Wales
The Snowdon range in winter, viewed from the slopes of Glyder Fawr and across the Llanberis Pass. Exposed to high winds and cold temperatures, these Welsh mountains support little vegetation but are used extensively by climbers and walkers.
Looking north along the banks of the river Glaslyn to the foothills of Snowdon. The white houses mark the village of Beddgelert, in the county of Gwynedd. Between the river and the village lies the grave of Gelert, a gallant dog that, according to legend, saved the baby son of Prince Llewelyn I from a wolf.
The flag of Wales is the Ddraig Goch (Red Dragon). The dragon is an ancient emblem, possibly dating back to Roman times. Green and white were the livery colours of the Tudor dynasty, descended from the Welsh nobleman, Owen Tudor, and at the beginning of the century the dragon was depicted on a green hill. The flag does not form part of the Union Jack, since Wales was incorporated into England by the Act of Union of 1536.
The Brecon Beacons, a national park in South Wales covering 1,432 sq km/553 sq mi and established in 1957. The ‘Beacons’ are three main peaks rising to around 900 m/2,950 ft above sea level: Pen y Fan, Corn Du, and Cribyn.
Ruthin, Clwyd, Wales. The town is noted for its fine half-timbered houses. It is the administrative centre of Denbighshire.
Constituent part of the United Kingdom, in the west between the British Channel and the Irish Sea; area 20,780 sq km/8,020 sq mi; population (2001) 2,903,100. The capital is Cardiff, and other major towns and cities include Swansea, Wrexham, Newport, and Carmarthen. Geographical features include the Snowdonia Mountains (Snowdon, at 1,085 m/3,560 ft, is the highest point in England and Wales), the Black Mountains, the Brecon Beacons, the Black Forest ranges, and the rivers Severn, Wye, Usk, and Dee. There are oil refineries and open-cast coal mines, but traditional industries have declined, and the last deep coal mine in north Wales closed in 1996. Varied modern and high-technology ventures are being developed, and Wales has the largest concentration of Japanese-owned plants in the UK. It also has the highest density of sheep in the world and a dairy industry. Tourism is important.
People
19% of the population are Welsh-speaking. Nonconformist Protestant denominations predominate, and there is a Roman Catholic minority.
Government
In 1998 a
National Assembly for Wales was created. Wales also sends 40 members to the UK Parliament at Westminster. In local government, the 8 counties were replaced by 22 county and county borough unitary authorities in April 1996.
Arts and culture
The flagship arts project for the Millennium, Wales Millennium Centre, was designed to house performing arts companies such as the Welsh National Opera, Diversions Dance Company, and Hijinx Theatre; it is due to open in 2004.
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