Cardiff, Wales

The largest city in Wales, Cardiff is also one of the fastest-growing capitals in Europe. Cardiff is located in the county of Glamorgan, which borders the Bristol Channel of the Atlantic Ocean.

Although Cardiff is home to ancient castles and has been inhabited for thousands of years, it has only existed as a political capital since 1955. This unusual status has resulted in the city's adoption of the slogan "Europe's Youngest Capital," even though it is no longer the newest capital in Europe. The patron saint of Wales is Saint David, and the country's official symbol is the red dragon. Flags bearing the royal crest and red dragon fly throughout Cardiff, as tradition remains an important part of Welsh culture.

Cardiff is the seat of the nation's government and the location of the National Assembly for Wales. The city is also known for its cultural offerings, including music and drama.

Landscape

Wales is located in the western part of the island of Great Britain. England is the only country with which Wales shares a border. Cardiff is situated in the southeastern part of Wales. The region, known as South Wales, faces the Severn Estuary of the Bristol Channel. This body of water divides southeastern Wales from southern England.

The capital looks out on Cardiff Bay, one of Britain's busiest seaports. South Wales is known for its many farms and fertile river valleys. Its rocky coastline is nearly 1,200 kilometers (750 miles) long. Cardiff is roughly 64 kilometers (40 miles) from Wales' second-largest city, Swansea, and 240 kilometers (150 miles) from London, England. The total land area of Cardiff is roughly 140 square kilometers (54 square miles).

The highest point in Cardiff is atop Mount Snowdon, which reaches 1,112 meters (3650 feet) at its peak. The city's lowest points are along the valleys of its two rivers, the Taff and Ely. Much of the city is situated along the River Taff.

A small city, Cardiff consists of a centralized downtown area and several small neighborhoods stretching down to the bay. Residents enjoy the recreational aspects of the city, which boasts 12 square kilometers (4.6 square miles) of public parks. The Taff Trail, which begins in Cardiff Bay, winds through Taff Valley and ends in Brecon Beacons National Park.

People

Cardiff is home to about 488,153 people (according to a 2023 estimates). The city's population is divided into several ethnic groups, the largest of which is British Caucasians. Approximately 80 percent of the people in Cardiff are English. The largest minority groups are Indians and Pakistanis. The remaining residents are predominantly Welsh, Irish, and Scottish. The most dominant religion in Cardiff is English Protestantism. Minority religions include Catholicism, Hinduism, Judaism, and Islam.

Approximately one-fifth of Welsh people speak the ancient Welsh language. In Cardiff, Welsh is spoken in formal business settings and is taught in schools. In Welsh, Cardiff's name is "Caerdydd."

Cardiff's residents are well-educated and typically attend college. The city's universities include Cardiff University at the University of Wales and the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama.

Music and drama are major aspects of Cardiff's culture. In recent decades, the arts have become increasingly popular in Cardiff. The city has many venues for the performing arts, including Saint David's Hall, Chapter Arts Centre, the BBC National Orchestra of Wales, New Theatre and the Millennium Opera House.

Additionally, the city hosts the annual BBC Cardiff Singer of the World competition, in which judges select the best Welsh singer from a large pool of contestants. Singing and poetry are important trademarks of Welsh culture, as advertised in the Welsh slogan "Gwlad y Gan" ("Land of Song").

Welsh food is generally similar to food that is found throughout Great Britain. Popular dishes include fried potatoes and meat, seafood, pastries, and root vegetables. In addition to these, Indian and Greek foods are both popular. Cardiff has many restaurants specializing in curry dishes and falafel.

Cardiff has many pubs offering the tradition and hospitality for which Great Britain is known. Pubs are often used as meeting places and venues for the performing arts. In addition to pubs, those seeking nightlife frequent dance clubs such as Clwb Ifor Bach.

Cathays Park, Cardiff's civic centre is the site of a number of popular attractions in Cardiff, including City Hall, the National Museum, and Alexandra Gardens.

Sports are as popular in Cardiff as anywhere in the United Kingdom. Football (soccer) and rugby are the most popular, and Cardiff's Principality Stadium often fills its 73,000 seats during matches. Other popular sports are cricket, tennis, billiards, and golf.

Economy

Beginning with the Industrial Revolution and continuing throughout most of the twentieth century, Cardiff was home to a large coal mining industry. The coastal mines and Cardiff's ports were an integral part of Great Britain's industrialization.

The abandoned coal mines are now an attraction for Cardiff's many tourists. Tourism accounts for a large part of the city's revenue. Visitors frequent Cardiff's castles and other historical sites, including the quarry that provided the monoliths used in the construction of Stonehenge.

The majority of the Welsh working class is employed in the service sector. Many of Cardiff's residents hold service jobs such as banking, trade, and social services. The manufacturing industry is important to Cardiff's economy as well, with steel and automobile parts being the largest areas of this sector. There are several major factories within the city.

While agriculture was once a large part of Wales's economy, the modern focus on urban living and jobs in the service and industrial sectors have led to a decline in the importance of rural agriculture. Although this created a difficult economic shift in Wales, it has contributed to the economic and demographic growth of Cardiff.

With the coal industry now largely dormant in Cardiff, officials have stressed the importance of progress and reinvention in the city. Part of that reinvention included investments in new sports stadiums and cultural venues to drive tourism and higher value businesses to increase productivity.

Landmarks

Cardiff has a number of castles and other ancient remains of Celtic and Roman occupation. The three most significant castles in the city are Caephilly Castle, Castell Coch, and Cardiff Castle.

Caephilly Castle is a thirteenth-century castle featuring a large moat, drawbridges, and trebuchets. The castle, situated in a 30-acre field, was the dominant fortress of Wales during the Middle Ages. Its most stunning feature is its Great Hall, the 70- by 35-foot central structure of the castle.

Commissioned by the Third Marquis of Bute, Castell Coch is a nineteenth-century castle that was designed by architect William Burges. Burges designed a number of Victorian and gothic manors throughout Cardiff.

The two-thousand-year-old Cardiff Castle is one of Cardiff's most popular tourist attractions. Among the castle's signature features is the flock of peacocks that inhabits the castle green. Cardiff Castle's most impressive architectural feature is the White Tower, which is also called Norman Keep. Built in 1081, the tower was a hideout for rulers in times of rebellion and battle.

In addition to these castles, Cardiff is also the site of the twelfth-century Llandaff Cathedral. The cathedral contains an ancient Celtic cross that has been identified as one of the oldest artifacts of Christianity in the United Kingdom. Llandaff Cathedral is the last intact structure of the original Castle of the Bishops of Llandaff. The castle itself was destroyed by a bomb during World War II.

The city's largest sports events and performances are held at Principality Stadium (formerly Millennium Stadium). The stadium is one of several major landmarks constructed in celebration of the beginning of the twenty-first century. Others include the Wales Millennium Centre and Millennium Plaza. In addition to these facilities, Cardiff also contains Cathays Park, a massive civic centre.

Techniquest, a science museum and exhibition center located on Cardiff Bay, is one of the city's most popular recreational attractions. Other landmarks in Cardiff include outdoor parks, gardens, and promenades such as Queen's Arcade, Taff Trail, Sophia Gardens, Bute Park, and Alexandra Gardens.

History

Wales' earliest inhabitants were the Celts, whose language, crafts, and religion largely formed the nation's popular traditions. The Romans, who arrived around 75 CE, established Cardiff as a city and stronghold. The city was later occupied by the Anglo-Saxons, whose descendants make up the majority of the modern population.

Cardiff grew throughout its long industrial era, and eventually proved itself a vital port of Great Britain. King Edward VII of England granted Wales sovereignty in 1905. However, it was not until December 20, 1955, that Cardiff was named the official capital of Wales.

Cardiff has been the site of many noteworthy historical events. In 1910, Captain Robert Scott sailed out of Cardiff Bay on an infamously disastrous expedition to the South Pole. In 1917, Cardiff began employing women as taxi drivers. This action made Cardiff one of the first cities in Great Britain to employ women.

Having survived invasions by the Normans, the Vikings, and the Romans, Cardiff's Celtic and Anglo-Saxon natives experienced many wars throughout their history. However, the most devastating episode in Cardiff's recent history was World War II. Throughout the war, German planes heavily bombed the seaport, destroying many landmarks and public buildings.

In 2005, Wales celebrated its centennial, while Cardiff celebrated its fiftieth year as the capital. Now a prosperous, diverse and fast-growing city, it remains a center of culture and industry.

In 2017, Cardiff hosted the Union of European Football Associations Championship League Final. Cardiff then served as a destination during the 2017–18 Volvo Round the World Yacht Race, the first time the race has visited Wales.

Bibliography

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"How the Population Changed in Cardiff: Census 2021." Office for National Statistics, 28 June 2022, www.ons.gov.uk/visualisations/censuspopulationchange/W06000015/. Accessed 29 Feb. 2024.

“Cardiff Records.” British History Online. University of London and History of Parliament Trust, Nov. 2013. Web. 26 Mar. 2014.

Davies, Amy. "Captivating Cardiff." Britain 78.4 (2010): 60–64. Academic Search Premier. Web. 26 Mar. 2014.

Jenkins, David. Shipping at Cardiff. Cardiff: U of Wales P, 2013. Print.

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“The Official Visitors' Website for Cardiff.” Visit Cardiff. Visit Cardiff, n.d. Web. 26 Mar. 2014.