Welsh Government and Politics

• Wales is a country within the United Kingdom, bordered by the Irish Sea, England, the Bristol Channel, and the Celtic Sea.
• The capital and largest city is Cardiff.
• The official languages are Welsh (Cymraeg) and English.
• The demonym is Welsh.
• The anthem is "Hen Wlad Fy Nhadau" ("Land of My Fathers").

Government and Politics

• The government is a devolved parliamentary legislature within a parliamentary constitutional monarchy.
• The monarch is Charles III
• Eluned Morgan is a key political figure.
• The Secretary of State is Jo Stevens.
• Wales has 32 Members of Parliament (MPs) in the House of Commons (out of 650).
• The legislature is called the Senedd.

Formation and Area

• Wales was unified by Gruffydd ap Llywelyn in 1057.
• The conquest of Wales by King Edward I of England was completed by 1283.
• Wales was annexed by England in the 16th century under the Laws in Wales Acts 1535 and 1542.
• The Senedd (Welsh Parliament) was formed on July 1, 1999, marking a major step in Welsh devolution.
• The total area is 21,218 km2 (8,192 sq mi), with a land area of 20,737 km2 (8,007 sq mi).

Population and Economy

• The estimated population in 2022 was 3,131,640.
• The 2021 census recorded a population of 3,107,494.
• The population density is 151/km2 (391.1/sq mi).
• The GVA (Gross Value Added) total for 2022 is estimated at £74.5 billion, with a per capita of £23,804.
• The GDP (Gross Domestic Product) nominal total for 2022 is estimated at £85.4 billion, with a per capita of £27,274.
• The HDI (Human Development Index) for 2022 is 0.910, which is very high.
• The currency is the Pound sterling (GBP; £).
• The time zone is UTC+0 (GMT), with UTC+1 (BST) during summer (DST).
• 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, in addition to .uk.

Topography and Climate

• Wales has a diverse landscape.
• It is largely mountainous, with higher peaks in the north and central areas.
• Snowdon (Yr Wyddfa) is the highest summit.
• Wales is in the north temperate zone with a changeable, maritime climate.
• The coastline is over 2,700 kilometers (1,680 mi).

Historical Context

• A distinct Welsh culture emerged among the Celtic Britons after the Roman withdrawal in the 5th century.
• Gruffydd ap Llywelyn briefly united Wales in 1055.
• Owain Glyndŵr led the Welsh Revolt in the early 15th century, briefly re-establishing an independent Welsh state.
• Distinctive Welsh politics developed in the 19th century with Welsh Liberalism, later displaced by socialism and the Labour Party.
• Welsh national feeling grew, leading to the formation of Plaid Cymru in 1925 and the Welsh Language Society in 1962.

Industrial Revolution and Modern Economy

• The Industrial Revolution transformed Wales from an agricultural society into an industrial one due to the mining and metallurgical industries.
• Two-thirds of the population live in South Wales.
• Traditional extractive and heavy industries have declined.
• The public sector, light and service industries, and tourism play major roles in its economy.
• Agriculture is largely livestock-based, making Wales a net exporter of animal produce.

Language and Heritage

• Welsh and English are official languages.
• English is the majority language.
• Welsh is dominant in parts of the north and west.
• There are approximately 538,300 Welsh speakers across the country.
• Wales has four UNESCO world heritage sites, three of which are in the north.

Etymology: Names of Wales

• "Wales" and "Welsh" come from the Old English word "Wealh," referring to inhabitants of the Western Roman Empire.
• "Cymry" is the modern Welsh name, derived from "combrogi," meaning "fellow-countrymen."

Early History

• The territory of Wales has been permanently settled since the end of the last ice age.
• The Great Orme in North Wales became Britain's premier producer of copper during the Bronze Age.
• The Iron Age Celtic culture was referred to as Britons by the Romans.

Post-Roman Britain

• The Roman withdrawal led to the fracturing of Britain into various kingdoms.
• Germanic Anglo-Saxon settlers displaced the indigenous culture and language of the Britons.
• The English named the land Wallia and its people Welsh.

Medieval Wales

• Medieval Wales remained divided into separate kingdoms.
• Coastal Viking/Norse settlements existed in places such as Swansea, Fishguard, and Anglesey.
• Saxons settled inland among the Welsh in places such as Presteigne.

Unification Attempts

• In the 10th century, Hywel ap Cadell (Hywel Dda) formed the kingdom of Deheubarth and gained control of Gwynedd and Powys.
• He codified Welsh law, which helped in creating a sense of nationhood.
• Gruffydd ap Llywelyn united all of Wales by 1057, though it lasted briefly.

Norman Invasions and Welsh Rebellions

• Normans formed the semi-independent Norman Welsh marches, dividing them from the unconquered Pura Wallia.
• Llywelyn ab Iorwerth (Llywelyn the Great) forced all other Welsh princes to submit to him in 1216.
• Edward I's war of conquest concluded in 1283, ending Welsh independence.
• Owain Glyndŵr led a Welsh rebellion from 1400–1415.

Acts of Union and Industrial Revolution

• With the Laws in Wales Acts of Henry VIII, the Welsh became full citizens in the Kingdom of England.
• The Act of Union in 1707 created the Kingdom of Great Britain.
• The industrial revolution led to the growth of mining and exploitation of Welsh natural materials.

Modern Wales

• Religious revivals transformed the character of the nation, beginning a tradition of non-conformism.
• The Merthyr Rising of 1831 and the Newport Rising of 1839 were results of radical Welsh working-class movements.
• Since 1922, Wales has voted Labour in every general election.
• The Treachery of the Blue Books report blamed the Welsh language and non-conformism for poor educational standards.

Welsh Nationalism and Devolution

• 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 the Senedd or Welsh Parliament.

Current Governance

• Wales is a country within the sovereign state of the United Kingdom.
• Wales is described as a country rather than a principality.
• There are 32 members of Parliament (MPs) who represent Welsh constituencies in the House of Commons.
• The Wales Office is a department of the UK government responsible for Wales.
• Wales has a devolved, unicameral legislature known as the Senedd (Senedd Cymru – Welsh Parliament).
• Wales is divided into 22 council areas for local government purposes.

Devolved Government Responsibilities

• The National Assembly for Wales was created with the power to determine how Wales's central government budget is spent and administered.
• The Welsh Government, a separate executive, is drawn from and accountable to the National Assembly.
• The National Assembly was empowered to make laws on all matters in devolved subject areas following a referendum in 2011.
• Devolved areas include agriculture, economic development, education, health, housing, local government, social services, tourism, transport, and the Welsh language.

Welsh Law

• Welsh Law, compiled around 930 by Hywel Dda, emphasized compensation for crimes rather than punishment by the ruler.
• Welsh Law remained in force until the Statute of Rhuddlan in 1284 for criminal cases.
• English law has been the legal system of England and Wales since 1536.

Legal System

• The court system is headed by the Supreme Court of the United Kingdom.
• The Senior Courts of England and Wales is the highest court of first instance as well as an appellate court.
• Wales became a legal unit in its own right in 2007, although it remains part of the single jurisdiction of England and Wales.
• The Senedd has the authority to draft and approve laws outside of the UK Parliamentary system to meet the specific needs of Wales.

Law Enforcement and Prisons

• Wales is served by four regional police forces.
• There are five prisons in Wales.
• Wales has no women's prisons.

Geography

• Wales is a mountainous country in Great Britain, about 170 miles (270 km) north to south.
• The "size of Wales" is about 20,779 km2 (8,023 sq mi).
• Wales is bordered by England to the east and by sea in all other directions.
• Wales has about 1,680 miles (2,700 km) of coastline.

Topography

• Much of Wales's landscape is mountainous, particularly in the north and central regions.
• The mountains were shaped during the last ice age.
• The highest mountains are in Snowdonia (Eryri), with Snowdon (Yr Wyddfa) being the highest at 1,085 m (3,560 ft).
• The Welsh 3000s are 14 or 15 mountains over 3,000 feet (910 metres) high.
• Other ranges include the Brecon Beacons and the Cambrian Mountains.

National Parks

• Wales has three national parks: Snowdonia, Brecon Beacons, and Pembrokeshire Coast.
• 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.

Coastal Features

• The Gower Peninsula was the first area in the United Kingdom to be designated as an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, in 1956.
• As of 2019, the coastline of Wales had 40 Blue Flag beaches, three Blue Flag marinas, and one Blue Flag boat operator.
• The south and west coasts of Wales, along with the Irish and Cornish coasts, are frequently impacted by Atlantic westerlies/south-westerlies.

Maritime History

• Many ships have been wrecked off the Welsh coast over the years.
• In 1859, over 110 ships were destroyed off the coast of Wales in a hurricane, resulting in more than 800 lives lost across Britain.
• The greatest single loss occurred with the sinking of the Royal Charter off Anglesey, in which 459 people died.
• The Sea Empress oil spill in 1996 is a notable example of modern maritime disasters.

Borders

• The first border between Wales and England was zonal, particularly around the River Wye.
• Offa's Dyke was an early attempt at a distinct line.
• The Act of Union 1536 formed a linear border from the mouth of the Dee to the mouth of the Wye.

Geology

• The Cambrian geological period takes its name from the Cambrian Mountains.
• Roderick Murchison and Adam Sedgwick used their studies of Welsh geology to establish principles of stratigraphy and palaeontology.
• The Ordovician and Silurian periods were named after ancient Celtic tribes from the area.

Climate Specifics

• 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 (now Powys) on 21 January 1940.
• Maximum sunshine in a month: 354.3 hours at Dale Fort, Pembrokeshire in July 1955.
• Minimum sunshine in a month: 2.7 hours at Llwynon, Brecknockshire in January 1962.
• Maximum rainfall in a day: 211 millimetres (8.3 in) at Rhondda, Glamorgan, on 11 November 1929.
• Wettest spot: 4,473 millimetres (176 in) rain a year at Crib Goch in Snowdonia, Gwynedd.

Flora and Fauna

• Wales's wildlife is typical of Britain with several distinctions.
• The coasts host a variety of seabirds, including gannets, Manx shearwater, and puffins.
• Upland-habitat birds include raven and ring ouzel.
• Birds of prey include the merlin, hen harrier, and the red kite, a national symbol.
• Larger mammals, including brown bears and wolves, died out during the Norman period.
• Mammals today include shrews, voles, badgers, and fifteen species of bat.

Reintroduction and Conservation

• The pine marten has been reintroduced in parts of Wales since 2015.
• The polecat, nearly driven to extinction in Britain, hung on in Wales and is now rapidly spreading.
• Feral goats can be found in Snowdonia.
• Beavers have been officially released in the Dyfi Valley.
• Some 2,500 disused coal tips are the subject of study for their rare land invertebrates and other wildlife.

Marine and Freshwater Life

• The south-west waters attract marine animals, including basking sharks, Atlantic grey seals, and dolphins.
• Pembrokeshire and Ceredigion are important for bottlenose dolphins.
• Freshwater fish of note include char, eel, salmon, and the gwyniad, unique to Wales.
• Wales is known for its shellfish, including cockles, limpet, and mussels.

Unique Plantlife

• Snowdonia supports a relict pre-glacial flora.
• Wales has plant species not found elsewhere in the UK, including the spotted rock-rose on Anglesey, and Draba aizoides on the Gower.

Economic History

• Wales has transformed from an agricultural country to an industrial and then to a post-industrial economy.
• Since the Second World War, the service sector has dominated employment.
• In 2018, Wales's GDP was £75 billion, with a GDP per head of £23,866.

Energy

• In 2019, Wales was a net exporter of electricity, producing 27.9 TWh. Additionally, only consuming 14.7 TWh
• By 2021, more than half the country's energy needs were being met by renewable sources.

Economic Challenges

• Wales contributes to UK items that do not directly benefit Wales.
• Wales pays more in military costs than most similar-sized countries.

Dominance of Coal

• From the mid-19th century until the post-war era, coal mining and export was the dominant industry.
• In 1913, nearly 233,000 people were employed in the South Wales coalfield, mining 56 million tons of coal.

Restructuring

• From the mid-1970s, the Welsh economy faced massive restructuring.
• New jobs eventually replaced many in heavy industry in light industry and services.
• In the late 1970s and early 1980s, Wales attracted an above average share of foreign direct investment in the UK.

Agriculture and Tourism

• Poor-quality soil in much of Wales is unsuitable for crop-growing and livestock farming has been the focus of farming.
• About 78 per cent of the land surface is used for agriculture.
• The Welsh landscape attracts large numbers of tourists.

Contemporary Economy

• Wales lacks high value-added employment in sectors such as finance and research and development.
• In 2002, economic output per head stood at 90 per cent of the EU25 average and around 80 per cent of the UK average.
• In June 2008, Wales became the first nation to be awarded Fairtrade status.

Currency and Financial Institutions

• The pound sterling is the currency used in Wales.
• Numerous Welsh banks issued their own banknotes in the 19th century, ending in 1908.
• The Royal Mint, which issues coinage for the whole of the UK, has been based at Llantrisant since 1980.

Post-Pandemic Economy

• The COVID-19 pandemic affected all sectors of the economy.
• Tourism and hospitality suffered notable losses.
• Restrictions were in place until the summer of 2021.

Main Roads

• The M4 motorway links West London to South Wales.
• The A55 expressway connects Holyhead and Bangor with Wrexham and Flintshire.
• The A470 runs from Cardiff to Llandudno, a main north-south link.

Rail

• Passenger and freight services are operated by Transport for Wales Rail.
• The Cardiff region has its own urban rail network.
• Beeching cuts in the 1960s mean that most of the remaining network is geared toward east-west travel.
• A North-South railway has been suggested to better link North and South Wales.

Air and Sea Transport

• Cardiff Airport is the international airport of Wales.
• Regular ferry services to Ireland operate from Holyhead, Pembroke Dock, and Fishguard.

Historical Education

• The first grammar schools were established in Welsh towns such as Ruthin, Brecon, and Cowbridge.
• Griffith Jones introduced the circulating schools in the 1730s.
• In the early 19th century, English became the usual language of instruction at schools in Wales.

Education System Development

• The University College of Wales opened in Aberystwyth in 1872.
• The Welsh Intermediate Education Act of 1889 created 95 secondary schools.
• The Welsh Department for the Board of Education followed in 1907.

Modern Education Landscape

• A resurgence in Welsh-language schools occurred in the latter half of the 20th century.
• Welsh is a compulsory subject in all of Wales's 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.

Public Healthcare

• Public healthcare in Wales 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 newer, larger district hospitals.
• NHS Wales directly employs over 90,000 staff, making it Wales's biggest employer.

Health Statistics

• The National Survey for Wales in 2021–22 reported that 72 per cent of adults surveyed had good or very good general health.
• 46 per cent of Welsh adults had a long-standing illness.
• 13 per cent of the adult population were smokers.

Population Trends

• The population of Wales doubled from 587,000 in 1801 to 1,163,000 in 1851.
• Most of the increase came in the coal mining districts.
• The population in 1972 stood at 2.74 million.

Migration

• In the early 1980s, the population fell due to net migration out of Wales.
• Since then, net migration has generally been inward.

Current Demographics

• The resident population of Wales in 2021 was 3,107,500.
• Wales accounted for 5.2 per cent of the population of England and Wales in 2021.

Key Cities

• Wales has seven cities: Cardiff, Newport, Swansea, Wrexham, Bangor, St Asaph, and St Davids.
• Wrexham became Wales's newest city in September 2022.

Language Statistics

• The proportion of the Welsh population able to speak the Welsh language fell from just under 50 per cent in 1901 to 18.9 per cent in 1981.
• The 2021 census, the Welsh-speaking population of Wales aged three or older was 17.8 per cent (538,300 people).
• English is spoken by almost all people in Wales and is the main language in most of the country.

Language Influences

• "Wenglish" is the Welsh dialect of the English language, influenced by Welsh grammar.
• Northern and western Wales retain many areas where Welsh is spoken as a first language by the majority of the population.

Religion

• 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.
• The largest religion in Wales is Christianity, with 43.6 per cent of the population describing themselves as Christian in the 2021 census.
• The patron saint of Wales is Saint David (Dewi Sant).

Christian Denominations

• The Church in Wales is part of the Anglican Communion.
• The second largest attending faith in Wales is the Roman Catholic Church.

Non-Christian Faiths

• Non-Christian religions are small in Wales, making up approximately 2.7 per cent of the population.
• Islam is the largest, with 24,000,08 per cent Muslims in the 2011 census.

Ethnicity

• The 2021 census showed that 93.8 per cent of the population of Wales identified as "White".
• 90.6 per cent of the population identified as "White: Welsh, English, Scottish, Northern Irish, or British" in 2021

Ethnic Diversity

• The 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.

National Identity

• The 2021 census showed that 55.2 per cent identified as "Welsh only" and 8.1 per cent identified as "Welsh and British".
• A 2022 YouGov poll found that 67 per cent considered themselves Welsh to some degree.

World Heritage Sites

• 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, and The Slate Landscape of Northwest Wales.

Mythology

• Remnants of native Celtic mythology of the pre-Christian Britons was passed down orally by the cynfeirdd (the early poets).
• The Mabinogion, a collection of prose stories, contains mythological material.

Literature

• Wales has one of the oldest unbroken literary traditions in Europe.
• The earliest body of Welsh verse is by poets Taliesin and Aneirin.
• 1885 saw the publication of Rhys Lewis by Daniel Owen, credited as the first novel written in the Welsh language.
• Dylan Thomas was one of the most notable and popular Welsh writers of the 20th century.

Museums and Libraries

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

Visual Arts

• Works of Celtic art have been found in Wales.
• In the Early Medieval period, the Celtic Christianity of Wales was part of the Insular art of the British Isles.

Welsh Artists

• Richard Wilson (1714–1782) is arguably the first major British landscapist.
• The sculptor Sir William Goscombe John made works for Welsh commissions.
• The Kardomah Gang was an intellectual circle in Swansea, centered on the poet Dylan Thomas and the artist Vernon Watkins.

Ceramics

• South Wales had several notable potteries, one of these being The Ewenny Pottery in Bridgend.
• The Cambrian Pottery (1764–1870, also known as "Swansea pottery") produced refined ceramics.

National Symbols

• The red dragon is the principal symbol of national identity.

Saint David's Day

• On 1 March, Welsh people celebrate Saint David's Day, commemorating the death of the country's patron saint.

National Anthem and Mottos

• "Hen Wlad Fy Nhadau" (English: Land of My Fathers) is the de facto, national anthem of Wales.
• "Cymru am byth" ("Wales forever") is a popular Welsh motto.

Sports in Wales

• More than 50 national governing bodies regulate and organise their sports in Wales.
• Wales is represented at major world sporting events such as the FIFA World Cup, Rugby World Cup, and Commonwealth Games. Rugby union is seen as a symbol of Welsh identity and an expression of national consciousness. Wales has had its own football league, the Welsh Premier League, since 1992.

Media Landscape

• Wales became the UK's first digital television nation in 2010.
• BBC Cymru Wales is the national broadcaster.
• S4C broadcasts exclusively in Welsh since the digital switchover.

Newspapers and Journals

• The Western Mail is Wales's only print national daily newspaper.
• Y Cymro is a Welsh-language newspaper, published weekly.
• The Books Council of Wales is the Welsh-Government-funded body tasked with promoting Welsh literature.

Cuisine of Wales

• Traditional Welsh dishes include laverbread, bara brith, cawl, and Welsh cakes.

Music

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

Drama

• The earliest surviving Welsh plays are two medieval miracle plays.
• After the Second World War, the substantial number of amateur theatre companies reduced by two-thirds.

Dance

• Traditional dances include Welsh folk dancing and clog dancing.
• The Welsh Folk Dance Society was founded in 1949.
• The National Dance Company Wales, formed in 1983, is now resident at the Wales Millennium Centre.