Welsh Geography, Culture and History

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

Emergence of Welsh Culture

• A distinct Welsh culture emerged among the Celtic Britons after the Roman withdrawal from Britain in the 5th century
• Wales was briefly united under Gruffydd ap Llywelyn in 1055

Conquest and Annexation

• The conquest of Wales by King Edward I of England was completed by 1283 after more than 200 years of war
• Owain Glyndŵr led the Welsh Revolt against English rule in the early 15th century and briefly re-established an independent Welsh state with its own national parliament (Welsh: senedd)
• The whole of Wales was annexed by England in the 16th century
• Incorporated within the English legal system under the Laws in Wales Acts 1535 and 1542

Development of Welsh Politics

• Distinctive Welsh politics developed in the 19th century
• Welsh Liberalism, exemplified by David Lloyd George, was displaced by the growth of socialism and the Labour Party in the early 20th century
• The nationalist party, Plaid Cymru, was formed in 1925
• The Welsh Language Society formed in 1962

Welsh Devolution

• A governing system of Welsh devolution is employed in Wales
• The most major step was forming the Senedd (Welsh Parliament, formerly the National Assembly for Wales) in 1998
• Senedd is responsible for a range of devolved policy matters

Industrial Revolution

• At the dawn of the Industrial Revolution, mining and metallurgical industries transformed the country from an agricultural society into an industrial one

Population

• Two-thirds of the population lives in South Wales
• Includes Cardiff, Swansea, Newport, and the nearby valleys
• The eastern region of North Wales has about a sixth of the overall population, with Wrexham being the largest northern city

Economy

• Since the decline of traditional extractive and heavy industries, the public sector, light and service industries, and tourism play major roles in the economy
• Agriculture in Wales is largely livestock-based, making Wales a net exporter of animal produce, contributing towards national agricultural self-sufficiency

Languages

• Both Welsh and English are official languages
• A majority of the population of Wales speaks English
• Welsh is the dominant language in parts of the north and west, with a total of 538,300 Welsh speakers across the entire country

UNESCO World Heritage Sites

• Wales has four UNESCO world heritage sites, three of which are in the north

Etymology of "Wales" and "Welsh"

• The English words "Wales" and "Welsh" derive from the same Old English root (singular Wealh, plural Wēalas)
• A descendant of Proto-Germanic *Walhaz, which was itself derived from the name of the Gauls known to the Romans as Volcae
• The Anglo-Saxons used the term to refer to the Britons in particular
• The plural form Wēalas evolved into the name for their territory, Walls

Welsh Name for Wales

• The modern Welsh name for themselves is Cymry, and Cymru is the Welsh name for Wales
• These words (both of which are pronounced [ˈkəm.rɨ]) are descended from the Brythonic word combrogi, meaning "fellow-countrymen", and probably came into use before the 7th century
• Latinized forms of these names, Cambrian, Cambric and Cambria, survive as names such as the Cambrian Mountains and the Cambrian geological period

Early History

• The territory of Wales was permanently settled from the end of the last ice age onwards
• The first farmers left impressive funerary monuments and settlement sites
• During the Bronze Age, the Great Orme in North Wales became Britain's premier producer of copper
• By the Iron Age, the island had become distinctively Celtic in culture
• It was this iron age Celtic culture, and their common language, that were called the Britons by the Romans

Roman Withdrawal

• With the departure of the Romans, Britain fractured into various kingdoms
• There is a sense in which the Roman withdrawal of 383 created a post Roman nation of Britons, with Magnus Maximus proclaimed Roman emperor in Britannia and Gaul

Anglo-Saxon Encroachment

• Encroachment by Germanic Anglo-Saxon settlers gradually displaced the indigenous culture and language of the Britons
• One group of these Britons became isolated by the geography of the western peninsula, bounded by the sea and English neighbours
• It was these English neighbours who named the land Wallia, and the people Welsh
• Medieval Wales remained divided into separate kingdoms that fought with each other as much as they fought their English neighbours

Viking/Norse Settlement

• Place name, historical records and archaeological evidence point to coastal Viking/Norse settlement in places such as Swansea, Fishguard and Anglesey

Saxon Settlement

• Saxons settled inland amongst the Welsh in places such as Presteigne

Hywel Dda and Welsh Law

• In the 10th century, Hywel ap Cadell, later Hywel Dda, formed the kingdom of Deheubarth from inheritances in Dyfed and Seisyllwg
• He gained control of the kingdoms of Gwynedd and Powys in 942
• He codified Welsh law, a law code that survived the later fracture of his kingdom
• Welsh law became a significant step in the creation of the nation
• With a common culture and an external threat, the kingdoms of Wales began to see themselves as one people

Gruffydd ap Llywelyn

• A century later the Kingdom of Gwynedd was in ascendency, and Gruffydd ap Llywelyn subdued all opposition by 1057, becoming the only king to unite all of Wales, and parts of England on the border
• From about 1057 until his death in 1063, the whole of Wales recognised the kingship of Gruffydd ap Llywelyn

Norman Incursions

• The Normans followed their invasion of England with incursions into Wales
• Forming the semi-independent Norman Welsh marches, dividing them from the unconquered Pura Wallia

Llywelyn the Great

• The fortunes of Welsh marcher lords and various Welsh princes ebbed and flowed, until Llywelyn ab Iorwerth (Llywelyn the Great) forced all other Welsh princes to submit to him in 1216
• Yet Wales was divided again after his death

Llywelyn ap Gruffudd

• It was left for his grandson, Llywelyn ap Gruffudd to secure the supremacy once more, recognised as Prince of Wales by the English king, Henry III in the treaty of Montgomery of 1267

War of Conquest

• Relations with Henry's successor, Edward I, broke down and led to a war of conquest, concluding in 1283 with English victory
• The statute of Rhuddlan ended Welsh independence in the following year
• Wales was divided between principality, ruled by Edward, and the marches and ruled by feudal marcher lords
• This persisted, despite the Welsh rebellion under Owain Glyndŵr of 1400–1415, until the rise of the Tudors, with Welsh support

Laws in Wales Acts

• With the Laws in Wales Acts of Henry VIII, the Welsh became full citizens in the Kingdom of England, with parliamentary representation
• The Welsh border was also formally defined and the territory reunited

Act of Union

• In 1707 the act of union created the Kingdom of Great Britain
• The industrial revolution and the beginning of empire led to the rapid increase in mining and exploitation of Welsh natural materials – metals, coal and slate
• The population of Wales expanded rapidly: 185 and Wales moved to the centre of the British economy, but the changes bred resentment, this time towards industrialists and not the English state

Religious Revivals

• A series of religious revivals transformed the character of the nation, beginning a tradition of non-conformism

Welsh Working Class Movements

• The rapid industrialisation of parts of Wales gave rise to strong and radical Welsh working class movements
• Led to the Merthyr Rising of 1831, the widespread support for Chartism, and the Newport Rising of 1839
• Strong liberal traditions were forged and later replaced by socialism
• Since 1922 Wales has voted Labour in every general election

Strengthening of Political Culture

• From the mid 19th century until 1914, Wales experienced a strengthened political culture, religious and cultural revival, renewed interest in Welsh literature, the revival of eisteddfodau

Treachery of the Blue Books

• The period also saw the publication of a report on education that became known as the Treachery of the Blue Books
• The report blamed Welsh language and non conformism for poor educational standards and led to requiring bilingual education

Welsh Nationalist Movement

• This fed the rise of the Welsh nationalist movement, expressed in the Cymru Fydd movement, which advocated for greater autonomy and recognition of Welsh identity within the United Kingdom

Government of Wales Act

• Calls for devolution grew over the course of a century, and in 1998 the Government of Wales Act created a devolved Welsh assembly for the first time, now renamed the Senedd or Welsh Parliament

Government and Politics

• Wales is a country that is part of the sovereign state of the United Kingdom
• ISO 3166-2:GB formerly defined Wales as a principality, with England and Scotland defined as countries and Northern Ireland as a province
• The term "principality" was replaced with "country" in 2011

UK Parliament Representation

• In the House of Commons – the 650-member lower house of the UK Parliament – there are 32 members of Parliament (MPs) who represent Welsh constituencies
• The Wales Office is a department of the UK government responsible for Wales, whose minister, the Secretary of State for Wales (Welsh secretary), sits in the UK cabinet

Senedd (Welsh Parliament)

• Wales has a devolved, unicameral legislature known as the Senedd (Senedd Cymru – Welsh Parliament) which holds devolved powers from the UK Parliament via a reserved powers model

Local Government

• Wales has been divided into 22 council areas since 1996 for local government
• These "principal areas" are responsible for providing all local government services

Government of Wales Act 1998

• Following devolution in 1997, the Government of Wales Act 1998 created a Welsh devolved assembly, the National Assembly for Wales
• This gave the assembly the power to determine how Wales's central government budget is spent and administered

Government of Wales Act 2006

• The Government of Wales Act 2006 reformed the National Assembly for Wales
• Allowing further powers to be granted to it more easily
• The act also created a system of government with a separate executive, the Welsh Government, drawn from and accountable to the legislature, the National Assembly

Powers to Make Laws

• Following a successful referendum in 2011, the National Assembly was empowered to make laws, known as Acts of the Assembly, on all matters in devolved subject areas, without requiring the UK Parliament's approval of legislative competence

Renaming of the National Assembly

• In May 2020, the National Assembly was renamed "Senedd Cymru" or "the Welsh Parliament", commonly known as the Senedd in both English and Welsh

Devolved Responsibilities

• include agriculture, economic development, education, health, housing, local government, social services, tourism, transport and the Welsh language

Promotion of Welsh Interests

• The Welsh Government also promotes Welsh interests abroad

Welsh Law

• Welsh Law was compiled during an assembly held at Whitland around 930 by Hywel Dda
• King of most of Wales between 942 and his death in 950.
• The 'law of Hywel Dda' (Welsh: Cyfraith Hywel) codified the previously existing folk laws and legal customs that had evolved in Wales over centuries
• Welsh Law emphasized compensating the victim of a crime, rather than punishment by the ruler

Statute of Rhuddlan

• Welsh Law remained in force in Wales until the Statute of Rhuddlan in 1284
• Edward I of England annexed the Principality of Wales
• In criminal cases, Welsh Law was replaced under the Statute.

Laws in Wales Acts

• Marcher Law and Welsh Law (for civil cases) remained in force until Henry VIII of England annexed the whole of Wales under the Laws in Wales Acts 1535 and 1542
• English law applied to the whole of Wales afterwards

Wales and Berwick Act 1746

• Provided that all laws that applied to England would automatically apply to Wales (and the Anglo-Scottish border town of Berwick) unless the law explicitly stated otherwise
• This Act was repealed with regard to Wales in 1967
• English law has been the legal system of England and Wales since 1536

English Law System

• 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 Supreme Court of the United Kingdom which is the highest court of appeal in the land for criminal and civil cases
• The Senior Courts of England and Wales is the highest court of first instance as well as an appellate court

Wales as a Legal Unit

• In 2007 the Wales and Cheshire Region came to an end when Cheshire was attached to the North-Western England Region
• Wales became a legal unit in its own right, although it remains part of the single jurisdiction of England and Wales

Authority of the Senedd

• The Senedd has the authority to draft and approve laws outside of the UK Parliamentary system to meet the specific needs of Wales
• Approved by a referendum held in March 2011
• Empowered to pass primary legislation, at the time referred to as an Act of the National Assembly for Wales but now known as an Act of Senedd Cymru in relation to twenty subjects listed in the Government of Wales Act 2006 such as health and education Welsh Government can then also enact more specific subordinate legislation through this primary legislation

Police Forces

• Wales is served by four regional police forces: Dyfed-Powys Police, Gwent Police, North Wales Police, and South Wales Police

Prisons

• There are five prisons in Wales: four in the southern half of the country, and one in Wrexham
• Wales has no women's prisons: female inmates are imprisoned in England

Geography and Natural History of Wales

• Wales is a generally mountainous country on the western side of central southern Great Britain
• It is about 170 miles (270 km) north to south
• The oft-quoted "size of Wales" is about 20,779 km2 (8,023 sq mi)

Borders

• Wales is bordered by England to the east and by sea in all other directions
• Irish Sea to the north and west
• St George's Channel and the Celtic Sea to the southwest
• Bristol Channel to the south

Coastline and Islands

• Wales has about 1,680 miles (2,700 km) of coastline, including the mainland, Anglesey and Holyhead
• Over 50 islands lie off the Welsh mainland, the largest being Anglesey, in the north-west

Mountains

• Much of Wales's 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), of which five are over 1,000 m (3,300 ft)
• Snowdon (Yr Wyddfa) is the highest at 1,085 m (3,560 ft)
• The 14 Welsh mountains over 3,000 feet (910 metres) high are known collectively as the Welsh 3000s

National Parks and Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty

• Wales has three national parks
• Snowdonia, Brecon Beacons, and Pembrokeshire Coast (Arfordir Penfro)
• It has five Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty
• Anglesey, the Clwydian Range and Dee Valley, the Gower Peninsula, the Llŷn Peninsula, and the Wye Valley
• The Gower Peninsula was the first area in the United Kingdom to be designated as an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, in 1956

Coastline Blue Flags

• As of 2019, the coastline of Wales had 40 Blue Flag beaches, three Blue Flag marinas and one Blue Flag boat operator

Shipwrecks

• The south and west coasts of Wales, along with the Irish and Cornish coasts, are frequently blasted by Atlantic westerlies/south-westerlies that, over the years, have sunk and wrecked many vessels

Acts of Union Border

• The Act of Union 1536 formed a linear border stretching from the mouth of the Dee to the mouth of the Wye
• The Act of Union saw many borders remained vague and moveable until the Sunday Closing (Wales) Act 1881

Geology

• The Cambrian geological period takes its name from the Cambrian Mountains, where geologists first identified Cambrian remnants
• The Ordovician and Silurian periods of the Palaeozoic era, were named after ancient Celtic tribes from this area

Climate

• Wales lies within the north temperate zone
• It has 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
• The weather records include:
• Highest Maximum Temperature: 37.1 °C (99 °F) at Hawarden, Flintshire on 18 July 2022
• Lowest Minimum Temperature: −23.3 °C (−10 °F) at Rhayader, Radnorshire on 21 January 1940
• Maximum Rainfall in a day (0900 UTC – 0900 UTC): 211 millimetres (8.3 in) at Rhondda, Glamorgan, on 11 November 1929
• The wettest spot is Crib Goch in Snowdonia, Gwynedd, with around 4,473 millimetres (176 in) rain a year, being recognized as the wettest spot in the United Kingdom.

Flora and Fauna

• Typical of Britain with several distinctions because of its long coastline
• Hosts a variety of seabirds with gannets, Manx shearwater, puffins, kittiwakes, shags and razorbills
• Also supports birds in upland-habitats, including raven and ring ouzel
• Birds of prey include the merlin, hen harrier and the red kite, a national symbol
• Total of more than 200 different species of bird at the RSPB reserve at Conwy, including seasonal visitors
• Mammals include shrews, voles, badgers, otters, stoats, weasels, hedgehogs and fifteen species of bat
• The pine marten, which has been sighted occasionally, has been reintroduced in parts of Wales since 2015, having previously not been officially recorded since the 1950s
• Feral goats can be found in Snowdonia
• Freshwater fish of note include, char, eel, salmon, sparling and Arctic char, while the gwyniad is unique to Wales, found only in Bala Lake
• Shellfish include cockles, limpet, mussels and periwinkles
• Herring, mackerel and hake are the more common of the country's marine fish The north facing high grounds of Snowdonia support a relict pre-glacial flora including the iconic Snowdon lily – Gagea serotina

Economy post last 250 years

• Over the last 250 years, Wales has been transformed from a predominantly agricultural country to an industrial, and then to a post-industrial economy

GDP Numbers

• Gross domestic product (GDP) in Wales was £75 billion in 2018
• GDP per head in Wales in 2018 was £23,866 (an increase of 2.9 per cent on 2017)

Employment Numbers

• 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

Financial deficit

• In the 2018–19 fiscal year, the Welsh fiscal deficit accounts for 19.4 per cent of Wales's estimated GDP.

Energy Production

• In 2019, Wales was a net exporter of electricity contributing towards 27.9 TWh of electricity while only consuming 14.7 TWh
• In 2021, the Welsh government said that more than half the country's energy needs were being met by renewable sources, 2 per cent of which was from 363 hydropower projects

Money allocation

• Wales contributes to items that do not directly benefit Wales e.g. over £5 billion for HS2 said to damage the Welsh economy by £200m pa,
• Wales pays twice the amount Ireland spends on the military
• The UK government spends £1.75bn per year on the military in Wales, which is almost as much as Wales spends on education every year (£1.8 billion in 2018/19) and five times as much as the total amount spent on the police in Wales (£365 million)

Heavy industry

• From the middle of the 19th century until the post-war era, the mining and export of coal was the dominant industry
• Peaked in 1913 counting 233,000 men and women in South Wales coalfield, mining 56 million tons of coal
• In the 1920s, over 40 per cent of the male Welsh population worked in heavy industry

Restructuring of industry

• From the mid-1970s, the Welsh economy faced massive restructuring with large numbers of jobs in heavy industry disappearing and being replaced eventually by new ones in light industry and in services

Fairtrade status

• Wales became the first nation to be awarded Fairtrade status in June 2008

Covid Impact 2020-2021

• During 2020, and well into 2021, the restrictions and lockdowns necessitated by the COVID-19 pandemic affected all sectors of the economy and "tourism and hospitality suffered notable losses from the pandemic" across the UK.

Main Roads Transport

• The M4 motorway running from West London to South Wales links Newport, Cardiff and Swansea
• The A55 expressway has a similar role along the North Wales coast
• The main north-south Wales link is the A470, which runs from Cardiff to Llandudno

Rail

• Rail transport in Wales includes the Wales & Borders franchise, which is overseen by the Welsh Government with most passenger services operated by Transport for Wales Rail
• Trains in Wales are mainly diesel-powered but the South Wales Main Line branch of the Great Western Main Line used by services from London Paddington to Cardiff is undergoing electrification

International Airport

• Cardiff Airport is the international airport of Wales
• It is located 12 miles (19 km) southwest of Cardiff city centre, in the Vale of Glamorgan

Regular Ferry Services

• Regular ferry services to Ireland operate from Holyhead, Pembroke Dock and Fishguard

Education

• A distinct education system has developed in Wales

Griffith Jones Schooling Systems

• One of the first successful schooling systems was started by Griffith Jones, who introduced the circulating schools in the 1730s
• Believed to have taught half the country's population to read

Language of Instruction

• In the early 19th century, English became the usual language of instruction at schools in Wales

University College of Wales

• The University College of Wales opened in Aberystwyth in 1872
• Cardiff and Bangor followed, and the three colleges came together in 1893 to form the University of Wales

Welsh Language Schools

• A resurgence in Welsh-language schools in the latter half of the 20th century at nursery and primary level saw attitudes shift towards teaching in the medium of Welsh
• Welsh is a compulsory subject in all of Wales's state schools for pupils aged 5–16 years old

Coleg Cymraeg Cenedlaethol

• Welsh-medium higher education is delivered through the individual universities and has since 2011 been supported by the Coleg Cymraeg Cenedlaethol (Welsh-language National College) as a delocalised federal institution

School Statistics

• In 2021–2022, there were 1,470 maintained schools in Wales
• The country had 471,131 pupils taught by 25,210 full-time equivalent teachers in 2021–22

Healthcare, NHS Wales (GIG Cymru)

• Public healthcare in Wales is provided by NHS Wales (GIG Cymru), through seven local health boards and three all-Wales trusts
• It was originally formed as part of the NHS structure for England and Wales by the National Health Service Act 1946
• Responsibility for NHS Wales passed to the Welsh Assembly under devolution in 1999, and is now the responsibility of the Minister for Health and Social Services
• NHS Wales directly employs over 90,000 staff, making it Wales's biggest employer

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
• Wales has seven cities: Cardiff, Newport, Swansea, Wrexham, Bangor, St Asaph and St Davids

Language in Wales

• 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
• According to the 2021 census, the Welsh-speaking population of Wales aged three or older was 17.8 per cent (538,300 people)
• Nearly three-quarters of the population in Wales said they had no Welsh language skills
• English is spoken by almost all people in Wales and is the main language in most of the country
• Since Poland joined the European Union, Wales has seen a significant increase in Polish immigrants, becoming the most common main language at 0.7 %

Dominance of Christianity

• Forms of Christianity have dominated religious life in what is now Wales for more than 1,400 years
• The 2021 census recorded that 46.5 per cent had "No religion", more than any single religious affiliation

National Religion

• Largest religion in Wales is Christianity, with 43.6 per cent of the population calling themselves Christian in the 2021 census
• Early 20th century saw a religious revival, the 1904–1905 Welsh Revival, which started through the evangelism of Evan Roberts and brought large numbers of converts, sometimes whole communities, to non-Anglican Christianity

The Church in Wales

• Church in Wales with 56,000 adherents has the largest attendance of the denominations
• A province of the Anglican Communion, and was part of the Church of England until disestablishment in 1920 under the Welsh Church Act 1914

Islam

• Largest Non-Christian religion at 24,000 (0.8 per cent) of the population in the 2011 census

Ethnicity Statistics

• 2021 census showed that 93.8 per cent of the population of Wales was "White", compared to 95.6 per cent in 2011
• Second-highest ethnicity in 2021 was "Asian, Asian Welsh or Asian British" at 2.9 per cent of the population
• 5.3 per cent of households in Wales were multiple ethnic group households, up from 4.2 per cent in 2011

National Identity Statistics

• The 2021 census showed that 55.2 per cent identified as "Welsh only" and 8.1 per cent identified as "Welsh and British"
• Giving a 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
• There are four UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Wales
• The Castles and Town Walls of King Edward I in Gwynedd
• Pontcysyllte Aqueduct and Canal
• The Blaenavon Industrial Landscape
• The Slate Landscape of Northwest Wales

Mythology

• Remnants of native Celtic mythology were passed down orally by the cynfeirdd (the early poets)
• Prose stories from the White and Red Books are known as the Mabinogion

Literature

• Wales has one of the oldest unbroken literary traditions in Europe going back to the sixth century, including Geoffrey of Monmouth and Gerald of Wales
• Translation of the Bible into Welsh was accomplished by William Morgan in 1588
• Lady Charlotte Guest's translation into English of the Mabinogion are some of the most important medieval Welsh prose works of Celtic mythology

Amgueddfa Cymru – Museum Wales

• Operates at seven sites: National Museum Cardiff, St Fagans National History Museum, Big Pit National Coal Museum, National Wool Museum, National Slate Museum, National Roman Legion Museum, and the National Waterfront Museum

Visual arts

• Celtic art, illuminated manuscripts survive, including the 8th-century Hereford Gospels and Lichfield Gospels
• In the Early Medieval period
• Sculptor Sir William Goscombe John made works for Welsh commissions, although he had settled in London.
• The art landscape includes Cardiff School of Art opened was in 1865 and the artist colony Betws-y-Coed

Pottery Centers

• South Wales had several notable potteries
• First important sites being the Ewenny Pottery in Bridgend, which began producing earthenware in the 17th century
• Cambrian Pottery (1764–1870, also known as "Swansea pottery") and Nantgarw Pottery made fine porcelain

National Symbols

• Wales is a modern Celtic nation which contributes to its national identity
• The red dragon is the principal symbol of national identity and pride

Welsh Flag

• The Welsh flag became an official flag in 1959 prominently featuring The red dragon
• Banner of Owain Glyndŵr is associated with Welsh nationhood

Saint David's Day

• Welsh celebrate Saint David's Day on 1 March
• Day is celebrated by schools and cultural societies across Wales
• Customs include the wearing of a leek or a daffodil
• Children wear the national costume

Hen Wlad Fy Nhadau

• English: Land of My Fathers
• The de facto, national anthem of Wales; played at events such as football or rugby matches
• Cymru am byth" ("Wales forever") is a popular Welsh motto

Sport

• The Wales national rugby union team takes part in the annual Six Nations Championship and has also competed in every Rugby World Cup, hosting the tournament in 1999
• The Welsh regional teams: Cardiff Blues, Dragons, Ospreys and Scarlets.
• Wales has had its own football league, the Welsh Premier League, since 1992
• 5 Welsh clubs play in the English football league system
• Cardiff City, Swansea City, Newport County, Wrexham, and Merthyr Town.

Media

• Wales became the UK's first digital television nation in 2010
• Welsh-orientated service branded ITV Cymru Wales
• Main Publishing Houses include: Gomer Press, Gwasg Carreg Gwalch, Honno, the University of Wales Press and Y Lolfa

Cuisine

• Traditional Welsh dishes include laverbread (made from Porphyra umbilicalis, an edible seaweed), bara brith (fruit bread), cawl (a lamb stew), cawl cennin (leek soup), and Welsh cakes

Music Festivals and Instruments

• The annual National Eisteddfod is the country's main performance festival, celebrating Welsh culture
• The Llangollen International Eisteddfod provides an opportunity for the singers and musicians of the world to perform
• Traditional instruments include the telyn deires (triple harp), fiddle, crwth (bowed lyre) and the pibgorn (hornpipe)

Performing Arts

• Wales also has a growing tradition of notable singers in both the classical and pop arenas, as well as some popular bands