Wales forever
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The
name Wales comes from the Anglo-Saxon term Waleas, meaning foreigner.
It's a small country with a population of just 2.94 million. The majority
or people speak English; however, the Welsh language is popular and
is now spoken by more than 20 per cent of the population. Welsh is one
of Europe's oldest languages. Since 1999 all schoolchildren in Wales
have had to study Welsh, either as a first or second language. The Welsh
language has two additional vowels - w and y - to add
to the English a, e, i, o and u. The Welsh for Wales is
Cymru, and the country's motto is "Cymru am byth" ("Wales
forever").
The capital city is Cardiff, in South Wales. Cardiff was once one of the richest cities in the world, thanks to the docks and the coal industry. Cardiff Council is currently creating a city museum. The museum is scheduled to open in 2010 and will tell the history of Cardiff through the eyes of its people. Other major cities and towns are Swansea and Newport, in South Wales, and Wrexham in the north.
Wales has some spectacular scenery. It has three national parks and five designated areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty. Snowdon is the highest mountain at 1,085 metres (3,559 feet). Wales is also famous for its castles. In fact, Wales has more castles per square mile than any other country in western Europe.
The National Assembly for Wales with AMs (Assembly Members) as well as MPs represents the country in Westminster.
The
national flag of Wales has two equal horizontal stripes, white above
green. A red dragon appears on the green-and-white background. The origins
of the flag are unknown. One legend tells of the struggle between the
red dragon of Wales and the white dragon of England.
St David is the patron saint of Wales, and St David's Day is celebrated on March 1. The most famous story about St David tells how he was preaching to a crowd of people when suddenly the ground he was standing on rose up, so that he was standing on a hill and everyone could see and hear him.
On St David's Day people wear daffodils or leeks. The daffodil and leek are famous emblems of Wales. According to legend, St. David ordered his soldiers to wear a leek on their helmets in a battle against Saxon invaders that took place in a field full of leeks. Shakespeare refers to the custom of wearing a leek as an "ancient tradition".
Wales has two annual festivals - one national and one international - called Eisteddfodau. The festivals are famous for their singing competitions. The 2010 National Eisteddfod of Wales will be staged from 31 July - 7 August. You'll find more information here.
Wales has its own national anthem - "Mae Hen Wlad Fy Nhadau" - which translates as "The Land of My Fathers". The country also has its own patron saint of lovers - St Dwynwen - and people celebrate her special day on January 25.
A lot of towns and villages in Wales have very long names. Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch is the name of a Welsh town. The name translates as "The church of St. Mary in the hollow of white hazel trees near the rapid whirlpool by St Tysilio's of the red cave". You can also find it on the Internet. In fact, Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch.com is the longest single-word (without hyphens) dot-com domain name in the world.
Rugby
is the national game of Wales. Other popular sports are football and
golf. Wales has some of the best golf courses in Britain.
In June 1999 the Millennium Stadium opened in Cardiff. The Stadium is a multi-purpose, all-round venue with the first retractable roof in the United Kingdom. Each year over 1.3 million visitors visit the stadium to watch rugby or football, or to go to a concert. Bon Jovi, Robbie Williams and Stereophonics have all performed at the Millennium Stadium.
One of Britain's most popular TV series is filmed in Wales. Doctor Who is a science-fiction series about a Time Lord who travels through space and time in a police telephone box. A Doctor Who locations map is available from the Cardiff Tourist Information Centre. Torchwood, a spin-off series, is also filmed locally.
Wales is known for its great actors. Richard Burton, Sir Anthony Hopkins and Catherine Zeta-Jones are all Welsh. Famous musicians include Tom Jones, Shirley Bassey, and the groups Catatonia, Super Furry Animals, Stereophonics and Manic Street Preachers. Other famous names include Sir George Everest, the explorer, the poet Dylan Thomas, and the authors Jackie Collins and Roald Dahl.
Many people around the world can trace their family roots back to Wales. Three U.S. presidents, Thomas Jefferson, Abraham Lincoln and Richard Nixon, were of Welsh origin. Prince Charles, the heir to the British throne, isn't Welsh, but he does have the title of Prince of Wales.
Welsh food is usually made from local ingredients. Some traditional dishes include laverbread (made from seaweed), bara brith (fruit cake), and cawl cennin (leek stew). Welsh rarebit (or rabbit) is a traditional Welsh snack that is similar to cheese on toast.
In the past, Wales was famous for mining coal, copper and iron. Today the major industries are agriculture, manufacturing and especially tourism. A recent survey of leisure activities in Wales showed that the most popular activity is visiting the pub, with around 58 per cent of those surveyed saying it is their favourite regular activity.
All photographs on this page © Crown copyright (2007) Visit Wales