Wales

• 1. Origins And Etymology

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  The name Wales derives from an Old English root that referred to the Gauls known to the Romans as Walha. Anglo-Saxon settlers used this term to describe Britons in particular, and the plural form evolved into the name for their territory. The modern Welsh people call themselves Cymry, a word meaning fellow-countrymen that likely came into use before the 7th century. This self-designation contrasts with the external label imposed by neighbors who named the land Wallia. Historical records show that coastal areas like Swansea, Fishguard, and Anglesey had Viking or Norse settlements while Saxons settled inland among the Welsh in places such as Presteigne. Archaeological evidence points to permanent settlement of the territory from the end of the last ice age onwards. Red Lady of Paviland remains one of the most impressive funerary monuments left by these first farmers. The Great Orme in North Wales became Britain's premier producer of copper during the Bronze Age, supplying key ores for smelting bronze.

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• 2. Medieval Conquest And Law

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  Hywel ap Cadell formed the kingdom of Deheubarth from inheritances in Dyfed and Seisyllwg before gaining control of Gwynedd and Powys in 942. He codified Welsh law at an assembly held at Whitland around 930, creating a legal code that emphasized compensation payments to victims rather than punishment by rulers. Gruffydd ap Llywelyn subdued all opposition by 1057, becoming the only king to unite all of Wales and parts of England on the border. For about seven brief years between 1057 and his death in 1063, the whole of Wales recognized his kingship under a feat with neither precedent nor successor. Edward I of England completed the conquest of Wales in 1283 after over 200 years of war. The Statute of Rhuddlan ended Welsh independence the following year, dividing the territory between principality ruled by Edward and marches ruled by feudal marcher lords. Owain Glyndwr led the Welsh Revolt against English rule from 1400 to 1415, briefly re-establishing an independent Welsh state with its own national parliament. Henry VIII annexed the whole of Wales through the Laws in Wales Acts of 1535 and 1542, making Welsh people full citizens in the Kingdom of England.

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• 3. Industrial Transformation And Economy

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  At its peak production in 1913, nearly 233,000 men and women were employed in the South Wales coalfield mining 56 million tons of coal. Cardiff was once the largest coal-exporting port in the world, handling greater tonnage than either London or Liverpool for a few years before the First World War. Over 40 per cent of the male Welsh population worked in heavy industry during the 1920s. The Great Depression devastated both north and south Wales because of overwhelming dependence on coal and steel. From the mid-1970s, massive restructuring caused large numbers of jobs in heavy industry to disappear and be replaced eventually by new ones in light industry and services. In 2018, gross domestic product in Wales reached £75 billion, representing an increase of 3.3 per cent from 2017. GDP per head stood at £23,866 that year, which compared to Italy's £25,000 and Spain's £22,000. Since the Second World War, the service sector has come to account for the majority of jobs across the country.

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• 4. Geography And Natural Environment

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  Snowdon stands as the highest summit in Wales at 1,085 meters within Snowdonia where five mountains exceed 1,000 meters. The Brecon Beacons reach their highest point Pen y Fan at 886 meters while the Cambrian Mountains top out at Pumlumon with 735 meters. Over 50 islands lie off the Welsh mainland, with Anglesey being the largest in the north-west. The coastline stretches approximately 1,400 kilometers along the mean high water mark including mainland, Anglesey and Holyhead. In 1859 over 110 ships were destroyed off the coast of Wales in a hurricane that saw more than 800 lives lost across Britain. The greatest single loss occurred with the sinking of the Royal Charter off Anglesey where 459 people died. Red kites serve as one of the national symbols of Welsh wildlife and were voted the nation's favourite bird. More than 200 different species of birds have been seen at the RSPB reserve at Conwy including seasonal visitors like gannets, Manx shearwater, puffins, kittiwakes, shags and razorbills.

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• 5. Political Devolution And Governance

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  The Government of Wales Act 1998 created a devolved assembly called the National Assembly for Wales following devolution in 1997. Eight years later the Government of Wales Act 2006 reformed the assembly and allowed further powers to be granted more easily. A successful referendum in 2011 empowered the National Assembly to make laws known as Acts of the Assembly on all matters in devolved subject areas without requiring UK Parliament approval. In May 2020, the National Assembly was renamed Senedd Cymru or the Welsh Parliament commonly known as the Senedd. The Senedd has authority to draft and approve laws outside of the UK Parliamentary system to meet specific needs of Wales. Under powers approved by a referendum held in March 2011, it is empowered to pass primary legislation now known as an Act of Senedd Cymru regarding twenty subjects listed in the Government of Wales Act 2006 such as health and education. For local government purposes, Wales has been divided into 22 council areas since 1996 responsible for providing all local government services.

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• 6. Language And Demographics

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  The proportion of the Welsh population able to speak the Welsh language fell from just under 50 per cent in 1901 to 43.5 per cent in 1911 and continued to drop to 18.9 per cent in 1981. According to the 2021 census, the Welsh-speaking population aged three or older reached 17.8 per cent representing 538,300 people while nearly three-quarters had no Welsh language skills. English is spoken by almost all people in Wales and serves as the main language in most of the country. Code-switching between languages is common throughout all parts of Wales though none of its various terms are recognized by professional linguists. Northern and western Wales retain many areas where Welsh is spoken as a first language by the majority of the population with English learned as a second language. The 2021 census showed that 93.8 per cent identified as White compared to 95.6 per cent in 2011 while 2.9 per cent identified as Asian, Asian Welsh or Asian British. Wrexham became Wales's newest and seventh city in September 2022 despite having only about 130,000 residents.

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• 7. Cultural Heritage And Arts

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  Four UNESCO World Heritage Sites exist within Wales including the Castles and Town Walls of King Edward I in Gwynedd, Pontcysyllte Aqueduct and Canal, Blaenavon Industrial Landscape, and the Slate Landscape of Northwest Wales. The earliest surviving Welsh plays are two medieval miracle plays called Y Tri Brenin o Gwlen and Y Dioddefaint a'r Atgyfodiad dating back centuries before the 18th century. Male voice choirs emerged in the 19th century formed as tenor and bass sections of chapel choirs embracing popular secular hymns of the day. The annual National Eisteddfod serves as the country's main performance festival while the Llangollen International Eisteddfod provides opportunities for singers and musicians worldwide to perform. Traditional instruments include the telyn deires triple harp, fiddle, crwth bowed lyre and pibgorn hornpipe. In 1954 Dylan Thomas broadcast Under Milk Wood which remains one of his most famous works and one of the most innovative poems of his time. The Bard, painted by Thomas Jones in 1774, exemplifies landscape art that grew in popularity during the late 18th century when clients were found in larger Welsh towns.

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