Wales

Quick Facts

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Capital

Cardiff (Caerdydd)

Population

2,958,600 ^[1]

Government

Parliamentary Democracy - part of the United Kingdom

Religions

Christianity (Protestant, Catholic)

Languages

English, Welsh

Calling Code

+44

Currency

Pound Sterling (GBP)

Nationality

Welsh

Local name

Cymru

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Introduction

Emerging from the Chirk Tunnel

© All Rights Reserved Hooch

In the 8th century, Offa, the king of a neighbouring kingdom built a long dyke to mark the border of Wales and his kingdom. Offa's Dyke is now a key physical feature of Wales' landscape, not least because it now acts as the border between Wales and England. Keen walkers are drawn to the dyke, which is widely considered one of Wales' best walks.

It's low-key attractions like Offa's Dyke which make Wales the fabulous destination that it is. This is a place where walled medieval towns and Victorian-flavoured seaside resorts draw the crowds. Stunning scenery certainly graces Wales' coast and countryside, but don't expect flashy tourist glamour. Cardiff, the capital, is a fine example of this: devoid of big city glitz, Cardiff's attractions revolve around its inner-city castle, national museum and stylish architecture. National parks like Snowdonia and Brecon Beacons are ideal for hiking and walking (two activities which seem highly popular in Wales).

Brief History

Geography

Regions

• Anglesey and Snowdonia
• North Wales Coast and Borderlands
• Mid Wales and Brecon Beacons
• Ceredigion
• Pembrokeshire
• Carmarthenshire
• Swansea, Gower and the Vale of Neath
• Cardiff, Coast, & Valleys of South Wales
• Wye Valley and Vale of Usk

Cities

• Bangor is a small city in Gwynedd, North Wales.
• Cardiff is Wales' capital and most populous city.
• Newport is Wales' third largest city, located between Cardiff and Bristol.
• Porthmadog is a small coastal town in Gwynedd, North Wales.
• Pembroke a town in West Wales.
• Swansea, on the South Wales coast, is Wales second most populous city.
• St David's is the United Kingdom's smallest city, with a population of only 2000. It is the birthplace of Saint David, the patron saint of Wales.

Sights and Activities

Gwynedd Castles and Town Walls

The Castles and Town Walls of King Edward in Gwynedd are placed on the Unesco World Heritage List. They consist of the castles of Beaumaris and Harlech and the fortified complexes of Caernarfon and Conwy. Both are located near Gwynedd in north Wales. These very well preserved monuments are examples of the colonization and defence works of Edward I (1272–1307) and the military architecture of the time.

Snowdonia

Snowdonia National Park is one of the natural highlights of the country, located in the north of Wales. The area is great for all sorts of activities, including hiking, mountaineering and white-water kayaking. Snowdon, the highest mountain in Wales at 1085 meters above sea level is also to be found here and can be climbed. The park is full with waterfalls, beaches, mountains and hills, but also castles and traditional Welsh life can be obverved here.

Gower Peninsula

In the south of Wales, near Swansea, is another so called Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, in the form of Gower Peninsula. It contains of spectactular coastal scenery, fantastic sandy beaches, cliffs, woodlands and medieval castles with in between some small rural places, all to be explored on foot or by bike. Most of it can be explored from the larger place of Swansea but there are far better smaller seaside towns to stay like Oxwich.

Other sights and activities

• Blaenavon Industrial Landscape - also on the Unesco World Heritage List
• The Isle of Anglesey
• Clwydian Range
• The Wye Valley - both Areas of Outstanding Naturaly Beauty
• Brecon Beacons National Park - mountains and castles
• Pembrokeshire Coast National Park - coastal scenery
• Caernarfon Castle - in the town of Caernarfon
• Tenby - medieval walled town
• Historic (steam) railways - there are several in Wales, most of them only for tourists, a few still being public lines

Events and Festivals

Weather

Getting There

By Plane

Cardiff International Airport (CWL) is the main airport for Wales. The main destinations from this airport are Ireland, Netherlands, Spain and other parts of UK. The main airlines in this airport are bmibaby, Flybe, Thompsonfly and Thomas Cook Airlines.

By Train

By Car

By Bus

By Boat

Getting Around

By Train

By Car

By Bus

By Boat

Getting Around

By Plane

By Train

By Car

By Bus

By Boat

Red Tape

Money

The currency of Wales is the same as the United Kingdom. The Currency of the United Kingdom is the pound sterling with the international currency code GBP (Great Britain Pound). The currency sign for pound is £ (the symbol is derived from the letter L). For more information read the money section of the United Kingdom article.

Work

Study

Language

Eat

Sleep

Drink

Health

Safety

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