THIS IS OUR FLAG

SO WHERE IS WALES EXACTLY

This is the Welsh flag. It is called the Draig Coch which  means the Red Dragon. 

We are in Western Europe and form part of the United Kingdom

POPULATION

Wales has a population of nearly 3 million people. Most live in the industrialised and formerly industrialised areas of southern Wales. The growth of population in these areas took place in the 1600's and during the Industrial Revolution, a period of rapid industrialisation that began in the 1700's. At that time, people came to the region from rural Wales and from England. Cardiff, Newport, and Swansea grew as ports to serve the coal and iron industries.

ANCESTRY

Some Welsh are descended from prehistoric peoples from continental Europe who colonised Wales thousands of years ago. Many others trace their ancestry to such later settlers as the Celts, Romans, Anglo-Saxons, Vikings, Normans, and English.

LANGUAGE

Wales has two official languages, Welsh and English. Either language may be used in the courts or for government business. Some newspapers are published partly or only in Welsh, and many radio and television programs are broadcast in both languages. Welsh is still the daily language in many sections of western and northern Wales. In some parts of these areas, more than three-fourths of the people speak Welsh. Overall, however, the number of Welsh-speaking people has declined since 1901, when half the population spoke Welsh, to less than one-fifth today. Welsh is one of the oldest languages in Europe. It is derived from ancient Celtic and has been influenced by each group of settlers. The letters j, k, q, v, x, and z are not used in modern Welsh. The letter y is always a vowel, and the letter w is usually used as one.

WAY OF LIFE

In the steep-sided coal-mining valleys of southern Wales, many townspeople live in row houses. These houses have the same design and are attached in a row. Approximately a fifth of the Welsh people live in rural areas. Welsh farms are small, and most are owned by the people who live on them. Many rural people live in stone cottages.

An older Welsh way of life has lasted in rural areas, especially where the Welsh language is the primary one. Ties to religion and to families tend to be stronger in these areas. However, many people fear that age-old customs may soon be lost. Rural housing has become scarce, and farming has become less profitable over the years. As a result, more and more young people have migrated to the cities to look for employment and housing. As the young people leave the countryside, they tend to abandon the old values and traditions.

EDUCATION

Wales and England have the same school system. In Wales, it is supervised by the Welsh Office Education Department and by local authorities. Wales has one university, the University of Wales. It was founded in 1893 and has about 25,000 students. It consists of colleges at Aberystwyth, Bangor, Cardiff, and Swansea. The university also includes the College of Medicine in Cardiff and St. David's University College in Lampeter, near Carmarthen.

RELIGION

Most Welsh people are Protestants. The Methodist and Anglican churches are the largest Protestant churches in Wales. Others include the Baptist, Presbyterian, and United Reformed churches. Religion has traditionally been important in Welsh life, but it has become less so since the mid-1900's. However, the choral tradition it fostered survives, notably with some famous male choirs.

THE ARTS

Wales is a land of poets and singers. The traditions of Welsh literature and music are among the oldest in Europe and date back more than 1,000 years to the bards (poet-singers) of the Middle Ages. The most notable of early Welsh poets were Taliesin and Aneirin. Aneirin composed a poem called the Gododdin about the year 600. In it, he described the adventures of a band of noble warriors. Eleven Welsh stories written in the 1000's and known today as The Mabinogion rank among the most important works of medieval European literature. During the 1100's, Geoffrey of Monmouth composed poetry about the legendary King Arthur. Dafydd ap Gwilym, the greatest Welsh poet of the Middle Ages, wrote about love and nature during the 1300's.

The publication in 1588 of the complete translation of the Bible into Welsh ranks as one of the most important events in the history of Welsh literature. This Bible helped preserve the Welsh language and establish standards for written Welsh.

Many poets and other writers continued to use the Welsh language in the 1600's, 1700's, and 1800's, but other Welsh authors turned to English. Dylan Thomas, who wrote in English, became the most celebrated Welsh poet of the 1900's.

The eisteddfod (pronounced eye STEHTH vahd), a popular Welsh tradition, is a festival of poetry and music in which performers compete. Its origins date back to the Middle Ages, but the modern form began at the end of the 1700's. Annual eisteddfods, or eisteddfodau, are held throughout the land. The largest is the Royal National Eisteddfod. It is held in various cities and towns, alternately between northern and southern Wales.

THE COAST

The Welsh coastline is 614 miles (988 kilometres) long. Much of it is irregular and lined with cliffs. Many natural bays and harbours lie along the coast.

INDUSTRY

Coal mining and metal processing became the chief industries of Wales during the Industrial Revolution. Today, however, the economy of Wales depends more on service industries and manufacturing. Service Industries are the largest employers in the cities and towns of Wales. Leading Welsh service industries include banking, insurance, finance, and business services; education; health and welfare services; public administration; and the retail and wholesale trades. Tourism is increasing in both urban and rural areas.

Livestock production ranks as the leading agricultural activity in Wales. Farmers raise beef and dairy cattle in the lowlands, and Southwest Wales is the centre of the Welsh dairy industry. Farmers in the uplands raise sheep for meat and wool. The main crops grown in Wales include barley, oats, and potatoes.

Mining. Coal mining was once the most important industry in Wales. But since the mid-1940's, it has declined steadily, chiefly because of falling demand. The largest coal field lies in southern Wales between Kidwelly and Cwmbran. Oil refineries operate at Milford Haven and Pembroke.

TRANSPORTATION AND COMMUNICATION

An extensive system of well-paved roads covers Wales. Expressways run along part of the northern coast and between the Severn Bridge and southern Wales. High-speed trains connect northern and southern Wales with London, and additional rail lines criss-cross the land. Cardiff-Wales Airport is the only international airport in Wales.

HISTORY

The Romans conquered Wales between about A.D. 50 and 78. They controlled the region for over 300 years and built roads, walls, and cities throughout Wales.

Struggles Against the Anglo-Saxons. The Romans left Britain in the early 400's. Soon afterward, Angles, Jutes, and Saxons from the European mainland invaded the island. By about 700, they had conquered all of southern Britain except Wales and Cornwall. In the late 700's, Offa, ruler of the Anglo-Saxon kingdom of Mercia, built a boundary between Mercia and Wales, possibly to keep out Welsh raiders. The boundary, called Offa's Dyke, consists of a ditch and earthen wall from the River Dee to the River Severn.

The Welsh remained independent for the next several hundred years by fighting off the Anglo-Saxons and the Vikings. However, the Welsh were not politically united but were divided into tribes headed by chieftains.

During the 1300's, the Welsh grew increasingly dissatisfied with English rule. In 1400, Owen Glendower (Owain Glyn Dwr in Welsh), a Welsh prince, led a revolt against the English. By 1404, he had driven them out of much of Wales. But by 1410, the English had regained control. Glendower's struggles against the English--despite his final defeat--made him a hero of many Welsh people.

Through the years since England and Wales were united, Wales has struggled--and managed--to maintain a distinct language and culture. For example, the publication of the Welsh Bible in 1588 helped set standards for written Welsh. The Society for the Promotion of Christian Knowledge, founded in 1699, assisted in the publication of Welsh religious books and sought to establish schools throughout Wales. Nevertheless, the history of Wales became closely bound to the history of England and, later, of Britain.

Llanddulas is on the North Wales coast as shown on the map above

This article is condensed from the World Book CD ROM

The maps come from Encarta World Atlas which we recommend strongly!