Wales
69894
226171720
2008-07-17T03:54:04Z
24.36.74.15
/* Music */ Patti was born in Spain of Italian parents, grew up in the US, lived in Wales in later life but was not Welsh or a product of Welsh musical culture.
{{about|the country}}
{{Infobox Country
|native_name = {{lang|cy|''Cymru''}}
|conventional_long_name = Wales
|common_name = Wales
|image_flag = Flag of Wales 2.svg
|image_coat = Coat of arms of Wales.svg
|symbol_type = Coat of arms
|national_motto = {{lang|cy|''Cymru am byth ''}}([[Welsh language|Welsh]])<br/>"Wales Forever"</small>
|national_anthem = {{lang|cy|"''[[Hen Wlad Fy Nhadau]]''"}} <br><small>([[English language|English]] "Land of my fathers")</small>
|image_map = Map Wales Location UK.jpg
|map_width = 250px
|map_caption = {{map_caption|location_color=orange|region=the [[United Kingdom]]|region_color=camel}}
|capital = [[Cardiff|Cardiff, ''Caerdydd'']]
|image_Capital of Wales = Cardiff123.jpg
|latd= 51|latm=29 |latNS= N|longd=3 |longm=11|longEW=W
|largest_city = capital
|image_caption = Southeast Cardiff Skyline
|languages_type = [[National Language]]s
|languages = [[Welsh language|Welsh]], [[English language|English]]
|demonym = [[Welsh people|Welsh, ''Cymry'']]
|government_type = [[Constitutional monarchy]]
|leader_title1 = [[First Minister of Wales]]
|leader_name1 = [[Rhodri Morgan]] [[Members of the National Assembly for Wales|AM]]
|leader_title2 = [[Deputy First Minister for Wales]]
|leader_name2 = [[Ieuan Wyn Jones]] [[Members of the National Assembly for Wales|AM]]
|leader_title3 = [[Prime Minister of the United Kingdom|Prime Minister]] (of the UK)
|leader_name3 = [[Gordon Brown]] [[MPs elected in the United Kingdom general election, 2005|MP]]
|leader_title4 = [[Secretary of State for Wales|Secretary of State]] (in the UK government)
|leader_name4 = [[Paul Murphy (politician)|Paul Murphy]] [[MPs elected in the United Kingdom general election, 2005|MP]]
|leader_title5 = [[British monarchy|Queen]] (of the UK)
|leader_name5 = [[Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom|Queen Elizabeth II]]
|sovereignty_type = [[History of Wales#Wales and the Normans: 1067–1283|Unification]]
|sovereignty_note =
|established_event1 = {{nowrap|by [[Gruffudd ap Llywelyn]]}}
|established_date1 = 1056
|area_rank =
|area_magnitude = 1 E10
|area_km2 = 20,779
|area_sq_mi = 8,022
|percent_water =
|population_estimate = 3,004,600<sup>1</sup>
|population_estimate_rank =
|population_estimate_year = 2008
|population_census = 2,903,085
|population_census_year = 2001
|population_density_km2 = 140
|population_density_sq_mi = 361
|population_density_rank =
|GDP_PPP = [[US$]]85.4 billion
|GDP_PPP_rank =
|GDP_PPP_year = 2006 (for national statistics)
|GDP_PPP_per_capita = [[US$]]30,546
|GDP_PPP_per_capita_rank =
|GDP_nominal =
|GDP_nominal_rank =
|GDP_nominal_year =
|GDP_nominal_per_capita =
|GDP_nominal_per_capita_rank =
|HDI = 0.939
|HDI_rank =
|HDI_year = 2003
|HDI_category = <font color="#009900">high</font>
|currency = [[Pound sterling]]
|currency_code = GBP
|time_zone = GMT
|utc_offset = 0
|time_zone_DST = BST
|DST_note =
|utc_offset_DST = +1
|cctld = [[.uk]]<sup>2</sup>
|calling_code = 44
|patron_saint = [[Saint David|David, ''Dewi'']]
|footnote1 = Office for National Statistics - [http://www.statistics.gov.uk/cci/nugget.asp?ID=6 UK population grows to more than 60 million]
|footnote2 = Also [[.eu]], as part of the [[European Union]]. [[ISO 3166-1]] is [[Great Britain|GB]], but [[.gb]] is unused.
}}
'''Wales''' ({{lang-cy|Cymru<!---* NOTE* : Standard Wiki style is that non-English alternative names for articles are in italics rather than bold. This doesn't change for country names — see the articles on Germany or Italy for example.--->}};<ref>Also spelled "Gymru", "Nghymru" or "Chymru" in certain contexts, as Welsh is a language with initial mutations – see [[Welsh morphology]].</ref> pronounced {{Audio-IPA|Cymru.ogg|/ˈkəmrɨ/}}) is a [[constituent country]]<ref>[http://www.number-10.gov.uk/output/Page823.asp Countries within a country] www.number-10.gov.uk</ref> within the [[United Kingdom]], which borders on [[England]] to the east, and the [[Atlantic Ocean]] and [[Irish Sea]] to the west. Wales has a [[population]] estimated at three million and is a [[bilingual]] country, with [[English language|English]] the language spoken by the majority, and [[Welsh language|Welsh]] the native tongue.
Originally (and traditionally) one of the six [[Celtic nations]], a distinct [[Welsh people|Welsh national identity]] emerged in the early 5th century, after the [[Roman withdrawal from Britain]].<ref name="Welshorigions">[[John Davies (historian)|Davies, John]], A History of Wales, Penguin, 1994, ''Welsh Origins'' pg 54, ISBN 0-14-01-4581-8</ref> 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]]. Distinctive [[Politics of Wales|Welsh politics]] developed in the 19th century eventually leading to a [[Devolution|devolved]] [[National Assembly for Wales|legislature]] and [[Welsh Assembly Government|government]] in [[1999]], with the formation of the [[National Assembly for Wales]] in [[Cardiff Bay]]. Today, Wales continues to share [[Politics of Wales|political]] and [[Contemporary Welsh Law|legal]] structures to varying degrees with the United Kingdom, while now maintaining more direct ties with various international bodies<ref>
{{cite news
|title=Welsh Assembly Government - International Affairs
|url=http://new.wales.gov.uk/topics/international/international_affairs/?lang=en}}</ref><ref>[http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/wales/2016230.stm Ties with Middle East strengthened], ''BBC News'', [[May 30]], [[2002]]. Accessed [[May 17]], [[2008]].</ref>
and the business world.<ref>
{{cite web
|title=Welsh European Funding Office (WEFO)
|url=http://www.wefo.wales.gov.uk/}}</ref><ref>
{{cite web
|title=Welsh Assembly government - Wales: A Vibrant Economy
|url=http://new.wales.gov.uk/about/departments/dein/publications/wave?lang=en}}</ref><ref>
{{cite web
|title=Business Support Wales
|url=http://www.business-support-wales.gov.uk/}}</ref><ref>
{{cite web
|title=The Welsh Ministers' Business Scheme (Government of Wales Act 2006, Section 75)
|url=http://new.wales.gov.uk/consultations/currentconsultation/busandeconcurrcons/ministersbusscheme/?lang=en}}</ref>
The Assembly Government has also increased its direct links with the [[European Union]], although foreign policy remains the [[reserved matter|reserved responsibility]] of the [[UK Government]].<ref>
{{cite web
|title=Welsh Assembly Government - European Union
|url=http://new.wales.gov.uk/topics/international/european_union/?lang=en}}</ref><ref>
{{cite web
|title=Welsh Assembly Government EU Office
|url=http://www.ukrep.be/wales.html
}}</ref>
The capital [[Cardiff]] (''Caerdydd''), located in the more urbanised [[South Wales]], is Wales' largest city with 317,500 people.<ref name="media">{{cite web | url=http://www.cardiff.gov.uk/ObjView.asp?Object_ID=3775 | title=The Film, TV and Multimedia Sector in Cardiff | publisher=Economic Development Division, Cardiff County Council | format=PDF | date=2003-12-01 | accessdate=2008-01-17}}</ref>. Cardiff has been a prosperous city since the [[Victorian era]],{{clarifyme}} when it was the biggest coal port in the world.<ref>
{{cite news
|title=
|url=http://www.museumwales.ac.uk/en/rhagor/article/?article_id=50
}}</ref><ref>
{{cite news
|title=Cardiff: the building of a capital
|url=http://www.glamro.gov.uk/check/Building%20of%20a%20Capital%202/A_Why.html
}}</ref>
Two-thirds of the Welsh population lives in [[South Wales]], with another concentration in northeastern [[North Wales]].
Wales is known for its divergent and often spectacular landscape,<ref>[http://www.map-of-uk.com/travel.htm UK Travel Destinations], www.map-of-uk.com, Accessed [[May 4]] [[2008]]</ref>
and [[Tourism in Wales|tourism]] is popular throughout the land.<ref>
{{cite web
|title=Top facts on tourism in Wales
|url=http://new.wales.gov.uk/topics/tourism/research1/fast-facts/?lang=en
}}</ref><ref>[http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/wales/3405027.stm New survey boost for tourism], ''BBC News'', [[January 19]], [[2004]]. Accessed [[May 17]], [[2008]].
}}</ref>
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.<ref name="Encyclopedia of Wales">The Welsh Academy Encyclopedia of Wales. Cardiff: University of Wales Press 2008</ref> 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.<ref>[http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/wales/5056236.stm Why the Welsh voice is so musical], ''BBC News'', [[June 8]], [[2006]]. Accessed [[May 17]], [[2008]].</ref><ref>Johnson, Martin. [http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/main.jhtml?xml=/sport/2008/03/17/srjohn117.xml Revival has Wales singing in the rain], ''Daily Telegraph'', [[March 17]], [[2008]]. Accessed [[May 17]], [[2008]].</ref>
Wales has in recent years undergone a cultural revival,{{Fact|date=April 2008}} and the rapidly-developing capital is the home of the [[Media in Wales|largest media centre]] in the UK outside of [[London]].<ref>
{{cite web
|title=Cardiff - A Capital City
|url=http://www.cardiff.ac.uk/about/cardiff/index.html}}</ref><ref>Devichand, Mukul. [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/magazine/7060486.stm Tongue tied], ''BBC News''. Accessed [[May 17]], [[2008]].</ref>
Wales is sometimes referred to as a [[Principality]]. [[Llywelyn the Great]] founded the [[Principality of Wales]] in 1216, and following the [[Llywelyn the Last#Last campaign and death|Edwardian Conquest]], [[Owain Glyndŵr]] briefly restored its independence in the early [[15th century]]. Traditionally the [[British Royal Family]] have used the [[courtesy title]] '[[Prince of Wales]]' for the [[Heir Apparent]] to the reigning monarch.
==Etymology==
{{See also|List of meanings of countries' names|History of the term Vlach}}
The English name "Wales" [[List of meanings of countries' names|originates]] from the [[Germanic languages|Germanic]] word ''Walha'', meaning "foreigner," probably derived from the term [[Volcae]].{{Fact|date=January 2008}} The term also appears in the "-wall" of [[Cornwall]]. The Welsh call their country ''Cymru'' in the [[Welsh language]], which most likely meant "compatriots" in [[Old Welsh]].<ref>[http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?search=cymru&searchmode=none Online Etymological Dictionary ''Cymric'']</ref> The name competed for a long time in [[Welsh literature]] with the older name ''Brythoniaid'' ([[Brythons]]). Only after 1100 did the former become as common as the latter;<ref name=Davies>{{cite book
| last = Davies
| first = John
| title = A History of Wales
| publisher = Penguin Books
| date= 1990/2007
| location = London
| pages = 68–69
}}</ref> 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 "[[Hen Ogledd|the Old North]]": the placenames Cymru (Welsh for Wales) and [[Cumbria]] are of the same origin.<ref name="Davies"/> The [[Angles]], [[Saxons]] and [[Jutes]] were known indiscriminately as ''Saeson'' in Welsh (the term is cognate with "Saxon"; compare [[Scottish Gaelic|Gaelic]] ''[[Sassenach]]''); ''Sais'', plural ''Saeson'', is the modern Welsh word for "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 of Troy|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. [[Cumberland]] and [[Cumbria]] in the North of England derive their names from the same Old Welsh word.
==History==
{{main|History of Wales}}
===Colonisation===
The first documented history was recorded during the [[Roman Empire|Roman]] occupation of Britain. 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.
[[Image:BrynCelliDdu3.jpg|left |thumb|250px|Bryn Celli Ddu, a late Neolithic chambered tomb on Anglesey]]
A string of [[Roman fort]]s were established across what is now [[South Wales]], as far west as [[Carmarthen]] (''Caerfyrddin''; {{lang-la|Maridunum}}), and mined gold at [[Dolaucothi Gold Mines|Dolaucothi]] in [[Carmarthenshire]]. There is evidence that they progressed even farther west. They also built the [[Roman legion]]ary fortress at [[Caerleon]] ({{lang-la|Isca Silurum}}), of which the magnificent [[amphitheatre]] is the best preserved in Britain.
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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 Emperor]]s, married Elen or Helen, the daughter of a Welsh chieftain from [[Segontium Roman Fort|Segontium]], present-day [[Caernarfon]].<ref>For the original Middle Welsh text see, Ifor Williams (ed.), ''Breuddwyd Maxen'' (Bangor, 1920). Discussion of the tale and its context in, M.P. Charlesworth, ''The Lost Province'' (Gregynog Lectures series, 1948, 1949).</ref> It was in the 4th century during the Roman occupation that [[Christianity]] was introduced to Wales.
After the [[Roman withdrawal from Britain]] in 410, much of the [[lowlands]] were overrun by various [[Germanic tribes]]. However, [[kingdom of Gwynedd|Gwynedd]], [[kingdom of Powys|Powys]], [[kingdom of Deheubarth|Dyfed and Seisyllg]], Morgannwg, and [[Kingdom of Gwent|Gwent]] emerged as independent Welsh [[successor states]]. 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]].
::: 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. 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.
Having lost much of the [[West Midlands (region)|West Midlands]] to [[Mercia]] in the 6th century and early 7th century, a resurgent late 7th century Powys checked Mercian advancement. [[Aethelbald of Mercia]], looking to defend recently acquired lands, had built [[Wat's Dyke]]. 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.{{Fact|date=March 2007}} 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''). Davies wrote of [[Cyril Fox]]'s study of [[Offa's Dyke]]:
{{quotation|In the planning of it, there was a degree of consultation with the kings of Powys and Gwent. On the Long Mountain near Trelystan, the dyke veers to the east, leaving the fertile slopes 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.}}
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]]. By the 8th century the eastern borders with the [[Anglo-Saxon]]s 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. 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. As with Cornwall and [[Brittany]], Viking aggression towards the Saxons/Franks ended any chance of the Anglo-Saxons/Franks conquering their [[Celt]]ic neighbours.
===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.<ref>The earliest instance of Lloegyr occurs in the early 10th century prophetic poem ''[[Armes Prydein]]''. It seems comparatively late as a place name, the nominative plural [[Lloegrwys]], "men of Lloegr", being earlier and more common. The English were sometimes referred to as an entity in early poetry (''Saeson'', as today) but just as often as ''Eingl'' (Angles), ''Iwys'' (Wessex-men), etc. Lloegr and Sacson became the norm later when England emerged as a kingdom. As for its origins, some scholars have suggested that it originally referred only to Mercia - at that time a powerful kingdom and for centuries the main foe of the Welsh. It was then applied to the new kingdom of England as a whole (see for instance [[Rachel Bromwich]] (ed.), ''[[Welsh Triads|Trioedd Ynys Prydein]]'', University of Wales Press, 1987). "The lost land" and other fanciful meanings, such as [[Geoffrey of Monmouth]]'s monarch [[Locrinu]]s, have no etymological basis. (See also Discussion, article 40)</ref> The Germanic tribes who now dominated these lands were invariably called ''Saeson'', meaning "[[Saxons]]". The [[Anglo-Saxon]]s, in turn, labelled the [[Romano-British]] as [[Walha]], meaning 'foreigner' or 'stranger'. 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]]. In [[Welsh literature|Armes Prydain]], written in about 930, the words ''Cymry'' and ''Cymro'' are used as often as 15 times. It was not until about the 12th century however, that ''Cymry'' began to overtake ''Brythoniaid'' in their writings.
[[Image:Dolwyddelan Castle2.jpg|thumb|left|250px|[[Dolwyddelan Castle]], built by [[Llywelyn ab Iorwerth]] in the early 13th century to watch over one of the valley routes into Gwynedd]]
From the year 800 onwards, a series of dynastic marriages led to [[Rhodri the Great|Rhodri Mawr]]'s (r. 844-877) inheritance of [[Gwynedd]] and [[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. Rhodri's grandson [[Hywel Dda]] (r.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]]). [[Maredudd ab Owain]] (r.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.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]].{{Fact|date=March 2007}} The Aberffraw dynasty would surge to pre-eminence with Owain Gwynedd's grandson [[Llywelyn the Great|Llywelyn Fawr]] (the Great) (b.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]]. His grandson [[Llywelyn the Last|Llywelyn II]] also secured the recognition of the title ''[[Prince of Wales]]'' from [[Henry III of England|Henry III]] with the [[Treaty of Montgomery]] in 1267. Later however, a succession of disputes, including the imprisonment of Llywelyn's wife [[Eleanor de Montfort|Eleanor]], daughter of [[Simon de Montfort, 6th Earl of Leicester|Simon de Montfort]], culminated in the first invasion by [[Edward I of England|Edward I]]. As a result of military defeat, the [[Treaty of Aberconwy]] exacted Llywelyn's fealty to England in 1277. Peace was short lived and with the 1282 [[Llywelyn the Last#Last campaign and death|Edwardian conquest]] the rule of the Welsh princes permanently ended. With Llywelyn's death and his brother prince [[Dafydd ap Gruffydd|Dafydd]]'s execution, the few remaining [[Welsh Peers|Welsh lords]] did homage for their lands to [[Edward I]]. Llywelyn's head was then carried through London on a spear; his baby daughter [[Gwenllian ferch Llywelyn|Gwenllian]] was locked in the [[priory]] at [[Sempringham]], where she remained until her death fifty four years later.<ref>[http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/wales/786625.stm "Tribute to lost Welsh princess", bbc.co.uk] date 12 June 2000, URL retrieved on 5 March 2007</ref>
To help maintain his dominance, Edward constructed a series of great stone [[castle]]s. [[Beaumaris Castle|Beaumaris]], [[Caernarfon Castle|Caernarfon]], and [[Conwy Castle|Conwy]] were built mainly to overshadow the Welsh royal home and headquarters [[Garth Celyn]], [[Aber Garth Celyn]], on the north coast of Gwynedd.
There was no major uprising except that led by [[Owain Glyndŵr]] a century later, against [[Henry IV of England]]. 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]]. 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]].
===Nationalist revival===
{{see also|History of Plaid Cymru}}
In the 20th century, Wales saw a revival in its national status. [[Plaid Cymru]] was formed in 1925, seeking greater autonomy or independence from the rest of the [[UK]]. 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]]. In 1962 the [[Welsh Language Society]] (''Cymdeithas yr Iaith Gymraeg'') was formed in response to fears that the language might soon die out. 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]]. In 1966 the [[Carmarthen]] Parliamentary seat was won by Plaid Cymru at a by-election, their first Parliamentary seat. A terror campaign was waged for a short period by the [[Free Wales Army]] and [[Mudiad Amddiffyn Cymru]] (MAC - Welsh Defence Movement). In the years leading up to the investiture of [[Charles, Prince of Wales|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. 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.
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. 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 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]]. 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. A referendum on giving the Welsh assembly full law-making powers is promised "as soon as practicable, at or before the end of the assembly term (in 2011)" and both parties have agreed "in good faith to campaign for a successful outcome to such a referendum".<ref>[http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/wales/6246428.stm BBC News | Wales | Details of Labour-Plaid Agreement]</ref>
==Government and 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 monarchy|British monarch]], currently [[Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom|Queen Elizabeth II]] (since 1952). 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 United Kingdom Parliament retains responsibility for passing [[primary legislation]] in Wales. The National Assembly has regulatory authority over laws passed that are applicable to Wales, and has limited power to vary these by [[secondary legislation]]. 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 increased under the [[Government of Wales Act 2006]] which allows it to speed up the passage of 'Assembly Measures'.
[[Image:Senedd.JPG|thumb|right|The [[Senedd]] in the daytime (The Welsh Assembly Building)]]
The National Assembly was first established in 1998 under the [[Government of Wales Act 1998|Government of Wales Act]]. There are 60 members of the Assembly, known as "[[Assembly Member]]s (AM)". Forty of the AMs are elected under the [[Plurality voting system|First Past the Post]] system, with the other 20 elected via the [[Additional Member System]] via regional lists in 5 different regions. The largest party elects the [[First Minister of Wales]], who acts as the head of government. The [[Welsh Assembly Government]] is the [[executive arm]], and the Assembly has delegated most of its powers to the Assembly Government. The new Assembly Building designed by [[Richard Rogers|Lord Rogers]] was opened by [[Queen Elizabeth II|The Queen]] on [[Saint David's Day|St David's Day]] (March 1) 2006.
The current First Minister of Wales is [[Rhodri Morgan]]<ref>{{cite web |url=http://new.wales.gov.uk/about/cabinet/cabinetm/rhodrimorgan?lang=en |title=Official Welsh Government biography of Morgan}}</ref> (since 2000), of the [[Wales Labour Party|''Welsh Labour'']] party, with 26 of 60 seats. After the [[National Assembly for Wales election, 2007]] Welsh Labour and [[Plaid Cymru|''Plaid Cymru; The Party of Wales'']], which favours Welsh independence from the rest of the United Kingdom entered into a [[coalition]] partnership to form a stable government with the "historic" [[One Wales]] agreement. 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 [[First Minister of Wales|Deputy First Minister of Wales]]. The [[presiding officer]] of the Assembly is ''Plaid Cymru'' member [[Dafydd Elis-Thomas|Lord Elis-Thomas]]. Other parties include the [[Conservative Party (UK)|''Conservative Party'']], currently the [[loyal opposition]] with 12 seats, and the [[Liberal Democrats (UK)|''Liberal Democrats'']] with six seats. 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 [[Member of Parliament|MPs]] (out of a total of 646) in [[List of Parliamentary constituencies in the United Kingdom#Wales|the Welsh constituencies]]. Currently, [[Welsh Labour]] represents 29 of the 40 seats, the Liberal Democrats hold four seats, Plaid Cymru three and the Conservatives three. A [[Secretary of State for Wales]] sits in the UK cabinet and is responsible for representing matters that pertain to Wales. The [[Wales Office]] is a department of the United Kingdom government, responsible for Wales. The current Secretary of State for Wales is [[Paul Murphy (politician)|Paul Murphy]], who replaced [[Peter Hain]] on 24 January 2008 over an investigation on undeclared donations.
==Law==
{{Main article|English law}}
{{see also|Contemporary Welsh Law}}
England fully annexed Wales under the [[Laws in Wales Acts 1535-1542|Laws in Wales Act 1535]], in the reign of [[Henry VIII of England|King Henry VIII]]. Prior to that [[Welsh Law]] had survived ''de facto'' after the conquest up to the 15th century in areas remote from direct English control. 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. 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. In this sense, [[English law]] is the law of Wales.
English law is regarded as a [[common law]] system, with no major [[codification]] of the law, and legal [[precedent]]s are binding as opposed to persuasive. The [[Courts of England and Wales|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]]). The Supreme Court of Judicature of England and Wales is the highest [[court of first instance]] as well as an [[appellate court]]. The three divisions are the [[Court of Appeal of England and Wales|Court of Appeal]]; the [[High Court of Justice of England and Wales|High Court of Justice]] and the [[Crown Court]]. Minor cases are heard by the [[Magistrates' Courts]] or the [[County Court]].
Following [[devolution]] in 2006, the [[Welsh Assembly]] has authority to draft and approve some laws outside of the UK [[Parliament of the United Kingdom|Parliament]]ary system to meet the specific needs of Wales. Under powers conferred by [[Legislative Competency Order]]s agreed by all parliamentary stakeholders, it is able to pass laws known as [[Assembly Measures]] in relation to [[Schedule 5 of the Government of Wales Act 2006|specific fields]], such as health and education. 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'. Through this primary legislation, the [[Welsh Assembly Government]] can then also draft more specific [[secondary legislation]]. 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==
[[Image:Cardiff tower.jpg|thumb|150px|Clock tower of [[City Hall, Cardiff|Cardiff City Hall]]]]
{{main|Subdivisions of Wales}}
{{See also|History of local government in Wales}}
The traditional counties of Wales have changed over the years. 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.
There are five cities in Wales: [[Bangor, Wales|Bangor]], [[Cardiff]] (the capital), [[Newport]], [[St David's]] and [[Swansea]].
====Unitary authorities of Wales====
{| class="wikitable"
|-
|[[Image:Map Cymru 1996 gyda rhifau.svg|300px]]
||
#[[Merthyr Tydfil]] (''Merthyr Tudful'') †
#[[Caerphilly (county borough)|Caerphilly]] (''Caerffili'') †
#[[Blaenau Gwent]] †
#[[Torfaen]] (''Tor-faen'') †
#[[Monmouthshire]] (''Sir Fynwy'')
#[[Newport]] (''Casnewydd'') *
#[[Cardiff]] (''Caerdydd'') *
#[[Vale of Glamorgan]] (''Bro Morgannwg'') †
#[[Bridgend (county borough)|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 (county borough)|Wrexham]] (''Wrecsam'') †
#[[Flintshire]] (''Sir y Fflint'')
#[[Denbighshire]] (''Sir Ddinbych'')
#[[Conwy (county borough)|Conwy]] †
#[[Gwynedd]]
#[[Isle of Anglesey]] (''Ynys Môn'')
#[[Pembrokeshire]] (''Sir Benfro'')
|}
''Areas are Counties, unless marked * (for Cities) or † (for County Boroughs). [[Welsh language]] forms are given in parentheses, where they differ from the English.''
{{Wales subdivisions}}
==Geography==
[[Image:Map of Wales.GIF|thumb|250px|Political map of Wales]]
{{main|Geography of Wales}}
Wales is located on a [[peninsula]] in central-west [[Great Britain]]. 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]]). It is about 274 km (170 miles) [[north]]-[[south]] and 97 km (60 miles) [[east]]-[[west]]. Wales is bordered by England to the east and by sea in the other three directions: the [[Bristol Channel|Môr Hafren]] (Bristol Channel) to the south, [[St. George's Channel]] to the west, and the [[Irish Sea]] to the north. Altogether, Wales has over 1,200 km (750 miles) of coastline. There are several [[List of islands of Wales|islands]] off the Welsh mainland, the largest being [[Anglesey|Ynys Môn]] (Anglesey) in the northwest.
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'').
[[Image:Snowdon from Llyn Llydaw.jpg|thumb|200px|left|The summit of [[Snowdon]] (''Yr Wyddfa''), [[Gwynedd]], highest [[mountain]] in Wales]]
Much of Wales' diverse landscape is mountainous, particularly in the north and central regions. The mountains were shaped during the last [[ice age]], the [[Devensian glaciation]]. 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. The 14 (or possibly 15) Welsh mountains over 3,000 feet (914 m) high are known collectively as the [[Welsh 3000s]]. 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]].
In the mid 19th century, two prominent [[geologist]]s, [[Roderick Murchison]] and [[Adam Sedgwick]], used their studies of the [[geology]] of Wales to establish certain principles of [[stratigraphy]] and [[palaeontology]]. After much dispute, the next two periods of the Paleozoic era, the [[Ordovician]] and [[Silurian]], were named after ancient [[Celts|Celtic]] tribes from this area. The older rocks underlying the [[Cambrian]] rocks were referred to as [[Precambrian|Pre-cambrian]].
Wales has three [[National Park]]s: [[Snowdonia]], [[Brecon Beacons]] and [[Pembrokeshire Coast National Park|Pembrokeshire Coast]]. It also has four [[Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty]]. These areas include [[Anglesey]], the [[Clwydian Range]], the [[Gower peninsula]] and the [[Wye Valley]]. 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. [[Image:ThreeCliffsBay.jos.500pix.jpg|thumb|230px|Tor Bay and [[Three Cliffs Bay]], [[Gower peninsula|Gower]] (''Gŵyr''), Glamorgan.]]
Along with its Celtic cousins in [[Cornwall]], the coastline of South and West Wales has more miles of [[Heritage Coast]] than anywhere else. The coastline of the Glamorgan Heritage Coast, the [[Gower peninsula]], [[Pembrokeshire]], [[Carmarthenshire]], and [[Ceredigion]] is particularly wild and impressive. Gower, Carmarthenshire, Pembrokeshire and [[Cardigan Bay]] all have clean blue water, white sand beaches and impressive marine life. 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. 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. 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]]. {{Fact|date=February 2007}} 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 seal]]s, leatherback [[turtles]], [[dolphins]], [[porpoises]], [[jellyfish]], [[crabs]] and [[lobsters]]. Pembrokeshire and Ceredigion in particular are recognised as an area of international importance for [[Bottlenose dolphin]]s, and [[New Quay]] in the middle of Cardigan Bay has the only summer residence of bottle nosed dolphins in the whole of the U.K.
The modern border between Wales and England was largely defined in the 16th century, based on [[medieval]] [[feudalism|feudal]] boundaries. The boundary line (which very roughly follows [[Offa's Dyke]] up to 40 miles (64 km) of the northern coast) separates [[Knighton, Powys|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).
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.<ref>See Meic Stephens (ed.), ''Companion to Welsh Literature''. The doggerel verse was composed in English, probably for the benefit of visitors from across [[Offa's Dyke]].</ref> 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' Church, Gresford|All Saints]] at [[Gresford]]), the [[Llangollen]] bridge (built in 1347 over the [[River Dee, Wales|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 [[Taxaceae|yew]] trees in the churchyard of [[St. Mary]]'s at [[Overton-on-Dee]]) and [[Pistyll Rhaeadr]] (Wales' tallest [[waterfall]], at {{convert|240|ft|m|abbr=on}}). The wonders are part of the rhyme:
:''[[Pistyll Rhaeadr]] and [[Wrexham]] steeple,''
:''[[Snowdon]]'s mountain without its people,''
:''[[Overton]] [[yew tree]]s, [[St Winefride's Well]]s,''
:''[[Llangollen]] bridge and [[Gresford]] bells.''
===Climate===
* '''Highest maximum temperature''': 35.2 [[°C]] (95.4 [[°F]]) at [[Hawarden Bridge]], [[Flintshire]] on [[2 August]] [[1990]].
* '''Lowest minimum temperature''': -23.3 °C (-10 °F) at [[Rhayader]], [[Radnorshire]] on [[21 January]] [[1940]]. [http://www.metoffice.com/climate/uk/location/wales/#temperature]
* '''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. [http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/climate/uk/location/wales/index.html#sunshine]
* '''Maximum rainfall in a day (0900 UTC - 0900 UTC)''': 211 mm (8.30 inches) at Rhondda, [[Glamorgan]], on [[11 November]] [[1929]]. [http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/climate/uk/location/wales/index.html#rainfall]
{{see also|List of towns in Wales}}
==Economy==
{{main|Economy of Wales}}
Parts of Wales have been heavily [[industrialisation|industrialised]] since the 18th century and the early [[Industrial Revolution]]. [[Coal]], [[copper]], [[iron]], [[silver]], [[lead]], and [[gold]] have been extensively mined in Wales, and [[slate]] has been quarried. 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.
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 [[Service Sector|services]]. Over this period Wales was successful in attracting an above average share of [[foreign direct investment]] (FDI) in the UK. However, much of the new industry has essentially been of a 'branch factory' type, often routine [[assembly line|assembly]] employing low [[skills|skilled]] workers.
[[Image:Cardiff University main building.jpg|thumb|left|240px|The main building of [[Cardiff University]]]]
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.e. [[population]]) - Wales lacks a large metropolitan centre and most of the country, except south east Wales, is sparsely populated. 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. However, care is needed in interpreting these data, which do not take account of regional differences in the [[cost of living]]. The gap in real [[living standards]] between Wales and more prosperous parts of the UK is not pronounced.
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 (agriculture)|crop]]-growing, and [[livestock]] farming has traditionally been the focus 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.[http://new.wales.gov.uk/docrepos/40382/4038231141/403821124154/888061/891533/recreational-holidays-wales?lang=en]
==Healthcare==
{{main|NHS Wales}}
[[Image:NHS logo in Wales.gif|thumb|right|The logo of 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<ref>[http://www.wales.nhs.uk/sites3/page.cfm?pid=11595&orgid=452 Introduction to NHS Wales 1960's] www.wales.nhs.uk </ref>. 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.<ref>[http://www.wales.nhs.uk/sites3/page.cfm?pid=11590&orgid=452 Introduction to NHS Wales - Staff] www.wales.nhs.uk </ref>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|Demography of Wales|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. This would make Wales the 132nd largest [[List of countries by population|country by population]] if it were a sovereign state.
According to the 2001 [[census]], 96% of the population was [[White(people)|White]] [[United Kingdom|British]], and 2.1% non-white (mainly of [[British Asian|Asian]] origin).<ref>[http://www.statistics.gov.uk/cci/nugget.asp?id=451 National Statistics Online<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> Most non-white groups were concentrated in the southern port cities of [[Cardiff]], [[Newport]] and [[Swansea]]. Welsh Asian communities developed mainly through immigration since [[World War II]]. More recently, parts of Wales have seen an increased number of immigrants settle from recent [[Enlargement of the European Union|EU accession countries]] such as [[Poland]] - although some Poles also settled in Wales in the immediate aftermath of [[World War II]].
[[Image:Roald Dahl Plass - Cardiff.jpg|thumb|right|[[Roald Dahl Plass]], [[Cardiff]]]]
In the 2001 Labour Force Survey, 72% of adults in Wales considered their national identity as wholly [[Welsh people|Welsh]] and another 7% considered themselves to be partly Welsh (Welsh and British were the most common combination). 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).<ref>[http://new.wales.gov.uk/docrepos/40382/40382313/293077/40382322021/res-welshdiaspora.pdf?lang=en wales.gov.uk]</ref> 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. In both [[Blaenau Gwent]] and [[Merthyr Tydfil]] 92% were Welsh-born, compared to only 51% in [[Flintshire]] and 56% in [[Powys]].<ref>[http://www.statistics.gov.uk/cci/nugget.asp?id=445 National Statistics Online<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> 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|English language|Welsh language}}
The [[Welsh Language Act 1993]] and the [[Government of Wales Act 1998]] provide that the [[Welsh language|Welsh]] and [[English language|English]] languages be treated on a basis of equality. 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.<ref>[http://www.plaidcymru.org/content.php?nID=173;lID=1 A Bilingual Wales], Accessed [[April 27]] [[2008]]</ref>
English is spoken by almost all people in Wales and is therefore the ''de facto'' main language (see [[Welsh English]]). 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 [[Welsh language#Registers|stark differences between colloquial and literary Welsh]]. According to a language survey conducted in 2004, a larger proportion that 21.7% claim to have some knowledge of the language.<ref>[http://www.bwrdd-yr-iaith.org.uk/cynnwys.php?langID=2&nID=2122&pID=109 2004 Welsh Language Survey], www.bwrdd-yr-iaith.org.uk, Accessed [[April 28]] [[2008]]</ref> 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.<ref>41,155 (1951 Census: Wales total monoglots)</ref> 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 language|Bengali]] or [[Cantonese (linguistics)|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 language|Italian]] to Welsh residents of Italian ancestry. 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".
===Religion===
The largest [[religion]] in Wales is [[Christianity]], with 72% of the population describing themselves as Christian in the 2001 census. The [[Presbyterian Church of Wales]] is the largest denomination and was born out of the [[Welsh Methodist revival]] in the 18th century and seceded from the [[Church of England]] in 1811. The [[Church in Wales]] is the next largest denomination, and forms part of the [[Anglican Communion]]. 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 [[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|Saint David (Welsh: ''Dewi Sant'')]], with [[Saint David's Day|St David's Day (Welsh: ''Dydd Gŵyl Dewi Sant'')]] celebrated annually on [[March 1]].
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. Many of the present-day [[Pentecostal]] churches in Wales claim to have originated in this revival.
[[Islam]] is the largest non-Christian religion in Wales, with over 30,000 reported Muslims in the 2001 census. There are also communities of [[Hinduism|Hindus]] and [[Sikhism|Sikhs]] mainly in the [[South Wales]] cities of [[Newport]], [[Cardiff]] and [[Swansea]], while curiously the largest concentration of [[Buddhism|Buddhists]] is in the western rural county of [[Ceredigion]]. [[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.<ref>
[[Pagan]]ism and [[Wicca]] are also growing in Wales. Many Pagans and Wiccans also visit Wales because of the Ancient [[Celt]]ic history the country has. [http://www.bbc.co.uk/wales/religion/sites/timeline/pages/religion_in_wales_15.shtml BBC - Wales - History of religion : Multicultural Wales]</ref>
==Culture==
In June 2008, Wales made history by becoming the first nation in the world to be awarded Fairtrade Status. {{Fact|date=July 2008}}
{{main|Culture of Wales}}
===Sport===
{{main|Sport in Wales}}
[[Image:Millennium Stadium, Cardiff, Wales.jpg|thumb|Millennium Stadium]]The most popular sports in Wales are [[Rugby Union]] and [[football (soccer)|football]]. 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]]). 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. 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. Many of Wales' top athletes, sportsmen and sportswomen train at the [[Welsh Institute of Sport]] and [[National Indoor Athletics Centre]] in Cardiff, the [[Newport International Sports Village|Wales National Velodrome]] in Newport and the [[Wales National Pool]] in Swansea. However the [[Cardiff International Swimming Pool]] is the only Olympic standard pool in Wales.
[[Wales national rugby union team|The Welsh national rugby union team]] takes part in the annual [[Six Nations Championship]] and is the current (2008) holder of that Championship. Wales has also competed in every [[Rugby World Cup]] with a best result of third place in the inaugural competition . Welsh teams also play in the [[Heineken Cup|European Heineken Cup]] and [[Magners League]] (rugby union) alongside teams from [[Ireland]] and [[Scotland]], the [[EDF Energy Cup]] and the European [[Heineken Cup]]. Wales hosted the [[1999 Rugby World Cup]]. The traditional club sites were replaced in major competitions with four regional sides in 2003 replaced by the current four professional regions ([[Llanelli Scarlets]], [[Cardiff Blues]], [[Newport Gwent Dragons]] and [[Ospreys (rugby team)|Neath-Swansea Ospreys]]) cin 2004. The former club sides now operate as semi-professional clubs in their own league, linked to the four regional sides. Wales has produced ten members of the [[International Rugby Hall of Fame]] including [[Gareth Edwards]], [[JPR Williams]] and [[Gerald Davies]]. Newport Rugby Club also achieved an historic win over the 'invincible' [[All Blacks|New Zealand Rugby team]] of 1963. A similar feat was achieved by [[Llanelli RFC|Llanelli Rugby Club]] in October 1972.
Wales has had its own [[League of Wales|football league]] since 1992 although, for historical reasons, two Welsh clubs ([[Cardiff City F.C.|Cardiff City]], and [[Swansea City F.C.|Swansea City]]) play in the [[The Football League|English Football League]] and another four Welsh clubs in its feeder leagues. ([[Wrexham A.F.C.|Wrexham]], [[Newport County A.F.C|Newport County]], [[Merthyr Tydfil F.C.|Merthyr Tydfil]], and [[Colwyn Bay F.C.|Colwyn Bay]].)
[[Rugby league]] is now developing in Wales. 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.
In international [[cricket]], England and Wales field a single representative team which is administered by the [[England and Wales Cricket Board]] (ECB). There is a separate [[Wales cricket team|Wales team]] that occasionally participates in limited-overs domestic competition. [[Glamorgan County Cricket Club]] is the only Welsh participant in the England and Wales County Championship. A Wales team also plays in the English [[Minor Counties]] competition. However there has been recent debate as to whether Welsh players (such as [[Simon Jones (cricketer)|Simon Jones]]) should play for an England team, and not an England and Wales team.
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 sport is governed by the Welsh Baseball Union.
The Isle of [[Anglesey]]/Ynys Môn is a member island of the [[International Island Games Association]]. 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]]. 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]]. [[Glamorgan County Cricket Club|Glamorgan]] compete in county cricket competitions and the [[Cardiff Devils]] were once a strong force in British [[ice hockey]]. 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.
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. Former World champions include [[Enzo Maccarinelli]], [[Gavin Rees]], [[Colin Jones]], [[Howard Winstone]], [[Percy Jones (boxer)|Percy Jones]], [[Jimmy Wilde]], [[Steve Robinson (boxer)|Steve Robinson]] and [[Robbie Regan]].
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]]. [[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]]. Pryce's career was cut short after he collided with volunteer marshal, [[Jansen Van Vuuren]], killing both instantly. 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. Wales hosts the British and [[Rally GB|final leg]] of the World Rally Championship.
[[Freddie Williams (speedway rider)|Freddie Williams]] was World [[Motorcycle speedway]] champion twice - in [[1950 Individual Speedway World Championship|1950]] and [[1953 Individual Speedway World Championship|1953]] - and the country has a professional speedway team, [[Newport Wasps]]. The [[Millennium Stadium]] in [[Cardiff]] hosts the annual British [[Speedway Grand Prix]], the United Kingdom's round of the World Championship.
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 is recognised as the most successful player in English football history, 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]].
Since 2006, Wales has had its own professional [[golf]] tour, the Dragon Tour. Notable Welsh golfers include [[Brian Huggett]], [[Ian Woosnam]] and [[Phillip Price]]. The [[Celtic Manor]] in [[Newport]] will host the 2010 [[Ryder Cup]].
===Media===
{{Main article|Media in Wales}}
{{See also|Media in Cardiff}}
Cardiff is home to the Welsh national media. [[BBC Wales]] is based in [[Llandaff]], Cardiff and produces Welsh-oriented output for [[BBC One]] and [[BBC Two]] channels. 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. [[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 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, 96.4FM The Wave, [[Radio Pembrokeshire]], Radio Carmarthenshire, Champion 103, Radio Ceredigion and [[Real Radio]].
Most of the newspapers sold and read in Wales are national newspapers sold and read throughout Britain, unlike in Scotland where many newspapers have rebranded into Scottish based titles. 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 ''[[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]]''. 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]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/wales/6768879.stm |title=Welsh language paper is unveiled |accessdate=2007-08-27 |date=[[20 June]] [[2007]] |publisher=[[BBC News]]}}</ref> However, on [[15 February]] [[2008]], it was announced that plans for ''Y Byd'' had been abandoned because of funding problems.<ref>{{cite web| url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/wales/mid/7245774.stm |title=Daily Welsh newspaper abandoned| publisher=[[BBC News Online]]|date=[[15 February]] [[2008]]}}</ref>.
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[http://www.aber.ac.uk/~merwww/english/lang/welsh.htm].
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]]. 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.
===Food===
{{main|Welsh cuisine}}
About 80% of the land surface of Wales is given over to agricultural use. 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. Although both [[Cattle|beef]] and [[dairy cattle]] are raised widely, especially in [[Carmarthenshire]] and [[Pembrokeshire]], Wales is more well-known for its [[sheep]] farming, and thus [[Lamb and mutton|lamb]] is the [[meat]] traditionally associated with Welsh cooking.
Some traditional dishes include [[laverbread]] (made from [[seaweed]]), [[bara brith]] (fruit bread), [[Cawl]] a [[lamb]] [[stew]] and [[cawl cennin]] ([[leek soup]]), [[Welsh cake]]s, [[Welsh rarebit]], and Welsh [[Lamb and mutton|lamb]]. [[Cockles]] are sometimes served with breakfast bacon. [http://www.bbc.co.uk/wales/overnightsuccess/customercare/food/breakfastchoices.shtml]
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.{{Fact|date=August 2007}}
===Music===
{{main|Music of Wales}}
The principal Welsh festival of music and poetry is the ''[[National Eisteddfod]]''. 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.
Wales is often referred to as "the land of song",<ref>{{cite encyclopedia|encyclopedia=Britannica|edition=Online|year=2006|title=Wales: Cultural life: Music, literature and film}}</ref> being particularly famous for [[harp]]ists, male voice choirs, and solo artists including Sir [[Geraint Evans]], Dame [[Gwyneth Jones (soprano)|Gwyneth Jones]], Dame [[Anne Evans]], [[Ivor Novello]], [[John Cale]], [[Tom Jones (singer)|Sir Tom Jones]], [[Charlotte Church]], [[Bonnie Tyler]], [[Bryn Terfel]], [[Mary Hopkin]], [[Katherine Jenkins]], [[Meic Stevens]], [[Shirley Bassey]] , [[Duffy (singer)|Duffy]] and [[Aled Jones]].
[[Indie (music)|Indie]] bands like the [[Manic Street Preachers]], [[Catatonia (band)|Catatonia]], [[Stereophonics]], [[Feeder (band)|Feeder]], [[Super Furry Animals]], and [[Gorky's Zygotic Mynci]], in the 1990s, and later [[Goldie Lookin' Chain]], [[mclusky]], [[The Automatic]], [[Steveless]]. 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 (band)|Man]] in the 1970s. The Beatles-nurtured [[power pop]] group [[Badfinger]] also has its roots in Wales (both the founder [[Peter Ham]] and drummer Mike Gibbins from Swansea). Another famous Welsh singer is pop icon [[Jem (singer)|Jem]] who has recorded songs for/performed on TV programmes such as ''[[Las Vegas (TV series)|Las Vegas]]'' and ''[[The OC]]'', and movies such as ''[[Eragon (film)|Eragon]]''. The popular [[New Wave (music)|New Wave]]/[[synthpop]] group [[Scritti Politti]] was a vehicle for singer/songwriter and [[Cardiff, Wales|Cardiff]] native [[Green Gartside]].
The Welsh traditional and [[folk music]] scene, long overshadowed by its [[Ireland|Irish]] and [[Scotland|Scottish]] cousins, is in resurgence with performers and bands such as [[Crasdant]], [[Carreg Lafar]], [[Fernhill (band),| Fernhill]], [[Siân James (musician)|Siân James]], [[Robin Huw Bowen]], [[Llio Rhydderch]], [[KilBride]] and [[The Hennessys]]. 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 [[Cerdd Dant]] Society promotes its specific singing art primarily through an annual one-day festival. 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 [[hymn]]ology, oral history, small eisteddfodau, oral history, and poetry.
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. 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]].
===Literature===
{{main|Welsh Literature}}
{{See|List of Welsh writers}}
{{Expand|date=December 2007}}
==Transport==
{{Main|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 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]]. In [[North Wales]] the [[A55 road|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]]. The main north-south Wales link is the [[A470 road|A470]] which runs from [[Cardiff]] to [[Llandudno]].
<!-- Deleted image removed: [[Image:Tm0912-175110.jpg|thumb|250pix|left| An [[Arriva Trains Wales]] Train.]] -->
[[Cardiff International Airport]] is the only large and international [[airport]] in Wales, offering links domestically and to [[Europe]]an and [[North America]]n destinations, located some {{convert|12|mi|km}} south-west of [[Cardiff city centre]], in the [[Vale of Glamorgan]].
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. [[Cardiff Central railway station|Cardiff Central]] and [[Cardiff Queen Street railway station|Cardiff Queen Street]] are the busiest and the major hubs on the internal and national network. [[Beeching Axe|Beeching cuts]] in the 1960s mean that most of the remaining network is geared toward east-west travel to or from England. Services from North to South Wales operate through the English towns of [[Chester]] and [[Shrewsbury]]. [[Valley Lines]] services operate in [[Cardiff]], the [[South Wales Valleys]] and surrounding area and are heavily used as commuter lines.
[[Arriva Trains Wales]] is the major operator of rail services within Wales. It operates routes from South East Wales to [[Crewe]], [[Manchester]] and [[Cheltenham]]. [[Virgin Trains]] operate services from [[North Wales]] to [[London]] as part of the [[West Coast Main Line]]. [[First Great Western]] operate services from Cardiff and Swansea via Newport to London and services from Cardiff and Newport to southern England. [[CrossCountry]] offer services from Cardiff to [[Nottingham]] and [[Newcastle upon Tyne]] via the [[West Midlands (region)|West Midlands]], [[East Midlands]] and [[Yorkshire]].
Regular [[ferry]] services operate from [[Holyhead]] and [[Fishguard]] to [[Ireland]].
==National symbols==
[[Image:Flag of Saint David.svg|thumb|150px|The Flag of Saint David (''Baner Dewi Sant'')]]
[[Image:Flag of Gwynedd.svg|thumb|150px|The Flag of the Princely House of Aberffraw, first associated with [[Llywelyn the Great]]]]
[[Image:Glyndwr2.JPG|thumb|right|150px|Banner of [[Owain Glyndwr|Owain IV Glyndŵr]]]]
[[Image:WelshladyWithHat.jpg|thumb|Woman wearing a [[Welsh hat]]]]
* The [[Flag of Wales]] incorporates the [[red]] [[dragon]] (Y Ddraig Goch) of Prince [[Cadwalader]] along with the [[Tudor dynasty|Tudor]] colours of green and white. It was used by [[Henry VII of England|Henry VII]] at the [[battle of Bosworth]] in 1485 after which it was carried in state to [[St. Paul's Cathedral]]. 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. 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 the princely [[Kingdom of Gwynedd|House of Aberffraw]], which has 4 squares alternating in red and yellow and then a [[Lion (heraldry)|guardant lion]] in each square of the opposite colour. The flag was first associated with [[Llywelyn the Great|Llywelyn I The Great]], who received the fealty of all other Welsh lords at the Treaty of Aberdyfi in 1216, becoming de jure Prince of Wales, according to historian John Davies. The Aberffraw family claimed primacy as princes of Wales as the senior decendants of [[Rhodri the Great]], and included [[Owain Gwynedd|Owain I]], who was known as [[Prince of Wales|princeps Wallensium]] (Prince of the Welsh), and [[Llywelyn ap Gruffydd|Llywelyn II]]. The current claimant may be [[Sir Watkin Williams-Wynn, 11th Baronet|Sir David Watkin Williams-Wynn, 11th Baronet]].
* The flag of [[Owain Glyndŵr|Owain IV Glyndŵr]], which combined the flags of Powys and Deheubarth, has 4 squares alternating in red and yellow and then a [[Lion (heraldry)|rampant lion]] in each square of the opposite colour. The red lion on a yellow field represented Powys, and the yellow lion on a red field represented Deheubarth. Owain was the senior heir of both Powys and Deheubarth. The flag harkened back to the Aberffraw flag, linking Owain's rule with the Aberffraw princes of Wales in an effort to legitimize his rule.
* The [[Y Ddraig Goch|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 [[Celt]]ic leaders. 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. Following the annexation of Wales by England, the dragon was used as a supporter in the English monarch's coat of arms.
* The [[Leek (vegetable)|leek]] is also a national emblem of Wales. 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. 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]]. (In Welsh, the daffodil is known as "[[Saint Peter|Peter]]'s Leek", ''cenhinen Bedr''.)
* The [[Sessile Oak]], also called the Welsh Oak is the [[national tree]] of Wales.
* 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]].
* 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.
* 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 symbolism is explained on the article for [[Edward, the Black Prince#Emblem|Edward, the Black Prince]], who was the first [[Prince of Wales]] to bear the emblem; see also [[John I of Bohemia|John, King of Bohemia]]. The [[Welsh Rugby Union]] uses such a design for its own badge. The national sport is often considered [[rugby union]], though football is very popular too.
* The [[red kite]] is sometimes named as the national symbol of wildlife in Wales.<ref>[http://www.rspb.org.uk/news/details.asp?view=print&id=tcm:9-176206 The RSPB: Red kite voted Wales' Favourite Bird<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref>
* Patriotic anthems for "the land of Song" include "[[Hen Wlad fy Nhadau]]" ("Land of My Fathers") (national anthem), "[[Men of Harlech]]", "[[Cwm Rhondda]]" (national hymn), "[[Delilah (1968 song)|Delilah]]", "[[Calon Lan]]", "[[Sosban Fach]]".
==Photos of Wales==
<center><gallery>
image:Nantclwyd-y-dre,_Ruthin,_exterior_view_front_elevation.jpg|''Nantclwyd-y-dre'', [[Ruthin]], thought to be the oldest town house in Wales
image:HallOfTheMountainKings.jpg|Hall of the Mountain Kings, [[Ogof Craig a Ffynnon]], a [[cave]] in the [[Brecon Beacons]]
Image:Ynys_Llanddwyn_old_light.pg.jpg|'''[[Llanddwyn Island]]''' old lighthouse with [[Gwynedd]] in background.
image:Uwlsdb.jpg|The [[University of Wales, Lampeter]], the oldest higher education institution in Wales
Image:Rhossili 06 05.jpg|[[Rhossili|Rhossili down]] and Rhossili Bay, [[Gower peninsula]], [[Swansea]]
Image:Millennium Stadium North.jpg|[[Millennium Stadium]], [[Cardiff]]
Image:Port-Talbot-Steelworks-part.jpg|Steelworks, [[Port Talbot]]
Image:National Eisteddfod Maes 2007.jpg|[[National Eisteddfod of Wales]], 2007
Image:Brecon beacons arp.jpg|Part of the [[Brecon Beacons]], looking from the highest point Pen y Fan.
Image:Harb2359e.JPG|[[Aberaeron]], Harbour
Image:Marloes peninsula, Pembrokeshire coast, Wales, UK.JPG|Marloes peninsula, [[Pembrokeshire]] coast
Image:Snowdon from Llyn Llydaw.jpg|[[Snowdon]], highest mountain in Wales
Image:Pony_in_brecon2.jpg|A Welsh mountain pony in the [[Brecon Beacons]]
Image:Lake 2-1.jpg|A lake in the [[Brecon Beacons]]
Image:SwanseaMarina.jpg|The marina of [[Swansea]], Wales' second city
Image:Cardigan bay.jpg|Sunset in [[Aberystwyth]], one of the cultural capitals of Wales
Image:Llangollenviewfromstation.JPG|[[Llangollen]] Bridge watching over the [[River Dee]]
Image:SPIMG0017a.jpg|Overton's yew trees
Image:Hollywell.jpg|St Winefride's Well, one of the [[Seven Wonders of Wales]]
Image:Stgileswrexham.jpg|The steeple of St Giles' Church in [[Wrexham]]
Image:ASC Gresford.jpg|Gresford Bells at All Saints' Church, [[Gresford]]
Image:Pistyll Rhaeadr.jpg|[[Pistyll Rhaeadr]] is the tallest waterfall in England & Wales
Image:Newport Transporter Bridge from east bank.jpg|[[Newport Transporter Bridge]], built in 1906
Image:NLW.jpg|The [[National Library of Wales]]
</gallery></center>
==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==
{{reflist|2}}
==External links==
{{portal}}
{{sisterlinks|Wales}}
* [http://www.visitwales.com VisitWales.com] The official international guide to places to stay and things to do in Wales.
*[http://www.visitwales.co.uk/ VisitWales.co.uk] The official UK guide to places to stay and things to do in Wales.
* [http://www.walesworldnation.com Wales - World Nation]
* [http://www.wales.gov.uk National Assembly for Wales]
* [http://www.welshicons.org.uk/ Welsh Icons - About Wales and all things Welsh]
* [http://www.prospect-magazine.co.uk/article_details.php?id=7817 Myths of British ancestory]
* [http://www.bbc.co.uk/wales/ BBC Wales]
*[http://www.ryder-cup-wales.co.uk/ Ryder Cup 2010]
*[http://virtualcarmarthen.co.uk/ The ancient town of Carmarthen]
* http://www.llywelyn.co.uk
* [http://www.walescymru.com WalesCymru.com]
* [http://www.100welshheroes.com/en/homepage 100 Welsh Heroes]
* [http://www.wcva.org.uk Wales Council for Voluntary Action]
* [http://www.gtj.org.uk Gathering the Jewels - Welsh Heritage and Culture]
* [http://www.castlewales.com The castles and history of Wales]
* [http://www.castles99.ukprint.com The medieval history of Wales]
* [http://www.whatsonwales.co.uk What's on Wales]
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{{Wales topics}}
{{United Kingdom constituents and affiliations}}
{{Celtic nations}}
{{British Isles}}
<!--Template removed per [[Wikipedia:Templates_for_deletion/Log/2008_April_7#Template:Germanic-speaking_regions_of_Europe]]-->
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}}
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[[Category:NUTS 1 statistical regions of the European Union]]
[[Category:Wales]]
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