Facts about Wales

General Facts

• Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom (UK).
• It is bordered by the Irish Sea to the north and west, England to the east, the Bristol Channel to the south, and the Celtic Sea to the southwest.
• The capital and largest city is Cardiff.
• As of 2021, the population was approximately 3.2 million.
• The total area is 21,218 square kilometers (8,192 sq mi), featuring over 2,700 kilometers (1,680 mi) of coastline.
• Wales is largely mountainous, with the highest peaks in the north and central areas, including Snowdon (Yr Wyddfa).
• Lies within the north temperate zone, with a changeable, maritime climate.

Etymology

• The words "Wales" and "Welsh" come from the Old English word "Wealh," which comes from Proto-Germanic "*Walhaz," derived from the name of the Gauls, Volcae, referring to inhabitants of the Western Roman Empire.
• Anglo-Saxons used "Wealh" to refer to the Britons
• The Welsh name for themselves is "Cymry," and "Cymru" is the Welsh name for Wales.
• These are derived from the Brythonic word "combrogi," meaning "fellow-countrymen".
• Latinized forms like Cambrian, Cambric, and Cambria are still used.

History

• The territory of Wales was permanently settled from the end of the last ice age onwards.
• During the Bronze Age, the Great Orme in North Wales became Britain's premier producer of copper.
• The Romans called the Iron Age Celtic culture "Britons" due to their common language
• The Roman withdrawal in 383 led to Britain fracturing into various kingdoms.
• Germanic Anglo-Saxon settlers displaced the Britons, isolating one group in the western peninsula known as Wallia.
• Medieval Wales was divided into separate kingdoms that frequently fought with each other and the English.
• Coastal Viking/Norse settlements existed in places like Swansea, Fishguard, and Anglesey, and Saxons settled inland among the Welsh.
• In the 10th century, Hywel ap Cadell, later Hywel Dda, formed the kingdom of Deheubarth and controlled most of Wales by 942.
• He codified Welsh law, which significantly contributed to the creation of the Welsh nation
• By 1057, Gruffydd ap Llywelyn united all of Wales, but the kingdom did not last.
• The Normans invaded Wales, creating the Norman Welsh marches.
• Llywelyn ab Iorwerth (Llywelyn the Great) secured the submission of other Welsh princes in 1216.
• Edward I of England conquered Wales in 1283 after a war, and the Statute of Rhuddlan ended Welsh independence in 1284.
• Owain Glyndŵr led a Welsh rebellion from 1400–1415.
• With the Laws in Wales Acts of Henry VIII, the Welsh became full citizens in the Kingdom of England, with parliamentary representation.
• The Act of Union in 1707 created the Kingdom of Great Britain.
• The Industrial Revolution led to increased mining, population, and resentment towards industrialists, as well as religious revivals and non-conformism.
• Since 1922 Wales has consistently voted Labour in every general election.
• The Cymru Fydd movement advocated for greater autonomy and recognition of Welsh identity.
• In 1998, the Government of Wales Act created a devolved Welsh assembly, now called the Senedd or Welsh Parliament.

Government and Politics

• Wales is a country that is part of the sovereign state of the United Kingdom.
• In 2011, ISO updated its designation referring to Wales as a country instead of a principality.
• There are 32 Welsh Members of Parliament (MPs) in the 650-member UK House of Commons.
• The Wales Office is a UK government department responsible for Wales.
• Wales has a devolved, unicameral legislature called the Senedd (Welsh Parliament).
• For local government, Wales has been divided into 22 council areas since 1996.

Devolved Government

• Following devolution in 1997, the Government of Wales Act 1998 established the National Assembly for Wales (now the Senedd).
• The Senedd can determine how Wales's central government budget is spent.
• The Government of Wales Act 2006 reformed the National Assembly and created a separate executive, the Welsh Government.
• In 2011, a referendum empowered the National Assembly to make laws on devolved matters.
• Devolved responsibilities include agriculture, economic development, education, health, housing, local government, social services, tourism, transport, and the Welsh language.

Law

• Welsh Law (Cyfraith Hywel) was codified around 930 by Hywel Dda.
• This emphasized compensation to victims rather than punishment by the ruler, and remained until 1284.
• Criminal cases were covered by the Statute of Rhuddlan, while Marcher Law and Welsh Law (for civil cases) remained until the Laws in Wales Acts 1535 and 1542.
• The Wales and Berwick Act 1746 provided that laws applying to England would automatically apply to Wales unless stated otherwise
• Since 1536, English law is the legal system of England and Wales.
• The Senedd has the authority to draft and approve laws outside of the UK Parliament to meet the specific needs of Wales.
• The Senedd can pass primary legislation related to health and education.
• Wales has four regional police forces and five prisons.

Geography and Natural History

• Wales is a mountainous country on the western side of central southern Great Britain, about 170 miles (270 km) north to south.
• The area of wales is about 20,779 km2 (8,023 sq mi).
• It is bordered by England to the east and by the Irish Sea, St George's Channel, Celtic Sea, and Bristol Channel.
• Wales has about 1,680 miles (2,700 km) of coastline.
• The landscape is mountainous, particularly in the north and central regions, shaped during the Devensian glaciation.
• The highest mountain is Snowdon (Yr Wyddfa), at 1,085 m (3,560 ft).
• Wales has three national parks: Snowdonia, Brecon Beacons, and Pembrokeshire Coast.
• It has five Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty, including the Gower Peninsula.
• The south and west coasts of Wales are frequently blasted by Atlantic westerlies/south-westerlies.
• The first border between Wales and England was zonal, then linear after the Act of Union 1536.

Geology

• The Cambrian geological period is named after the Cambrian Mountains.
• In the mid-19th century, studies of Welsh geology helped establish principles of stratigraphy and paleontology.
• The Ordovician and Silurian periods are named after ancient Celtic tribes from the area.

Climate

• Wales lies within the north temperate zone, with a changeable, maritime climate and is one of the wettest countries in Europe.
• Welsh weather is often cloudy, wet, and windy, with warm summers and mild winters. Highest temperature: 37.1 °C (99 °F) at Hawarden, Flintshire on 18 July 2022.
• Lowest temperature: −23.3 °C (−10 °F) at Rhayader, Radnorshire on 21 January 1940.
• Wettest spot: Crib Goch in Snowdonia, averaging 4,473 millimetres (176 in) of rain a year.

Flora and Fauna

• Wildlife is typical of Britain with several distinctions, including seabirds.
• The coasts and surrounding islands are home to colonies of gannets, Manx shearwater, puffins, kittiwakes, shags, and razorbills.
• Upland birds include raven and ring ouzel.
• Birds of prey include the merlin, hen harrier, and the red kite.
• Mammals include shrews, voles, badgers, otters, stoats, weasels, hedgehogs, and fifteen species of bat.
• Two species of small rodent, the yellow-necked mouse and the dormouse, are of special Welsh note being found at the historically undisturbed border area.
• The pine marten has been reintroduced after being absent since the 1950s. Believed to be home to some of Wales's rarest land invertebrates, some 2,500 disused coal tips are the subject of study by the Welsh Government; the tips are home to a wide variety of other wildlife.
• Feral goats can be found in Snowdonia.
• Beavers have been officially released in the Dyfi Valley.
• Marine animals in the waters of south-west Wales include basking sharks, seals, turtles, dolphins, and jellyfish.
• Freshwater fish include salmon, eel, and Arctic char, while the gwyniad is unique to Wales.
• Flora includes the Snowdon lily and other alpine species, and plants not found elsewhere in the UK.

Economy

• Over the last 250 years, Wales has shifted from an agricultural country to an industrial, and then to a post-industrial economy.
• Since World War II, the service sector has become the majority job provider, a feature typically found in most advanced economies.
• In 2018, the gross domestic product (GDP) was £75 billion.
• In the three months to December 2017, 72.7 per cent of working-age adults were employed, compared to 75.2 per cent across the UK as a whole.
• In 2019, Wales was a net exporter of electricity.
• The UK government spends £1.75bn per year on the military in Wales.
• From the mid-19th century until the post-war era, coal mining was the dominant industry; Cardiff was once the largest coal-exporting port.
• Since the mid-1970s, the Welsh economy has faced restructuring, with new jobs appearing in light industry and services.
• Wales has had success attracting foreign direct investment.
• Livestock farming is the primary focus of agriculture.
• Tourism contributes to the economy, especially in rural areas.
• Wales lacks high value-added employment in sectors such as finance and research and development.
• In June 2008, Wales became the first nation to be awarded Fairtrade status.
• The pound sterling is the currency used in Wales.
• Restrictions during the COVID-19 pandemic significantly affected all sectors of the economy.

Transport

• The M4 motorway links Newport, Cardiff, and Swansea.
• The A55 expressway connects Holyhead and Bangor with Wrexham and Flintshire.
• The A470 is the main north-south Wales link, running from Cardiff to Llandudno.
• Rail transport includes the Wales & Borders franchise, overseen by the Welsh Government.
• Cardiff Airport is the international airport of Wales.
• Regular ferry services to Ireland operate from Holyhead, Pembroke Dock, and Fishguard.

Education

• A distinct education system has developed in Wales.
• Formal education before the 18th century was for the elite.
• The first grammar schools were established in towns such as Ruthin, Brecon, and Cowbridge.
• In the early 19th century, English became the usual language of instruction.
• The University College of Wales opened in Aberystwyth in 1872 and later formed the University of Wales.
• Welsh is a compulsory subject in all state schools for pupils aged 5–16 years old.
• Welsh-medium higher education is delivered through the individual universities and supported by the Coleg Cymraeg Cenedlaethol.

Healthcare

• Public healthcare is provided by NHS Wales (GIG Cymru).
• Responsibility for NHS Wales passed to the Welsh Assembly under devolution in 1999.
• Clinical work has been concentrated in district hospitals.
• NHS Wales directly employs over 90,000 staff.
• In 2021–22, 72 per cent of adults surveyed had good or very good general health.
• The survey recorded that 46 per cent of Welsh adults had a long-standing illness.
• 13 percent of Welsh adults reported to be smokers and 16 per cent admitted drinking alcohol above weekly recommended guidelines.
• 56% undertook the recommended 150 minites of physical activity each week.

Demography

• The population of Wales doubled from 587,000 in 1801 to 1,163,000 in 1851 and had reached 2,421,000 by 1911.
• Large part of increase can be attributed to Industrial revolution
• There was also large-scale migration into Wales during the Industrial Revolution.
• Many immigrants came from the British Commonwealth of Nations in the 20th century.
• In the early 1980s, the population fell due to net migration out of Wales.
• Since the 1980s, net migration has generally been inward.
• The resident population of Wales in 2021 according to the census was 3,107,500.
• Wales accounted for 5.2 per cent of the population of England and Wales in 2021.
• Wales has seven cities: Cardiff, Newport, Swansea, Wrexham, Bangor, St Asaph, and St Davids.
• Wrexham became Wales's newest and seventh city in September 2022.

Language

• Welsh is an official language in Wales, as legislated by the Welsh Language (Wales) Measure 2011.
• Both Welsh and English are also official languages of the Senedd.
• The proportion of Welsh speakers declined during the 20th century but increased between 1981 and 2001.
• According to the 2021 census, 17.8 per cent of the population aged three or older speak Welsh (538,300 people).
• English is spoken by almost all people in Wales, and is the main language in most of the country.
• "Wenglish" is the Welsh dialect of the English language.
• Northern and western Wales retain many areas where Welsh is spoken as a first language by the majority of the population, and English learnt as a second language.
• Since Poland joined the European Union, Polish has become the most common main language after English and Welsh.

Religion

• Forms of Christianity have dominated religious life in what is now Wales for more than 1,400 years.
• In the 2021 census more than single religious affiliation was "no religion" at 46.5%
• 43.6% of the population in the 2021 census described themselves as christian
• The patron saint of Wales is Saint David (Dewi Sant), celebrated annually on 1 March.
• The early 20th century saw a religious revival, the 1904–1905 Welsh Revival.
• The Church in Wales is part of the Anglican Communion, with the largest attendance of the denominations.
• The second largest attending faith in Wales is Roman Catholic.
• Non-Christian religions are small in Wales, with Islam being the largest, with 24,000 (0.8 per cent) reported Muslims in the 2011 census.

Ethnicity

• The 2021 census showed that 93.8 per cent of the population of Wales identified as "White", compared to 95.6 per cent in 2011.
• The second-highest ethnicity in 2021 was "Asian, Asian Welsh or Asian British" at 2.9 per cent of the population.
• 1.6 per cent of the population identified as "Mixed or multiple ethnic groups"
• Local authorities with the highest proportions of "high-level" ethnic groups other than "White" were mainly urban areas including Cardiff, Newport and Swansea.
• 5.3 per cent of households in Wales were multiple ethnic group households, up from 4.2 per cent in 2011.
• In 2021, the first statue of a named, non-fictional woman outdoors was raised for Wales's first black headteacher, Betty Campbell.
• In 2023, Patti Flynn became the first black Welsh woman to be awarded a purple plaque.
• In 2024, Vaughan Gething was elected First Minister of Wales becoming the first black head of government in Europe having previously served as Secretary for Finance.

National Identity

• The 2021 census showed that 55.2 per cent identified as "Welsh only".
• 8.1 per cent identified as "Welsh and British", giving the combined proportion of 63.3 per cent for people identifying as Welsh.

Culture

• Wales has a distinctive culture including its own language, customs, holidays, and music.
• Four UNESCO World Heritage Sites: Castles and Town Walls of King Edward I in Gwynedd; Pontcysyllte Aqueduct and Canal; Blaenavon Industrial Landscape; The Slate Landscape of Northwest Wales.

Mythology

• Celtic mythology was passed down orally by the cynfeirdd (early poets).
• Prose stories from the White and Red Books are known as the Mabinogion.
• Texts include the earliest forms of the Arthurian legend and the traditional history of post-Roman Britain.

Literature

• One of the oldest unbroken literary traditions in Europe, dating back to the sixth century.
• Notable Latin authors of the Middle Ages: Geoffrey of Monmouth and Gerald of Wales.
• William Morgan translated the Bible into Welsh in 1588.
• Daniel Owen wrote Rhys Lewis in 1885, the first novel in Welsh.
• Dylan Thomas, a prominent 20th-century Welsh writer, is known for Under Milk Wood.
• R.S. Thomas was the most important figure throughout the second half of the 20th century
• Major writers in the second half of the 20th century include Emyr Humphreys and Raymond Williams.

Museums and Libraries

• Amgueddfa Cymru – Museum Wales operates at seven sites with free entry.
• The National Library of Wales in Aberystwyth houses collections of printed works, art, and maps.

Visual Arts

• Celtic art has been found in Wales.
• Illuminated manuscripts from Wales survive, including the 8th-century Hereford Gospels and Lichfield Gospels.
• Richard Wilson is considered the first major British landscapist.
• Cardiff School of Art opened in 1865.
• Many Welsh artists gravitated towards major art capitals in Europe.
• The Kardomah Gang was an intellectual circle in Swansea, including Dylan Thomas and Vernon Watkins.
• Notable potteries include the Ewenny Pottery, Cambrian Pottery, and Nantgarw Pottery.

National Symbols and Identity

• Wales is a modern Celtic nation, contributing to its national identity.
• The red dragon is the principal symbol of national identity and pride
• It appears prominently on the national flag of Wales, which became official in 1959.
• The banner of Owain Glyndŵr is associated with Welsh nationhood
• The Prince of Wales's feathers are also used: it consists of three white feathers emerging from a gold coronet, and the German motto Ich dien (I serve).
• On 1 March, Welsh people celebrate Saint David's Day
• Customs include the wearing of a leek or a daffodil, and children wearing the national costume.
• "Hen Wlad Fy Nhadau" (Land of My Fathers) is the de facto national anthem of Wales.
• "Y Ddraig Goch Ddyry Cychwyn" ("the red dragon inspires action") has been used on the Royal Badge of Wales.

Sport

• More than 50 national governing bodies regulate and organize their sports in Wales.
• Wales is represented at major world sporting events such as the FIFA World Cup, Rugby World Cup, and the Commonwealth Games.
• At the Olympic Games, Welsh athletes compete as part of a Great Britain team.
• Rugby union is seen as a symbol of Welsh identity.
• Other significant sports include football, cricket, snooker, track and field, cycling, and boxing.

Media

• Wales became the UK's first digital television nation in 2010.
• BBC Cymru Wales and ITV Cymru Wales are national broadcasters.
• S4C broadcasts exclusively in Welsh.
• The Western Mail is Wales's only print national daily newspaper.
• around 650 books are published each year by welsh publishers

Cuisine

• Traditional Welsh dishes include laverbread, bara brith, cawl, and Welsh cakes.
• Chicken tikka masala is the country's favorite dish.

Performing Arts

• Wales is known as "the land of song", known for solo artists, male voice choirs, and harpists.
• The annual National Eisteddfod is the country's main performance festival.
• Traditional instruments include the telyn deires (triple harp), fiddle, crwth (bowed lyre), and the pibgorn (hornpipe). Traditional dances include Welsh folk dancing and clog dancing.