All about Wales

Study Notes

Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom
It is bordered by:
- Irish Sea to the north and west
- England to the east
- Bristol Channel to the south
- Celtic Sea to the south-west.
As of 2021, Wales has a population of 3.2 million
Wales has a total area of 21,218 square kilometers (8,192 sq mi)
Wales has over 2,700 kilometers (1,680 mi) of coastline
Wales is largely mountainous, with higher peaks in the north and central areas
Snowdon (Yr Wyddfa) is its highest summit
Wales lies within the north temperate zone
Wales has a changeable, maritime climate
The de facto anthem of Wales is "Hen Wlad Fy Nhadau" ("Land of My Fathers")
Cardiff is the capital and largest city
The official languages is Welsh (Cymraeg).
The demonym is Welsh
The government is a devolved parliamentary legislature within a parliamentary constitutional monarchy
- Monarch: Charles III
- First Minister: Eluned Morgan
- Secretary of State: Jo Stevens
- House of Commons: 32 MPs (of 650)
Legislature: Senedd
Unified by Gruffydd ap Llywelyn in 1057
Area:
- Total: 21,218 km2 (8,192 sq mi)
- Land: 20,737 km2 (8,007 sq mi)
Population:
- 2022 estimate: 3,131,640
- 2021 census: 3,107,494
- Density: 151/km2 (391.1/sq mi)
GVA (2022 estimate):
- Total: £74.5 billion
- Per capita: £23,804
GDP (nominal) (2022 estimate):
- Total: £85.4 billion
- Per capita: £27,274
HDI (2022): 0.910 (very high)
Currency: Pound sterling (GBP; £)
Time zone: UTC+0 (GMT)
- Summer (DST): UTC+1 (BST)
Date format: dd/mm/yyyy (AD)
Calling code: +44
ISO 3166 code: GB-WLS
Internet TLD: .wales.cymru