Wales: Difference between revisions

Wales (English)
Cymru (Welsh)

Royal Coat of Arms (Flag) (Unofficial arms)
National motto: Y DDRAIG GOCH DDYRY CYCHWYN (Welsh: the Red Dragon inspires action)
Wales's location relative to most of the British Isles (other parts of the UK shown on the map are in pink).
Official languages	English, Welsh
Capital	Cardiff
Largest city	Cardiff
First Minister	Rhodri Morgan
Area  - Total	Ranked 3rd UK 20,779 km²
Population  - Total (2001)  - Total (mid-2004)  - Density	Ranked 3rd UK 2,903,085 2.95 million 140/km²
NUTS 1	UKL
Currency	Pound sterling (£) (GBP)
Time zone	UTC, Summer: UTC +1
National flower	Leek, Daffodil
Patron saint	St. David
National Anthem	Hen Wlad Fy Nhadau

Wales (Welsh: Cymru; pronounced IPA: /ˈkɐmrɨ/, approximately "COME-ree") is a nation in northwest Europe, and one of the four constituent countries of the United Kingdom. Wales is located in the south-west of Great Britain and is bordered by the English counties of Cheshire, Shropshire, Herefordshire, and Gloucestershire to the east, the Bristol Channel to the south, St George's Channel to the southwest, and the Irish Sea to the west and north.

The term Principality of Wales, in Welsh, Tywysogaeth Cymru, is sometimes used, although the Prince of Wales has no role in the governance of Wales and this term is unpopular among some. Wales has not been a sovereign state since 1282, when King Edward I of England defeated Welsh monarch Llywelyn II in the Battle of Cilmeri, although it was recognised as an independent nation by Spain, France and Ireland during Owain Glyndŵr's War of Liberation between 1400 and 1410. Welsh law was not replaced in all cases by English law until the Laws in Wales Acts 1535-1542, at which time political unity was also entrenched. The capital of Wales since 1955 has been Cardiff, although Caernarfon is the location where the Prince of Wales is invested, and Machynlleth was the home of a parliament called by Owain Glyndŵr during his rising at the start of the fifteenth century.

In 1999, the National Assembly for Wales was formed, which has limited domestic powers, due to be expanded in 2007.

Etymology

The name of Wales originates from the Germanic word Walha, meaning stranger or foreigner, probably derived from the name Volcae. As the Celts of Gaul were Romanized, the word changed its meaning to "Romanic people", as it is still kept in the name of the Walloons of Belgium, Wallachia in Romania, as well as the "-wall" of Cornwall. The term "weallas" used by Anglo Saxon settlers came to denote second class person. The Welsh themselves name their country Cymru, which is thought to have meant 'countrymen' in Old Welsh. The word "Cymru" is related to the names of Cumberland and Cumbria in the north of England.

See also: History of the term Vlach

History

Main article: History of Wales

Humans first inhabited what is now Wales at the end of the last Ice Age. The first documented history was during the 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. The Romans established a string of forts across what is now southern Wales, as far west as Carmarthen (Maridunum), and mined gold at Dolaucothi in Carmarthenshire. There is evidence that they progressed even farther west. They also built the legionary fortress at Caerleon (Isca), whose magnificent amphitheatre is the best preserved in Britain. The Romans were also busy in northern Wales, and an old legend claims that Magnus Maximus, one of the last emperors, married Elen or Helen, the daughter of a Welsh chieftain from Segontium, near present-day Caernarfon. It was in the 4th century during the Roman occupation that Christianity was introduced to Wales.

After the collapse of the Roman Empire in Britain during 410, Wales became divided into several kingdoms. Attempts by the Anglo-Saxon tribes to invade these kingdoms failed due to the fierce resistance of its people and its mountainous terrain. An Anglo-Saxon king, Offa of Mercia, is credited with having constructed a great earth wall, or dyke, along the border with his kingdom, to mark off a large part of Powys which he had conquered. Parts of Offa's Dyke can still be seen today.

The eastern lands lost to English settlement became known in Welsh as Lloegyr, the 'lost lands', and eventually became the modern Welsh name for England. The Anglo-Saxons, in turn, labelled the Romano-British as Walha, meaning 'foreigner' or 'stranger'. The Welsh countinued to call themselves as Brythoniaid (Britons) until as late as the 12th century, though the first use of Cymru and y Cymry were recorded as early as 633 by Aneirin. In the Armes Prydain written in about 930, the use of Cymry and Cymro was used as often as 15 times. It wasn't until the 12th century however, that Cymry overtook Brythoniaid in their writings.

Following the Norman conquest of England in 1066, the independence of Wales was gradually eroded. In 1282, Edward I of England defeated Llywelyn the Last, Wales's last independent Prince, in battle. Edward constructed a series of great stone castles in order to keep the Welsh under control. The best known are at Beaumaris, Caernarfon, Conwy, and Harlech. Wales was legally annexed by the Laws in Wales Act 1535, in the reign of Henry VIII of England, who was actually Welsh. The Wales and Berwick Act 1746 provided that all laws that applied to England would automatically apply to Wales (and Berwick, a town located on the Anglo-Scottish border) unless the law explicitly stated otherwise.

In the twentieth century, Wales saw a revival in its national status. An independence movement was led by Plaid Cymru, seeking greater autonomy for the region from England. In 1955, the term England and Wales became common for describing the area to which English law applied, and Cardiff was proclaimed as capital. In 1962 the Welsh Language Society was formed in response to fears that the language may 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 by Welsh nationalists 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 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 1969, the Wales and Berwick Act 1746 was repealed for Wales, and a legal definition of Wales, and 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". However, in 1997 a referendum on the issue was secured, although by a very narrow majority. The National Assembly for Wales was set up in 1999 (as a consequence of the Government of Wales Act 1998) and possesses the power to determine how the government budget for Wales is spent and administered.

Politics

Main article: Politics of Wales; see also Politics of the United Kingdom

As one of the constituent parts of the United Kingdom, the head of state in Wales is the British monarch currently 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.

The National Assembly was first established in 1998 under the Government of Wales Act. There are 60 members of the Assembly, known as "Assembly Members (AM)". 40 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 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 current First Minister of Wales is Rhodri Morgan (since 2000), of the Labour party who form a minority government. The largest opposition party is Plaid Cymru ("Party of Wales"), who favour Welsh independence from the rest of the UK. Other parties include the Conservative Party, the Liberal Democrats (who formed part of a coalition government with Labour in the first Assembly), and Forward Wales. Current political debate in Wales is whether the National Assembly should be given more powers, such as the power to pass primary legislation, as the Scottish Parliament can in Scotland.

In the British House of Commons, Wales is represented by 40 MPs in the Welsh constituencies. A Secretary of State for Wales sits in the UK cabinet and is responsible for the representation of Welsh issues. The Wales Office is a department of the United Kingdom government, responsible for Wales. The current Secretary of State for Wales is Peter Hain.

The new Assembly Building designed by Richard Rogers was opened by The Queen on St. David's Day (March 1st) 2006.

Law

Wales shares the same legal system as England, within the legal distinction of England and Wales. England legally annexed Wales under the Laws in Wales Act 1535, in the reign of King Henry VIII. The Wales and Berwick Act 1746 provided that all laws that applied to England would automatically apply to Wales (and Berwick, a town located on the Anglo-Scottish border) unless the law explicitly stated otherwise. This act, with regard to Wales, was repealed in 1967.

As such, 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 precedents are binding as opposed to persuasive. 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). 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; the High Court of Justice and the Crown Court. Minor cases are heard by the Magistrates' Courts or the County Court.

Geography

Wales is located on a peninsula in central-west Great Britain. The entire area of Wales is about 20,779 km² (8,023 square miles). It is about 274 km (170 miles) long and 97 km (60 miles) wide. Wales borders England to the east and the sea in the other three directions: the Bristol Channel to the south, St George's Channel to the west, and the Irish Sea to the north. Wales has over 1,200 km (750 miles) of coastline, and has more listings in the official guide book to the UK's best beaches than any other part of the UK (Britain's Blue Flag Beaches lists 109 Welsh beaches [1]). There are several islands off the Welsh mainland, the largest being Anglesey in the northwest.

The main population and industrial areas are in South Wales, consisting of the cities of Cardiff, Swansea and Newport and surrounding areas.

Much of Wales's beautiful and 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, and include Snowdon (Yr Wyddfa in Welsh), which, at 1,085 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 are in the south 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-nineteenth 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. 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 modern border between Wales and England is highly arbitrary; it was largely defined in the 16th century, based on mediæval feudal boundaries. It has apparently never been confirmed by referendum or reviewed by any Boundary Commission (except to confirm Monmouthshire as part of Wales in 1968). The boundary line (which very roughly follows Offa's Dyke up to 40 miles from 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).

The Seven Wonders of Wales is a traditional list of seven geographic and cultural landmarks in 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), St Winefride's Well (a pilgrimage site at Holywell in Flintshire) the Wrexham 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's tallest waterfall, at 240 ft or 75 m). The wonders are part of the traditional rhyme:

Pistyll Rhaeadr and Wrexham steeple,

Snowdon's mountain without its people,

Overton yew trees, St Winefride wells,

Llangollen bridge and Gresford bells.

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. [2]

See also: List of towns in Wales

Subdivisions

For the purposes of local government, Wales was divided into 22 council areas in 1996. These are unitary authorities responsible for the provision of all local government services, including education, social work, environment and roads services. Below these are community councils — informal organsiations that represent specific areas within a council area.

The Queen appoints a Lord Lieutenant to represent her in the eight Preserved counties of Wales — which are combinations of council areas. The 13 traditional counties of Wales are also used as geographical areas.

City status in the United Kingdom is determined by Royal Charter. There are five cities in Wales:

• Bangor
• Cardiff
• Newport
• St David's
• Swansea

Economy

Parts of Wales have been heavily industrialised since the eighteenth century. Coal, copper, iron, silver, lead, and gold have been mined in Wales, and slate has been quarried. Ironworks and tinplate works, along with the coal mines, attracted large numbers of immigrants during the nineteenth century, particularly to the valleys north of Cardiff. Due to the poor quality soil, much of Wales is unsuitable for crop-growing, and livestock farming has traditionally been the focus of agriculture. The Welsh landscape, protected by three National Parks, and the unique Welsh culture bring in tourism, which is especially vital for rural areas.

Light engineering is still an important activity in the main population areas of the South and extreme North-East, but the economy, as elsewhere in the UK, is now focused on the service sector.

Demographics

The population of Wales in the 2001 census was 2,903,085. This would make Wales the 134th largest country by population if it were a sovereign state.

According to the 2001 census, 96% of the population was White British, and 2.1% non-white (mainly of Asian origin).[3] Most non-white groups were concentrated in Cardiff, Newport and to a lesser extent Swansea.

In the 2001 Labour Force Survey, 60% 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). [4]

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.[5] One of the reasons for this is that the locations of the most convenient hospitals are over the border in England. In the case of Flintshire, The Countess of Chester Hospital is only 13 miles from Mold, the prime town of the county. The Welsh option would be Bodelwyddan Hospital in Denbighshire which would be a 25 mile trip.

Wales is more 'rural' than England with nearly 20% of its population living in settlements of fewer than 1,500 persons compared to 10% in England. Wales also has a relatively small share of its population in large towns: two-thirds compared to 80% in England.[6]

There is a distinct division in attitude within Wales with regards to other areas within the principality. This can be seen both in a north/south divide and an east/west divide.

The north/south divide is best demonstrated by the lack of a good road and rail infrastructure. There is also less respect for Cardiff as a capital city as it is so far away (Bangor to Cardiff is 188 miles). It is easier for a northern Welshman to visit Manchester (100 miles from Bangor) if they need a service which is only available in an urban area.

The east/west divide was most obvious during the referendum for an Assembly. The No vote was found predominantly in the east, and the yes vote was predominantly from the west.

Language

The official languages in Wales are English and Welsh. There are 28 letters in the Welsh language and unlike English its vowels are: A,E,I,O,U,W, and Y. English is spoken by almost all people in Wales and is the de facto main language, with the local dialect being Welsh English. However, Wales is officially bilingual, with 20.5% of the population able to speak Welsh and a larger proportion having some knowledge of the Welsh language according to the 2001 census, although few (if any) residents of Wales other than small children are monolingual in Welsh these days. The Welsh Language Act 1993 and the Government of Wales Act 1998 provide that the Welsh and English languages should be treated on a basis of equality. Public bodies are required to prepare and implement a Welsh Language Scheme. Thus the Welsh Assembly, local councils, police forces, fire services and the health sector use Welsh as an official language, issuing official literature and publicity in Welsh versions (e.g. letters to parents from schools, library information, and council information). All road signs in Wales should be in English and Welsh, including both versions of place names where names or versions exist in both languages e.g. Caerdydd and "Cardiff".

Religion

The largest religion in Wales is Christianity, with 72% of the population declaring to be Christian in the 2001 census. The Presbyterian Church of Wales is the largest denomination and was born out of the Welsh Methodist revival in the eighteenth century and seceded from the Church of England in 1811. The 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 Roman Catholic Church makes up the next largest denomination at 3% of the population. Non Christian religions are small in Wales, making up less than 2% of the population. 18% of people declare no religion.

The patron saint of Wales is Saint David, with St David's Day celebrated annually on March 1.

Culture

Food

About 80% of the land surface of Wales is given over to agricultural use. Very little of this is arable land though as the vast majority consists of permanent grass or rough grazing for herd animals. Although both beef and dairy cattle are raised widely, especially in Carmarthenshire and Pembrokeshire, Wales is more well-known for its sheep farming, and thus lamb is the meat traditionally associated with Welsh cooking.

Some traditional dishes include laverbread (made from seaweed), bara brith (fruit bread), cawl cennin (leek stew), Welsh cakes, Welsh rarebit (cheese on toast), and Welsh lamb. Cockles are sometimes served with breakfast.

Music

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 echos the National Eisteddfod but provides an opportunity for the singers and musicians of the world to perform.

Wales is popularly known as "the land of song", and is known as the home of many musicians and musical styles.^[1] It is particularly famous for harpists, male voice choirs, and solo artists including Sir Geraint Evans, Ivor Novello, Madam Adelina Patti, Tom Jones, Charlotte Church, Bryn Terfel, Katherine Jenkins, Shirley Bassey, and Aled Jones. Indie bands like Catatonia, Stereophonics, The Manic Street Preachers, Feeder, Super Furry Animals, and Gorkys Zygotic Mynci, in the 1990s, and later Goldie Lookin' Chain, McLusky, Lostprophets, Funeral for a Friend and Bullet for my Valentine were preceded by Man in the 1970s. Also from Wales are Aphex Twin and his record label, Rephlex Records, who are responsible for some of the electronic music made today. Many of these popular singers and musicians have yet to pass the test of longevity.

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, Sian James, Robin Huw Bowen, Llio Rhydderch and KilBride. Welsh Pipes are also enjoying a revival with individual pipers and groups rediscovering Welsh bagpipe music.

The BBC National Orchestra of Wales performs in Wales and internationally. The world-renowned Welsh National Opera now has a permanent home at the Wales Millennium Centre in Cardiff Bay.

Sport

The most popular sports in Wales are Rugby union and football. As in New Zealand, Rugby is a core part of the national identity.

The Welsh national rugby union team takes part in the annual Six Nations Championship, and the Rugby Union World Cup. Welsh teams also play in the Celtic League, Powergen Cup and the European Heineken Cup.

Wales has its own football league since 1992, but for historical reasons, the major Welsh clubs play in the English Football League and its feeder leagues. A Welsh national team also exists for international competition.

Rugby League is now developing in Wales. Since 2003, there has been a national league and in 2006, professional league comes back to the principality with the advent of the Celtic Crusaders.

Wales has produced some great snooker players and 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 compete in county cricket competitions and the Cardiff Devils are quite a strong force in British ice hockey. Joe Calzaghe the half Welsh, half Italian boxer is current World Super-Middleweight Champion (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joe_Calzaghe).

Media

BBC Wales is based in Cardiff, and produces Welsh-oriented output for BBC One and BBC Two channels. BBC Radio Wales broadcasts as a local English-language radio station, while BBC Radio Cymru broadcasts in Welsh. ITV, the UK's main commercial broadcaster has a Welsh-oriented service branded as ITV Wales provided by HTV. S4C is an mostly Welsh-language channel at peak hours, but sharing English-language content with Channel 4 at other times. S4C Digidol (S4C Digital), on the other hand, broadcasts entirely in Welsh.

Most of the newspapers sold and read in Wales are national newspapers sold and read throughout Britain. Welsh-based newspapers include: Liverpool Daily Post (Welsh edition) ; Llanelli Star; South Wales Echo; South Wales Argus; South Wales Evening Post; The Western Mail; and Y Cymro, a Welsh language publication. A plan to bring out the first Welsh-language daily newspaper, Y Byd, is currently underway.

National symbols

• The Flag of Wales (Y Ddraig Goch) incorporates the red dragon of Prince Cadwalader along with the Tudor colours of green and white. 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 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. Since the British Union Flag does not have any Welsh representation, the Flag of Wales has become very popular.
• 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. 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. 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.
• The daffodil is the national flower of Wales, and is worn on St David's Day each March 1.
• The Flag of Saint David is sometimes used as an alternative to the national flag, and is flown on St David's Day.
• The Coat of Arms of the Principality of Wales is used by Charles, Prince of Wales in his personal standard.
• The Prince of Wales's Feathers, the heraldic badge of the Prince of Wales is sometimes adapted by Welsh bodies for use in Wales. The symbolism is explained on the article for Edward, the Black Prince, who was the first Prince of Wales to bear the emblem. The Welsh Rugby Union uses such a design for its own badge.

Photos of Wales

• Tredegar House, Newport
  Tredegar House, Newport
• 
  Hall of the Mountain Kings, Ogof Craig a Ffynnon, a cave in the Brecon Beacons
• 
  The University of Wales, Lampeter, the oldest higher education institution in Wales
• The Castle and Old College building, Aberystwyth
  The Castle and Old College building, Aberystwyth

Notable Welsh people

see List of Welsh people

See also

• Angelystor
• Education in Wales
• List of not fully sovereign nations
• Welsh Marches
• List of public holidays in Wales
• List of Welsh people
• List of rulers of Wales
• List of United Kingdom-related topics
• England and Wales
• Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch
• Seven Wonders of Wales
• Walh
• Welsh narrow gauge railways
• Madog ap Owain Gwynedd
• The size of Wales
• Wales national rugby league team
• Wales national rugby union team
• Welsh national football team
• Welsh surnames

References

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External links

• Wales. World Nation (General information about Wales, its government and its people)
• Famous Welsh People
• BBC Wales
• National Assembly for Wales
• Wales on the Web (Web directory)
• Google Directory: Wales (Web directory)
• BBC Nations (Brief history of Wales)
• Wales Screen Commission (Filming in Wales)
• Wales Tourist Information (Tourist Information)
• Visit Wales (Official Tourist Information from the Wales Tourist Board)
• Things to do in South Wales Official site from South West Wales Tourist Board
• Taffia.org site for Welsh people outside of Wales
• Whats on in Wales West Wales Tourist Board

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