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^[update], 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 Cymdeithas yr Iaith Gymraeg, 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 small range of glacially-sculpted mountains. The lower slopes are green, but the upper ridges and cliffs are grey-brown.

Snowdon (Welsh: Yr Wyddfa, pronounced [əɾ ˈwɪðva]) is the highest mountain in Wales, at an altitude of 1,085 metres (3,560 ft) above sea level, and the highest point in the British Isles outside Scotland. It is located in Snowdonia National Park (Parc Cenedlaethol Eryri) in Gwynedd, and has been described as "probably the busiest mountain in Britain". It is designated as a national nature reserve for its rare flora and fauna.

The rocks that form Snowdon were produced by volcanoes in the Ordovician period, and the massif has been extensively sculpted by glaciation, forming the pyramidal peak of Snowdon and the arêtes of Crib Goch and Y Lliwedd. The cliff faces on Snowdon, including Clogwyn Du'r Arddu, are significant for rock climbing, and the mountain was used by Edmund Hillary in training for the 1953 ascent of Mount Everest. The summit can also be reached on the Snowdon Mountain Railway, a rack and pinion railway opened in 1896 which carries passengers the 4.7 miles (7.6 km) from Llanberis to the summit station. The summit also houses a visitor centre called Hafod Eryri, built in 2006 to replace one built in the 1930s by Sir Clough Williams-Ellis.

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A sharp arête is seen obliquely; the sheer faces bear no vegetation and are made of noticeably reddish rock. Dozens of people can be seen clambering along the ridgeline. — Crib Goch from the west

Credit: Diliff

Crib Goch (Welsh for red ridge) is a "knife-edged" arête in Snowdonia National Park; all routes which tackle Crib Goch are considered mountaineering routes or scrambles. Crib Goch is the wettest place in the United Kingdom, with an average of 4,473 mm (176 in) rainfall a year over the past 30 years.

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Did you know...?

... that crime writer Dick Francis was a notable figure in Welsh horse racing, becoming British Champion Jockey in 1954?
... that St Caffo's Church, Llangaffo commemorates St Caffo who was martyred in the area in the 6th century?
... that in the Welsh folk tale of Y Ladi Wen, the "white lady" ghost purportedly guarded the treasure of Ogmore Castle?
... that the first church built on the site of St Deiniol's Church, Llanddaniel Fab, is said to have been established by St Deiniol Fab himself in 616?

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A fo ben, bid bont. [He who is chief, let him be a bridge.]

— Mabinogion, "Branwen, Daughter of Llŷr" (Jones & Jones, 1989, p. 34)

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Barry John (born 6 January 1945) is a former Welsh rugby union fly-half who played, during the amateur era of the sport, in the 1960s and early 1970s. John won 25 caps for the Wales national team and 5 for the British Lions.

John began his rugby career as a schoolboy playing for his local team Cefneithin RFC before switching to Llanelli RFC in 1964, where he was first selected for the Wales national team. He joined Cardiff RFC in 1967 and his partnership with Gareth Edwards became one of the most famous in world rugby. From 1967, John and Edwards were chosen to play together at all levels, for Cardiff, Wales, the Barbarians and in 1968 for the British Lions tour of South Africa, where John suffered a broken collarbone in the first Test against South Africa. In 1971 Wales entered their second 'Golden Age', with a team rich in experience and talent. John was on the team that won the 1971 Five Nations Championship – the first time Wales had achieved a Grand Slam since 1952. He cemented his reputation as one of the sport's greatest players with his pivitol role in the British Lions winning tour over New Zealand in 1971. He retired from rugby at the age of 27, citing the pressure of fame and expectation behind his decision. He is considered by many to be the greatest fly-half in the sport's history, and was known as "The King".

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In the news

Wikinews Wales portal

General images

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

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

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This is a list of recognized content, updated weekly by JL-Bot (talk · contribs) (typically on Saturdays). There is no need to edit the list yourself. If an article is missing from the list, make sure it is tagged (e.g. {{WikiProject Wales}}) or categorized correctly and wait for the next update. See WP:RECOG for configuration options.