General information

Wales (Welsh: Cymru)is one of four constituent parts 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 south-west, and the Irish Sea to the west and north, and also by the estuary of the River Dee (Afon Dyfrdwy) in the north-east.

The term Principality of Wales (Tywysogaeth Cymru), is its formal name but is rarely used in everyday business, and is an unpopular term 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 English conquest of Wales in 1282, when King Edward I of England defeated Llywelyn ap Gruffydd (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. It was as recently as 1955 that the Queen declared the capital of Wales to be Cardiff (Caerdydd), 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. [1] 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, with powers to amend primary legislation from the UK Paliament. In 2006 these powers were widened through a second Government of Wales Act.

Etymology

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 called themselves Cymry, "compatriots", and named their country Cymru, which is thought to have meant "Land of the Compatriots" in Old Welsh; this has reference to their awareness that they were the original countrymen of Wales, and indeed Britain by virtue of their ancestors the Brythoniaid (Brythons), and also in order to distinguish themselves from the foreign invaders of Britain, the Saeson (English). There is also a mediaeval legend found in the Historia Regum Britanniae of Sieffre o Fynwy (Geoffrey of Monmouth) that derives it from the name Camber, son of Brutus and, according to the legend, the eponymous King of Cymru (Cambria in Latin); this however was largely the fruit of Geoffrey's vivid imagination. Cumberland and Cumbria in the north of England derive their names from the same Old Welsh word.

History

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 (Caerfyrddin; Latin: 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 (Latin: Isca Silurum), whose magnificent amphitheatre is the best preserved in Britain. The Romans were also busy in northern Wales, and the medieval Welsh tale Breuddwyd Macsen Wledig claims that Magnus Maximus (Macsen Wledig), one of the last western Roman emperors, married Elen or Helen, the daughter of a Welsh chieftain from Segontium, present-day Caernarfon.[2] 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 in 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 (Clawdd Offa) can still be seen today and croesi Clawdd Offa ("crossing Offa's Dyke") is still a common expression for visiting England.

The eastern lands lost to English settlement became known in Welsh as Lloegyr (Modern Welsh Lloegr). The Anglo-Saxons, in turn, labelled the Romano-British as Walha, meaning 'foreigner' or 'stranger'. The Welsh continued to call themselves Brythoniaid (Brythons or Britons) well into the Middle Ages, though the first use of Cymru and y Cymry is found as early as 633 in the Gododdin of Aneirin. In Armes Prydain, written in about 930, the words Cymry and Cymro are used as often as 15 times. It was not until about the 12th century however, that Cymry began to overtake Brythoniaid in their writings.

Dolwyddelan Castle, built by Llywelyn ab Iorwerth in the early 13th century to defend Gwynedd from the EnglishFollowing the Norman conquest of England in 1066, the independence of Wales was gradually eroded despite the significant but temporary gains of Welsh princes such as Owain Gwynedd and Llywelyn ab Iorwerth (Llywelyn Fawr; Llywelyn the Great). In 1282, Edward I of England defeated Llywelyn ap Gruffudd, Wales's last independent Prince of direct descent, 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. The next few centuries were often tumultuous, with a series of minor revolts culminating in the rebellion of Owain Glyndŵr who was proclaimed Prince of Wales in his parliament at Machynlleth. Finally in 1485 a Welsh nobleman, Henry Tudor (Harri Tudur), led a largely Welsh army to victory at the battle of Bosworth; this was regarded as the fulfilment of ancient prophecy restoring sovereignty to the Welsh. Wales was legally annexed by the Laws in Wales Act 1535, in the reign of Henry VIII of England, who was himself partly 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 early 19th century parts of Wales became heavily industrialised. In the north slate quarrying became the major employer. Ironworks were set up in the valleys running south from the Brecon Beacons particularly around the new town of Merthyr Tydfil, with iron production later spreading westwards to the hinterlands of Neath and Swansea where anthracite coal was already being mined. From the 1840s coal mining spread to the Aberdare and Rhondda valleys. [3] This led to a rapid increase in the population of these areas. [4] In 1801 just over 587,000 people lived in Wales; by 1901, this had increased to over 2,012,000. [5] The most significant rises in population occurred in industrial counties - Denbigh, Flint, Monmouth and Glamorgan. The century witnessed a transition from a society that was predominantly rural (around 80 % lived outside urban settlements in 1800) to a largely urbanised, industrial society (in 1911, only 20 % lived in non-urban areas).

In the twentieth century, Wales saw a revival in its national status. An independence movement was led by Plaid Cymru, seeking greater autonomy from the rest of the UK. 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 (Cymdeithas yr Iaith Gymraeg) was formed in response to fears that the language might 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 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 1967, the Wales and Berwick Act 1746 was repealed for Wales, and a legal definition of Wales, and of 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" vote. However, in 1997 a referendum on the issue was secured, although by a very narrow majority. The National Assembly for Wales (Cynulliad Cenedlaethol Cymru) was set up in 1999 (as a consequence of the Government of Wales Act 1998) and possesses the power to determine how the central government budget for Wales is spent and administered.

Politics

Rhodri Morgan, the First Minister of Wales.The head of state in Wales, a constituent part of the United Kingdom, 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 Welsh Assembly Building in CardiffThe 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 in Europe. 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 about 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.

Law

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. Prior to that Welsh Law had survived de facto after the conquest up to the fifteenth century in areas remote from direct English control. 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.

However with the large degree of autonomy caused by the creation of the Welsh Assembly, there is a degree of independence in terms of law-making.

Geography

Wales is located on a peninsula in central-west Britain. The entire area of Wales is about 20,779 km² (8,023 square miles). It is about 274 km (170 miles) north-south and 97 km (60 miles) east-west. Wales borders by England to the east and by sea in the other three directions: the Welsh 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 Ynys Môn (Anglesey) in the northwest.

The main population and industrial areas are in South Wales, consisting of the cities of Cardiff (Caerdydd), Swansea (Abertawe) and Newport (Casnewydd) 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 (Eryri), and include Snowdon (Yr Wyddfa), 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 (Bannau Brycheiniog) 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.

Along with its Celtic cousins in Devon and Cornwall in the West Country, the South Wales/West Wales coastline has more miles of Heritage Coast than anywhere else. The coastline of the Vale of Glamorgan, Gower Peninsula and Pembrokeshire is particularly wild and impressive.

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 summit of Snowdon (Yr Wyddfa), Snowdonia (Eryri) is highest mountain in Wales. 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. 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, Afon Dyfrdwy), St Winefride's Well (a pilgrimage site at Holywell, Treffynnon) in Flintshire) the Wrexham (Wrecsam) 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.