Wales
Wales (; pronounced
IPA: , approximately "COME-ree") is one of four
constituent countries of the
United Kingdom. Wales is located in the south-west of
Great Britain and is bordered by the
English counties of
Cheshire,
Shropshire,
Herefordshire, and
Gloucestershire to the east, the
Bristol Channel to the south,
St George's Channel to the southwest, and the
Irish Sea to the west and north, and also by the estuary of the
River Dee in the north.
The term
Principality of Wales, in Welsh,
Tywysogaeth Cymru, is sometimes used, although the
Prince of Wales has no role in the
governance of Wales and this term is unpopular among some. Wales has never been a
sovereign state although
Gruffudd ap Llywelyn, King of Gwynedd and Powys brought more of what is today's Wales, together with some English territory, under independent rule, and in
1056 the English recognised his claim of sovereignty. By the time of the Anglo-Norman annexation of Wales in
1282, when King
Edward I of England defeated
Llywelyn II in the
Battle of Cilmeri, Wales had however reverted to its traditional independent kingdoms.
Welsh law was not replaced in all cases by
English law until the
Laws in Wales Acts 1535-1542. The capital of Wales since 1955 has been
Cardiff, although the Prince of Wales is invested at
Caernarfon, and
Machynlleth (along with other towns) was the home of a parliament called by
Owain Glyndŵr during his rising at the start of the fifteenth century. Tradition has it that in 1404 he was crowned Prince of Wales in the presence of emissaries from France, Spain and Scotland.
[Davies, John (2006) A History of Wales. London: Penguin Books.] If true (and these countries certainly showed support to Owain), this is the only example of Wales ever being recognised as anything like a sovereign nation.
In 1999, the
National Assembly for Wales was formed, which has limited domestic powers, due to be expanded in 2007.
The English name for Wales originates from the
Germanic word
Walha, meaning stranger or foreigner, probably derived from the name
Volcae. As the Celts of Gaul were Romanized, the word changed its meaning to "
Romanic people", as is still apparent in the name of the
Walloons of Belgium,
Wallachia in Romania, as well as the "-wall" of
Cornwall. The Welsh themselves named their country
Cymru, which is thought to have meant 'countrymen' in Old Welsh. There is also a mediaeval legend that derives it from the name Camber, son of
Brutus and, according to the legend, the original King of Cymru.
Cumberland and
Cumbria in the north of England derive their names from the same word.
See also:
History of the term VlachMain article: History of Wales
Humans first inhabited what is now Wales at the end of the last
Ice Age. The first documented history was during the
Roman occupation of Britain. At that time the area of modern Wales was divided into many tribes, of which the
Silures in the south-east and the
Ordovices in the central and north-west areas were the largest and most powerful. The Romans established a string of forts across what is now southern Wales, as far west as
Carmarthen (Maridunum), and mined gold at
Dolaucothi in Carmarthenshire. There is evidence that they progressed even farther west. They also built the legionary fortress at
Caerleon (Isca), whose magnificent
amphitheatre is the best preserved in Britain. The Romans were also busy in northern Wales, and an old legend claims that
Magnus Maximus, one of the last emperors, married Elen or Helen, the daughter of a Welsh chieftain from
Segontium, near present-day
Caernarfon. It was in the
4th century during the Roman occupation that Christianity was introduced to Wales.
After the collapse of the Roman Empire in Britain during 410, Wales became divided into several kingdoms. Attempts by the
Anglo-Saxon tribes to invade these kingdoms failed due to the fierce resistance of its people and its mountainous terrain. An Anglo-Saxon king,
Offa of Mercia, is credited with having constructed a great earth wall, or dyke, along the border with his kingdom, to mark off a large part of
Powys which he had conquered. Parts of
Offa's Dyke can still be seen today.
The eastern lands lost to English settlement became known in Welsh as
Lloegyr (now spelt
Lloegr). The Anglo-Saxons, in turn, labelled the Romano-British as
Walha, meaning 'foreigner' or 'stranger'. The Welsh continued to call themselves
Brythoniaid (Britons) until as late as the 12th century, though the first use of
Cymru and
y Cymry was recorded as early as 633 by
Aneirin. In the
Armes Prydain written in about 930, the words
Cymry and
Cymro were used as often as 15 times. It was not until the 12th century however, that
Cymry overtook
Brythoniaid in their writings.
Following the
Norman conquest of
England in 1066, the independence of Wales was gradually eroded. In 1282,
Edward I of England defeated
Llywelyn the Last, Wales's last independent
Prince, in battle. Edward constructed a series of great stone
castles in order to keep the Welsh under control. The best known are at
Beaumaris,
Caernarfon,
Conwy, and
Harlech. Wales was legally annexed by the
Laws in Wales Act 1535, in the reign of
Henry VIII of England, who was himself of Welsh ancestry. The
Wales and Berwick Act 1746 provided that all laws that applied to England would automatically apply to Wales (and
Berwick, a town located on the Anglo-Scottish border) unless the law explicitly stated otherwise.
In the
twentieth century, Wales saw a revival in its national status. An independence movement was led by
Plaid Cymru, seeking greater autonomy for the region from England. In 1955, the term
England and Wales became common for describing the area to which English law applied, and
Cardiff was proclaimed as capital. In 1962 the
Welsh Language Society was formed in response to fears that the language may soon die out. Nationalism grew, particularly following the flooding of the Tryweryn valley in 1965, drowning the village of
Capel Celyn to create a reservoir supplying water to
Liverpool. In 1966 the Carmarthen Parliamentary seat was won by Plaid Cymru at a by-election, their first Parliamentary seat. A terror campaign was waged by Welsh nationalists for a short period by the
Free Wales Army and
Mudiad Amddiffyn Cymru (MAC - Welsh Defence Movement). In the years leading up to the investiture of
Prince Charles as
Prince of Wales in 1969, these groups were responsible for a number of bomb blasts destroying water pipes and tax and other offices. In 1969, the
Wales and Berwick Act 1746 was repealed for Wales, and a legal definition of Wales, and the boundary with England was stated.
A referendum on the creation of an assembly for Wales in 1979 (see
Wales referendum, 1979) led to a large majority for the "no". However, in 1997 a referendum on the issue was secured, although by a very narrow majority. The
National Assembly for Wales was set up in 1999 (as a consequence of the
Government of Wales Act 1998) and possesses the power to determine how the government budget for Wales is spent and administered.
Main article: Politics of Wales; see also Politics of the United Kingdom
As one of the constituent parts of the United Kingdom, the head of state in Wales is the
British monarch, currently
Queen Elizabeth II (since 1952). Executive power is derived by the Queen, and exercised by the
Parliament of the United Kingdom at
Westminster, with some powers devolved to the
National Assembly for Wales in
Cardiff. The United Kingdom Parliament retains responsibility for passing
primary legislation in Wales. The National Assembly has regulatory authority over laws passed that are applicable to Wales, and has limited power to vary these by
secondary legislation The National Assembly is not a sovereign authority, and the UK Parliament could, in theory, overrule or even abolish it at any time.
The National Assembly was first established in 1998 under the
Government of Wales Act. There are 60 members of the Assembly, known as "Assembly Members (AM)". Forty of the AMs are elected under the
First Past the Post system, with the other 20 elected via the
Additional Member System via regional lists in 5 different regions. The largest party elects the
First Minister of Wales, who acts as the head of government. The
Welsh Assembly Government is the
executive arm, and the Assembly has delegated most of its powers to the Assembly Government.
The current First Minister of Wales is
Rhodri Morgan (since 2000), of the
Labour party who form a minority government. The largest opposition party is
Plaid Cymru ("Party of Wales"), who favour Welsh independence from the rest of the UK. Other parties include the
Conservative Party, the
Liberal Democrats (who formed part of a coalition government with Labour in the first Assembly), and
Forward Wales. Current political debate in Wales is whether the National Assembly should be given more powers, such as the power to pass primary legislation, as the
Scottish Parliament can in Scotland.
In the
British House of Commons, Wales is represented by 40
MPs in
the Welsh constituencies. A
Secretary of State for Wales sits in the UK cabinet and is responsible for the representation of Welsh issues. The
Wales Office is a department of the United Kingdom government, responsible for Wales. The current Secretary of State for Wales is
Peter Hain.
The new Assembly Building designed by
Richard Rogers was opened by
The Queen on St. David's Day (March 1st) 2006.
Wales shares the same legal system as England, within the legal distinction of
England and Wales. England "legally" annexed Wales under the
Laws in Wales Act 1535, in the reign of
King Henry VIII. The
Wales and Berwick Act 1746 provided that all laws that applied to England would automatically apply to Wales (and Berwick, a town located on the Anglo-Scottish border) unless the law explicitly stated otherwise. This act, with regard to Wales, was repealed in 1967.
As such,
English law is the law of Wales. English law is regarded as a
common law system, with no major
codification of the law, and legal
precedents are binding as opposed to persuasive. The
court system is headed by the
House of Lords which is the highest court of appeal in the land for criminal and civil cases (although this is due to be replaced by a
Supreme Court of the United Kingdom). The Supreme Court of Judicature of England and Wales is the highest
court of first instance as well as an
appellate court. The three divisions are the
Court of Appeal; the
High Court of Justice and the
Crown Court. Minor cases are heard by the
Magistrates' Courts or the
County Court.
Wales is located on a
peninsula in central-west
Great Britain. The entire area of Wales is about 20,779 km² (8,023 square miles). It is about 274 km (170 miles) long and 97 km (60 miles) wide. Wales borders by England to the east and by sea in the other three directions: the Bristol Channel to the south, St George's Channel to the west, and the
Irish Sea to the north. Together, Wales has over 1,200km (750 miles) of coastline. There are several
islands off the Welsh mainland, the largest being
Anglesey in the northwest.
The main population and industrial areas are in
South Wales, consisting of the cities of
Cardiff,
Swansea and
Newport and surrounding areas.
Much of Wales's beautiful and diverse landscape is
mountainous, particularly in the north and central regions. The mountains were shaped during the last
ice age, the
Devensian glaciation. The highest mountains in Wales are in
Snowdonia, and include
Snowdon ('Yr Wyddfa' in Welsh), which, at 1085 m (3,560 ft) is the highest peak in Wales. The 14 (or possibly 15) Welsh mountains over 3,000 feet (914 m) high are known collectively as the
Welsh 3,000s. The
Brecon Beacons are in the south and are joined by the
Cambrian Mountains in mid-Wales, the latter name being given to the earliest geological period of the
Paleozoic era, the
Cambrian.
In the mid-nineteenth century, two prominent geologists,
Roderick Murchison and
Adam Sedgwick used their studies of the geology of Wales to establish certain principles of
stratigraphy and
palaeontology. After much dispute, the next two periods of the Paleozoic era, the
Ordovician and
Silurian, were named after ancient Celtic tribes from this area.
The modern border between Wales and England is highly arbitrary; it was largely defined in the 16th century, based on medieval feudal boundaries. It has apparently never been confirmed by referendum or reviewed by any Boundary Commission (except to confirm Monmouthshire as part of Wales in 1968). The boundary line (which very roughly follows
Offa's Dyke up to 40 miles (64 km) of the northern coast) separates
Knighton from its railway station, virtually cuts off
Church Stoke from the rest of Wales, and slices straight through the village of
Llanymynech (where a pub actually straddles the line).
The
Seven Wonders of Wales is a traditional list of seven geographic and cultural
landmarks in Wales: Snowdon (the highest mountain), the Gresford bells (the peal of
bells in the medieval church of All Saints at
Gresford), the
Llangollen bridge (built in 1347 over the
River Dee),
St Winefride's Well (a
pilgrimage site at
Holywell in
Flintshire) the Wrexham steeple (16th century tower of St. Giles Church in
Wrexham), the Overton yew trees (ancient
yew trees in the churchyard of St Mary's at
Overton-on-Dee) and
Pistyll Rhaeadr (Wales's tallest
waterfall, at 240 ft or 75 m). The wonders are part of the traditional rhyme:
Pistyll Rhaeadr and Wrexham steeple, Snowdon's mountain without its people, Overton yew trees, St Winefride wells, Llangollen bridge and Gresford bells. Highest maximum temperature: 35.2°C (95.4°F) at
Hawarden Bridge,
Flintshire on
2 August 1990.
Lowest minimum temperature: -23.3°C (-10°F) at
Rhayader,
Radnorshire on
21 January 1940. [
1]
See also:
List of towns in WalesFor the purposes of local government, Wales was divided into 22
council areas in 1996. These are unitary authorities responsible for the provision of all local government services, including education, social work, environment and roads services. Below these are
community councils — informal organsiations that represent specific areas within a council area.
The Queen appoints a
Lord Lieutenant to represent her in the eight
Preserved counties of Wales — which are combinations of council areas. The 13
traditional counties of Wales are also used as geographical areas.
City status in the United Kingdom is determined by
Letters patent. There are five cities in Wales:
*
Bangor*
Cardiff (Capital)*
Newport*
St David's*
Swansea(
St. Asaph historically had
city status. The
1911 Encyclopædia Britannica refers to it as a city, but it is no longer considered as such. Applications for restoration of city status in the
2000 and
2002 competitions were unsuccessful).
Parts of Wales have been heavily industrialised since the eighteenth century. Coal, copper, iron, silver, lead, and gold have been mined in Wales, and slate has been quarried. Ironworks and tinplate works, along with the coal mines, attracted large numbers of immigrants during the nineteenth century, particularly to the valleys north of Cardiff. Due to poor-quality soil, much of Wales is unsuitable for crop-growing, and livestock farming has traditionally been the focus of agriculture. The Welsh landscape (protected by three National Parks), as well as the unique culture of Wales, attract large numbers of tourists, who play an especially vital role in the economy of rural areas.
Light engineering is still an important activity in the main population areas of the South and extreme North-East, but the economy, as elsewhere in the UK, is now focused on the
service sector.
The population of Wales in the 2001 census was 2,903,085. This would make Wales the 134th largest
country by population if it were a sovereign state.
According to the 2001 census, 96% of the population was
White British, and 2.1% non-white (mainly of
Asian origin).[
2] Most non-white groups were concentrated in
Cardiff,
Newport and to a lesser extent
Swansea.
In the 2001 Labour Force Survey, 60% of adults in Wales considered their national identity as wholly Welsh and another 7% considered themselves to be partly Welsh (Welsh and British were the most common combination). [
3]
In 2001 a quarter of the Welsh population were born outside Wales, mainly in England; about 3% were born outside the UK. The proportion of people who were born in Wales differs across the country, with the highest percentages in the
South Wales Valleys, and the lowest in Mid Wales and parts of the north-east. In both
Blaenau Gwent and
Merthyr Tydfil 92% were Welsh-born, compared to only 51% in
Flintshire and 56% in
Powys.[
4] One of the reasons for this is that the locations of the most convenient hospitals are over the border in England. In the case of
Flintshire,
The Countess of Chester Hospital is only 13 miles (21 km) from
Mold, the prime town of the county. The Welsh option would be
Bodelwyddan Hospital in
Denbighshire which would be a 25 mile (40 km) trip.
Wales is more 'rural' than England with nearly 20% of its population living in settlements of fewer than 1,500 persons compared to 10% in England. Wales also has a relatively small share of its population in large towns: two-thirds compared to 80% in England.[
5]
There is a distinct division in attitude within Wales with regards to other areas within the principality. This can be seen both in a north/south divide and an east/west divide.
The north/south divide is best demonstrated by the lack of a good road and rail infrastructure. There is also less respect for Cardiff as a capital city as it is so far away (
Bangor to
Cardiff is 188 miles / 303 km). It is easier for a northern Welshman to visit
Manchester (100 miles / 160 km from Bangor) if they need a service which is only available in an urban area.
The east/west divide was most obvious during the referendum for an Assembly. The No vote was found predominantly in the east, and the yes vote was predominantly from the west.
There is also something of a language divide, with the greatest proportion of Welsh speakers being in the North and West.
Languages
The official languages in Wales are
English and
Welsh. English is spoken by almost all people in Wales and is the
de facto main language, with the local dialect being
Welsh English. However, Wales is officially
bilingual, with 20.5% of the population able to speak Welsh and a larger proportion having some knowledge of the Welsh language according to the 2001 census, although few (if any) residents of Wales other than small children are monolingual in Welsh these days. The
Welsh Language Act 1993 and the
Government of Wales Act 1998 provide that the Welsh and English languages should be treated on a basis of equality. Public bodies are required to prepare and implement a Welsh Language Scheme. Thus the Welsh Assembly, local councils, police forces, fire services and the health sector use Welsh as an official language, issuing official literature and publicity in Welsh versions (e.g. letters to parents from schools, library information, and council information). All road signs in Wales should be in English and Welsh, including both versions of place names where names or versions exist in both languages e.g. Caerdydd and "Cardiff".
During the 20th Century a number of small communities of speakers of languages other than English or Welsh, such as
Bengali or
Cantonese, have established themselves in Wales as a result of immigration. This phenomenon is almost exclusive to urban Wales. The Italian Government funds the teaching of
Italian to Welsh residents of Italian ancestry. These other languages however have no official status, although public services may produce information leaflets in minority ethnic languages where there is a specific need, as happens elsewhere in the United Kingdom.
Religion
The largest religion in Wales is
Christianity, with 72% of the population declaring to be Christian in the 2001 census. The
Presbyterian Church of Wales is the largest denomination and was born out of the
Welsh Methodist revival in the eighteenth century and seceded from the
Church of England in 1811. The
Church in Wales is the next largest denomination, and forms part of the
Anglican Communion. It too was part of the Church of England, and was disestablished by the British Government under the
Welsh Church Act 1914. The
Roman Catholic Church makes up the next largest denomination at 3% of the population. Non Christian religions are small in Wales, making up less than 2% of the population. 18% of people declare no religion.
The patron saint of Wales is
Saint David, with
St David's Day celebrated annually on
March 1.
Food
About 80% of the land surface of Wales is given over to agricultural use. Very little of this is
arable land though as the vast majority consists of permanent grass or rough grazing for herd animals. Although both
beef and
dairy cattle are raised widely, especially in Carmarthenshire and Pembrokeshire, Wales is more well-known for its
sheep farming, and thus lamb is the meat traditionally associated with Welsh cooking.
Some traditional dishes include
laverbread (made from
seaweed),
bara brith (fruit bread),
cawl cennin (leek stew),
Welsh cakes,
Welsh rarebit (cheese on toast), and Welsh
lamb.
Cockles are sometimes served with breakfast. [
6]
Music
The principal Welsh festival of music and poetry is the
National Eisteddfod. This takes place annually in a different town or city. The
Llangollen International Eisteddfod echos the National Eisteddfod but provides an opportunity for the singers and musicians of the world to perform.
Wales is often referred to as "the land of song"
, being particularly famous for
harpists,
male voice choirs, and solo artists including Sir
Geraint Evans,
Ivor Novello, Madam
Adelina Patti,
Tom Jones,
Charlotte Church,
Bryn Terfel,
Mary Hopkin,
Katherine Jenkins,
Shirley Bassey and
Aled Jones.
Indie bands like
Catatonia,
Stereophonics, The
Manic Street Preachers,
Feeder,
Super Furry Animals, and
Gorkys Zygotic Mynci, in the 1990s, and later
Goldie Lookin' Chain,
McLusky,
Lostprophets,
Funeral for a Friend,
The Automatic and
Bullet for my Valentine were preceded by Man in the 1970s. Many of these popular singers and musicians have yet to pass the test of longevity.
There are also numerous smaller bands that are yet to enter the mainstream.
The Welsh traditional and
folk music scene, long overshadowed by its
Irish and
Scottish cousins, is in resurgence with performers and bands such as
Crasdant,
Carreg Lafar, Fernhill,
Siân James,
Robin Huw Bowen,
Llio Rhydderch,
KilBride and
The Hennessys.
Welsh Pipes are also enjoying a revival with individual pipers and groups rediscovering Welsh bagpipe music.
The
BBC National Orchestra of Wales performs in Wales and internationally. The world-renowned
Welsh National Opera now has a permanent home at the
Wales Millennium Centre in
Cardiff Bay.
Sport
The most popular sports in Wales are
Rugby union and
football. As in New Zealand, Rugby is a core part of the national identity.
The Welsh national rugby union team takes part in the annual
Six Nations Championship, and the
Rugby World Cup. Welsh teams also play in the
Celtic League,
Powergen Cup and the European
Heineken Cup.
Wales has its own
football league since 1992, but for historical reasons, the major Welsh clubs play in the
English Football League and its feeder leagues. A
Welsh national team also exists for international competition.
Rugby league is now developing in Wales. Since 2003, there has been a national league and in 2006, professional league comes back to the principality with the advent of the
Celtic Crusaders.
Wales has produced some great
snooker players and amateur participation in the sport is very high. The rugged terrain of the country also gives plenty of opportunities for rally driving and Wales currently hosts the finale of the
World Rally Championship.
Glamorgan compete in county cricket competitions and the
Cardiff Devils were once a strong force in British
ice hockey.
Joe Calzaghe the half-Welsh, half-Italian boxer is current World Super-Middleweight Champion.
Wales are the current World Golf Champions.
Media
BBC Wales is based in Cardiff, and produces Welsh-oriented output for
BBC One and
BBC Two channels.
BBC Radio Wales broadcasts as a local English-language radio station, while
BBC Radio Cymru broadcasts in Welsh.
ITV, the UK's main commercial broadcaster has a Welsh-oriented service branded as ITV Wales provided by
HTV.
S4C broadcasts mostly Welsh-language programming at peak hours, but shares English-language content with
Channel 4 at other times.
S4C Digidol (S4C Digital), on the other hand, broadcasts entirely in Welsh.
Most of the newspapers sold and read in Wales are national newspapers sold and read throughout Britain. Welsh-based newspapers include:
Liverpool Daily Post (Welsh edition) ;
Llanelli Star;
South Wales Echo; South Wales Argus;
South Wales Evening Post;
The Western Mail; and
Y Cymro, a Welsh language publication. A plan to bring out the first Welsh-language daily newspaper, Y Byd, is currently underway.
 |
The Prince of Wales's Feathers |
* The
Flag of Wales (Y Ddraig Goch) incorporates the
red dragon of Prince Cadwalader 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 in the Tudor royal arms to signify their Welsh descent. It was officially recognised as the Welsh national flag in 1959. Since the British
Union Flag does not have any Welsh representation, the Flag of Wales has become very popular.
* The
Dragon, part of the national flag design, is also a popular Welsh symbol. The oldest recorded use of the dragon to symbolise Wales is from the
Historia Brittonum, written around 820, but it is popularly supposed to have been the battle standard of
King Arthur and other ancient Celtic leaders. Following the annexation of Wales by England, the dragon was used as a supporter in the English monarch's coat of arms.
* The
leek is also a national emblem of Wales. According to legend,
Saint David ordered his Welsh soldiers to identify themselves by wearing the vegetable on their helmets in an ancient battle against the Saxons that took place in a leek field.
* The
daffodil is the
national flower of Wales, and is worn on
St David's Day each
March 1.
* The
Flag of Saint David is sometimes used as an alternative to the national flag, and is flown on
St David's Day.
* The
Coat of Arms of the Principality of Wales is used by
Charles, Prince of Wales in his personal standard.
* The
Prince of Wales's feathers, the heraldic badge of the
Prince of Wales is sometimes adapted by Welsh bodies for use in Wales. The symbolism is explained on the article for
Edward, the Black Prince, who was the first Prince of Wales to bear the emblem. The
Welsh Rugby Union uses such a design for its own badge.
image:Tredegar-House.png|Tredegar House, Newportimage:HallOfTheMountainKings.jpg|Hall of the Mountain Kings, Ogof Craig a Ffynnon, a cave in the Brecon Beaconsimage:Uwlsdb.jpg|The University of Wales, Lampeter, the oldest higher education institution in Walesimage:Aberstw.jpg|The Castle and Old College building, Aberystwythsee List of Welsh people*
Angelystor*
Education in Wales*
Wales Council for Voluntary Action*
List of not fully sovereign nations*
Welsh Marches*
List of public holidays in Wales*
List of Welsh people*
List of rulers of Wales*
List of United Kingdom-related topics*
England and Wales*
Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch*
Seven Wonders of Wales*
Walh*
Welsh narrow gauge railways*
Madog ap Owain Gwynedd*
The size of Wales*
Wales national rugby league team*
Wales national rugby union team*
Welsh national football team*
Welsh surnames*
Wales. World Nation (General information about Wales, its government and its people)
*
About Wales and the Welsh*
Famous Welsh People*
100 Welsh Heroes*
BBC Wales*
National Assembly for Wales*
WCVA (Wales Council for Voluntary Action)
*
Wales on the Web (Web directory)
*
Google Directory: Wales (Web directory)
*
BBC Nations (Brief history of Wales)
*
Wales Screen Commission (Filming in Wales)
*
Wales Tourist Information (Tourist Information)
*
Visit Wales (Official Tourist Information from the Wales Tourist Board)
*
Things to do in South Wales Official site from South West Wales Tourist Board
*
Things to do in North Wales North Wales Activities Tourist Information
*
Taffia.org site for Welsh people outside of Wales
*
Whats on in Wales West Wales Tourist Board
