Geography of Wales

Study Notes

Wales, known as Cymru in Welsh, is a country within the United Kingdom.
It is bordered by:
- The Irish Sea to the north and west
- England to the east
- The Bristol Channel to the south
- The Celtic Sea to the southwest
As of 2021, Wales has a population of approximately 3.2 million
The total area of Wales is 21,218 square kilometers (8,192 sq mi).
Wales has over 2,700 kilometers (1,680 mi) of coastline.
The country is largely mountainous, with the highest peaks in the north and central regions.
The highest summit in Wales is Snowdon (Yr Wyddfa).
Wales is located in the north temperate zone.
It experiences a changeable, maritime climate.
The de facto anthem of Wales is "Hen Wlad Fy Nhadau" ("Land of My Fathers").
The capital and largest city is Cardiff, located at 51°29′N 3°11′W.
Welsh (Cymraeg) is an official language.
Wales has a devolved parliamentary legislature within a parliamentary constitutional monarchy.
The current monarch is Charles III.
Eluned Morgan is a prominent political figure.
Jo Stevens is the Secretary of State for Wales.
Wales has 32 Members of Parliament (MPs) in the House of Commons (out of 650 total).
The legislature is called the Senedd.
Gruffydd ap Llywelyn unified Wales in 1057.
Wales was incorporated into England on March 3, 1284.
Further laws were established in 1543.
The Welsh Language Act was passed on July 27, 1967.
The National Assembly for Wales was established on July 1, 1999.
The land area of Wales is 20,737 square kilometers (8,007 sq mi).
The estimated population in 2022 was 3,131,640.
The population density is approximately 151 people per square kilometer (391.1/sq mi).
The Gross Value Added (GVA) in 2022 was estimated at £74.5 billion.
The per capita GVA in 2022 was £23,804.
The nominal GDP in 2022 was estimated at £85.4 billion.
The per capita GDP in 2022 was £27,274.
The Human Development Index (HDI) in 2022 was 0.910, considered very high
The currency used is the Pound sterling (GBP; £).
The time zone is UTC+0 (GMT), with UTC+1 (BST) during summer.
The date format is dd/mm/yyyy (AD).
The calling code is +44.
The ISO 3166 code is GB-WLS.
The Internet TLDs are .wales and .cymru.