Portal:Wales

The Wales Portal

Wales (Welsh: Cymru [ˈkəmrɨ] ^ⓘ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Located on the island of Great Britain, it is bordered by the Irish Sea to the north and west, England to the east, the Bristol Channel to the south, and the Celtic Sea to the south-west. As of 2021, it had a population of 3.2 million. It has a total area of 21,218 square kilometres (8,192 sq mi) and over 2,700 kilometres (1,680 mi) of coastline. It is largely mountainous with its higher peaks in the north and central areas, including Snowdon (Yr Wyddfa), its highest summit. The country lies within the north temperate zone and has a changeable, maritime climate. Its capital and largest city is Cardiff.

A distinct Welsh culture emerged among the Celtic Britons after the Roman withdrawal from Britain in the 5th century, and Wales was briefly united under Gruffudd ap Llywelyn in 1055. After over 200 years of war, the conquest of Wales was completed by King Edward I of England in 1283, though Owain Glyndŵr led the Welsh Revolt against English rule in the early 15th century, and briefly re-established an independent Welsh state with its own national parliament (Welsh: senedd). In the 16th century the whole of Wales was annexed by England and incorporated within the English legal system under the Laws in Wales Acts 1535 and 1542. Distinctive Welsh politics developed in the 19th century. Welsh Liberalism, exemplified in the late 19th and early 20th century by David Lloyd George, was displaced by the growth of socialism and the Labour Party. Welsh national feeling grew over the century: a nationalist party, Plaid Cymru, was formed in 1925, and the Welsh Language Society in 1962. A governing system of Welsh devolution is employed in Wales, of which the most major step was the formation of the Senedd (Welsh Parliament, formerly the National Assembly for Wales) in 1998, responsible for a range of devolved policy matters. (Full article...)

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A contemporary building dominated by a copper oxide-treated steel dome, bearing the words "CREU GWYR FEL GWYDR O FFWRNAIS AWEN" / "IN THESE STONES HORIZONS SING".

Wales Millennium Centre (Welsh: Canolfan Mileniwm Cymru) is an arts centre located in the Cardiff Bay area of Cardiff, Wales. The site covers a total area of 4.7 acres (1.9 ha). Phase 1 of the building was opened during the weekend of the 26–28 November 2004 and phase 2 opened on 22 January 2009 with an inaugural concert. The centre has hosted performances of opera, ballet, dance, comedy and musicals.

Locally nicknamed "the Armadillo", the Centre comprises one large theatre and two smaller halls with shops, bars and restaurants. It houses the national orchestra and opera, dance, theatre and literature companies, a total of eight arts organisations in residence. The main theatre, the Donald Gordon Theatre, has 1,897 seats, the BBC Hoddinott Hall 350 and the Weston Studio Theatre 250. In 2001 Lord Rowe-Beddoe was appointed chairman of Wales Millennium Centre, a company limited by guarantee. Board members include Sir Michael Checkland.

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Blazoned quarterly Or and gules, four lions counterchanged langued and armed azure. — Coat of Arms for Wales

Royal Badge of Wales

Did you know...?

... that Welsh novelist Ron Berry once wrote a book about his observations of Peregrine Falcons?
... that a Welshman, Dai Davies, is the only person to have appeared in both the rugby league Challenge Cup final and the association football FA Cup Final?
... that as a condition of paying for restoration work, a 19th-century benefactor of St Mary's Church in Bodewryd required the church to have Islamic-style stained glass?
... that St Mary's Church, Rhodogeidio was built as a chapel of ease for St Ceidio's Church, but both are now disused and St Mary's is in ruins?

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Tom Pryce (full name Thomas Maldwyn Pryce; 11 June 1949 – 5 March 1977) was a Welsh racing driver, famous for winning the Brands Hatch Race of Champions in 1975 and for the circumstances surrounding his death. Pryce is the only Welsh driver to have won a Formula One race and is also the only Welshman to lead a Formula One World Championship Grand Prix.

Pryce started his career in Formula One with the small Token team, making his only start for them at the 1974 Belgian Grand Prix. Shortly after an impressive performance at the Formula Three support race for the 1974 Monaco Grand Prix, Pryce joined the Shadow team and scored his first points in Germany in only his fourth race. Pryce later claimed two podium finishes, his first in Austria in 1975 and the second in Brazil a year later. Pryce was considered by his team as a great wet weather driver. During the practice session for the 1977 South African GP, run in wet conditions, Pryce was faster than everyone, including world champion drivers Niki Lauda and James Hunt. Pryce's third full season at Shadow was cut short by his fatal accident at the 1977 South African Grand Prix, where he collided at high speed with safety marshal Frederik Jansen Van Vuuren.

In the news

Wikinews Wales portal

General images

The following are images from various Wales-related articles on Wikipedia.

Image 1A Plaid Cymru rally in Machynlleth in 1949, where the Parliament for Wales Campaign began (from History of Wales)
Image 2Dowlais Ironworks (1840) by George Childs (1798–1875) (from History of Wales)
Image 3Statue of Owain Glyndŵr (c. 1354 or 1359 – c. 1416) at Cardiff City Hall
Image 4Red Dragon of Wales (from Culture of Wales)
Image 5Offa's Dyke (Clawdd Offa) Map. (from History of Wales)
Image 6The Flag of Saint David (from Culture of Wales)
Image 7Facsimile of Part of Column 579 from the Red Book of Hergest (from Culture of Wales)
Image 8Medieval map of Welsh realms (from History of Wales)
Image 9"Cymdeithas yr Iaith" (Society for the Language) bilingual road sign protest, 1972. (from History of Wales)
Image 10Map of the Roman invasion of Wales (from History of Wales)
Image 11Medieval crwth instrument (from Culture of Wales)
Image 12Opening of the Sixth Senedd in Cardiff in 2021 (from History of Wales)
Image 13King Hywel Dda depicted enthroned in a 13th-century manuscript (from History of Wales)
Image 14Standard of Bleddyn ap Cynfyn, King of Powys 1063-1075. (from History of Wales)
Image 15Two of the furnaces of the Blaenavon Ironworks (from History of Wales)
Image 16The Senedd (Welsh Parliament), Cardiff Bay. (from History of Wales)
Image 17Bryn Celli Ddu, a late Neolithic chambered tomb on Anglesey
Image 18Portrait of William Morgan. (from History of Wales)
Image 19Gravestone of King Cadfan ap Iago of Gwynedd (died c. 625) in Llangadwaladr church (from History of Wales)
Image 20Tom Jones performing with Janis Joplin in 1969 (from Culture of Wales)
Image 21Battle at Mametz Wood by Christopher Williams (1918), commissioned by Secretary of State for War at the time, David Lloyd George. (from History of Wales)
Image 22Owain Glyndŵr painting by AC Michael (from Culture of Wales)
Image 23Harlech Castle was one of a series built by Edward I to consolidate his conquest. (from History of Wales)
Image 24Market Day in Old Wales by Sydney Curnow Vosper (1910) (from Culture of Wales)
Image 25Owain Glyndŵr (from History of Wales)
Image 26Caradog by Thomas Prydderch. Caradog was leader of the north Walian Celtic tribe, the Ordovices, and led multiple Celtic tribes against the Romans. (from History of Wales)
Image 27Cawl, a Welsh dish of meat and vegetables (from Culture of Wales)
Image 28Big Pit, National Coal Museum. (from History of Wales)
Image 29Crempog - Anglesey style (from Culture of Wales)
Image 30The Bard, 1774, by Thomas Jones (1742–1803) (from Culture of Wales)
Image 31Medieval kingdoms of Wales shown within the boundaries of the present day country of Wales and not inclusive of all (from History of Wales)
Image 32Britain in AD 500: The areas shaded pink on the map were inhabited by the Britons, here labelled Welsh. The pale blue areas in the east were controlled by Germanic tribes, while the pale green areas to the north were inhabited by the Gaels and Picts. (from History of Wales)

Wales topics

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