Wales

Region: Europe

Official language: Welsh, English

Population: 3,132,000 (2022 est.)

Nationality: Welshman(men)/Welshwoman(men) or Briton(s), British (collective plural) (noun), Welsh or British (adjective)

Land area: 20,782 sq km (8,024 sq miles)

Capital: Cardiff

National anthem: "Hen Wlad fy Nhadau" ("Land of My Fathers"), by James James/Evan James

National holiday: St. David's Day, March 1

Population growth: 0.8% (2022 est.)

Time zone: UTC +0

Flag: The flag of Wales comprises a white horizontal band on top of a green horizontal band. Over both bands is an image of a large, red dragon.

Motto: "Cymru am byth" (Wales Forever)

Independence: April 12, 1927 (Royal and Parliamentary Titles Act establishes current name of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland); notable earlier dates: March 3, 1284 (enactment of the Statute of Rhuddlan uniting England and Wales); 1536 (Act of Union formally incorporates England and Wales)

Government type: Constituent country of the United Kingdom, which is a constitutional monarchy and commonwealth realm. Wales has a devolved government, the Welsh Government, which handles domestic issues and law separate from the United Kingdom government.

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Legal system: common law system; has nonbinding judicial review of Acts of Parliament under the Human Rights Act of 1998. The legal system is not devolved to the Welsh government and falls under jurisdiction of national UK government.

Wales is a country on the European continent, located on the western side of the island of Great Britain. It is one of the four nations under the United Kingdom of Great Britain. The country is technically a principality, though its people, the Welsh, ignore this title due to the fact that the prince has no active role in the nation's political affairs. Wales is known for its mountainous countryside and for its contributions to Western art and music.

People and Culture

Population: The vast majority of the population of Wales is white European. The population is heavily distributed in the southern half of the country, near Swansea and the capital city, Cardiff.

The Welsh language is one of the oldest and most difficult in Western Europe, yet it is still used by about 19 percent of the population of Wales (2017 est.). It is spoken more in rural areas but is used in business in the cities as well. The dialect comes from ancient Celtic, and because of its unique alphabet it is different from languages such as Irish, to which it is often compared.

In Welsh, "y" and "w" are vowels, while many letters in the English alphabet are not even used. Double consonants are considered part of the Welsh alphabet as well. There are many regional accents in Wales.

As with England and Northern Ireland, Wales is a largely Protestant country. The Church of England was the official church of Wales for centuries while Wales was under England's rule, but eventually the Welsh broke away and declared their own rights of worship.

The culture of Wales places great value on legends and mythology. These elements are highly visible in education and the arts, especially. The national symbol of Wales is the Red Dragon, which appears on the Welsh flag. Wales is often associated with Arthurian legends and medieval culture.

Indigenous People: The Celts, Normans, Vikings, Romans, English, and Anglo-Saxons are the groups that are typically considered the original inhabitants of the British Isles, the earliest being the Celts. Most Welsh people trace their European heritage to these groups. There is relatively little ethnic diversity in Wales, and therefore the native population is essentially the same as the current population. However, in the twenty-first century diversity increased significantly; between 2001 and 2009 alone, the percentage of people in Wales from minority ethnic groups increased from 2.1 percent to 4.1 percent. The largest minority ethnic group in Wales is Asian or Asian British.

Education: The importance of regional language is stressed in schools, which require that all students learn Welsh. The education system in Wales, where children between the ages of five and sixteen must attend school, is similar to that of England. The University of Wales has many campuses specializing in different subjects.

Health Care: Wales is generally a very healthy nation with high life expectancies, on par with the UK average of about 80.01 years for men and 8421 years for women (2023 estimate). Statistically, Welsh people who have worked in mines have the most severe health problems, including black lung and bronchitis. Cancer and heart disease are major causes of illness and death.

All Welsh citizens receive free medical care through the National Health Service (NHS).

Food: Most Welsh food is the product of the country's agriculture. Aside from standard British cuisine including lamb, pork, and poultry, the Welsh have several unique dishes. Cawl, a vegetable soup, is among the most simple, while rarebit and laver bread (made from seaweed) are more exotic. The most popular beverage in Wales is beer, which is brewed in many Welsh towns and cities. Whiskey and tea are also widely consumed.

Arts & Entertainment: A popular nickname for Wales is "Gwlad y Gan," which means "Land of Song." This is due to the extensive amount of music and poetry that has come from Welsh culture. Welsh poetry is historically some of the most important in Western literature. Significant Welsh poets include Geoffrey of Monmouth, who wrote the ancient legendary poems of King Arthur, and twentieth-century poet Dylan Thomas.

Religion has influenced Welsh choir music, one of the country's most renowned art forms. The Welsh Opera House stages vocal performances and dramatic works.

The Swansea Festival of Music and Arts is Wales's largest public arts festival. The performances include music, poetry, drama, dance, and literature readings. Although it is deeply rooted in traditional forms of art, Wales is considered very modern in terms of its contemporary art and music.

Football (soccer) and cricket are some of the major professional sports in Wales, but neither is as popular as rugby. Mountain climbing, hiking, recreational fishing, and hunting are also popular in Wales.

Holidays: Being a Protestant nation, Wales celebrates the same Christian holidays as the rest of Great Britain. However, there are certain events, called festivals, which are specific to Wales. A festival called the Eisteddfod has been celebrated for centuries. The day is arranged as a competition between poets and musicians who perform for large crowds. A group of people called the Gorsedd of Bards is chosen to award the competitors with prizes for their artistic contributions to the festival.

The patron saint of Wales is Saint David. His day is celebrated on March 1, and although there are no substantial religious guidelines for the observation of Saint David, many Welsh people honor him by wearing leeks on their shirts or in their caps. Leeks are a symbol of Welsh heritage, as the rose is to English heritage. The tradition of wearing leeks comes from superstition and folklore regarding the celebration of Saint David.

Environment and Geography

Topography: Wales has a surprisingly long coastline (988 kilometers, 614 miles) in relation to its area. Most major cities are situated along the coast, which faces Cardigan Bay and the Irish Sea to the west and Bristol Channel to the south.

The primarily rural eastern regions form the border between Wales and England. The northern part of Wales is the Snowdonia region, which contains the country's highest point atop Mount Snowdon, which measures 1,085 meters (3,560 feet) at its peak, and Snowdonia National Park. The Cambrian Mountain chain runs south from Snowdon through the center of the country.

There are many bodies of water in Wales, most of which are formed in the valleys of the Cambrian Mountains. Major rivers include the Dee, the Wye and the Severn River, which is one of the longest in Great Britain. The major lakes in Wales are the Bala Lake in the north and the Llangorse Lake in the south. The Isle of Anglesey is located in the northeast. The Menai Strait separates it from mainland Wales.

Natural Resources: Great Britain has a wealth of natural resources, many of which are found in Wales. Coal mining has been a significant part of Welsh industrial history.

In addition to coal, petroleum deposits and natural gas, and metals such as tin, gold, zinc, and iron ore can be found in the rocky earth. There are mines throughout Wales devoted to exploiting these resources. Other important natural resources include lime, salt, clay, and slate.

Plants & Animals: Deforestation and unregulated animal activity have depleted much of the forest habitat of Wales. Forests are generally full of hardwood trees such as hawthorn and oak, in addition to a vast amount of evergreens. The national flower is the daffodil, which grows throughout the countryside.

Wales has five regions designated as "Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty." These are the Gower Peninsula in the southwest, the Llyn Peninsula on the north of Cardigan Bay, the Clwydian Hills Range in the northeast, the Wye Valley in the southeast, and the Isle of Anglesey. Several small islands off of the coast of Wales are mostly covered in moss and small vegetation and are used as nature reserves.

Many species of fish inhabit the rivers, lakes, and coastal waters of Wales, including the gwiniad, a native salmon. This encourages a large population of seabirds. Bardsey Island, Ramsey Island, and Grassholm Island are the homes of thousands of seabirds such as the Manx shearwater, the gannet, and the chough. Native land birds are equally unique, and include the merlin, the dipper, and the red kite, in addition to many species of smaller European birds.

A great number of Wales's native animals live wildly in the central countryside. The pine marten, polecat and numerous rodent species are among the smaller animals, while goats, ponies, and coastal ringed seals are among the largest.

Climate: Wales has the cool, rainy climate that is typical of the British Isles. Temperatures are comfortable but rarely very warm. The average summer temperature is about 15.6° Celsius (60° Fahrenheit), and the average winter temperature is about 5.6° Celsius (42° Fahrenheit).

For more than half of the year, the sky over Wales is overcast, and there is often dense fog when it is not raining. The average annual rainfall is extremely high in the north, which usually receives about 254 centimeters (100 inches). In the south, the average is lower but still quite high at approximately 76 centimeters (30 inches).

Economy

Industry: As a fully developed nation, Wales has many technological and industrial advantages. The service industry is the most important sector of the Welsh economy. The majority of the working class is employed in service jobs, which range from teaching to banking to trade.

Manufacturing is another large part of the industrial economy. Steel products are the most commonly manufactured, including automobile parts, tin, and aluminum.

Unemployment in Wales is low, at about 4.8 percent (2023 estimate). The current job market is reliant upon the industrial sector, which is centered in factories in the urban coastal areas. The government is concerned for the future of rural agriculture, as more people move to the cities and away from the farmland of central Wales.

Agriculture: Although certain staple grains are farmed in Wales, including barley and oats, livestock is much more significant in Welsh agriculture. There are nearly twice as many sheep as people in Wales, and mutton and wool are therefore abundant. Dairy cattle and beef are raised in the southern regions.

The problem of deforestation is one that may seriously affect agriculture in Wales. As forests are depleted and urban development grows, farmlands may become planting grounds for new conifers that will not sustain Welsh plant and animal life. If these changes occur, Wales could become even more economically reliant on its industrial sector.

Tourism: There are a number of points of interest for visitors to southern Wales, including its natural beauty and the quarry from which England's famous Stonehenge monoliths came. Tourism draws an important amount of Wales's revenue, with many people visiting castles and nature conservatories.

Wales has over one hundred castles, remains of Roman forts, and numerous museums. Other attractions include the historic railways that operated as part of the mining industry. Many Welsh mines have now been abandoned but are still visited by tourists.

Government

The government of Wales consists of a first minister, Welsh ministers, deputy Welsh ministers, and a counsel general. The government has, over the years, devolved many areas to its jurisdiction instead of the United Kingdom. While the Welsh government has control over areas such as education, health, the environment, and economic development, areas such as the justice system and national security remain responsibilities of the United Kingdom.

Since the population of Wales represents only about 4.7 percent of the entire population of the United Kingdom, Welsh voters may elect only 40 of the 659 members of the House of Commons. Therefore, a smaller government was established to address matters within Wales. The National Assembly for Wales, consisting of sixty members, regulates certain internal affairs and oversees programs and services within the country.

The voting age in Wales is eighteen, the same as the rest of the United Kingdom. Welsh voters elect the members of the National Assembly, which has representatives from a number of political parties.

Interesting Facts

• Wales is home to the town of Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch, which has one of the longest names of any place in the entire world.
• Some famous celebrities from Wales include pop singer Tom Jones, actor Anthony Hopkins, and actor Catherine Zeta-Jones.
• Wales is the birthplace of canned beer.

Bibliography

"Facts about Wales." Wales, Welsh Government, 2023, www.wales.com/about/facts-about-wales. Accessed 29 Nov. 2023.

"Labour Market Overview: November 2023." Llywodraeth Cymru: Welsh Government, 16 Nov. 2023, www.gov.wales/labour-market-overview-november-2023. Accessed 29 Nov. 2023.

"Mid Year Estimates of the Population: 2022." Llywodraeth Cymru: Welsh Government, 23 Nov. 2023, www.gov.wales/mid-year-estimates-population-2022. Accessed 29 Nov. 2023.

"Population Estimates for England and Wales: Mid-2022." Office for National Statistics, 23 Nov. 2023, www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/populationandmigration/populationestimates/bulletins/populationestimatesforenglandandwales/mid2022. Accessed 29 Nov. 2023.

"United Kingdom: Human Development Indicators." Human Development Reports, United Nations Development Programme, hdr.undp.org/data-center/specific-country-data#/countries/GBR. Accessed 18 Aug. 2022

“United Kingdom.” The World Factbook, Central Intelligence Agency, 17 Nov. 2023, www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/united-kingdom/. Accessed 29 Nov. 2023.

"Wales Profile - Overview." BBC News, 15 June 2017, www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-21013279. Accessed 23 July 2019.