Welsh History and Culture

• Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom, bordered by the Irish Sea, England, the Bristol Channel, and the Celtic Sea, with Cardiff as its capital and largest city.
• Wales occupies a total area of 21,218 square kilometers with over 2,700 kilometers of coastline and a largely mountainous landscape.
• The population of Wales was approximately 3.2 million as of 2021.

Culture and History

• A distinct Welsh culture emerged after the Roman withdrawal in the 5th century.
• Wales was briefly united in 1055 under Gruffydd ap Llywelyn.
• The conquest by England was completed by 1283, following over 200 years of war.
• Owain Glyndŵr led a revolt in the early 15th century, briefly re-establishing a Welsh state.
• In the 16th century, Wales was annexed by England under the Laws in Wales Acts of 1535 and 1542 and distinctive Welsh politics developed in the 19th century.
• Welsh national feeling grew, leading to the formation of Plaid Cymru in 1925 and the Welsh Language Society in 1962.
• A devolved governing system was established, highlighted by the formation of the Senedd in 1998.
• The Industrial Revolution transformed Wales from an agricultural to an industrial society, with the South Wales Coalfield contributing to population growth.
• Two-thirds of the population live in South Wales, including Cardiff, Swansea, and Newport.
• Since the decline of heavy industry, the public sector, light and service industries, and tourism have become major economic components.
• Livestock-based agriculture makes Wales a net exporter of animal products, aiding national agricultural self-sufficiency.

Language

• Welsh and English are both official languages
• While most of the population speaks English, Welsh is dominant in parts of the north and west, with 538,300 speakers throughout the country.

Etymology

• The names "Wales" and "Welsh" come from the Old English word "Wealh," referring to inhabitants of the Western Roman Empire, later specifically used for Britons.
• The Welsh call themselves "Cymry," and Wales is known as "Cymru," derived from the Brythonic word "combrogi," meaning "fellow-countrymen".

History

• Wales was settled after the last ice age, with the Great Orme becoming a significant copper producer during the Bronze Age.
• The Roman departure in 383 led to Britain's division into kingdoms, though a sense of a British people remained.
• Anglo-Saxon settlers displaced Britons, isolating a group in the western peninsula who became known as the Welsh.
• Medieval Wales was divided into kingdoms that frequently fought each other.
• Coastal Viking/Norse settlements existed, and Saxons settled inland.
• Hywel Dda formed the kingdom of Deheubarth in the 10th century and codified Welsh law.
• Gruffydd ap Llywelyn united Wales in 1057 until his death in 1063.
• The Norman invasion of England was followed by incursions into Wales, creating the Norman Welsh Marches.
• Llywelyn ab Iorwerth secured Welsh princes' submission in 1216, and Llywelyn ap Gruffudd was recognized as Prince of Wales in 1267.
• Edward I's war of conquest concluded in 1283, ending Welsh independence, and the Statute of Rhuddlan in 1284 divided Wales, which led to the Welsh rebellion under Owain Glyndŵr from 1400–1415.
• The Laws in Wales Acts under Henry VIII incorporated Wales into the English legal system, granting Welsh citizens full rights.
• The Act of Union in 1707 created the Kingdom of Great Britain.
• The Industrial Revolution increased mining and exploitation of Welsh resources, causing a population boom alongside religious revivals.
• Radical Welsh working-class movements emerged, and calls for devolution grew, leading to the creation of the Welsh Assembly in 1998.

Government and Politics

• Wales is a country within the United Kingdom.
• ISO 3166-2:GB updated Wales' designation from 'principality' to 'country' in 2011.
• There are 32 Welsh Members of Parliament (MPs) in the UK House of Commons.
• The Wales Office, led by the Secretary of State for Wales, is responsible for Welsh affairs in the UK government.
• Wales has a devolved, unicameral legislature called the Senedd.
• It is divided into 22 council areas for local government purposes since 1996.
• The Government of Wales Act 1998 created the National Assembly for Wales, later reformed by the Government of Wales Act 2006 to include a separate executive (Welsh Government).
• Successfully voting in a referendum in 2011, the National Assembly gained law-making and taxation powers.
• The National Assembly was renamed "Senedd Cymru" or "the Welsh Parliament" in May 2020.
• Devolved responsibilities include agriculture, economic development, education, health, housing, local government, social services, tourism, transport, and the Welsh language.

Law and Justice

• Welsh Law, codified by Hywel Dda around 930, emphasized compensation for crimes over punishment.
• The Statute of Rhuddlan in 1284 replaced Welsh Law for criminal cases, with the Laws in Wales Acts of 1535 and 1542 applying English law to the whole of Wales.
• English law is a common law system with binding legal precedents.
• The Senedd can draft and approve laws outside the UK Parliamentary system.
• Wales has four regional police forces: Dyfed-Powys Police, Gwent Police, North Wales Police, and South Wales Police.
• There are five prisons in Wales, but no women's prisons.

Geography and Natural History

• Wales is a mountainous country in Great Britain, about 170 miles north to south.
• The "size of Wales" is about 20,779 km2.
• Bordered by England to the east and the Irish Sea, St George's Channel, the Celtic Sea, and the Bristol Channel.
• The coastline is about 1,680 miles, including the mainland, Anglesey, and Holyhead.
• The highest mountains are in Snowdonia, with Snowdon being the highest at 1,085 m.
• Wales has three national parks: Snowdonia, Brecon Beacons, and Pembrokeshire Coast.
• There are 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 of Outstanding Natural Beauty in the UK, designated in 1956.
• The coastline has 40 Blue Flag beaches, three Blue Flag marinas, and one Blue Flag boat operator as of 2019.
• The south and west coasts are prone to shipwrecks due to Atlantic westerlies.
• The first border between Wales and England was zonal, becoming a linear border via the Act of Union 1536.

Geology and Climate

• The Cambrian geological period is named after the Cambrian Mountains in Wales.
• Wales lies in the north temperate zone with a changeable, maritime climate characterized by cloudiness, wetness, wind, warm summers, and mild winters.
• The highest recorded temperature was 37.1 °C at Hawarden, Flintshire on 18 July 2022.
• The lowest temperature was −23.3 °C at Rhayader, Radnorshire on 21 January 1940.
• The maximum sunshine in a month was 354.3 hours at Dale Fort, Pembrokeshire in July 1955.
• The wettest spot is Crib Goch in Snowdonia, with an average of 4,473 mm of rain annually.

Flora and Fauna

• The wildlife is similar to Britain, with unique aspects.
• The coasts have colonies of seabirds like gannets, Manx shearwater, and puffins.
• Upland birds include ravens and ring ouzels.
• Birds of prey include merlins, hen harriers, and red kites (a national symbol).
• Larger mammals like bears and wolves died out by the Norman era.
• Mammals now include shrews, voles, badgers, otters, and bats.
• The pine marten has been reintroduced since 2015.
• Feral goats live in Snowdonia.
• Beavers were officially released in the Dyfi Valley in March 2021.
• Disused coal tips are home to invertebrates and other wildlife.
• Marine animals in south-west Wales include basking sharks, seals, and dolphins.
• The waters of south-west Wales are recognized as an area of international importance for bottlenose dolphins.
• Freshwater fish include char, eel, salmon, and the gwyniad (unique to Bala Lake).
• Shellfish include cockles, mussels, and periwinkles.
• The north-facing grounds of Snowdonia support pre-glacial flora, including the Snowdon lily.
• Wales has unique plant species like the spotted rock-rose on Anglesey.

Economy

• Wales has transitioned from an agricultural economy to industrial and then post-industrial over the last 250 years.
• By 2018, the GDP in Wales was £75 billion, and GDP per head was £23,866.
• In the 3 months to December 2017, 72.7% of working-age adults were employed.
• The Welsh fiscal deficit accounts for 19.4% of Wales's estimated GDP for the 2018-19 fiscal year.
• Wales was a net exporter of electricity in 2019, and over half of the country's energy was from renewable sources by 2021.
• Wales contributes to UK items that do not directly benefit Wales.
• From the mid-19th century to the post-war era, mining and export of coal dominated the Welsh economy.
• In 1913, the South Wales coalfield employed nearly 233,000 people, mining 56 million tons of coal.
• Cardiff was once the largest coal-exporting port in the world.
• Heavy industry declined from the mid-1970s, replaced by light industry and services.
• Wales attracted foreign direct investment in the late 1970s and early 1980s.
• The Welsh landscape attracts tourists.
• Wales has fewer high-value employment opportunities in finance and research compared to other UK regions.
• In 2002, economic output per head was 90% of the EU25 average and 80% of the UK average.
• Wales was the first nation awarded Fairtrade status in June 2008.
• The pound sterling is the currency used in Wales.
• The Royal Mint, which issues UK coinage, has been in Llantrisant since 1980.
• The COVID-19 pandemic significantly impacted the economy, especially tourism and hospitality, throughout 2020 and into 2021.

Transport

• The M4 motorway links South Wales with West London.
• The A55 expressway connects the North Wales coast with northwest England.
• The A470 is the main north-south Wales link.
• Rail transport includes the Wales & Borders franchise.
• Most of the rail network gears toward east-west travel to Irish Sea ports.
• Services between north and south Wales run through English cities.
• 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 was initially for the elite until Griffith Jones introduced circulating schools in the 1730s.
• English became the language of instruction in the early 19th century, but Welsh public opinion favored children learning English.
• The University College of Wales opened in Aberystwyth in 1872.
• The Welsh Intermediate Education Act 1889 created 95 secondary schools.
• The Welsh Department for the Board of Education in 1907 gave Wales its first significant educational devolution.
• Welsh is a compulsory subject in all state schools for pupils aged 5–16.
• Welsh-medium higher education is delivered through individual universities since 2011, supported by the Coleg Cymraeg Cenedlaethol.

Healthcare

• Public healthcare is provided by NHS Wales (GIG Cymru), through local health boards and all-Wales trusts.
• NHS Wales employs over 90,000 staff, making it the biggest employer in Wales.
• The National Survey for Wales in 2021–22 reported that 72% of adults had good or very good general health and 46% had a long-standing illness.

Demography

• The population doubled from 1801 to 1851, reaching 2,421,000 by 1911, mainly in coal mining districts.
• There was large-scale migration into Wales during the Industrial Revolution.
• Since the 1980s, net migration has generally been inward.
• In 2021, the population was 3,107,500, accounting for 5.2% of the population of England and Wales.
• Wales has seven cities: Cardiff, Newport, Swansea, Wrexham, Bangor, St Asaph, and St Davids.
• Wrexham became Wales's newest city in September 2022.

Language (Demography)

• The Welsh Language (Wales) Measure 2011 legislated Welsh as an official language.
• The percentage of the Welsh population able to speak Welsh decreased from just under 50 per cent in 1901 to 18.9% in 1981.
• The population of Welsh speakers in Wales aged three or older was recorded as 17.8% in the 2021 census
• English is spoken by almost all people in Wales
• Since Poland joined the EU, Polish has become a common language in Wales.

Religion

• Christianity has dominated religious life in Wales for over 1,400 years.
• In 2021, 46.5% had "No religion", and 43.6% identified as Christian.
• The patron saint is Saint David, celebrated on 1 March.
• The Church in Wales is an Anglican province with 56,000 adherents.
• Non-Christian religions are small, with Islam being the largest at 24,000 in 2011.

Ethnicity

• The 2021 census showed that 93.8% of the population of Wales identified as "White".
• The second-highest ethnicity in 2021 was "Asian, Asian Welsh, or Asian British" at 2.9%.
• In 2021, the first statue of a named, non-fictional woman outdoors was raised for Betty Campbell.
• In 2024, Vaughan Gething was elected First Minister of Wales, becoming the first black head of government in Europe.

National Identity

• The 2021 census showed that 63.3% identified as Welsh.

Culture

• Wales has a distinctive culture, including its language, customs, holidays, and music.
• There are four UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Wales.

Mythology

• Remnants of native Celtic mythology were passed down orally by the cynfeirdd.
• Survivals can be found in medieval Welsh manuscripts like the Black Book of Carmarthen and the Mabinogion.

Literature

• Wales has one of the oldest unbroken literary traditions in Europe.
• Early Welsh verse can be found in medieval versions, written by poets like Taliesin and Aneirin.
• In 1588 William Morgan became the first person to translate the Bible into Welsh.
• In the 20th century, the literary culture shifted from the verbose Victorian style.

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.
• Welsh artists of the 16th–18th centuries often moved to London or Italy to work.
• The Cardiff School of Art opened in 1865.

National Symbols and Identity

• Wales is regarded as a modern Celtic nation.
• The red dragon is the symbol of Welsh national identity
• The red dragon of Wales has been used since the reign of Cadwaladr.
• Saint David's Day is celebrated on 1 March.
• "Hen Wlad Fy Nhadau" is the national anthem of Wales.

Cuisine

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

Performing Arts

• Wales has solo artists, male voice choirs, and harpists.
• The National Eisteddfod is the main performance festival.
• Drama thrived in the early 20th century.
• Traditional dances include Welsh folk dancing and clog dancing, revived in the 20th century.

Additional Notes

• Powers transferred to the National Assembly on July 1, 1999