Portal:Wales

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Introduction

Wales (Welsh: Cymru [ˈkəmri] (listen)) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain. It is bordered by England to the east, the Irish Sea to the north and west, and the Bristol Channel to the south. It had a population in 2011 of 3,063,456 and has a total area of 20,779 km² (8,023 sq mi). Wales has over 1,680 miles (2,700 km) of coastline and is largely mountainous, with its higher peaks in the north and central areas, including Snowdon (Yr Wyddfa), its highest summit. The country lies within the north temperate zone and has a changeable, maritime climate.

Welsh national identity emerged among the Britons after the Roman withdrawal from Britain in the 5th century, and Wales is regarded as one of the modern Celtic nations. Llywelyn ap Gruffudd's death in 1282 marked the completion of Edward I of England's conquest of Wales, though Owain Glyndŵr briefly restored independence to Wales in the early 15th century. The whole of Wales was annexed by England and incorporated within the English legal system under the Laws in Wales Acts 1535 and 1542. Distinctive Welsh politics developed in the 19th century. Welsh liberalism, exemplified in the early 20th century by Lloyd George, was displaced by the growth of socialism and the Labour Party. Welsh national feeling grew over the century; Plaid Cymru was formed in 1925 and the Welsh Language Society in 1962. Established under the Government of Wales Act 1998, the National Assembly for Wales holds responsibility for a range of devolved policy matters.

Selected general articles

Welsh English refers to the dialects of English spoken by Welsh people. The dialects are significantly influenced by Welsh grammar and often include words derived from Welsh. In addition to the distinctive words and grammar, a variety of accents are found across Wales, including those of north Wales, the Cardiff dialect, the South Wales Valleys and west Wales.

In the east and south east, it has been influenced by West Country dialects due to immigration, while in North Wales, the influence of Merseyside English is becoming increasingly prominent. Read more...
LDS chapel in Merthyr Tydfil.

As of January 1, 2011, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints reported 9,343 members in three stakes, 24 congregations (18 wards and six branches), no missions, and no temples in Wales.

Wales is served by English temples and English missions. Read more...
The badge of the Prince of Wales

The Prince of Wales's feathers is the heraldic badge of the Prince of Wales. It consists of three white ostrich feathers emerging from a gold coronet. A ribbon below the coronet bears the motto Ich dien (German: [ɪç ˈdiːn], "I serve"). As well as being used in royal heraldry, the badge is sometimes used to symbolise Wales, particularly in Welsh rugby union and Welsh regiments of the British Army. Read more...
Scheduled monuments (also known as scheduled ancient monuments, or SAMs) are sites of archaeological importance with specific legal protection against damage or development. The list of such monuments in Wales is maintained by Cadw: Welsh Historic Monuments, an executive agency within the Welsh National Assembly. For an archaeological site in Wales to be scheduled it must be a site of national importance, being a site that characterises a period or category in Welsh history, with consideration given to rarity, good documentation, group value, survival/condition, fragility/vulnerability, diversity and potential. In addition to the scheduling information that Cadw maintains, there are much larger pools of information on scheduled and other archaeological and historic sites, buildings and landscapes of Wales held by the Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Wales and the four Welsh Archaeological Trusts.

On the list produced by Cadw dated May 2012, there were 4,186 scheduled monuments in Wales, distributed among all 22 principal areas of Wales. 39 sites cross a border between two authorities, (ridge-top cairns, bridges and aqueducts, cross dykes, tramroads) so are included in both lists. The lists below show these sites, arranged by principal areas (Counties and County boroughs), and in the case of the larger counties, sub-divided to maintain a manageable number of sites per page. Read more...
The geology of Wales is complex and varied; its study has been of considerable historical significance in the development of geology as a science. All geological periods from the Cryogenian (late Precambrian) to the Jurassic are represented at outcrops, whilst younger sedimentary rocks occur beneath the seas immediately off the Welsh coast. The effects of two mountain-building episodes have left their mark in the faulting and folding of much of the Palaeozoic rock sequence. Superficial deposits and landforms created during the present Quaternary period by water and ice are also plentiful and contribute to a remarkably diverse landscape of mountains, hills and coastal plains.

Wales' modern character derives in substantial part from the exploitation of its diverse mineral wealth; slate in Snowdonia, coal in the South Wales Valleys and metal ores in Anglesey and mid Wales, to name but three. Wales' geology influences farming practices and building stone choices but also planning of developments which must take into account ground stability and liability to flooding - geohazards which an appreciation of the geology can help deal with. Read more...
The history of the Jews in Wales begins in the Middle Ages. In the 13th century, shortly after the English conquest of Wales, Edward I issued the 1290 Edict of Expulsion expelling the Jews from England. Except for one exceptional record, between 1290 and the formal return of the Jews to England in 1655, there is no official trace of Jews on Welsh soil.

Major Jewish settlement in Wales dates from the 19th century, although there are also records of Jewish communities in the 18th century. Read more...
Wales has a strong and distinctive link with music. Singing is a significant part of Welsh national identity, and the country is traditionally referred to as "the land of song". This is a modern stereotype based on 19th century conceptions of Nonconformist choral music and 20th century male voice choirs, Eisteddfodau and arena singing, such as sporting events, but Wales has a history of music that has been used as a primary form of communication.

Wales has a history of folk music related to the Celtic music of countries such as Ireland and Scotland. It has distinctive instrumentation and song types, and is often heard at a twmpath (folk dance session), gŵyl werin (folk festival) or noson lawen (a traditional party similar to the Gaelic "Céilidh"). Modern Welsh folk musicians have sometimes reconstructed traditions which had been suppressed or forgotten, and have competed with imported and indigenous rock and pop trends. Read more...
A group of Druids at Stonehenge in Wiltshire, England

Druidry, sometimes termed Druidism, is a modern spiritual or religious movement that generally promotes harmony, connection, and reverence for the natural world. This commonly is extended to include respect for all beings, including the environment itself. Many forms of modern Druidry are modern Pagan religions, although most of the earliest modern Druids identified as Christians. Originating in Britain during the 18th century, Druidry was originally a cultural movement, only gaining religious or spiritual connotations in the 19th century.

The core principle of Druidry is respect and veneration of nature, and as such it often involves participation in the environmental movement. Another prominent belief among modern Druids is the veneration of ancestors, particularly those who belonged to prehistoric societies. Read more...
In addition to community councils, Wales has elections to four tiers of government: 22 unitary local authorities, the National Assembly for Wales, the United Kingdom Parliament and the European Parliament. Read more...
The Welsh (Welsh: Cymry) are a Celtic nation and ethnic group native to, or otherwise associated with, Wales, Welsh culture, Welsh history and the Welsh language. Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom, and the majority of people living in Wales are British citizens.

The language, which falls within the Insular Celtic family, has historically been spoken throughout Wales, with its predecessor Common Brittonic once spoken throughout most of the island of Great Britain. Prior to the 20th century, large numbers of Welsh people spoke only Welsh, with little or no fluent knowledge of English. Welsh remains the predominant language in parts of Wales, particularly in North Wales and West Wales. English is the predominant language in South Wales. Many Welsh people, even in predominately English-speaking areas of Wales, are fluent or semi-fluent in Welsh or, to varying degrees, capable of speaking or understanding Welsh at limited or conversational proficiency levels. Although the Welsh language and its ancestors have been spoken in what is now Wales since well before the Roman incursions into Britain, historian John Davies argues that the origin of the "Welsh nation" can be traced to the late 4th and early 5th centuries, following the Roman departure. The term "Welsh people" applies to people from Wales and people of Welsh ancestry perceiving themselves or being perceived as sharing a cultural heritage and shared ancestral origins. Read more...
Great Orme Tramway in Llandudno on the Great Orme
Transport in Wales is heavily influenced by the country's geography. Wales is predominantly hilly or mountainous, and the main settlements lie on the coasts of North and South Wales, while Mid Wales and West Wales are lightly populated. The main transport corridors are east-west routes, many continuing eastwards into England. Read more...
Athletics has a long history in Wales, with many events recognised today codified during the Victorian period. The first amateur athletic clubs in Wales were formed in the 1870s, while the first championships began in the early 20th century. Wales began competing as a country in international athletic events in the 1920s and has since produced a notable number of world class sportspeople including many medal winning Commonwealth, World, Olympic, Paralympic and European champions. Wales competes in the Commonwealth Games under its own flag but at the Olympic Games, Welsh athletes compete alongside those of Scotland, England and Northern Ireland as part of a Great Britain team. Read more...
The National Assembly for Wales (Welsh: Cynulliad Cenedlaethol Cymru; commonly known as the Welsh Assembly or Senedd) is the devolved parliament of Wales, with power to make legislation and vary taxes. The Assembly comprises 60 members, who are known as Assembly Members, or AMs (Aelodau y Cynulliad). Since 2011, Members are elected for five-year terms under an additional members system, in which 40 AMs represent geographical constituencies elected by the plurality system, and 20 AMs represent five electoral regions using the d'Hondt method of proportional representation. Typically the largest party in the Assembly forms the Welsh Government.

The Assembly was created by the Government of Wales Act 1998, which followed a referendum in 1997. The Assembly had no powers to initiate primary legislation until limited law-making powers were gained through the Government of Wales Act 2006. Its primary law-making powers were enhanced following a Yes vote in the referendum on 3 March 2011, making it possible for it to legislate without having to consult the UK parliament or the Secretary of State for Wales in the 20 areas that are devolved. Read more...
The earliest composition of "Hen Wlad Fy Nhadau" in the hand of the lyricist, James James, 1856

"Hen Wlad Fy Nhadau" (Welsh pronunciation: [heːn wlɑːd və n̥adaɪ̯]) is the national anthem of Wales. The title – taken from the first words of the song – means "Old Land of My Fathers" in Welsh, usually rendered in English as simply "Land of My Fathers". The words were written by Evan James and the tune composed by his son, James James, both residents of Pontypridd, Glamorgan, in January 1856. The earliest written copy survives and is part of the collections of the National Library of Wales. Read more...
Welsh (Cymraeg; [kəmˈraiɡ] (listen)) or y Gymraeg (Welsh pronunciation: [ə ɡəmˈraiɡ]) is a member of the Brittonic branch of the Celtic languages. It is spoken natively in Wales, by some in England, and in Y Wladfa (the Welsh colony in Chubut Province, Argentina). Historically, it has also been known in English as "Cambrian", "Cambric" and "Cymric".

Of usual residents in Wales aged three and over, 19.0% were able to speak Welsh according to the United Kingdom Census 2011. According to the 2001 Census, 20.8 per cent of the population aged 3+ were able to speak Welsh. This suggests that there was a decrease in the number of Welsh speakers in Wales from 2001 to 2011 – from about 582,000 to 562,000 respectively. However, according to the Welsh Language Use Survey 2013–15, 24 per cent of people aged three and over living in Wales were able to speak Welsh, implying a possible increase in the prevalence of the Welsh language since the 2011 census. Read more...
The Wales national rugby league team represents Wales in international rugby league football matches. Currently the team is ranked ninth in the RLIF World Rankings. The team was run under the auspices of the Rugby Football League, but an independent body, Wales Rugby League, now runs the team from Cardiff. Three Welsh players have been entered into the Rugby League Hall Of Fame.

As with other Welsh national sporting teams, Wales strip has been primarily red. However, in the World Cup campaign in 2000 they wore a shirt featuring the Welsh flag, adding a touch of green and white. The team is known as "The Dragons" and so the teams logo on the shirt is a red dragon. Read more...
This list of museums in Wales contains museums which are defined for this context as institutions (including nonprofit organizations, government entities, and private businesses) that collect and care for objects of cultural, artistic, scientific, or historical interest and make their collections or related exhibits available for public viewing. Also included are non-profit art galleries and university art galleries. Museums that exist only in cyberspace (i.e., virtual museums) are not included. Those marked 'NMW' are part of the network of National Museum Wales.

To use the sortable table, click on the icons at the top of each column to sort that column in alphabetical order; click again for reverse alphabetical order. Read more...
The Wales women’s national rugby union team first played in 1987. Wales plays in the Women’s Rugby World Cup and in the Women’s Six Nations Championship. Read more...
This is a list of lakes in Wales. Most lakes in Wales start with the word "Llyn", which is Welsh for "Lake". All lakes listed here are named on the relevant Ordnance Survey map at 1:25000 scale Read more...
The Wales Women's National Sevens Team represents Wales in Rugby sevens. Read more...
The Wales national rugby sevens team competes in the World Rugby Sevens Series, the Rugby World Cup Sevens and in the Commonwealth Games.

Wales were the World Cup Sevens Champions after winning the 2009 Rugby World Cup Sevens in the United Arab Emirates. But they relinquished that title after failing to defend their crown at the 2013 Rugby World Cup Sevens in Moscow. Read more...
Prehistoric Wales in terms of human settlements covers the period from about 230,000 years ago, the date attributed to the earliest human remains found in what is now Wales, to the year AD 48 when the Roman army began a military campaign against one of the Welsh tribes. Traditionally, historians have believed that successive waves of immigrants brought different cultures into the area, largely replacing the previous inhabitants, with the last wave of immigrants being the Celts. However, studies of population genetics now suggest that this may not be true, and that immigration was on a smaller scale. Read more...
Bando is a team sport – related to hockey, hurling, shinty, and bandy – which was first recorded in Wales in the eighteenth century. The game is played on a large level field between teams of up to thirty players each of them equipped with a bando: a curve-ended stick resembling that used in field hockey. Although no formal rules are known, the objective of the game was to strike a ball between two marks which served as goals at either end of the pitch. Popular in Glamorgan in the nineteenth century, the sport all but vanished by the end of the century. Now a minority sport, the game is still played in parts of Wales where it has become an Easter tradition. Read more...
Suffragettes at a rally in Cathays Park in 1913.

Women's suffrage in Wales has historically been marginalised due to the prominence of societies and political groups in England which led the reform for women throughout the United Kingdom. Due to differing social structures and a heavily industrialised working-class society, the growth of a national movement in Wales grew but then stuttered in the late nineteenth century in comparison with that of England. Nevertheless, distinct Welsh groups and individuals rose to prominence and were vocal in the rise of suffrage in Wales and the rest of Great Britain.

In the early twentieth century, Welsh hopes of advancing the cause of female suffrage centred around the Liberal Party and the Chancellor of the Exchequer, David Lloyd George, one of the most important Welsh politicians of the day. After Liberal success in the 1906 Election failed to materialise into political change, suffragettes and in particular members of the more militant Women's Social and Political Union (WSPU), took a hard line stance towards their Members of Parliament, engaging in direct action against them. Read more...
An illumination of a Welsh judge (MS. Peniarth 28)

Cyfraith Hywel (Welsh: [ˈkəvraiθ ˈhəwɛl]; Laws of Hywel), also known as Welsh law (Latin: Leges Walliæ), was the system of law practised in medieval Wales before its final conquest by England. Subsequently, the Welsh law's criminal codes were superseded by the Statute of Rhuddlan in AD 1284 and its civil codes by Henry VIII's series of Laws in Wales Acts between 1535 and 1542.

Welsh law was a form of Celtic law with many similarities to the Brehon law of Ireland and particularly the customs and terminology of the Britons of Strathclyde. It was passed down orally by jurists and bards and, according to tradition, only first codified during the reign of Hywel Dda in the mid-10th century. The earliest surviving manuscripts, however, are in Latin, date from the early 13th century, and show marked regional differences. The law is only known to have been revised by a few rulers (particularly Bleddyn ap Cynfyn, who was credited with revisions retained in the kingdom of Powys) but was obviously updated by jurists in response to changing jurisdictions and circumstances, so that the surviving manuscripts cannot be considered an accurate portrayal of Hywel's first code. Read more...
Christianity is the largest religion in Wales. From 1534 until 1920 the established church was the Church of England, but this was disestablished in Wales in 1920, becoming the still Anglican but self-governing Church in Wales. Wales also has a strong tradition of nonconformism and Methodism.

Most adherents to organised religion in Wales follow the Church in Wales or other Christian denominations such as the Presbyterian Church of Wales, Roman Catholicism, Baptist and Methodist churches, and Eastern Orthodoxy. Read more...
The flag of Wales (Welsh: Baner Cymru or Y Ddraig Goch, meaning the red dragon) consists of a red dragon passant on a green and white field. As with many heraldic charges, the exact representation of the dragon is not standardised and many renderings exist.

The flag incorporates the red dragon of Cadwaladr, King of Gwynedd, along with the Tudor colours of green and white. It was used by Henry VII at the Battle of Bosworth in 1485, after which it was carried in state to St Paul's Cathedral. The red dragon was then included as a supporter of the Tudor royal arms to signify their Welsh descent. It was officially recognised as the Welsh national flag in 1959. Several cities include a dragon in their flag design, including Cardiff, the Welsh capital, and the Welsh-founded city of Puerto Madryn in Argentina. Read more...
Post-Roman Welsh kingdoms.

Wales in the early Middle Ages covers the time between the Roman departure from Wales c. 383 and the rise of Merfyn Frych to the throne of Gwynedd c. 825. In that time there was a gradual consolidation of power into increasingly hierarchical kingdoms. The end of the early Middle Ages was the time that the Welsh language transitioned from the Primitive Welsh spoken throughout the era into Old Welsh, and the time when the modern England–Wales border would take its near-final form, a line broadly followed by Offa's Dyke, a late eighth-century earthwork. Successful unification into something recognisable as a Welsh state would come in the next era under the descendants of Merfyn Frych.

Wales was rural throughout the era, characterised by small settlements called trefi. The local landscape was controlled by a local aristocracy and ruled by a warrior aristocrat. Control was exerted over a piece of land and, by extension, over the people who lived on that land. Many of the people were tenant peasants or slaves, answerable to the aristocrat who controlled the land on which they lived. There was no sense of a coherent tribe of people and everyone, from ruler down to slave, was defined in terms of his or her kindred family (the tud) and individual status (braint). Christianity had been introduced in the Roman era, and the Celtic Britons living in and near Wales were Christian throughout the era. Read more...
This is an incomplete list of the wars and battles between the Anglo-Saxons who later formed into the Kingdom of England and the Britons; the pre-existing Brythonic population of Britain south of the Antonine Wall who came to be known later by the English as the Welsh. The list begins after the Adventus Saxonum in c. AD 446 (when the Anglo-Saxons are said to have arrived in Britain) to the late Middle Ages when Wales was eventually subdued and annexed by England. The list is not exhaustive but seeks to note the significant campaigns and the major battles. Read more...
Cricket is a popular sport in Wales. With its roots beginning in the late 18th century, Cricket has been played throughout Wales ever since. Glamorgan County Cricket Club is Wales' only first-class team, and Welsh players are eligible to represent England as Wales does not currently have its own Test cricket team. Cricket is played within the Welsh schools system, and is considered one of the country's main summer sports. Read more...
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Map of the dioceses in the Church in Wales

The Church in Wales (Welsh: Yr Eglwys yng Nghymru) is the Anglican church in Wales, composed of six dioceses. It defines itself as "the ancient Church of this land, catholic and reformed. It proclaims and holds fast the doctrine and ministry of the one, holy, catholic and apostolic Church". In 2017, the Church in Wales reported 210,000 attendees in its membership statistics. The Anglican church is the largest denomination in Wales.

As with the primus of the Scottish Episcopal Church, the Archbishop of Wales serves concurrently as one of the six diocesan bishops, a position currently held by John Davies. Read more...
Map of Marilyns in the British Isles

This is a list of Marilyn hills and mountains in Britain and Ireland by height. Marilyns are defined as peaks with a prominence above 150 metres (492.1 ft), regardless of height or any other merit (e.g. topographic isolation, as used in Munros). Thus, Marilyns can range from being mountains, with a height above 600 m or 2,000 ft, to being relatively small hills, with a height just above 150 metres (492.1 ft).

The Marilyn classification was created by Alan Dawson in his 1992 book, The Relative Hills of Britain. The name Marilyn was coined by Dawson as a punning contrast to the Munro classification of Scottish mountains above 3,000 feet (914.4 m), but which has no explicit prominence threshold, being homophonous with (Marilyn) Monroe. The list of Marilyns was extended to Ireland by Clem Clements. Marilyn was the first of several subsequent British Isles classifications that rely solely on prominence, including the P600s, the HuMPs, and the TuMPs. Topographic prominence is a more difficult to estimate than topographic elevation, requiring surveys of each contour line around a peak, and therefore lists using prominence are subject to revision. Read more...
The Norman invasion of Wales began shortly after the Norman conquest of England under William the Conqueror, who believed England to be his birthright. Initially (1067–1081), the invasion of Wales was not undertaken with the fervor and purpose of the invasion of England. However, a much stronger Norman invasion began in 1081 and by 1094 most of Wales was under the control of William's eldest son, King William II of England. The Welsh greatly disliked the "gratuitously cruel" Normans and by 1101 had regained control of the greater part of their country under the long reign of King Gruffudd ap Cynan, who had been imprisoned by the Normans for twelve years before his escape. Gruffudd had some indirect help from King Magnus III of Norway (Magnus Barefoot) who attacked the Normans briefly off the Isle of Anglesey in northwest Wales near Ynys Seiriol, killing Hugh of Montgomery, 2nd Earl of Shrewsbury and leaving the Normans depleted and demoralized. Magnus went on to take the Orkney Islands, the Hebrides, and the Isle of Man, islands north of Wales and west and north of Scotland and England, in 1098.

Under William's fourth son, King Henry I of England, the Normans, now well established in England, responded by pushing west into Wales. This time, both the Welsh and the Normans were more interested in making peace than fighting bloody battles, and a relatively stable situation developed, although the Normans fared worse in southeast Wales than in the west of the country. The standoff continued from 1135 to 1154 under Stephen, King of the English, nephew of Henry and a maternal grandson of William, who became locked in a power struggle and civil war with Empress Matilda, Henry's daughter and only surviving legitimate child. Read more...
Wales in the Late Middle Ages covers the period from the death of Llywelyn ap Gruffudd in late 1282 to the incorporation of Wales into the Kingdom of England by the Laws in Wales Acts 1535-1542. Read more...
Y Ddraig Goch

The Welsh Dragon (Welsh: Y Ddraig Goch, meaning the red dragon, pronounced [ə ˈðraiɡ ˈɡoːχ]) appears on the national flag of Wales. The oldest recorded use of the dragon to symbolise Wales is in the Historia Brittonum, written around AD 829, but it is popularly supposed to have been the battle standard of King Arthur and other ancient Celtic leaders. Its association with these leaders along with other evidence from archaeology, literature, and documentary history led many to suppose that it evolved from an earlier Romano-British national symbol. During the reigns of the Tudor monarchs, the red dragon was used as a supporter in the English Crown's coat of arms. The red dragon is often seen as symbolising all things Welsh, and is used by many public and private institutions. These include the Welsh Government, Visit Wales, the dragon's tongue is in use with the Welsh Language Society and numerous local authorities including Blaenau Gwent, Cardiff, Carmarthenshire, Rhondda Cynon Taf, Swansea, and sports bodies, including the Sport Wales National Centre, the Football Association of Wales, Wrexham A.F.C., Newport Gwent Dragons, and London Welsh RFC. The Welsh Dragon is also one of The Queen's Beasts. Read more...
The First Minister of Wales (Welsh: Prif Weinidog Cymru) is the leader of the Welsh Government, Wales' devolved administration. The First Minister is responsible for the exercise of functions by the Cabinet of the Welsh Government; policy development and coordination; relationships with the rest of the United Kingdom, Europe and the wider world.

The official office of the First Minister is in Tŷ Hywel, previously known as Crickhowell House, and the Senedd in Cardiff Bay. An office is also kept at the Crown Buildings, Cathays Park, Cardiff. Read more...
The Welsh Office (Welsh: Swyddfa Gymreig) was a department in the Government of the United Kingdom with responsibilities for Wales. It was established in April 1965 to execute government policy in Wales, and was headed by the Secretary of State for Wales, a post which had been created in October 1964. It was disbanded on 1 July 1999 when most of its powers were transferred to the National Assembly for Wales, with some powers transferred to the Office of the Secretary of State for Wales (Welsh: Swyddfa Ysgrifennydd Gwladol Cymru).

The Welsh Office took over the responsibilities related to housing, local government and town and country planning, etc. for Wales which had previously the responsibilities of several other government departments. Its responsibilities included Monmouthshire, which for some purposes had earlier been considered by some to lie within England. Read more...
In Welsh culture, an eisteddfod (Welsh: [ə(i)ˈstɛðvɔd] ('ay-steth-vod'), plural eisteddfodau Welsh: [ə(i)stɛðˈvɔda(ɨ)]) is a Welsh festival of literature, music and performance. The tradition of such a meeting of Welsh artists dates back to at least the 12th century, when a festival of poetry and music was held by Rhys ap Gruffydd of Deheubarth at his court in Cardigan in 1176, but the decline of the bardic tradition made it fall into abeyance. The current format owes much to an 18th-century revival arising out of a number of informal eisteddfodau. The closest English equivalent to eisteddfod is "session"; the word is formed from two Welsh morphemes: eistedd, meaning "sit", and bod, meaning "be". In some countries, the term eisteddfod is used for certain types of performing arts competitions that have nothing to do with Welsh culture. Read more...
Welsh nationalism (Welsh: Cenedlaetholdeb Cymreig) emphasises the distinctiveness of Welsh language, culture, and history, and calls for more self-determination for Wales, which might include more devolved powers for the Welsh Assembly or full independence from the United Kingdom. Read more...
The history of the Welsh language spans over 1400 years, encompassing the stages of the language known as Primitive Welsh, Old Welsh, Middle Welsh, and Modern Welsh. Read more...
A Royal Badge for Wales was approved in May 2008. It is based on the arms borne by the thirteenth-century Welsh prince Llywelyn the Great (blazoned quarterly Or and gules, four lions passant guardant counterchanged), with the addition of St Edward's Crown atop a continuous scroll which, together with a wreath consisting of the plant emblems of the four countries of the United Kingdom, surrounds the shield. The motto which appears on the scroll, PLEIDIOL WYF I'M GWLAD ("I am true to my country"), is taken from the National Anthem of Wales and is also found on the Welsh designs for £1 coins minted from 1985 until 2000. The badge formerly appeared on the covers of Assembly Measures; since the 2011 referendum, it now appears on the cover of Acts passed by the National Assembly for Wales and its escutcheon, ribbon and motto are depicted on the Welsh Seal.

The current badge follows in a long line of heraldic devices representing Wales. Its predecessors have all been variations on either the Red Dragon, an ancient emblem revived by Henry VII, or the arms of Llywelyn. Whereas the arms of England, Scotland and Ireland are represented in the Royal Arms of the United Kingdom, Wales has no such representation due to it having been annexed and incorporated into the Kingdom of England; therefore Wales had no status as a nation within the Kingdom of England, and the succeeding United Kingdom. The device introduced in 2008 is accordingly a heraldic badge, rather than a coat of arms; Wales currently has no official coat of arms. Read more...
Horse racing in Wales has a long tradition dating back to the 18th century. Wales has held flat racing, National Hunt and harness racing, and presently has three racecourses, at Chepstow, Bangor-on-Dee and Ffos Las. The Welsh National is held annually at Chepstow between Christmas and New Year and is the highlight of the Welsh racing calendar. Read more...
Awen of Iolo Morganwg.

A gorsedd /ˈɡɔːrsɛð/ plural gorseddau, is a community or meeting of modern-day bards. The word is of Welsh origin, meaning "throne". It is often spelled gorsedh in Cornwall and goursez in Brittany, reflecting the spellings in the Cornish and Breton languages, respectively.

When the term is used without qualification, it usually refers to the national Gorsedd of Wales, namely Gorsedd Beirdd Ynys Prydain, meaning "The Gorsedd of Bards of the Island of Britain". However, other gorseddau exist, such as the Cornish Gorsedh Kernow and the Breton Goursez Vreizh. Read more...
The Laws in Wales Acts 1535 and 1542 (Welsh: Y Deddfau Cyfreithiau yng Nghymru 1535 a 1542) were parliamentary measures by which Wales became a full and equal part of the Kingdom of England and the legal system of England was extended to Wales and the norms of English administration introduced. The intention was to create a single state and legal jurisdiction. The Acts were passed during the reign of King Henry VIII of England, who came from the Welsh Tudor dynasty.

Before these Acts, Wales was excluded from Parliamentary representation and divided between the Principality of Wales, and a large number of feudal statelets; the marcher Lordships. Read more...
Cnapan (alternative spellings criapan, knapan or knappan) is a Welsh form of Celtic medieval football. The game originated in, and seems to have remained largely confined to, the western counties of Wales, especially Carmarthenshire, Ceredigion and Pembrokeshire. According to George Owen of Henllys, in his Description of Pembrokeshire (1603), cnapan had been "extremely popular in Pembrokeshire since greate antiquitie [sic]". Cnapan was one of the traditional ball games played to celebrate Shrovetide and Eastertide in the British Isles. These games were the forerunners of the codified football games first developed by Public Schools which led to the creation of Association football and rugby football in the 19th century. Cnapan continued to be played until the rising popularity of Rugby Union Football resulted in the game falling into decline. Read more...
The two official languages of Wales are Welsh and English. Both languages are constituted as working languages of the National Assembly, however Welsh is further recognised in law as having "official status", making it the sole de jure official language in any part of the United Kingdom. The majority of the population of Wales is able to speak English, while Welsh is spoken by almost one-third of the population. Read more...
Map of population density in Wales at the 2011 census.

Demographics of Wales include the numbers in population, place of birth, age, ethnicity, religion, and number of marriages. Read more...
The Bahá'í Faith in Wales started shortly after the Second World War when a great pioneer movement began with sixty percent of the British Bahá'í community eventually relocating. This movement included taking the Bahá'í Faith to Wales.

The first Bahá'í resident in Wales was Rose Jones who married and moved to Cardiff from London in 1942. In 1947 she was joined by Joan Giddings. In 1948 the first local spiritual assembly of Cardiff was formed. In 1961 Pontypridd formed the first Bahá'í Local Spiritual Assembly composed entirely of native Welsh. The first Bahá'í literature in the Welsh language was published in 1950. Today there are local assemblies in Cardiff, Newport and Swansea. In 2017 it was reported that there were about 200 Welsh followers of the faith. Read more...
This is a list of flags used exclusively in Wales. Read more...

Did you know...

... that the type specimen of Persoonia terminalis was collected 3.4 km (2.1 mi) south of the Torrington pub in New South Wales?
... that various onion cakes are consumed in China, Germany, Korea, Switzerland, Wales, and other countries?
... that the first test match of rugby union's professional era was played during the 1995 Wales rugby union tour of South Africa?
... that the Thoroughbred Spark was a gift to Samuel Ogle from Lord Baltimore regifted from the Prince of Wales?
... that fourteen players have scored an international hat-trick for the Wales national football team?
... that the Flag of the Church in Wales was adopted following the split of the Church in Wales from the Church of England?

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Selected images

The Bard, 1774, by Thomas Jones (1742–1803)
Millennium Stadium, Cardiff
A profile of the economy of Wales in 2012
The Second Severn Crossing
North Wales Principalities, 1267–76
Bryn Celli Ddu, a late Neolithic chambered tomb on Anglesey
The Senedd (National Assembly building), designed by Richard Rogers, opened on St David's Day (1 March) 2006
The Old Court House, Ruthin, Denbighshire, built 1401, following Owain Glyndŵr's attack on the town
Illustration of a Welsh judge from the Laws of Hywel Dda
Dowlais Ironworks (1840) by George Childs (1798–1875)
Dolwyddelan Castle – built by Llywelyn ab Iorwerth in the early 13th century to watch over one of the valley routes into Gwynedd
Penrhyn Slate Quarries, 1852
Map of population density in Wales at the 2011 census.
Carwyn Jones, First Minister of Wales since December 2009
Map of Wales. From Ortelius: Theatrum Orbis Terrarum c.1574.
Wales pictured from the International Space Station
Cawl, a traditional meat and vegetable dish from Wales
National Museum Cardiff
Köppen climate types in Wales
University Hospital of Wales, Cardiff
Britain in AD 500: The areas shaded pink on the map were inhabited by the Britons, here labelled Welsh. The pale blue areas in the east were controlled by Germanic tribes, whilst the pale green areas to the north were inhabited by the Gaels and Picts.
The red kite (Milvus milvus) – a national symbol of Welsh wildlife
The National Eisteddfod, an annual celebration of Welsh culture, conducted in Welsh
Anthony Hopkins' portrayal of Hannibal Lecter was named the number-one villain in cinema history by the AFI.
Prince of Wales's feathers
St. David's Cathedral, Pembrokeshire
Bishop William Morgan
Tor Bay and Three Cliffs Bay, Gower, Swansea
St. David's Building, Lampeter campus, University of Wales, Trinity Saint David (Prifysgol Cymru, Y Drindod Dewi Sant). Founded in 1822, it is the oldest degree awarding institution in Wales.
The National Library of Wales, Aberystwyth
Snowdon, Gwynedd, the highest mountain in Wales
Welsh poetry from the 13th Century Black book of Carmarthen
A number of BBC productions, such as Doctor Who and Torchwood, have been filmed in Wales.
Traditional Welsh folk singer and harpist Siân James, live on stage at the Festival Interceltique de Lorient
Battle at Mametz Wood by Christopher Williams (1918)
Llyn y Fan Fawr, Powys, within the Brecon Beacons National Park
Caernarfon Castle birthplace of Edward II of England
Relief map of Wales:
Topography above 600 feet (180 m)
National Parks
220px
Hywel Dda enthroned
Swansea Bay and city centre. Swansea is Wales' second most populous city.
Statue of Owain Glyndŵr (c. 1354 or 1359 – c. 1416) at Cardiff City Hall
The proportion of respondents in the 2011 census who said they could speak Welsh.

Selected biographies

Rhys Jones in March 2014

Griffith Rhys Jones (born 16 November 1953) is a Welsh comedian, writer, actor and television presenter. He starred in a number of television series with his comedy partner, Mel Smith.

Rhys Jones came to national attention in the 1980s for his work in the BBC television comedy sketch shows Not the Nine O'Clock News and Alas Smith and Jones. With Smith, he founded television production company Talkback Productions, now part of RTL Group and later in 2005, he started the production company Modern Television. Read more...
From the film Ben-Hur

Hugh Emrys Griffith (30 May 1912 – 14 May 1980) was a Welsh film, stage and television actor. He won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his role in Ben-Hur (1959) and received an additional Oscar nomination in the same category for his work in Tom Jones (1963). Read more...
Doug Mountjoy (born 8 June 1942) is a retired Welsh snooker player. He was a mainstay of the world's top 16 during the late 1970s and 1980s, and won the Masters in 1977, the UK Championship in 1978 and the Irish Masters in 1979. He reached the 1981 World Championship final, where he lost to Steve Davis. Mountjoy enjoyed an Indian summer in his 40s, winning back-to-back ranking events (the UK Championship and The Classic) during the 1988/89 season. His world ranking peaked at #5 in the 1990/91 season. In later years he was the coach to the United Arab Emirates snooker association between 1997 and 1999. Read more...
Harold Michael England, MBE (born 2 December 1941) is a Welsh former footballer and manager. Read more...
Richard Johnson (born 2 February 1972) is a Welsh professional golfer.

Johnson led the Nationwide Tour money list in 2007 to get his PGA Tour card for the 2008 season, but was unable to retain his card. He played on the Nationwide Tour from 1999 to 2004, 2006 to 2007, and 2009 to 2010. Read more...
Dalton in Amsterdam, 1987

Timothy Dalton (/ˈdɔːltən/; born Timothy Leonard Dalton Leggett; 21 March 1946) is a Welsh-born English actor. He is best known for portraying James Bond in The Living Daylights (1987) and Licence to Kill (1989), as well as Mr. Rochester in Jane Eyre (1983), Rhett Butler in the television miniseries Scarlett (1994), and Simon Skinner in Hot Fuzz (2007). Read more...
Portrait of Henry Richard in 1877

Rev. Henry Richard MP (3 April 1812 – 20 August 1888), "the Apostle of Peace", was a Congregational minister and Welsh Member of Parliament, 1868-88. Richard is best known as an advocate of peace and international arbitration, as secretary of the Peace Society for forty years (1848–84). His other interests included anti-slavery work. Read more...
Terence David John Boyle (born 29 October 1958) is a Welsh former professional footballer. During his career, he made over 500 appearances in the Football League and made two appearances for the Wales national team in 1981. A centre-half, he was highly regarded by supporters for his strong tackling and uncompromising style.

He is the current manager of the Wales national semi-professional football team and also works as a youth coach at Aldershot Town. Read more...
Hywel David Lewis (21 May 1910 – 6 April 1992) was a Welsh theologian and philosopher. He was best known for his defence of dualism and personal survival. Read more...
Naunton Wayne (22 June 1901 – 17 November 1970), was a British character actor, born Henry Wayne Davies in Llanwonno, Glamorgan, Wales. He was educated at Clifton College. His name was changed by deed poll in 1933.

His first London stage roles were in Streamline at the Palace in 1934 and in 1066 and All That at the Strand in 1935 (where he provided comic continuity for other performers). His first full role was as Norman Weldon in Wise Tomorrow at The Lyric in 1937. He played Mortimer Brewster in Arsenic and Old Lace at the Strand for four years. He was a leading member of The Stage Golfing Society. Read more...
Saint David (Welsh: Dewi Sant; Latin: Davidus; c. 500 – c. 589) was a Welsh bishop of Mynyw (now St Davids) during the 6th century. He is the patron saint of Wales. David was a native of Wales, and a relatively large amount of information is known about his life. However, his birth date is uncertain: suggestions range from 462 to 512. He is traditionally believed to be the son of Saint Non and the grandson of Ceredig ap Cunedda, king of Ceredigion. The Welsh annals placed his death 569 years after the birth of Christ, but Phillimore's dating revised this to 601. Read more...
Windsor Davies (right) with Donald Sinden during filming of Never the Twain

Windsor Davies (born 28 August 1930) is a retired British actor who acted in many films and TV shows between 1964 and 2004. He is best known for playing the part of Battery Sergeant Major Williams in the British sitcom It Ain't Half Hot Mum (1974–81). His distinctive Welsh accented voice was heard extensively in advertising voice-overs. Read more...
Gwyndaf Evans (Welsh pronunciation: [ˈɡwɨ̞ndav ˈɛvans]; born 4 June 1959) is a Welsh former rally driver. He won the British Rally Championship in 1996, and was also the runner-up in 1995, 1998, 1999 and 2010. On the international stage his participation was limited, but he used his local knowledge to great success in the RAC Rally, where he won the Group N production car class twice driving a Ford Sierra RS Cosworth 4x4, in 1990 and 1993. In 1994, driving a Group A Ford Escort RS2000, he scored a then career high seventh place overall, winning his class once more, before going one better with a sixth place finish the following year, and his fourth class victory in six years.

In 1997 he switched to SEAT, who were competing with their Ibiza GTI 16v, and later the Córdoba WRC from 1999 to 2001. In 2002 he moved to MG and an MG ZR S1600, spending two years on the international circuit with Chris Patterson, and the British Championship with Claire Mole, after splitting with long-time co-driver Howard Davies. Read more...
Geraint Evans
Sir Geraint Llewellyn Evans (16 February 1922 – 19 September 1992) was a Welsh bass-baritone noted for operatic roles including Figaro in Le nozze di Figaro, Papageno in Die Zauberflöte, and the title roles in Falstaff and Wozzeck. He sang more than 70 different roles in a career that lasted from his first appearance at Covent Garden in 1948 to his farewell there in 1984. Read more...
Sir Robert Rees Davies, CBE (6 August 1938 – 16 May 2005), was a Welsh historian. Read more...
Savage in 2008

Robert William Savage (born 18 October 1974) is a Welsh football pundit and former player. During his career he played predominantly as a midfielder, starting off as a youth player with Manchester United before joining Crewe Alexandra when he failed to make the grade at Old Trafford. He became a regular for Leicester City in the late 1990s and early 2000s, and performed a similar role for Birmingham City and Blackburn Rovers. In 2008, he joined Derby County; after a short loan spell with Brighton & Hove Albion later that year, he returned to captain Derby, with whom he finished his playing career. He also played for the Wales national team on 39 occasions. He is now a pundit for the BBC and regularly presents 606 on BBC Radio 5 Live on Saturday evenings alongside Darren Fletcher.

Savage gained notoriety for his playing style; in 2008, the Daily Mail labelled him as the dirtiest player in Premier League history, based on numbers of yellow cards received, though his record has since been overtaken. Read more...
Christine Chapman (born 7 April 1956) is a Welsh Labour Co-operative politician who was a Member of the National Assembly for Wales for Cynon Valley from 1999 to 2016.

She has not held senior government posts and has been described as "one of the quietest women AMs ... [whose] effectiveness lies in her quiet willingness to discuss". Read more...