, to the east by Powys, Neath Port Talbot and Swansea, to the south by the 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. Government The region is governed as a unitary authority by Wrexham County Borough Council. History The current administrative area of Flintshire (a Unitary authority) came into existence in 1996 when the former Administrative county of Clwyd Formation The present principal area was formed on April 1, 1996, under the Local Government (Wales Act 1994, from various parts of the county Geography It contains the major settlements of Llandudno, Llandudno Junction, Llanrwst, Betws-y-Coed, Conwy, Colwyn Bay History Gwynedd was an independent kingdom from the end of the Roman period until the 13th Century when it was conquered and subjugated by England History There are numerous Megalithic monuments and Menhirs present on Anglesey testifying to the presence of mankind in prehistory Geography Pembrokeshire is a maritime County, bordered by the sea on three sides by Ceredigion (Cardiganshire to the northeast and by Welsh language forms are given in parentheses, where they differ from the English. Welsh ( cy Cymraeg or cy y Gymraeg, kəmˈrɑːɨɡ and {{IPA|[ə ɡəmˈrɑːɨɡ]}}, is a member of the Brythonic branch of Celtic

Geography

Main article: Geography of Wales

Wales is located on a peninsula in central-west Great Britain. Wales is located on a Peninsula in central-west Great Britain. A peninsula is a piece of land that is nearly surrounded by Water but connected to Mainland via an Isthmus. See also Kingdom of Great Britain Great Britain (Breatainn Mhòr Prydain Fawr Breten Veur Graet Breetain is the larger of the two main islands Its area, the size of Wales, is about 20,779 km² (8,023 square miles - about the same size as Massachusetts, Slovenia or El Salvador and about a quarter of the size of Scotland). This article describes unusual units of measurement that are sometimes used by Anglophone Scientists, especially Physicists and Mathematicians, and other The Commonwealth of Massachusetts ( is a state located in the New England region of the northeastern United States. Slovenia, officially the Republic of Slovenia (Republika Slovenija) is a Country in southern Central Europe bordering Italy to the west El Salvador ( República de El Salvador,) is a country in Central America. Scotland ( Gaelic: Alba) is a Country in northwest Europethat occupies the northern third of the island of Great Britain. It is about 274 km (170 miles) north-south and 97 km (60 miles) east-west. This is about the direction for other uses see North (disambiguation. South is one of Cardinal directions and is opposite to the North. The Experimental Advanced Superconducting Tokamak (EAST internal designation HT-7U is an experimental Superconducting Tokamak Magnetic fusion energy This article refers to the cardinal direction for other uses see West (disambiguation. Wales is bordered by England to the east and by sea in the other three directions: the Môr Hafren (Bristol Channel) to the south, St. George's Channel to the west, and the Irish Sea to the north. The Bristol Channel ( Môr Hafren) is a major inlet in the island of Great Britain, separating South Wales from Devon and Somerset St George's Channel ( Welsh: Sianel San Siôr, Irish Muir Bhreatan) is a channel The Irish Sea ( Irish: Muir Éireann or Muir Meann; Scottish Gaelic: Muir Eireann Welsh: Môr Iwerddon, Altogether, Wales has over 1,200 km (750 miles) of coastline. There are several islands off the Welsh mainland, the largest being Ynys Môn (Anglesey) in the northwest. This is a list of the Islands of Wales, the mainland of which is part of Great Britain, as well as a table of the largest Welsh islands by area History There are numerous Megalithic monuments and Menhirs present on Anglesey testifying to the presence of mankind in prehistory

The main population and industrial areas are in South Wales, consisting of the cities of Cardiff (Caerdydd), Swansea (Abertawe) and Newport (Casnewydd) and surrounding areas, with another significant population in the north-east around Wrexham (Wrecsam). 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 Cardiff ( 'kɑːdɪf) is the Capital and the largest city and county in Wales. Swansea ( Abertawe "mouth of the Tawe " is a city and county in Wales. Newport (Casnewydd is a city and principal area in Wales, in the United Kingdom. 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

Much of Wales' diverse landscape is mountainous, particularly in the north and central regions. For other meanings see Snowdon (disambiguation. Snowdon (Yr Wyddfa is the highest Mountain in Wales and the third History Gwynedd was an independent kingdom from the end of the Roman period until the 13th Century when it was conquered and subjugated by England A mountain is a Landform that extends above the surrounding Terrain in a limited area with a peak The mountains were shaped during the last ice age, the Devensian glaciation. An ice age is a period of long-term reduction in the Temperature of the Earth 's surface and atmosphere resulting in an expansion of continental Ice sheets "Last glacial" redirects here For the period of maximum glacier extent during this time see Last Glacial Maximum The last glacial period The highest mountains in Wales are in Snowdonia (Eryri), and include Snowdon (Yr Wyddfa), which, at 1085 m (3,560 ft) is the highest peak in Wales. Snowdonia (Eryri is a region of North Wales and a National park of in area For other meanings see Snowdon (disambiguation. Snowdon (Yr Wyddfa is the highest Mountain in Wales and the third The 14 (or possibly 15) Welsh mountains over 3,000 feet (914 m) high are known collectively as the Welsh 3000s. This is a list of what is known as the Welsh 3000s, ie those 15 mountains which have a height of 3000 ft (914 The Brecon Beacons (Bannau Brycheiniog) are in the south (highest point Pen-y-Fan 886 m (2,907 ft)), and are joined by the Cambrian Mountains in Mid Wales, the latter name being given to the earliest geological period of the Paleozoic era, the Cambrian. The Brecon Beacons (Bannau Brycheiniog is a Mountain range located in the south-east of Wales. Pen y Fan is the highest peak in South Wales, situated in the Brecon Beacons National Park. The Cambrian Mountains are a series of Mountain ranges in Wales, reaching from and including the South Wales mountains of the Brecon Beacons 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 The Paleozoic or Palaeozoic Era (from the Greek palaio (παλαιο "old" and zoe (ζωη "life" meaning "ancient life" The Cambrian is a geologic period and system that began about Ma (million years ago at the end of the Proterozoic eon and ended about Ma with

In the mid 19th century, two prominent geologists, Roderick Murchison and Adam Sedgwick, used their studies of the geology of Wales to establish certain principles of stratigraphy and palaeontology. A geologist is a contributor to the Science of Geology, studying the physical structure and processes of the Earth and planets of the solar system Sir Roderick Impey Murchison 1st Baronet KCB FRS ( 19 February, 1792 &ndash 22 October, 1871) was an influential Adam Sedgwick ( 22 March 1785 &ndash 27 January 1873) was one of the founders of modern Geology. Geology (from Greek γη gê, "earth" and λόγος Logos, "speech" lit Stratigraphy, a branch of Geology, studies rock layers and layering ( stratification) Palaeontology redirects here For the Scientific journal, see Palaeontology (journal. After much dispute, the next two periods of the Paleozoic era, the Ordovician and Silurian, were named after ancient Celtic tribes from this area. The Ordovician is a geologic period and system, the second of six of the Paleozoic era, and covers the time between 488 The Silurian is a geologic period and system that extends from the end of the Ordovician period about 443 Celts (ˈkɛlts or /ˈsɛlts/, see Names of the Celts The older rocks underlying the Cambrian rocks were referred to as Pre-cambrian. The Cambrian is a geologic period and system that began about Ma (million years ago at the end of the Proterozoic eon and ended about Ma with The Precambrian ( Pre-Cambrian) is an informal name for the supereon comprising the eons of the Geologic timescale that came before the current

Wales has three National Parks: Snowdonia, Brecon Beacons and Pembrokeshire Coast. A national park is a reserve of land usually declared and owned by a national Government, protected from most Human development and pollution Snowdonia (Eryri is a region of North Wales and a National park of in area The Brecon Beacons (Bannau Brycheiniog is a Mountain range located in the south-east of Wales. Pembrokeshire Coast National Park (Parc Cenedlaethol Arfordir Penfro is a national park along the Pembrokeshire coast in West Wales. It also has four Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty. An Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB is an area of countryside with significant landscape value in England, Wales or Northern Ireland These areas include Anglesey, the Clwydian Range, the Gower peninsula and the Wye Valley. History There are numerous Megalithic monuments and Menhirs present on Anglesey testifying to the presence of mankind in prehistory The Clwydian Range is a series of Hills in north east Wales that runs from Llandegla in the south to Prestatyn in the north with the highest The Wye Valley Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB is an internationally important protected landscape straddling the border between England and Wales. The Gower peninsula was the first area in the whole of the United Kingdom to be designated as an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, in 1956. The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located

Along with its Celtic cousins in Cornwall, the coastline of South and West Wales has more miles of Heritage Coast than anywhere else. Cornwall ( Kernow ˈkɛɹnɔʊ is the most southwesterly county of England, on the Peninsula that lies to the west of the River Tamar 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 The coastline of the Glamorgan Heritage Coast, the Gower peninsula, Pembrokeshire, Carmarthenshire, and Ceredigion is particularly wild and impressive. Geography Pembrokeshire is a maritime County, bordered by the sea on three sides by Ceredigion (Cardiganshire to the northeast and by Geography The county is bounded to the north by Ceredigion, to the east by Powys, Neath Port Talbot and Swansea, to the south by the 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 Gower, Carmarthenshire, Pembrokeshire and Cardigan Bay all have clean blue water, white sand beaches and impressive marine life. Cardigan Bay (Bae Ceredigion is a large inlet of the Irish Sea, indenting the west coast of Wales between the Llŷn and Pembrokeshire peninsulas Despite this scenic splendour the coast of Wales has a dark side; the south and west coasts of Wales, along with the Irish and Cornish coasts, are frequently blasted by huge Atlantic westerlies/south westerlies that, over the years, have sunk and wrecked many vessels. The Westerlies or the Prevailing Westerlies are the prevailing winds in the Middle latitudes between 30 and 60 degrees Latitude, blowing from On the night of October 25, 1859, 114 ships were destroyed off the coast of Wales when a hurricane blew in from the Atlantic; Cornwall and Ireland also had a huge number of fatalities on its coastline from shipwrecks that night. Ireland (pronounced /ˈaɾlənd/ Éire) is the third largest island in Europe, and the twentieth-largest island in the world Wales has the somewhat unenviable reputation, along with Cornwall, Ireland and Brittany, of having per square mile, some of the highest shipwreck rates in Europe. Brittany (Breizh bʁejs Bretagne; Gallo: Bertaèyn) is a former independent Celtic kingdom and Duchy, now incorporated into A shipwreck can refer to a wrecked ship or to the event that caused the wreck such as the striking of something that causes the ship to sink the stranding of the ship on rocks The shipwreck situation was particularly bad during the industrial era when ships bound for Cardiff got caught up in Atlantic gales and were decimated by "the cruel sea".

Like Cornwall, Brittany and Ireland, the clean, clear waters of South-west Wales of Gower, Pembrokeshire and Cardigan Bay attract marine visitors including basking sharks, Atlantic grey seals, leatherback turtles, dolphins, porpoises, jellyfish, crabs and lobsters. The basking shark, Cetorhinus maximus, is the second largest Fish, after the Whale shark. Turtles are Reptiles of the Order Testudines (all living turtles belong to the Crown group Chelonia) most of Dolphins are Marine mammals that are closely related to Whales and Porpoises There are almost forty species of dolphin in seventeen genera. Porpoises are Small Cetaceans of the Family Phocoenidae; they are related to Whales and Dolphins They are distinct from dolphins Jellyfish are free-swimming members of the phylum Cnidaria. They have several different basic morphologies that represent several different cnidarian classes including the Crabs are decapod Crustaceans of the infraorder Brachyura, which typically have a very short projecting "tail" (βραχύ / brachy Clawed lobsters compose a family ( Nephropidae, sometimes also Homaridae) of large marine Crustaceans Lobsters are economically important as Pembrokeshire and Ceredigion in particular are recognised as an area of international importance for Bottlenose dolphins, and New Quay in the middle of Cardigan Bay has the only summer residence of bottle nosed dolphins in the whole of the U. The Bottlenose Dolphin is one of the most common and well-known Dolphins. New Quay (Cei Newydd is both a traditional fishing Town and a Seaside resort on Cardigan Bay, Ceredigion, Wales. K.

The modern border between Wales and England was largely defined in the 16th century, based on medieval feudal boundaries. Feudalism, a term first used in the early modern period (17th century in its most classic sense refers to a Medieval Europe Political system composed The boundary line (which very roughly follows Offa's Dyke up to 40 miles (64 km) of the northern coast) separates Knighton from its railway station, virtually cuts off Church Stoke from the rest of Wales, and slices straight through the village of Llanymynech (where a pub actually straddles the line). Offa's Dyke (Clawdd Offa is a massive linear earthwork, roughly following some of the current border between England and Wales. Knighton (/naɪtɒn/ ( Welsh: Trefyclawdd or Trefyclo) is a small town situated chiefly in Powys, Wales. Churchstoke or Church Stoke ( Welsh: Yr Ystog) is a village in Powys, but adjacent to the English - Welsh border on the junction Llanymynech is a village straddling the border between Montgomeryshire / Powys, Wales and Shropshire, England about 9 miles (14 km

The Seven Wonders of Wales is a list in doggerel verse of seven geographic and cultural landmarks in Wales probably composed in the late 18th century under the influence of tourism from England. SPIMG0017ajpg|thumb|150px|right|Overton's yew trees]]The Seven Wonders of Wales is a traditional list of notable landmarks in North Wales, commemorated in an anonymously Doggerel is a derogatory term for Poetry considered of little literary value ^[30] All the "wonders" are in north Wales: Snowdon (the highest mountain), the Gresford bells (the peal of bells in the medieval church of All Saints at Gresford), the Llangollen bridge (built in 1347 over the River Dee, Afon Dyfrdwy), St Winefride's Well (a pilgrimage site at Holywell, Treffynnon) in Flintshire), the Wrexham (Wrecsam) steeple (16th century tower of St. Giles Church in Wrexham), the Overton Yew trees (ancient yew trees in the churchyard of St. Mary's at Overton-on-Dee) and Pistyll Rhaeadr (Wales' tallest waterfall, at 240 ft (73 m)). For other meanings see Snowdon (disambiguation. Snowdon (Yr Wyddfa is the highest Mountain in Wales and the third For the small towns of Gresford and East Gresford in New South Wales, Australia, see East Gresford New South Wales. All Saints' Church stand proudly in the former coal mining village of Gresford near the Welsh market town of Wrexham. For the small towns of Gresford and East Gresford in New South Wales, Australia, see East Gresford New South Wales. Llangollen (ɬaŋ'ɡoɬɛn is a small town in Denbighshire, north-east Wales, situated on the River Dee and on the edge of the Berwyn The River Dee ( Welsh: Afon Dyfrdwy) is a 70-mile-long (110 km River. St Winefride's Well is a Holy well located in Holywell, in Flintshire in North Wales. In Religion and Spirituality, a pilgrimage is a long journey or Search of great Moral significance Holywell (Treffynnon is the fifth largest Town in Flintshire, North Wales, lying to the west of the estuary History The current administrative area of Flintshire (a Unitary authority) came into existence in 1996 when the former Administrative county of Clwyd Saint Giles (Αιγίδιος Ægidius Gilles Egidio Egidio Gil c 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 The family Taxaceae, commonly called the yew family includes three genera and about 7 to 12 species of Coniferous Plants or in other interpretations Overton-on-Dee (Owrtyn is a small rural village from the market town of Wrexham in north-east Wales. Pistyll Rhaeadr is the tallest Waterfall in England and Wales. A waterfall is usually a geological formation resulting from water often in the form of a Stream, flowing over an Erosion -resistant rock The wonders are part of the rhyme:

Pistyll Rhaeadr and Wrexham steeple,

Snowdon's mountain without its people,

Overton yew trees, St Winefride's Wells,

Llangollen bridge and Gresford bells. Pistyll Rhaeadr is the tallest Waterfall in England and Wales. 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 For other meanings see Snowdon (disambiguation. Snowdon (Yr Wyddfa is the highest Mountain in Wales and the third St Winefride's Well is a Holy well located in Holywell, in Flintshire in North Wales. Llangollen (ɬaŋ'ɡoɬɛn is a small town in Denbighshire, north-east Wales, situated on the River Dee and on the edge of the Berwyn For the small towns of Gresford and East Gresford in New South Wales, Australia, see East Gresford New South Wales.

Climate

• Highest maximum temperature: 35. 2 °C (95. The Celsius Temperature scale was previously known as the centigrade scale. 4 °F) at Hawarden Bridge, Flintshire on 2 August 1990. Fahrenheit is a temperature scale named after Daniel Gabriel Fahrenheit (1686–1736 a German Physicist who proposed it in 1724 Hawarden Bridge is a Railway Bridge over the River Dee, near to Shotton, Flintshire, Wales. History The current administrative area of Flintshire (a Unitary authority) came into existence in 1996 when the former Administrative county of Clwyd Events 338 BC - A Macedonian army led by Philip II defeated the combined forces of Athens and Thebes in the Year 1990 ( MCMXC) was a Common year starting on Monday (link displays the 1990 Gregorian calendar)
• Lowest minimum temperature: -23. 3 °C (-10 °F) at Rhayader, Radnorshire on 21 January 1940. Rhayader (Rhaeadr Gwy meaning Wye Falls is a historic Market town in Powys, Wales. Radnorshire (Sir Faesyfed is one of thirteen ancient and former administrative counties of Wales. Events 1189 - Philip II of France and Richard I of England begin to assemble troops to wage the Third Crusade. Year 1940 ( MCMXL) was a Leap year starting on Monday (link will display the full 1940 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. [1]
• Maximum number of hours of sunshine in a month: 354. 3 hours at Dale Fort, Pembrokeshire in July 1955.
• Minimum number of hours of sunshine in a month: 2. 7 hours at Llwynon, Brecknockshire in January 1962. Brecknockshire (Sir Frycheiniog also known as the County of Brecknock, Breconshire, or the County of Brecon is one of thirteen historic counties [2]
• Maximum rainfall in a day (0900 UTC - 0900 UTC): 211 mm (8. 30 inches) at Rhondda, Glamorgan, on 11 November 1929. Glamorgan or Glamorganshire (Morgannwg is one of the thirteen historic counties and a former administrative county of Wales. Events 308 - The Congress of Carnuntum: Attempting to keep peace within the Roman Empire, the leaders of the Tetrarchy declare Year 1929 ( MCMXXIX) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. [3]

See also: List of towns in Wales

Economy

Main article: Economy of Wales

Parts of Wales have been heavily industrialised since the 18th century and the early Industrial Revolution. This is a link page for Towns in Wales. In Wales as in England and Northern Ireland a town is any settlement which has received a charter of incorporation more commonly known The Economy of Wales. In 2004 according to ONS provisional data headline Gross value added (GVA in Wales was £39243m making the Welsh economy the is a process of social and economic change whereby a human group is transformed from a Pre-industrial society into an industrial one The Industrial Revolution was a period in the late 18th and early 19th centuries when major changes in agriculture manufacturing and transportation had a profound effect on the Coal, copper, iron, silver, lead, and gold have been extensively mined in Wales, and slate has been quarried. Copper (ˈkɒpɚ is a Chemical element with the symbol Cu (cuprum and Atomic number 29 Iron (ˈаɪɚn is a Chemical element with the symbol Fe (ferrum and Atomic number 26 Silver (ˈsɪlvɚ is a Chemical element with the symbol " Ag " (argentum from the Ancient Greek: ἀργήντος - argēntos gen Characteristics Lead has a dull luster and is a dense, Ductile, very soft highly Gold (ˈɡoʊld is a Chemical element with the symbol Au (from its Latin name aurum) and Atomic number 79 Slate is a fine-grained foliated homogeneous, Metamorphic rock derived from an original Shale -type Sedimentary rock composed of Clay By the second half of the 19th century, mining and metallurgy had come to dominate the Welsh economy, transforming the landscape and society in the industrial districts of south and north-east Wales. Mining is the extraction of valuable Minerals or other geological materials from the earth usually (but not always from an Ore body Metallurgy is a domain of Materials science that studies the physical and chemical behavior of metallic elements, their intermetallic compounds, and their An economy is the realized social system of production exchange distribution and consumption of goods and services of a country or other area Landscape comprises the visible features of an area of land including physical elements such as Landforms living elements of flora and fauna abstract elements such as lighting A society is a Population of Humans characterized by patterns of relationships between individuals that share a distinctive Culture and Institutions

From the early 1970s, the Welsh economy faced massive restructuring with large numbers of jobs in traditional heavy industry disappearing and being replaced eventually by new ones in light industry and in services. Heavy industry does not have a single fixed meaning as compared to Light industry. Light industry is usually less Capital intensive than Heavy industry, and is more Consumer -oriented than Business -oriented (i Over this period Wales was successful in attracting an above average share of foreign direct investment (FDI) in the UK. Foreign direct investment ( FDI) in its classic definition is defined as a company from one country making a physical investment into building a factory in another country However, much of the new industry has essentially been of a 'branch factory' type, often routine assembly employing low skilled workers. An assembly line is a Manufacturing process in which parts (usually Interchangeable parts) are added to a product in a sequential manner using optimally planned A skill is the learned capacity or talent to carry out pre-determined results often with the minimum outlay of time energy or both.

Wales has struggled to develop or attract high value-added employment in sectors such as finance and research and development, attributable in part to a comparative lack of economic mass (i. Cardiff University (Prifysgol Caerdydd is a leading University located in the Cathays Park area of Cardiff, Wales, United Kingdom Value added refers to the additional value of a commodity over the cost of commodities used to produce it from the previous stage of production The field of finance refers to the concepts of Time, Money and Risk and how they are interrelated The phrase research and development (also R and D or more often R&D) according to the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development, refers e. population) - Wales lacks a large metropolitan centre and most of the country, except south east Wales, is sparsely populated. In Biology a population is the collection of inter-breeding organisms of a particular Species; in Sociology The lack of high value-added employment is reflected in lower economic output per head relative to other regions of the UK - in 2002 it stood at 90% of the EU25 average and around 80% of the UK average. Output is the term denoting either an exit or changes which exit a System and which activate/modify a Process. In Mathematics, an average, or central tendency of a Data set refers to a measure of the "middle" or " expected " value of However, care is needed in interpreting these data, which do not take account of regional differences in the cost of living. Cost of living is the Cost of maintaining a certain Standard of living. The gap in real living standards between Wales and more prosperous parts of the UK is not pronounced. The standard of living refers to the quality and quantity of goods and services available to people and the way these goods and services are distributed within a population

In 2002, the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of Wales was just over £26 billion ($48 billion), giving a per capita GDP of £12,651 ($19,546). As of 2006, the unemployment rate in Wales stood at 5. 7% - above the UK average, but lower than in the majority of EU countries.

Due to poor-quality soil, much of Wales is unsuitable for crop-growing, and livestock farming has traditionally been the focus of agriculture. Soil, often typeset as SOiL, is a four piece rock band from Chicago Illinois United States founded by Shaun Glass Tom Schofield Tim King and Adam Zadel Livestock is the term used to refer (singularly or plurally to a Domesticated Animal intentionally reared in an agricultural setting to produce such as Food Agriculture refers to the production of goods through the growing of plants and fungi and the raising of domesticated Animals The study of agriculture The Welsh landscape (protected by three National Parks) and 42 Blue Flag beaches, as well as the unique culture of Wales, attract large numbers of tourists, who play an especially vital role in the economy of rural areas. Landscape comprises the visible features of an area of land including physical elements such as Landforms living elements of flora and fauna abstract elements such as lighting A national park is a reserve of land usually declared and owned by a national Government, protected from most Human development and pollution Culture (from the Latin cultura stemming from colere, meaning "to cultivate" generally refers to patterns of human activity and the symbolic Tourism is Travel for Recreational or Leisure purposes The World Tourism Organization defines tourists as people who "travel [4]

Healthcare

Main article: NHS Wales

Public healthcare in Wales is provided by NHS Wales which was originally formed as part of the same NHS structure created by the National Health Service Act 1946 but with powers over the NHS in Wales coming under the Secretary of State for Wales in 1969^[31]. NHS Wales (GIG Cymru is the publicly funded healthcare system of Wales. The National Health Service Act 1946, along with the National Health Service (Scotland Act 1947, came into effect on 5 July 1948 and created the National In turn, responsibility for NHS Wales was passed to the Welsh Assembly and Executive under devolution in 1999. NHS Wales provides public healthcare in Wales and employs some 90,000 staff, making it Wales’ biggest employer. ^[32]The Minister for Health and Social Services is the person within the Welsh Assembly Government who holds cabinet responsibilities for both health and social care in Wales.

Demography

Main articles: Demography of Wales and Demography of the United Kingdom

The population of Wales in the United Kingdom Census 2001 was 2,903,085, which has risen to 2,958,876 according to 2005 estimates. See also 2001 Census Controversy Demographics of Wales as at the 2001 UK Census Population 2903085 Male 1403782 Female 1499303 According to the 2001 census the total population of the United Kingdom was 58789194 - the third-largest in the European Union (behind Germany and metropolitan In Biology a population is the collection of inter-breeding organisms of a particular Species; in Sociology A nationwide Census, commonly known as Census 2001, was conducted in the United Kingdom on Sunday 29 April 2001 This would make Wales the 132nd largest country by population if it were a sovereign state. List of countries by population in 2005|List of countries by population in 1907This is a list of countries ordered according to Population.

According to the 2001 census, 96% of the population was White British, and 2. A census is the procedure of acquiring information about every member of a given population White People is the second album by Handsome Boy Modeling School. The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located 1% non-white (mainly of Asian origin). British Asians are British citizens who are immigrants or descendants of immigrants from India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka ^[33] Most non-white groups were concentrated in the southern port cities of Cardiff, Newport and Swansea. Cardiff ( 'kɑːdɪf) is the Capital and the largest city and county in Wales. Newport (Casnewydd is a city and principal area in Wales, in the United Kingdom. Swansea ( Abertawe "mouth of the Tawe " is a city and county in Wales. Welsh Asian communities developed mainly through immigration since World War II. 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 More recently, parts of Wales have seen an increased number of immigrants settle from recent EU accession countries such as Poland - although some Poles also settled in Wales in the immediate aftermath of World War II. Enlargement of the European Union is the process of expanding the European Union (EU through the accession of new member states. Poland (Polska officially the Republic of Poland 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

In the 2001 Labour Force Survey, 72% of adults in Wales considered their national identity as wholly Welsh and another 7% considered themselves to be partly Welsh (Welsh and British were the most common combination). Roald Dahl Plass ( Welsh: Plas Roald Dahl) is a public Plaza in Cardiff Bay, part of Cardiff, Wales. Cardiff ( 'kɑːdɪf) is the Capital and the largest city and county in Wales. A recent study estimated that 35% of the Welsh population have surnames of Welsh origin (5. 4% of the English population and 1. 6% of the Scottish also bore 'Welsh' names). ^[34] However, some names identified as English (such as 'Greenaway') may be corruptions of Welsh ('Goronwy'). Other names common in Wales, such as 'Richards', may have originated simultaneously in other parts of Britain.

In 2001 a quarter of the Welsh population were born outside Wales, mainly in England; about 3% were born outside the UK. The proportion of people who were born in Wales differs across the country, with the highest percentages in the South Wales Valleys, and the lowest in Mid Wales and parts of the north-east. 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 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 In both Blaenau Gwent and Merthyr Tydfil 92% were Welsh-born, compared to only 51% in Flintshire and 56% in Powys. Government The borough was formed in 1974 as a local government district of Gwent. Merthyr Tydfil today Government The current Borough boundaries date back to 1974 when the former county borough of Merthyr Tydfil expanded slightly to cover History The current administrative area of Flintshire (a Unitary authority) came into existence in 1996 when the former Administrative county of Clwyd This article is about the county of Wales For the ancient kingdom see Kingdom of Powys. ^[35] One of the reasons for this is that the locations of the most convenient hospitals in which to give birth are over the border in England.

Languages

Main articles: English language and Welsh language

The Welsh Language Act 1993 and the Government of Wales Act 1998 provide that the Welsh and English languages be treated on a basis of equality. 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 The Welsh Language Act 1993 is an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, which put the Welsh language on an equal footing with the English This is about the Act that set up the Welsh Assembly For the newer Government of Wales Act 2006, see that article 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 However, even English has only de facto official status in the UK (see Languages of the United Kingdom) and this has led political groups like Plaid Cymru to question whether such legislation is sufficient to ensure the survival of the Welsh language. The United Kingdom does not have a constitutionally defined Official language. Plaid Cymru (plaɪd ˈkəmri The Party of Wales often referred to simply as Plaid) is a Political party in Wales. ^[36]

English is spoken by almost all people in Wales and is therefore the de facto main language (see Welsh English). Welsh English, Anglo-Welsh, or Wenglish (see below refers to the Dialects of English spoken in Wales by Welsh people. However, northern and western Wales retain many areas where Welsh is spoken as a first language by the majority of the population and English is learnt as a second language. 21. 7% of the Welsh population is able to speak or read Welsh to some degree (based on the 2001 census), although only 16% claim to be able to speak, read and write it, which may be related to the stark differences between colloquial and literary Welsh. Welsh ( cy Cymraeg or cy y Gymraeg, kəmˈrɑːɨɡ and {{IPA|[ə ɡəmˈrɑːɨɡ]}}, is a member of the Brythonic branch of Celtic According to a language survey conducted in 2004, a larger proportion that 21. 7% claim to have some knowledge of the language. ^[37] Today there are very few truly monoglot Welsh speakers, other than small children, but individuals still exist who may be considered less than fluent in English and rarely speak it. There were still many monoglots as recently as the middle of the 20th century. ^[38] Road signs in Wales are generally in both English and Welsh; where place names differ in the two languages, both versions are used (e. g. "Cardiff" and "Caerdydd").

During the 20th century a number of small communities of speakers of languages other than English or Welsh, such as Bengali or Cantonese, have established themselves in Wales as a result of immigration. This phenomenon is almost exclusive to urban Wales. The Italian Government funds the teaching of Italian to Welsh residents of Italian ancestry. Italian ( or lingua italiana) is a Romance language spoken by about 63 million people as a First language, primarily in Italy. These other languages do not have legal equality with English and Welsh, although public services may produce information leaflets in minority ethnic languages where there is a specific need, as happens elsewhere in the United Kingdom.

Code-switching is common in all parts of Wales, and the result is known by various names, such as "Wenglish" or (in Caernarfon) "Cofi". Code-switching is a term in Linguistics referring to using more than one language or variety in conversation Caernarfon (the original Welsh spelling is now almost always used in preference to the anglicised forms "Caernarvon" or "Carnarvon" is a

Religion

The largest religion in Wales is Christianity, with 72% of the population describing themselves as Christian in the 2001 census. A religion is a set of Tenets and practices often centered upon specific Supernatural and moral claims about Reality, the Cosmos Christianity ( Greek Χριστιανισμός from the word Xριστός ( Christ)is a monotheistic Religion centered on the life and teachings The Presbyterian Church of Wales is the largest denomination and was born out of the Welsh Methodist revival in the 18th century and seceded from the Church of England in 1811. The Presbyterian Church of Wales (Eglwys Bresbyteraidd Cymru also known as The Calvinistic Methodist Church (cy ''Yr Eglwys Fethodistaidd Galfinaidd'' is a denomination The Welsh Methodist revival of the 18th century was one of the most significant religious and social movements in the history of Wales. The Church of England is the officially established Christian church in England, the Mother Church of the worldwide Anglican The Church in Wales is the next largest denomination, and forms part of the Anglican Communion. The Church in Wales (Yr Eglwys yng Nghymru is a member Church of the Anglican Communion, consisting of six Dioceses in Wales. See also Anglicanism The Anglican Communion is an international association of national Anglican churches It too was part of the Church of England, and was disestablished by the British Government under the Welsh Church Act 1914 (the act did not take effect until 1920). The Welsh Church Act 1914 is an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom under which the Welsh part of the Church of England was separated The Roman Catholic Church makes up the next largest denomination at 3% of the population. Non-Christian religions are small in Wales, making up approximately 1. 5% of the population. 18% of people declare no religion. The Apostolic Church holds its annual Apostolic Conference in Swansea each year, usually in August.

The patron saint of Wales is Saint David (Welsh: Dewi Sant), with St David's Day (Welsh: Dydd Gŵyl Dewi Sant) celebrated annually on March 1. The patron saint of a particular group of people is a Saint who would protect and 'love' the group and its members Saint David ( c. 500–589 ('Dewi Sant' was a church official later regarded as a Saint and as the Patron saint of Wales. Saint David's Day ( Welsh: Dydd Gŵyl Dewi) is the feast day of Saint David, the Patron saint of Wales, and falls on Events 86 BC - Lucius Cornelius Sulla, at the head of a Roman Republic army enters in Athens, removing the Tyrant

In 1904, there was a religious revival (known by some as the 1904-1905 Welsh Revival or simply The 1904 Revival) which started through the evangelism of Evan Roberts and took many parts of Wales by storm with massive numbers of people voluntarily converting to Nonconformist and Anglican Christianity, sometimes whole communities. The Welsh Revival (1904–1905 was the largest full scale Christian Revival of Wales of the 20th century. Evan Roberts may refer to Evan Roberts (botanist Evan Roberts (radio personality Evan Roberts (minister, figure Nonconformism is the refusal to conform to common standards conventions rules customs traditions norms or laws Anglicanism is a tradition of Christian faith Churches in this tradition either have historical connections to the Church of England or have similar beliefs Christianity ( Greek Χριστιανισμός from the word Xριστός ( Christ)is a monotheistic Religion centered on the life and teachings Many of the present-day Pentecostal churches in Wales claim to have originated in this revival. Pentecostalism is a renewalist religious movement within Christianity that places special emphasis on the direct personal experience of God through the Baptism

Islam is the largest non-Christian religion in Wales, with over 30,000 reported Muslims in the 2001 census. For other meanings including people named 'Islam' see Islam (disambiguation. There are also communities of Hindus and Sikhs mainly in the South Wales cities of Newport, Cardiff and Swansea, while curiously the largest concentration of Buddhists is in the western rural county of Ceredigion. Hinduism is a religious tradition that originated in the Indian subcontinent. Sikhism ( IPA: or; ਸਿੱਖੀ sikkhī, IPA:) founded on the teachings of Nanak and nine successive gurus in fifteenth century 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 Newport (Casnewydd is a city and principal area in Wales, in the United Kingdom. Cardiff ( 'kɑːdɪf) is the Capital and the largest city and county in Wales. Swansea ( Abertawe "mouth of the Tawe " is a city and county in Wales. Buddhism is a family of beliefs and practices 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 Judaism was the first non-Christian faith (excluding pre-Roman animism) to be established in Wales, however as of the year 2001 the community has declined to approximately 2,000. Judaism (from the Greek Ioudaïsmos, derived from the Hebrew יהודה Yehudah, " Judah " in Hebrew יַהֲדוּת Yahedut ^[39]

Culture

Main article: Culture of Wales

Sport

Main article: Sport in Wales

The most popular sports in Wales are Rugby Union and football. Wales has a distinctive Culture including its own language, customs Holidays and Music. The most popular sports in Wales are Rugby union, Cricket and football. Overview See also Playing rugby union A rugby union match lasts for 80 minutes (plus stoppage time with a short Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a Team sport played between two teams of eleven players and is widely considered Wales, like other constituent nations, enjoys independent representation in major world sporting events such as the FIFA World Cup, Rugby World Cup and in the Commonwealth Games (however as Great Britain in the Olympics). The FIFA World Cup, occasionally called the Football World Cup, but usually referred to simply as the World Cup, is an international Association football The Rugby World Cup is the premier international Rugby union competition 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 Kingdom of Great Britain Great Britain (Breatainn Mhòr Prydain Fawr Breten Veur Graet Breetain is the larger of the two main islands The Olympic Games is an international Multi-sport event established for both summer and winter games As in New Zealand, rugby is a core part of the national identity, although football has traditionally been more popular sport in the North Wales, possibly due to its close proximity to England's north-west. New Zealand is an Island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses (the North Island and the South Island North Wales (Gogledd Cymru is the northernmost unofficial region of Wales, bordered to the south by Mid Wales and to the east by England. Wales has its own governing bodies in rugby, the Welsh Rugby Union and in football, the Football Association of Wales (the third oldest in the world) and most other sports. The Welsh Rugby Union (WRU ( Undeb Rygbi Cymru) is the governing body of Rugby union in Wales, recognised by the International Rugby Board The Football Association of Wales (Cymdeithas Bêl-droed Cymru is the governing body of Association football in Wales, being a member of both FIFA Many of Wales' top athletes, sportsmen and sportswomen train at the Welsh Institute of Sport and National Indoor Athletics Centre in Cardiff, the Wales National Velodrome in Newport and the Wales National Pool in Swansea. The Welsh Institute of Sport is an organisation set up in 1972 to assist in the development of the top athletes in Wales. The National Indoor Athletics Centre is an indoor track and field athletics sports venue in the city of Cardiff, Wales. Newport International Sports Village is located in the southeast of the city of Newport just off the A48 Southern Distributor Road. The Wales National Pool (Pwll Cenedlaethol Cymru in the Sketty area of Swansea, Wales, UK is a 50 metre Swimming pool built to However the Cardiff International Swimming Pool is the only Olympic standard pool in Wales. The Cardiff International Pool ( Welsh: Pwll Rhyngwladol Caerdydd) is located in the Cardiff International Sports Village in Cardiff, Wales

The Welsh national rugby union team takes part in the annual Six Nations Championship, and the Rugby World Cup. The Wales national rugby union team represent Wales in international The Six Nations Championship (referred to as RBS 6 Nations for sponsorship reasons known before 2000 as the Five Nations Championship, is an annual international The Rugby World Cup is the premier international Rugby union competition Welsh teams also play in the European Heineken Cup and Magners League (rugby union) alongside teams from Ireland and Scotland, the EDF Energy Cup and the European Heineken Cup. The European Rugby Cup (known as the Heineken Cup because of the tournament's sponsorship by Heineken) is an annual Rugby union competition involving leading Ireland (pronounced /ˈaɾlənd/ Éire) is the third largest island in Europe, and the twentieth-largest island in the world Scotland ( Gaelic: Alba) is a Country in northwest Europethat occupies the northern third of the island of Great Britain. The EDF Energy Cup (also known as the Anglo-Welsh Cup) is an English and Welsh Rugby union knock-out cup competition featuring the The European Rugby Cup (known as the Heineken Cup because of the tournament's sponsorship by Heineken) is an annual Rugby union competition involving leading Wales hosted the 1999 Rugby World Cup. The 1999 Rugby World Cup was the fourth Rugby World Cup and the first to be held in Rugby union 's professional era. Wales most recognised club teams include Llanelli, Swansea, Neath, Newport and Cardiff. Llanelli Rugby Football Club ( Clwb Rygbi Llanelli) is a Welsh rugby union team founded in 1872 Swansea Rugby Football Club is a Welsh Rugby union team which plays in the Welsh Premier Division. Neath Rugby Football Club is a Welsh Rugby union club which plays in the Welsh Premier Division. Newport Rugby Football Club is a Welsh Rugby union club based in the city of Newport, South Wales Cardiff Rugby Football Club was founded in 1876 The club played their first few matches at Sophia Gardens, but soon relocated to Cardiff Arms Park, where they With the recent regional rugby setup however these teams were relegated to an amateur game with the four professional regions (Llanelli Scarlets, Cardiff Blues, Newport Gwent Dragons and Neath-Swansea Ospreys) competing in the aforementioned tournaments. Cardiff Blues (Gleision Caerdydd are one of the four professional Welsh Rugby union teams The Newport Gwent Dragons (Dreigiau Casnewydd Gwent are one of the four professional Rugby Union teams in Wales The Ospreys (Y Gweilch formerly the Neath-Swansea Ospreys ( Gweilch Tawe-Nedd) are a Rugby union team from Wales playing in the Celtic League Wales has produced ten members of the International Rugby Hall of Fame including Gareth Edwards, JPR Williams and Gerald Davies. The International Rugby Hall of Fame (IRHOF is a Hall of fame for Rugby union. Gareth Owen Edwards CBE (born 12 July 1947 in Pontardawe, Wales is a former Welsh Rugby union footballer who played scrum-half, considered by John Peter Rhys Williams (born 2 March 1949 in Cardiff, Wales known universally as J Thomas Gerald Reames Davies CBE (born 7 February 1945 in Llansaint) is one of the acknowledged greats of Welsh rugby, playing for the side between 1966 Newport Rugby Club also achieved an historic win over the 'invincible' New Zealand Rugby team of 1963. The All Blacks are New Zealand's national team in Rugby union, the country's National sport. A similar feat was achieved by Llanelli Rugby Club in October 1972, although the 1972 New Zealand squad is often seen as an inferior touring team to the 1963 squad. Llanelli Rugby Football Club ( Clwb Rygbi Llanelli) is a Welsh rugby union team founded in 1872 New Zealand is an Island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses (the North Island and the South Island

Wales has had its own football league since 1992 although, for historical reasons, two Welsh clubs (Cardiff City, and Swansea City) play in the English Football League and another four Welsh clubs in its feeder leagues. The Welsh Premier League is the national football league for Wales and is at the top of the Welsh football league system. Cardiff City Football Club (Clwb Pêl-droed Dinas Caerdydd is a football team based in Cardiff, Wales. Swansea City AFC ( Welsh: Clwb Pêl-droed Dinas Abertawe) is a Welsh football team playing in the Coca Cola Championship from The Football League, also known as the Coca-Cola Football League for sponsorship reasons is a league competition featuring professional football clubs (Wrexham, Newport County, Merthyr Tydfil, and Colwyn Bay. Wrexham Association Football Club (Clwb Pêl-droed Wrecsam nicknamed The Red Dragons, or more traditionally The Robins, their previous nickname are a professional Newport County are a Welsh football team based in the city of Newport. Merthyr Tydfil Football Club is a Welsh football club based at the Penydarren Park ground in Merthyr Tydfil, Glamorgan. Colwyn Bay FC are a Welsh football club who currently play in the Northern Premier League Division One North. )

Rugby league is now developing in Wales. 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 There has been a national league since 2003 and the admission of the Bridgend-based Celtic Crusaders to National League Two in 2006 brought the semi-professional game to Wales. Bridgend (Pen-y-bont ar Ogwr is a town in the Country Borough of Bridgend in Wales. The Celtic Crusaders are a Rugby league club based in Bridgend, Wales, United Kingdom. Media Some games are shown on Sky Sports, games involving Celtic Crusaders are shown on Welsh-language channel S4C.

In international cricket, England and Wales field a single representative team which is administered by the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB). Cricket is a bat-and-ball team Sport that originated in England and is now played in more than 100 countries The England and Wales Cricket Board ( ECB) ( Bwrdd Criced Cymru a Lloegr) is the governing body of Cricket in England and Wales. There is a separate Wales team that occasionally participates in limited-overs domestic competition. The Welsh cricket team has appeared on a number of occasions Generally however Welsh players are represented in international play by England. Glamorgan County Cricket Club is the only Welsh participant in the England and Wales County Championship. Glamorgan County Cricket Club (Criced Morgannwg is one of the 18 major county clubs which make up the English and Welsh national Cricket structure A Wales team also plays in the English Minor Counties competition. The minor counties are the Cricketing counties of England and Wales that are not afforded first class status However there has been recent debate as to whether Welsh players (such as Simon Jones) should play for an England team, and not an England and Wales team. Simon Philip Jones MBE (born 25 December 1978 in Swansea, Glamorgan) is a Welsh Cricketer who plays for Worcestershire County

Wales' other bat-and-ball sport is British Baseball, which is chiefly confined to Cardiff and Newport, two cities with very long baseball traditions. 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 Cardiff ( 'kɑːdɪf) is the Capital and the largest city and county in Wales. Newport (Casnewydd is a city and principal area in Wales, in the United Kingdom. The sport is governed by the Welsh Baseball Union.

The Isle of Anglesey/Ynys Môn is a member island of the International Island Games Association. History There are numerous Megalithic monuments and Menhirs present on Anglesey testifying to the presence of mankind in prehistory International Island Games Association (IGA is an organisation the sole purpose of which is to organise the Island Games a friendly biennial Athletic competition between teams The next Island Games will be held in 2007 on Rhodes (Greece). In the 2005 Games, held on the Shetland Islands, the Isle of Anglesey/Ynys Môn came 11th on the medal table with 4 gold, 2 silver and 2 bronze medals.

Wales has produced several world class snooker players such as Ray Reardon, Terry Griffiths, Mark Williams, Matthew Stevens and Ryan Day. Snooker is a Cue sport that is played on a large Baize -covered table with pockets in each of the four corners and in the middle of each of the long Ray Reardon MBE ( 8 October 1932) is a retired Welsh Snooker player Terrence " Terry " Griffiths OBE (born October 16, 1947, Llanelli) is a retired Welsh Mark Williams (or Marc Williams) may refer to Australia Mark M Matthew Stevens (born 11 September 1977, Carmarthen Wales) is a Welsh professional Snooker player Ryan Day (born 23 March 1980, in Pontycymer, Bridgend, Wales) is a Welsh professional Snooker player Amateur participation in the sport is very high. The rugged terrain of the country also gives plenty of opportunities for rally driving and Wales currently hosts the finale of the World Rally Championship. History Early The World Rally Championship was formed from well-known international rallies nine of which were previously part of the International Championship Glamorgan compete in county cricket competitions and the Cardiff Devils were once a strong force in British ice hockey. Glamorgan County Cricket Club (Criced Morgannwg is one of the 18 major county clubs which make up the English and Welsh national Cricket structure 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 Ice hockey, often referred to simply as hockey, is a team Sport played on Ice. Wales has also produced a number of athletes who have made a mark on the world stage, including the 110 m hurdler Colin Jackson who is a former world record holder and the winner of numerous Olympic, World and European medals as well as Tanni Grey-Thompson who has won many Paralympic gold medals and Marathon victories in her illustrious career. Colin Ray Jackson CBE (born 18 February 1967 in Cardiff, Wales) is a Welsh former sprint Dame Tanni Carys Davina Grey-Thompson DBE (born 26 July 1969 in Cardiff Wales) is a Welsh athlete and TV presenter

There is also some success in boxing. Joe Calzaghe the half-Welsh, half-Italian boxer has been WBO World Super-Middleweight Champion since 1997 and recently won the WBA, WBC and Ring Magazine super middleweight titles. Joseph William Calzaghe CBE (born 23 March 1972 in Hammersmith, London, England) is a Welsh Boxer. The World Boxing Organization ( WBO) is a sanctioning organization currently recognizing professional Boxing world champions Former World champions include Enzo Maccarinelli, Gavin Rees, Colin Jones, Howard Winstone, Percy Jones, Jimmy Wilde, Steve Robinson and Robbie Regan. Enzo Maccarinelli (born August 20, 1980 in Swansea, Wales) is a professional boxer and former WBO World Cruiserweight Gavin Rees (born May 10, 1980 in Newbridge) is a professional boxer Colin Jones may refer to Colin Jones (artist Colin Jones (boxer Colin Jones (thinker Colin Jones Howard Winstone, MBE (born 15 April, 1939 in Merthyr Tydfil &ndash died 30 September, 2000) was a Welsh Rhondda's Percy Jones ( December 26 1892 &ndash December 25 1922) became the first Welshman ever to win a World Boxing Jimmy Wilde ( 15 May 1892 &ndash 10 March 1969) was a former Welsh world Boxing champion Steve Robinson (born 13 December 1968 Cardiff, Wales) is a Welsh retired professional boxer Robbie Regan (born 1968-08-30 in Caerphilly, Wales is a Welsh former professional boxer.

Two Welsh drivers have competed in the Formula One championship: the first was Alan Rees at the 1967 British Grand Prix, who finished in ninth position, four laps behind the winner, Jim Clark. Alan Rees (born January 12, 1938 in Langstone, Monmouthshire) is a British former Racing driver of the 1960s from The 1967 British Grand Prix was a Formula One race held at Silverstone on July 15, 1967. Jim (or Jimmy) Clark OBE ( 4 March, 1936 &ndash 7 April, 1968) was a Scottish Formula One Tom Pryce was the more notable of the two drivers, as he finished on the podium twice and, at the 1975 British Grand Prix, qualified in pole position. Thomas Maldwyn Pryce (11 June 1949 &ndash 5 March 1977 was a British Racing driver from Ruthin, Wales. Results from the 1975 Formula One British Grand Prix held at Silverstone on July 19, 1975. The term " pole position " comes from the Horse racing term where the number one starter starts on the inside next to the inside pole Pryce's career was cut short after he collided with volunteer marshal, Jansen Van Vuuren, killing both instantly. The 1977 South African Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at Kyalami on March 5, 1977. As well as Formula One, Wales have had some notability in the World Rally Championship, producing two championship winning Co-Drivers, those being Nicky Grist, who helped Colin McRae to victory in 1995 and Phil Mills who helped Petter Solberg win the 2003 title. History Early The World Rally Championship was formed from well-known international rallies nine of which were previously part of the International Championship Nicky Grist (born 1 November 1961 in Ebbw Vale) is a Welsh rally Co-driver. Colin Steele McRae, MBE ( August 5, 1968 &ndash September 15, 2007) was a Scottish rally driver born in Phil Mills (born 30 August 1963 in Trefeglwys, Powys) is a Welsh Rally racing Co-driver. Petter "Hollywood" Solberg (born November 18, 1974 in Askim) from Spydeberg i Østfold, Norway, is a professional

Freddie Williams was World Motorcycle speedway champion twice - in 1950 and 1953 - and the country has a professional speedway team, Newport Wasps. Freddie Williams is a former Motorcycle speedway rider from Wales who was World Champion on two occasions Motorcycle speedway, usually referred to as speedway, is a Motorcycle sport involving four and sometimes up to six riders competing over four anti-clockwise Qualification 9 events in Great Britain. World Final September 22 1950 London, Newport Wasps are a British Speedway team based in Newport, Wales. The Millennium Stadium in Cardiff hosts the annual British Speedway Grand Prix, the United Kingdom's round of the World Championship. The Millennium Stadium (Stadiwm y Mileniwm is the National stadium of Wales, located in the capital Cardiff. Cardiff ( 'kɑːdɪf) is the Capital and the largest city and county in Wales. Event format The format for a Speedway Grand Prix changed for the 2007 season onwards

Other notable Welsh sports people include 11 times gold medal winning paralympic athlete Tanni Grey-Thompson, footballer Ryan Giggs who is currently playing for Manchester United in the English Premiership, and formerly for the Welsh national team football team prior to his retirement from international football, BDO world darts champions Richie Burnett and Mark Webster, international champion cyclists Nicole Cooke and Geraint Thomas, who competed in the 2007 Tour de France and Commonwealth Games gold and bronze medallist in shooting Dave Phelps. The Paralympic Games are a multi-sport event for athletes with physical and sensorial disabilities Dame Tanni Carys Davina Grey-Thompson DBE (born 26 July 1969 in Cardiff Wales) is a Welsh athlete and TV presenter Ryan Joseph Giggs OBE (born Ryan Joseph Wilson on 29 November 1973 in Ely, Cardiff, Wales, United Kingdom Darts refers to a variety of related games in which darts are thrown at a circular target (dartboard hung on a wall Richie Burnett (born February 7, 1967 in Cwmparc, Rhondda) is a former World Champion Welsh darts player. Nicole Denise Cooke (born 13 April 1983) is a Welsh Road bicycle racer, world road race champion and Olympic Gold medallist Geraint Howell Thomas (born 25 May 1986 in Cardiff) is a Welsh professional Racing cyclist who rides for the UCI Professional Continental team History See also:CategoryTour de France by year The dominant sports newspaper in France The Commonwealth Games is a multinational Multi-sport event. Held every four years it involves the elite athletes of the Commonwealth of Nations.

Since 2006, Wales has had its own professional golf tour, the Dragon Tour. Notable Welsh golfers include Brian Huggett, Ian Woosnam and Phillip Price. Brian Huggett (born 18 November, 1936) is a Welsh professional Golfer In 2006 he was inducted into the Welsh Sports Hall of Fame. Career outline Woosnam was born in the town of Oswestry in England, and his family lived in the nearby village of St Martin's in Shropshire John Phillip Price (born 21 October 1966) is a Welsh professional Golfer who plays on the European Tour. The Celtic Manor in Newport will host the 2010 Ryder Cup. The Celtic Manor Resort is a Golf -centric Hotel and leisure resort in the city of Newport, South Wales, United Kingdom. Newport (Casnewydd is a city and principal area in Wales, in the United Kingdom. The Ryder Cup is a Golf trophy donated by Samuel Ryder, which is awarded Biennially in an event called the "Ryder Cup Matches" between teams from

Media

Main article: Media in Wales

See also: Media in Cardiff

Cardiff is home to the Welsh national media. Media in CardiffThe media in Wales provides services for people in both English and Welsh, and plays an important role in modern Welsh culture. As the capital of Wales Media in Cardiff plays a large role in the city and nationwide BBC Wales is based in Llandaff, Cardiff and produces Welsh-oriented output for BBC One and BBC Two channels. BBC Wales ( BBC Cymru) is a division of the British Broadcasting Corporation for Wales. Llandaff ( Welsh Llandaf llan church + Taf) is a district in the City of Cardiff, Wales, having BBC 2W is the Welsh digital version of BBC Two, and broadcasts between 8. 30pm and 10pm each week night for specific Wales based programming. ITV the UK's main commercial broadcaster has a Welsh-oriented service branded as ITV Wales, whose studios are in Culverhouse Cross, Cardiff. Independent Television (generally known as ITV) is a public service network of British commercial television broadcasters set up under the Independent Culverhouse Cross (Croes Cwrlwys is Suburban district of the City of Cardiff, Wales. S4C, based in Llanishen, Cardiff, broadcasts mostly Welsh-language programming at peak hours, but shares English-language content with Channel 4 at other times. S4C (Sianel Pedwar Cymru meaning Channel Four Wales) is a television channel in Wales There is also a Llanishen in Monmouthshire Llanishen ( Welsh Llanisien llan church + Isien Channel 4 is a public-service Television and Radio broadcaster in the United Kingdom centred around a television channel of the same name which began S4C Digidol (S4C Digital), on the other hand, broadcasts mostly in Welsh. Channel 4 and Channel 5 are now available in most parts of the country via digital television and satellite.

BBC Radio Wales is Wales's only national English-language radio station, while BBC Radio Cymru broadcasts throughout Wales in Welsh. There are also a number of independent radio stations across Wales. Radio stations around the country include Red Dragon FM, Xfm South Wales, Marcher Sound, Coast FM, Swansea Sound, 96. XFM South Wales was a UK Regional Radio Station owned by GCap Media broadcasting alternative music to an 18-25 audience in South Wales Marcher Sound (formerly MFM 1034) is a radio station broadcasting to north east Wales and north west England from its Mold Road studios in Gwersyllt Coast 963 (formerly Marcher Coast FM) is a commercial Radio station in Wales, available along the North Wales coast 4FM The Wave, Radio Pembrokeshire, Radio Carmarthenshire, Champion 103, Radio Ceredigion and Real Radio. Radio Pembrokeshire is an independent local radio station (ILR located in Narberth Pembrokeshire, Wales. Real Radio is a brand of Independent local radio stations in the United Kingdom owned by GMG Radio. Most of the newspapers sold and read in Wales are national newspapers sold and read throughout Britain, unlike in Scotland where many newspapers have rebranded into Scottish based titles. Wales-based newspapers include: South Wales Echo, South Wales Argus, South Wales Evening Post, Liverpool Daily Post (Welsh edition) and Y Cymro, a Welsh language publication. The South Wales Echo is a daily Newspaper distributed in South Wales. The South Wales Argus is a daily Newspaper published in the city of Newport. The South Wales Evening Post is a Tabloid evening Newspaper that serves South West Wales from Swansea. The Liverpool Daily Post is a newspaper published by Trinity Mirror on Merseyside in England. Y Cymro ("The Welshman" is a Welsh language Newspaper, first published in 1932 The Western Mail is the main daily newspaper and includes a Sunday edition Wales on Sunday. Both are published by the UK's largest newspaper corporation -- Trinity Mirror. Trinity Mirror plc is a large United Kingdom Newspaper and Magazine publisher The Western Mail and South Wales Echo have their offices in Thomson House, Cardiff city centre

The first Welsh language daily, Y Byd, was due to commence on 3 March 2008. 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 Y Byd (The World was an attempt to launch the first Welsh language daily newspaper Events 1284 - Statute of Rhuddlan incorporated the Principality of Wales into England 1575 - Indian 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common ^[40] However, on 15 February 2008, it was announced that plans for Y Byd had been abandoned because of funding problems. Events 590 - Khosrau II is crowned as king of Persia 1637 - Ferdinand III becomes Holy Roman Emperor 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common ^[41].

In addition to English-language magazines, a number of weekly and monthly Welsh-language magazines are published. Wales has some 20 publishing companies, publishing mostly English titles. However, some 500-600 titles are published each year in Welsh[5].

Notably, the recent hit revival of cult classic series Doctor Who was and is conceived in Wales (BBC Wales), with many episodes set in Cardiff. Doctor Who is a British science fiction television programme produced by the BBC. Cardiff ( 'kɑːdɪf) is the Capital and the largest city and county in Wales. Most of the filming and production takes place in locations all over Wales and attracts staggering audiences worldwide. Its adult spin-off Torchwood, fronted by John Barrowman, is also set in Cardiff, with many links to Doctor Who. Torchwood is a British science fiction Drama Television programme, created by Russell T Davies and starring John Barrowman John Scot Barrowman (b 11 March 1967 is a Scottish Actor, musical performer, Dancer, Singer and Television presenter

Food

Main article: Welsh cuisine

About 80% of the land surface of Wales is given over to agricultural use. Welsh cuisine is the Cuisine of Wales. It has influenced and been influenced by other British cuisine. However, very little of this is arable land; the vast majority consists of permanent grass pasture or rough grazing for herd animals such as sheep and cows. In Geography, arable land (from Latin arare, to Plough) is an agricultural term meaning land that can be used for Although both beef and dairy cattle are raised widely, especially in Carmarthenshire and Pembrokeshire, Wales is more well-known for its sheep farming, and thus lamb is the meat traditionally associated with Welsh cooking. Cattle, colloquially referred to as cows, are domesticated Ungulates a member of the Subfamily Bovinae of the family Dairy Cattle, generally of the species Bos taurus, are Domesticated Animals bred to produce large quantities of Milk Geography The county is bounded to the north by Ceredigion, to the east by Powys, Neath Port Talbot and Swansea, to the south by the Geography Pembrokeshire is a maritime County, bordered by the sea on three sides by Ceredigion (Cardiganshire to the northeast and by Lamb, hogget, and mutton are the meat of Domestic sheep. The meat of an animal in its first year is lamb; that of an older sheep is hogget In modern English usage meat most often refers to Animal tissue used as food mostly Skeletal muscle and associated Fat, but it may also refer

Some traditional dishes include laverbread (made from seaweed), bara brith (fruit bread), cawl cennin (leek soup), Welsh cakes, Welsh rarebit, and Welsh lamb. REDIRECT Laver (seaweed#Laverbread Seaweed is a loose colloquial term encompassing macroscopic Multicellular, benthic marine Algae. Bara brith, sometimes known as 'speckled bread' (the literal meaning of the original Welsh-language name is a yeasty dough enriched with dried fruit Cawl is a Traditional Welsh Stew -like dish consisting of Meat and Vegetables Its ingredients tend to vary but usually includes Welsh Leek soup is a kind of Soup that is made out of Salt, Water and Leeks Because of its inexpensive cost it is often used in Soup kitchens Welsh cakes ( Welsh: picau ar y maen, pice bach, cacen gri or teisen radell) are Traditional Welsh snacks Welsh rarebit, Welsh rabbit, or more infrequently rarebit is traditionally a savory sauce made from a mixture of cheese and various other ingredients and served hot Lamb, hogget, and mutton are the meat of Domestic sheep. The meat of an animal in its first year is lamb; that of an older sheep is hogget Cockles are sometimes served with breakfast bacon. [6]

In 2005 the Welsh National Culinary Teams returned from the Culinary World Cup in Luxembourg with eight gold, 15 silver and seven bronze medals, and were placed 7th in the world.

Music

Main article: Music of Wales

The principal Welsh festival of music and poetry is the National Eisteddfod. Wales has a strong and distinctive tradition of Folk music related to the Celtic music of countries such as Ireland and Scotland. The National Eisteddfod of Wales ( Eisteddfod Genedlaethol Cymru) is the most important of several Eisteddfodau that are held annually mostly in Wales. This takes place annually in a different town or city. The Llangollen International Eisteddfod echoes the National Eisteddfod but provides an opportunity for the singers and musicians of the world to perform. The International Eisteddfod is a music festival which takes place every year during the second week of July in Llangollen, North Wales.

Wales is often referred to as "the land of song",^[42] being particularly famous for harpists, male voice choirs, and solo artists including Sir Geraint Evans, Dame Gwyneth Jones, Dame Anne Evans, Ivor Novello, Madam Adelina Patti, John Cale, Sir Tom Jones, Charlotte Church, Bonnie Tyler, Bryn Terfel, Mary Hopkin, Katherine Jenkins, Meic Stevens, Shirley Bassey , Duffy and Aled Jones. The harp is a Stringed instrument which has the plane of its strings positioned perpendicular to the soundboard. Sir Geraint Llewellyn Evans, ( 16 February 1922 – 19 September 1992) was a Welsh Baritone, noted for operatic roles including Dame Gwyneth Jones DBE (born November 7, 1936 in Pontnewynydd, Wales) is a Welsh Soprano. Dame Anne Evans DBE (born August 20 1941, London) is an internationally successful Welsh Soprano. David Ivor Davies (15 January 1893 &ndash 6 March 1951 better known as Ivor Novello, was a Welsh Composer, Singer and Actor, who Adelina Patti ( February 10, 1843 - September 27, 1919) was one of the most highly regarded Opera Singers of the 19th century John Davies Cale (born March 9, 1942) better known as John Cale, is a Welsh Musician, Composer, Singer-songwriter 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 Charlotte Maria Church (born 21 February 1986 is a Welsh singer actress and television presenter Bonnie Tyler (born June 8 1951 in Skewen, Neath) is a Welsh rock Singer. Bryn Terfel Jones CBE (brɨn ˈtɛrvɛl born November 9, 1965) is a Welsh Bass-baritone opera and concert singer Mary Hopkin (born May 3 1950) is a Welsh folk Singer. She is best known as one of the first artists (along with James Taylor Katherine Jenkins (born 29 June 1980 in Neath, Wales) is an award-winning Welsh Mezzo-soprano. Meic Stevens is a Welsh Singer-songwriter who is often referred to as "the Welsh Dylan " and has been compared favourably with musicians like Dame Shirley Veronica Bassey DBE (born 8 January 1937 Cardiff, Wales) is a Welsh Singer. Aimee Anne Duffy (born 23 June 1984 in Bangor Gwynedd, Wales) known professionally as Duffy, is a Welsh R&B Aled Jones (born 29 December 1970 is a Welsh Singer and Television / Radio personality and broadcaster who first came to fame as a

Indie bands like the Manic Street Preachers, Catatonia, Stereophonics, Feeder, Super Furry Animals, and Gorky's Zygotic Mynci, in the 1990s, and later Goldie Lookin' Chain, mclusky, The Automatic, Steveless. In Popular music, independent music, often abbreviated as indie, is a term used to describe independence from major commercial record labels and an autonomous Manic Street Preachers (often known colloquially as the " Manics " or " MSP " are a Welsh rock band consisting of James Catatonia were a Music band from Wales who gained a national following in the United Kingdom in the mid-late 1990s Stereophonics are a British Rock band, consisting of Kelly Jones, Richard Jones, Javier Weyler and Adam Zindani. Feeder are a British rock band formed in Newport, South Wales in 1992 by singer /songwriter/ Guitarist Grant Nicholas Super Furry Animals (also known as " SFA " the " Furries " and the " Super Furries " are a Welsh Rock band Gorky's Zygotic Mynci were a Welsh Alternative rock band formed in Carmarthen, west Wales in 1991 Not to be confused with GLC the American rapper or the Greater London Council Goldie Lookin Chain is a rap-pop music group based in Newport Mclusky (often stylized as mclusky) was a three-piece Alternative rock group from Cardiff, Wales. The Automatic, (also known as The Automatic Automatic in the U Steveless began life as a band from Pontyclun, South Wales, United Kingdom, comprising Dan Newman and Ian Cosgrove Other, less mainstream bands have emerged from Wales, such as Skindred, The Blackout, Lostprophets,Kids In Glass Houses, Bullet For My Valentine, Funeral for a Friend and were preceded by Man in the 1970s. Skindred is a Welsh rock band from Newport. They are best known for their musical style which mixes heavy metal, Punk rock and For the episode of Black Books, see The Blackout The Blackout (also written BLKOUT) is a Professional wrestling Lostprophets (lɒstˈprɒfɪts are a Welsh rock band formed in 1997. Kids in Glass Houses are a five-piece rock band from the surrounding valleys of Cardiff, the capital of Wales. Bullet for My Valentine is an award-wining four-piece Metalcore band from Bridgend, Wales. Funeral for a Friend (commonly abbreviated to FFAF) is a Welsh Post-hardcore band that was previously signed to Ferret Music and later Atlantic Man are a Rock band from South Wales whose style is a mixture of West Coast pychedelia, Progressive rock, Blues and Country-rock The Beatles-nurtured power pop group Badfinger also has its roots in Wales (both the founder Peter Ham and drummer Mike Gibbins from Swansea). Power pop (or powerpop) is a popular Musical genre that draws its inspiration from 1960s British and American pop and Rock music. Badfinger was a Rock band formed in Swansea Wales in the early 1960s and was one of the earliest representatives of the Power pop genre Peter William Ham ( April 27, 1947 – April 24, 1975) was a Welsh Singer, Songwriter and Guitarist Another famous Welsh singer is pop icon Jem who has recorded songs for/performed on TV programmes such as Las Vegas and The OC, and movies such as Eragon. Jemma Griffiths (born June 18, 1975 in Penarth, Wales) better known as Jem, is a Welsh Singer-songwriter known Las Vegas is an American Television series that aired on NBC from September 22, 2003 to February 15, 2008 This article is about the FOX television series For the location from which the series derives its name see Orange County California. Eragon is a 2006 Live-action / CGI fantasy - adventure Film based on the novel of the same name The popular New Wave/synthpop group Scritti Politti was a vehicle for singer/songwriter and Cardiff native Green Gartside. New Wave is a Rock music genre that existed during the late 1970s and the 1980s Synthpop is a subgenre of New Wave and Pop music in which the Synthesizer is the dominant musical instrument Scritti Politti are a British band, originally formed in 1978 in Leeds, Yorkshire, England. Cardiff ( 'kɑːdɪf) is the Capital and the largest city and county in Wales. Green Gartside (born Paul Julian Strohmeyer, 22 June 1955, Cardiff, Wales) is the primary force behind Scritti Politti

The Welsh traditional and folk music scene, long overshadowed by its Irish and Scottish cousins, is in resurgence with performers and bands such as Crasdant, Carreg Lafar, Fernhill, Siân James, Robin Huw Bowen, Llio Rhydderch, KilBride and The Hennessys. Folk music can have a number of different meanings including Traditional music: The original meaning of the term "folk music" was synonymous Ireland (pronounced /ˈaɾlənd/ Éire) is the third largest island in Europe, and the twentieth-largest island in the world Scotland ( Gaelic: Alba) is a Country in northwest Europethat occupies the northern third of the island of Great Britain. Carreg Lafar is a traditional Welsh band It was formed in Cardiff in 1994 with Antwn Owen Hicks, James Rourke, Rhian Evan Siân James is a Welsh traditional folk singer and harpist who has recorded for Sain and BBC Records as well as her own label Bos Robin Huw Bowen is a player of the Welsh Triple Harp, known in Welsh as Telyn Deires (Three-row Harp and is recognised internationally as the leading exponent of The Hennessys are one of Wales ' foremost traditional Folk music groups Traditional music and dance in Wales is supported by a myriad of societies. Welsh Folk Song Society (Cymdeithas Alawon Gwerin Cymru) has published a number of collections of songs and tunes. The Welsh Folk Dance Society (Cymdeithas Ddawns Werin Cymru) supports a network of national amateur dance teams and publishes support material. Clear (Traditional instruments society) runs workshops to promote the harp, telyn deires (triple harp), fiddle, crwth, pibgorn (hornpipe) and other instruments. The Welsh triple harp ( telyn deires) is a type of Harp using three rows of strings instead of the common single row The crwth is an archaic stringed Musical instrument, associated particularly with Welsh music, although once played widely in Europe The Cerdd Dant Society promotes its specific singing art primarily through an annual one-day festival. Cerdd Dant or Canu Penillion is the art of vocal improvisation over a given Melody in Welsh Musical tradition The traditional music development agency, trac, runs projects in communities throughout Wales and advocates on behalf of traditional music. There are also societies for Welsh hymnology, oral history, small eisteddfodau, oral history, and poetry. A hymn is a type of Song, usually religious specifically written for the purpose of praise adoration or Prayer, and typically addressed to a deity/deities

The 'Sîn Roc Gymraeg' (Welsh language Rock Scene) in Wales is thriving, with acts ranging from rock to hip-hop which routinely attracts immense crowds and audiences. The Welsh-language Rock scene presently is stated as 'the best yet,' with more bands, and more audiences than the 'Sin Roc Gymraeg' has ever seen in its existence. Dolgellau, in the heart of Snowdonia has held the annual Sesiwn Fawr (mighty session) festival since 1992. Dolgellau (pronounced /dɔl'gɛɬaɨ/ occasionally /-gɛɬi/ is a Market town in Gwynedd, north-west Wales, lying on the River Wnion, Snowdonia (Eryri is a region of North Wales and a National park of in area From humble beginnings the festival has grown to be Wales' largest Welsh-Language Music Festivals.

The BBC National Orchestra of Wales performs in Wales and internationally. The world-renowned Welsh National Opera now has a permanent home at the Wales Millennium Centre in Cardiff Bay. Welsh National Opera ( WNO) is a touring Opera company founded in Cardiff, Wales in 1946 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.

Literature

Main article: Welsh Literature

Further information: List of Welsh writers

Transport

Main article: Transport in Wales

The main road artery linking cities and other settlements along the South Wales coast is the M4 motorway which also provides a link with England and eventually London. The term Welsh literature may be used to refer to any Literature originating from Wales or by Welsh writers. List of Welsh writers is an incomplete alphabetical list of Welsh Writers This list includes writers of all genres, writing in English, Transport in the United KingdomThis article is about means of transport within Wales. 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 M4 motorway is a Motorway in Great Britain linking London with Wales. 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 London ( ˈlʌndən is the capital and largest urban area in the United Kingdom. The Welsh section of the motorway, managed by the Welsh Assembly Government, runs from the Second Severn Crossing to Pont Abraham in West Wales, connecting cities such as Cardiff, Newport and Swansea. Motorway is a term for both a type of Road and a classification or designation The National Assembly for Wales (Cynulliad Cenedlaethol Cymru is a devolved assembly with power to make legislation in Wales. The Second Severn Crossing ( Welsh: Ail Groesfan Hafren) is a Motorway crossing over the River Severn between England and Wales Pont Abraham services is a Motorway service station on the M4 motorway in Wales. West Wales (Gorllewin Cymru is the western area of Wales bordered by South Wales to the east and Mid Wales to the north Cardiff ( 'kɑːdɪf) is the Capital and the largest city and county in Wales. Newport (Casnewydd is a city and principal area in Wales, in the United Kingdom. Swansea ( Abertawe "mouth of the Tawe " is a city and county in Wales. In North Wales the A55 expressway performs a similar role along the north Wales coast providing connections for places such as Holyhead and Bangor with Wrexham and Flintshire and also with England, principally Chester. North Wales (Gogledd Cymru is the northernmost unofficial region of Wales, bordered to the south by Mid Wales and to the east by England. The A55, also known as the North Wales Expressway, is a major road in Britain. Holyhead ( IPA /ˈhɒlihɛd/ Welsh: Caergybi, "the fort of Saint Cybi " is the largest town in the county of Bangor is a place-name found in a number of countries Australia Bangor New South Wales Bangor South Australia 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 History The current administrative area of Flintshire (a Unitary authority) came into existence in 1996 when the former Administrative county of Clwyd Chester is the County town of Cheshire, England. Lying on the River Dee, close to the border with Wales, it is home to 77040 The main north-south Wales link is the A470 which runs from Cardiff to Llandudno. 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 Cardiff ( 'kɑːdɪf) is the Capital and the largest city and county in Wales. Llandudno (pronounced /ɬan'dɪdnɔ/ is a Seaside resort and Town in Conwy, Wales. Cardiff International Airport is the only large and international airport in Wales, offering links domestically and to European and North American destinations, located some 12 miles (19 km) south-west of Cardiff city centre, in the Vale of Glamorgan. 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 An airport is a location where Aircraft such as airplanes, Helicopters and blimps take off and land 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 Geography It has been a County borough (unitary authority since 1996, previously being part of South Glamorgan county

The country also has a significant railway network managed by the Welsh Assembly Government which has a programme of reopening old railway lines and extending rail usage. "Railroad" and "Railway" both redirect here For other uses see Railroad (disambiguation. The Welsh Assembly Government (WAG (Llywodraeth Cynulliad Cymru LlCC) was firstly an executive body of the National Assembly for Wales, consisting of Cardiff Central and Cardiff Queen Street are the busiest and the major hubs on the internal and national network. Cardiff Central railway station (Caerdydd Canolog is a major British railway station on Central Square in Cardiff, Wales. Cardiff Queen Street railway station (Caerdydd Heol y Frenhines is Wales' second busiest railway station in Cardiff, Wales. Beeching cuts in the 1960s mean that most of the remaining network is geared toward east-west travel to or from England. The Beeching Axe is an informal name for the British Government 's attempt in the 1960s to reduce the cost of running British Railways, the nationalised railway system Services from North to South Wales operate through the English towns of Chester and Shrewsbury. Chester is the County town of Cheshire, England. Lying on the River Dee, close to the border with Wales, it is home to 77040 Shrewsbury ( /ˈʃruːzbri/ or /ˈʃroʊzbri/ is the County town of Shropshire, in the West Midlands region of England Valley Lines services operate in Cardiff, the South Wales Valleys and surrounding area and are heavily used as commuter lines. Valley Lines (also Valleys & Cardiff Local Routes) is the commonly-known name for the Cardiff and Valleys network of Suburban railway services within Cardiff Cardiff ( 'kɑːdɪf) is the Capital and the largest city and county in Wales. 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

Arriva Trains Wales is the major operator of rail services within Wales. 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 It operates routes from South East Wales to Crewe, Manchester and Cheltenham. Crewe is a town in Cheshire, England, the largest town in the borough of Crewe and Nantwich, in which it is the only Unparished area. Education Virgin Trains operate services from North Wales to London as part of the West Coast Main Line. Virgin Trains is a Train operating company in the United Kingdom, which currently provides services from London Euston to the North West North Wales (Gogledd Cymru is the northernmost unofficial region of Wales, bordered to the south by Mid Wales and to the east by England. London ( ˈlʌndən is the capital and largest urban area in the United Kingdom. The West Coast Main Line (WCML is a busy mixed-traffic railway route in the United Kingdom. First Great Western operate services from Cardiff and Swansea via Newport to London and services from Cardiff and Newport to southern England. First Great Western is the operating name of First Greater Western Ltd, a British train operating company owned by FirstGroup, which operates CrossCountry offer services from Cardiff to Nottingham and Newcastle upon Tyne via the West Midlands, East Midlands and Yorkshire. CrossCountry is a Train operating company, the brand name of XC Trains Limited owned by Arriva, that has operated Great Britain ’s Cross Country rail franchise Nottingham ( is a city in the Ceremonial county of Nottinghamshire, England. Newcastle upon Tyne ( (often shortened to Newcastle) is a city and Metropolitan borough of Tyne and Wear, England The West Midlands is an official Region of England, covering the western half of the area traditionally known as the Midlands. The East Midlands is one of the Regions of England and consists of most of the eastern half of the traditional region of the Midlands. Yorkshire is a historic county of Northern England and the largest in Great Britain.

Regular ferry services operate from Holyhead and Fishguard to Ireland. See also Merchant ship A ferry is a form of transport usually a Boat or Ship, used to carry (or ferry) passengers and Holyhead ( IPA /ˈhɒlihɛd/ Welsh: Caergybi, "the fort of Saint Cybi " is the largest town in the county of Fishguard (Abergwaun = "Mouth of the River Gwaun " is a coastal Town in Pembrokeshire, south-west Wales, with a population of 3300 Ireland (pronounced /ˈaɾlənd/ Éire) is the third largest island in Europe, and the twentieth-largest island in the world

National symbols

• The Flag of Wales incorporates the red dragon (Y Ddraig Goch) of Prince Cadwalader along with the Tudor colours of green and white. Genealogy and early life Llywelyn was the second of the four sons of Gruffydd, the eldest son of Llywelyn the Great, and Senena ferch Rhodri The Welsh hat worn by women as part of Welsh National costume is a tall stovepipe-style Hat, similar to a Top hat. The National flag of Wales is Y Ddraig Goch ( The Red Dragon) consisting of a Red dragon passant on a Green Red is any of a number of similar Colors evoked by light consisting predominantly of the longest wavelengths of Light discernible by the human eye in the wavelength The dragon is a Legendary creature of which some interpretation or depiction appears in almost every culture worldwide The Tudor dynasty or House of Tudor was an English royal Dynasty that lasted 118 years from 1485 to 1603 a period known as the Tudor period It was used by Henry VII at the battle of Bosworth in 1485 after which it was carried in state to St. Paul's Cathedral. The Battle of Bosworth or Bosworth Field ( 22 August, 1485) was Lancastrian Henry Tudor's defeat of Yorkist Richard St Paul's Cathedral, is the Anglican Cathedral on Ludgate Hill, in the City of London, and the seat of the Bishop of London. The red dragon was then included in the Tudor royal arms to signify their Welsh descent. It was officially recognised as the Welsh national flag in 1959. The British Union Flag incorporates the flags of Scotland, Ireland and England but does not have any Welsh representation. The Union Flag, also known as the Union Jack, is the national flag of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. Scotland ( Gaelic: Alba) is a Country in northwest Europethat occupies the northern third of the island of Great Britain. Ireland (pronounced /ˈaɾlənd/ Éire) is the third largest island in Europe, and the twentieth-largest island in the world 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 Technically, however, it is represented by the flag of England due to the Laws in Wales act of 1535 which annexed Wales following the 13th century conquest.
• The flag of Owain Glyndŵr, which has 4 squares alternating in red and yellow and then a rampant lion in each square of the opposite colour. Owain Glyndŵr (pronounced 'owain glin'dwr or Owain Glyn Dŵr, Anglicised by Shakespeare into Owen Glendower (c Some believe that this is the true flag of Wales arguing that Owain Glyndŵr was the last real Prince of Wales. Prince of Wales (Tywysog Cymru is a title traditionally granted to the Heir Apparent to the reigning monarch of the United Kingdom (and formerly the Kingdom
• The Dragon, part of the national flag design, is also a popular Welsh symbol. The oldest recorded use of the dragon to symbolise Wales is from the Historia Brittonum, written around 820, but it is popularly supposed to have been the battle standard of King Arthur and other ancient Celtic leaders. The Historia Brittonum, or The History of the Britons, is a historical work that was first written sometime shortly after AD 833 and exists in several King Arthur is a legendary British leader who according to medieval histories and romances, led the defence of Britain against the Saxon invaders Celts (ˈkɛlts or /ˈsɛlts/, see Names of the Celts This myth is likely to have originated from Merlin's vision of a Red (The Native Britons) and White (The Saxon Invaders) dragon battling, with the Red dragon being victorious. The Multi-Element Radio Linked Interferometer Network ( MERLIN) is an Interferometer array of Radio telescopes spread across England and the Following the annexation of Wales by England, the dragon was used as a supporter in the English monarch's coat of arms.
• The leek is also a national emblem of Wales. The leek, Allium ampeloprasum var porrum (L also sometimes known as Allium porrum, is a vegetable which belongs along with the Onion and According to legend, Saint David ordered his Welsh soldiers to identify themselves by wearing the vegetable on their helmets in an ancient battle against the Saxons that took place in a leek field. Saint David ( c. 500–589 ('Dewi Sant' was a church official later regarded as a Saint and as the Patron saint of Wales. The Saxons or Saxon people were a Confederation of Old Germanic tribes. It is still worn on St David's Day each March 1
• The daffodil is the national flower of Wales, and is worn on St David's Day each March 1. Saint David's Day ( Welsh: Dydd Gŵyl Dewi) is the feast day of Saint David, the Patron saint of Wales, and falls on Events 86 BC - Lucius Cornelius Sulla, at the head of a Roman Republic army enters in Athens, removing the Tyrant This article is about symbols of nations Many countries it can be used for is Chantal Saint David's Day ( Welsh: Dydd Gŵyl Dewi) is the feast day of Saint David, the Patron saint of Wales, and falls on Events 86 BC - Lucius Cornelius Sulla, at the head of a Roman Republic army enters in Athens, removing the Tyrant (In Welsh, the daffodil is known as "Peter's Leek", cenhinen Bedr. )
• The Sessile Oak is the national tree of Wales. The Sessile Oak ( Quercus petraea, or Quercus sessiliflora) also known as Durmast Oak, is a species of Oak native to most of Europe This article is about symbols of nations Many countries it can be used for is Chantal
• The Flag of Saint David is sometimes used as an alternative to the national flag (and used in part of Cardiff City FC's crest), and is flown on St David's Day. Flag of St David is normally a gold cross on a black field although it appears in many forms including a black cross on a gold field or with an engrailed cross Cardiff City Football Club (Clwb Pêl-droed Dinas Caerdydd is a football team based in Cardiff, Wales. Saint David's Day ( Welsh: Dydd Gŵyl Dewi) is the feast day of Saint David, the Patron saint of Wales, and falls on
• The Coat of Arms of the Principality of Wales which are the historic arms of the Kingdom of Gwynedd are used by Charles, Prince of Wales in his personal standard. Gwynedd (pr) is one of several Welsh Successor states that emerged in 5th-century post-Roman Britain.
• The Prince of Wales's feathers, the heraldic badge of the Prince of Wales is sometimes adapted by Welsh bodies for use in Wales. The Prince of Wales's feathers is the Heraldic badge of the Prince of Wales. Prince of Wales (Tywysog Cymru is a title traditionally granted to the Heir Apparent to the reigning monarch of the United Kingdom (and formerly the Kingdom The symbolism is explained on the article for Edward, the Black Prince, who was the first Prince of Wales to bear the emblem; see also John, King of Bohemia. Edward of Woodstock, Prince of Wales, KG (15 June 1330 – 8 June 1376 popularly known as The Black Prince, was the eldest son of King Edward Prince of Wales (Tywysog Cymru is a title traditionally granted to the Heir Apparent to the reigning monarch of the United Kingdom (and formerly the Kingdom John the Blind ( Luxembourgish: Jang de Blannen; German: Johann der Blinde von Luxemburg The Welsh Rugby Union uses such a design for its own badge. The Welsh Rugby Union (WRU ( Undeb Rygbi Cymru) is the governing body of Rugby union in Wales, recognised by the International Rugby Board The national sport is often considered rugby union, though football is very popular too. Overview See also Playing rugby union A rugby union match lasts for 80 minutes (plus stoppage time with a short
• The red kite is sometimes named as the national symbol of wildlife in Wales. The Red Kite ( Milvus milvus) is a medium-large Bird of prey in the family Accipitridae, which also includes many other diurnal raptors such ^[43]
• Patriotic anthems for "the land of Song" include "God Bless the Prince of Wales", "Hen Wlad fy Nhadau" ("Land of My Fathers") (national anthem), "Men of Harlech", "Cwm Rhondda" (national hymn), "Delilah", "Calon Lan", "Sosban Fach". "God Bless the Prince of Wales" ( Welsh: Ar Dywysog Gwlad y Bryniau) is a song written to mark the occasion of the marriage of the future King Edward "Hen Wlad Fy Nhadau" (heːn ˈwlaːd vəˈn̥adaɨ usually translated as "Land of My Fathers" ( dear country of my fathers) is by tradition the National " Men of Harlech " or " The March of the Men of Harlech " (in Welsh: Rhyfelgyrch Gwŷr Harlech) is a Song and Military Cwm Rhondda, the Welsh name for the Rhondda Valley, is a popular Hymn tune written by John Hughes (1873-1932 Calon Lân is a Welsh Hymn, whose words were written in the 1800s by Daniel James ( 23 January 1848 - 11 March 1920 Sosban Fach ( Welsh for "Little Saucepan" is a traditional Welsh folk song

Photos of Wales

Nantclwyd-y-dre, Ruthin, thought to be the oldest town house in Wales	Hall of the Mountain Kings, Ogof Craig a Ffynnon, a cave in the Brecon Beacons	Llanddwyn Island old lighthouse with Gwynedd in background. Ruthin ( Welsh: Rhuthun) pronounced RITH-in Ogof Craig a Ffynnon ( Welsh for "Rock and Fountain Cave" is a Cave in Wales. A cave is a natural underground void large enough for a human to enter The Brecon Beacons (Bannau Brycheiniog is a Mountain range located in the south-east of Wales. Ynys Llanddwyn or Llanddwyn Island is a small Tidal island off the west coast of Anglesey, North Wales. History Gwynedd was an independent kingdom from the end of the Roman period until the 13th Century when it was conquered and subjugated by England	The University of Wales, Lampeter, the oldest higher education institution in Wales
Rhossili down and Rhossili Bay, Gower peninsula, Swansea	Millennium Stadium, Cardiff	Steelworks, Port Talbot	National Eisteddfod of Wales, 2007
Part of the Brecon Beacons, looking from the highest point Pen y Fan. University of Wales Lampeter (Prifysgol Cymru Llanbedr Pont Steffan is a University Rhossili ( is a small Village and Community on the southwestern tip of the Gower peninsula near Swansea in Wales. Swansea ( Abertawe "mouth of the Tawe " is a city and county in Wales. The Millennium Stadium (Stadiwm y Mileniwm is the National stadium of Wales, located in the capital Cardiff. Cardiff ( 'kɑːdɪf) is the Capital and the largest city and county in Wales. Port Talbot ( Welsh: Aberafan or Porth Talbot) is an Industrial Town in south Wales, UK, with a Population The National Eisteddfod of Wales ( Eisteddfod Genedlaethol Cymru) is the most important of several Eisteddfodau that are held annually mostly in Wales. The Brecon Beacons (Bannau Brycheiniog is a Mountain range located in the south-east of Wales.	Aberaeron, Harbour	Marloes peninsula, Pembrokeshire coast	Snowdon, highest mountain in Wales
A Welsh mountain pony in the Brecon Beacons	A lake in the Brecon Beacons	The marina of Swansea, Wales' second city	Sunset in Aberystwyth, one of the cultural capitals of Wales
Llangollen Bridge watching over the River Dee	Overton's yew trees	St Winefride's Well, one of the Seven Wonders of Wales	The steeple of St Giles' Church in Wrexham
Gresford Bells at All Saints' Church, Gresford	Pistyll Rhaeadr is the tallest waterfall in England & Wales	Newport Transporter Bridge, built in 1906	The National Library of Wales

Welsh people

See main article Welsh people

See also

• England and Wales
• Welsh Peers
• Welsh Nationalism
• Welsh language
• Plaid Cymru
• Wales Council for Voluntary Action
• Visit Wales
• Welsh settlement in Argentina
• Seven Wonders of Wales
• Capital of Wales
• National Eisteddfod
• Madoc
• Welsh American
• List of Wales dialling codes
• Welsh placenames

References

External links

• VisitWales.com The official international guide to places to stay and things to do in Wales.
• VisitWales.co.uk The official UK guide to places to stay and things to do in Wales.
• Wales - World Nation
• National Assembly for Wales
• Welsh Icons - About Wales and all things Welsh
• Myths of British ancestory
• BBC Wales
• http://www.llywelyn.co.uk
• WalesCymru.com
• 100 Welsh Heroes
• Wales Council for Voluntary Action
• Gathering the Jewels - Welsh Heritage and Culture
• The castles and history of Wales
• The medieval history of Wales
• What's on Wales

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