Approximate extent of South East Wales. South Wales includes parts of the neighbouring South West Wales political region

South Wales (Welsh: De Cymru) is an area of Wales bordered by England and the Bristol Channel to the east and south, and Mid Wales and West Wales to the north and west. Image File history File links South_Wales. ... Image File history File links South_Wales. ... Welsh redirects here, and this article describes the Welsh language. ... This article is about the country. ... Motto (French) God and my right Anthem No official anthem - the United Kingdom anthem God Save the Queen is commonly used England() – on the European continent() – in the United Kingdom() Capital (and largest city) London (de facto) Official languages English (de facto)1 Unified  -  by Athelstan 927 AD  Area  -  Total... Satellite view of the Bristol Channel Map of the Bristol Channel The Bristol Channel (Welsh: ) is a major inlet in the island of Great Britain, separating South Wales from the West Country and extending from the lower estuary of the River Severn (Afon Hafren) to that part of the North... Mid Wales is the name given to the area of Wales between North Wales and South Wales. ... West Wales is the west area of Wales bordered by South Wales to the east. ...

The exact extent of South Wales is loosely defined, but it is generally considered to be the area surrounding the M4 motorway, including the counties of Glamorganshire and Monmouthshire and, sometimes extending westwards to include south Carmarthenshire and south Pembrokeshire. In the western extent local people would probably recognise that they lived in both South Wales and in West Wales - there is considerable overlap in these somewhat artificial boundaries. The northern border is particularly ill-defined, but the A40 may be a good approximation whilst others would use the more southerly Heads of the Valleys Road as the clearly identifiable boundary. The M4 motorway is a motorway in Great Britain linking London with Wales. ... Wales has thirteen traditional counties (or vice counties). ... Glamorgan or Morgannwg is a maritime traditional county of Wales, UK, and was previously a medieval kingdom or principality. ... Monmouthshire (Welsh: ) is both a historic county and principal area in south-east Wales. ... Carmarthenshire (Welsh: ) is a one of thirteen historic counties and a principal area in Wales. ... Pembrokeshire (Welsh: ) is a county in the southwest of Wales in the United Kingdom. ... West Wales is the west area of Wales bordered by South Wales to the east. ... The A40 is a trunk road in England and Wales, connecting London to Fishguard. ... The A465 is a major road in South Wales. ...

South Wales incorporates the capital city of Cardiff and the city of Newport. Swansea is also usually included in the area. The area also includes the South Wales Valleys and the Brecon Beacons National Park. Cardiff (English:  , Welsh: ) is the capital, largest and core city of Wales. ... Newport (Welsh: ) is the third-largest city within Wales (after Cardiff and Swansea), in the United Kingdom. ... For other places with the same name, see Swansea (disambiguation). ... The South Wales Valleys are a number of industrialised valleys in South Wales. ... Part of the Brecon Beacons National Park, looking from the highest point Pen Y Fan, 886 m (2907 feet), to Corn Du, 873 m (2864 feet) The Brecon Beacons National Park is one of three national parks in Wales. ...

The Brecon Beacons, seen from the South.

Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 800 × 348 pixelsFull resolution (3008 × 1308 pixel, file size: 2. ... Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 800 × 348 pixelsFull resolution (3008 × 1308 pixel, file size: 2. ...

History

A scene from Newport City Centre

The rich countryside of the Vale of Glamorgan

South Wales was once a very rural area of great natural beauty, famous for its valleys and forests and lauded by poets such as William Wordsworth. This changed to a considerable extent during the Industrial Revolution when the Glamorgan and Monmouthshire areas were exploited for coal and iron. By the 1830s, hundreds of tons of coal were being transported by barge to ports in Cardiff and Newport. In the 1870s, coal was transported by rail networks to these docks. Image File history File links Size of this preview: 800 × 535 pixelsFull resolution (1024 × 685 pixel, file size: 571 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) http://flickr. ... Image File history File links Size of this preview: 800 × 535 pixelsFull resolution (1024 × 685 pixel, file size: 571 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) http://flickr. ... Newport city centre is traditionally regarded as the area bounded by the west bank of the River Usk, the George Street Bridge, the eastern flank of Stow Hill and the Great Western Main Line. ... Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 800 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (2048 × 1536 pixel, file size: 751 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 800 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (2048 × 1536 pixel, file size: 751 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... For other uses, see Vale of Glamorgan (disambiguation). ... William Wordsworth (April 7, 1770 – April 23, 1850) was a major English romantic poet who, with Samuel Taylor Coleridge, helped launch the Romantic Age in English literature with their 1798 joint publication, Lyrical Ballads. ... The Industrial Revolution was a major shift of technological, socioeconomic, and cultural conditions that occurred in the late 18th century and early 19th century in some Western countries. ... Monmouthshire (Welsh: ) is both a historic county and principal area in south-east Wales. ...

The Marquess of Bute, who owned much of the land north of Cardiff, built a railway system on his land that stretched from Cardiff into many of the valleys where the coal was being found. Lord Bute then charged taxes per ton of coal that was transported out using his railways. With coal mining and iron smelting being the main trades of South Wales, many thousands of immigrants from England, Scotland and even Italy came and set up homes in the valleys and cities. Very many came from other mining areas such as Somerset, Gloucestershire and Cornwall, as a large but experienced and willing workforce was required. Whilst some of the migrants left, many settled and established in the South Wales valleys between Swansea and Monmouth, english speaking communities with a unique identity. Industrial workers were housed in cottages and terraced houses close to the Mines and Foundries in which they worked. The large influx over the years caused overcrowding which lead to outbreaks of Cholera, and on the social side, the near-loss of the Welsh language in the area. The South Wales Valleys are a number of industrialised valleys in South Wales. ... Cholera (or Asiatic cholera or epidemic cholera) is a severe diarrheal disease caused by the bacterium Vibrio cholerae. ...

The 1930s saw the loss of almost half of the coal pits in the area, and this number declined further in the years following World War II. This number is now very low, with only Tower Colliery remaining as a working coal mine. Tower Colliery is the oldest, continuously worked deep-coal mine in the United Kingdom, and possibly the world, and the only mine of its kind which remains in the South Wales Valleys. ...

Despite the intense industrialisation, many parts of the landscape of South Wales such as the upper Neath valley, the Gower peninsula, the Vale of Glamorgan and the valley of the River Wye remain distinctly beautiful.

Famous industrialised areas in the 1800s

Merthyr Tydfil (Tydfil the Martyr): The town's Dowlais Ironworks was founded to exploit the abundant seams of iron ore and in time it became the largest iron producing town in the world. New coal mines were sunk nearby to feed the voracious furnaces and in time produced coal for export . By 1831 the population was 60,000 - more than Cardiff, Swansea and Newport combined. The town was the birthplace of Joseph Parry composer of the haunting Welsh tune Myfanwy and his humble home can be compared with the nearby mock-Gothic Cyfartha Castle built in 1825 for William Crawshay the famous iron master. Merthyr Tydfil (Welsh: ) is a town and county borough in Wales, with a population of about 55,000. ... Cardiff (English:  , Welsh: ) is the capital, largest and core city of Wales. ... For other places with the same name, see Swansea (disambiguation). ... Newport (Welsh: ) is the third-largest city within Wales (after Cardiff and Swansea), in the United Kingdom. ...

The Heads of the Valleys towns, including Tredegar and Ebbw Vale rose out of the industrial revolution; producing coal, metal ores and later steel. The A465 is a major road in South Wales. ... Tredegar is a town in the county borough of Blaenau Gwent, traditional county of Monmouthshire, lying on the Sirhowy River in southern Wales, United Kingdom. ... For the Ebbw Vale in Australia, see Ebbw Vale railway station, Brisbane. ...

The Big Pit Mining Museum at Blaenavon - South Wales' economic past in coal mining

Aberfan: The Merthyr Vale colliery began to produce coal in 1875. Spoil from the mine workings was piled close to the village which had grown nearby. Tipping went on until the 1960's. The industry was by now nationalised but even the National Coal Board failed to appreciate the true nature of the monster they helped to create. In October of 1966 heavy rain made the giant tip unstable. The recent dumping of small particles of coal and ash known as tailings seems to have been partly responsible. A thirty foot high black wave tore across the Glamorganshire canal and swept away houses on its path towards the village school. One hundred and fourteen children and twenty eight adults were killed. Image File history File linksMetadata Size of this preview: 800 × 532 pixelsFull resolution (3008 × 2000 pixel, file size: 1. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Size of this preview: 800 × 532 pixelsFull resolution (3008 × 2000 pixel, file size: 1. ... Blaenavon (Welsh: Blaenafon) is a town and World Heritage Site in southern Wales, lying at the source of the Afon Llwyd. ... Aberfan (in Welsh, the f is pronounced like the v in English) is a small village 5 miles (8 km) south of Merthyr Tydfil in South Wales. ... The Glamorganshire Canal was a canal in Glamorgan, South Wales, UK, running from Merthyr Tydfil to Cardiff. ...

A typical scene from the valleys - The view from Ebbw Vale.

The Rhondda Valleys (Rhondda Fach and Rhondda Fawr) housed around 3,000 people in 1860 but by 1910 the population had soared to 160,000. The Rhondda had become the heart of a massive coal industry. Accidents below ground were common and in 1896 fifty-seven men and boys were killed in a gas explosion at the Tylorstown Colliery. An enquiry found that the pit involved had not been properly inspected over the previous fifteen months. Image File history File linksMetadata No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File linksMetadata No higher resolution available. ... For the Ebbw Vale in Australia, see Ebbw Vale railway station, Brisbane. ... Rhondda Cynon Taff (Welsh: Rhondda Cynon Tâf) is a county borough in Glamorgan, South Wales. ... The River Rhondda (Welsh: ) is a river in south-east Wales which has two major tributaries; the Rhondda Fawr (English: ) and the Rhondda Fach (English: ). Despite their names, both tributaries are about the same length. ... The River Rhondda (Welsh: ) is a river in south-east Wales which has two major tributaries; the Rhondda Fawr (English: ) and the Rhondda Fach (English: ). Despite their names, both tributaries are about the same length. ... Tylorstown is a village located in South Wales in the Rhondda Cynon Taff (Rhonnda Fach) It is neighboured by the village of Ferndale. ...

The Ebbw Valley which stretches from Ebbw Vale to Newport. Includes the mining towns and villages of Newbridge, Risca, Crumlin, Abercarn and Cwmcarn. The carboniferous Black Vein coal seams in the area lay 900 feet below the surface and the mining activity associated with it was responsible for many tragic subsurface explosions and collapses. Now the valleys' industrial past is overprinted with urban regeneration, tourism and multinational investment. For the Ebbw Vale in Australia, see Ebbw Vale railway station, Brisbane. ... Newport (Welsh: ) is the third-largest city within Wales (after Cardiff and Swansea), in the United Kingdom. ... Newbridge is the name of at least two places: Newbridge, County Kildare, Ireland - sometimes known by its Irish name, Droichead Nua Newbridge, Wales (traditionally in Monmouthshire), United Kingdom Newbridge, Wolverhampton, a suburb of Wolverhampton, West Midlands, England This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists pages that might... Alternate meanings: see Risca (disambiguation). ... There are a number of settlements named Crumlin: Crumlin, Caerphilly, is a town in Wales. ... Abercarn is a town in south Wales, 10 miles north-west of Newport by the Great Western Railway, at Grid reference ST216947. ... Cwmcarn is a small town in the south of Caerphilly County Borough, Wales. ... The Carboniferous is a major division of the geologic timescale that extends from the end of the Devonian period, about 359. ...

Language

The language of the vast majority of people is English, but there is a small percentage (compared to the other areas of Wales) who speak Welsh. However in western parts of Glamorgan, particularly the Neath and Swansea Valleys, there remain significant Welsh-speaking communities (Ystradgynlais, Ystalyfera) which share a heritage with the fellow ex-Anthracite mining areas of eastern Carmarthenshire, as much as the Glamorgan valleys. The English language is a West Germanic language that originates in England. ... Welsh redirects here, and this article describes the Welsh language. ... The upper reaches of the River Tawe area in South Wales, upstream from the second largest city in Wales, Swansea Main industries in the past included coal, iron but now a large unemployment. ... Ystradgynlais is a town on the River Tawe in south west Powys, Wales. ... Mynydd Y Ddarren Ystalyfera (Grid reference SN767089) is a rural village in the of South Wales, UK. It is situated on the River Tawe in the County of Neath Port Talbot, or more traditionally, West Glamorgan. ... Anthracite coal Anthracite (Greek Ανθρακίτης, literally a form of coal, from Anthrax [Άνθραξ], coal) is a hard, compact variety of mineral coal that has a high luster. ... Carmarthenshire (Welsh: ) is a one of thirteen historic counties and a principal area in Wales. ... Glamorgan or Glamorganshire (Welsh: ) is one of thirteen historic counties and former administrative counties of Wales. ...

Welsh, however, is now a compulsory language up to GCSE level for all students who start their education in Wales. This has meant the strength of the language, as a 2nd language, has increased considerably in the last 20 years. Several schools offering Welsh-language education operate in this area, for example Ysgol Gyfun Y Cymmer in Porth the Rhondda, Ysgol Gyfun Cwm Rhymni in Fleur-de-lys,Ysgol Gyfun Gwynllyw in Pontypool, Ysgol Rhydfelen in Pontypridd and Ysgol Glantaf in Cardiff, which have done much to enhance the status of the language among young people. GCSE is an acronym that can refer to: General Certificate of Secondary Education global common subexpression elimination - an optimisation technique used by some compilers This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the same title. ... Ysgol Gyfun Cymer Rhondda (Cymmer, Rhondda Secondary School; English) is a Welsh-medium secondary school in the Rhondda valley, situated near Porth. ... For other uses, see Porth (disambiguation). ... Rhondda Cynon Taff (Welsh: Rhondda Cynon Tâf) is a county borough in Glamorgan, South Wales. ... Ysgol Gyfun Gwynllyw (St. ... Pontypool (Welsh: Pont-y-pŵl) is a town of approximately 36,000 people in the traditional county of Monmouthshire, southern Wales. ... Pontypridd is a town in Glamorgan, Wales, in the county borough of Rhondda Cynon Taff. ... Ysgol Gyfun Gymraeg Glantaf (Welsh: Glantaf Welsh Comprehensive School) is the largest Welsh-medium school in Wales. ... Cardiff (English:  , Welsh: ) is the capital, largest and core city of Wales. ...

A significant number of people from ethnic minority communities speak another language as their first-language, particularly in Cardiff and Newport. Commonly spoken languages in some areas include Punjabi, Bengali, Arabic, Somali and Chinese, and increasingly so Eastern European languages such as Polish. Cardiff (English:  , Welsh: ) is the capital, largest and core city of Wales. ... Newport (Welsh: ) is the third-largest city within Wales (after Cardiff and Swansea), in the United Kingdom. ... Punjabi (also Panjabi; in GurmukhÄ«, PanjābÄ« in ShāhmukhÄ«) is the language of the Punjab regions of India and Pakistan. ... Bengali or Bangla (IPA: ) is an Indo-Aryan language of the eastern Indian subcontinent, evolved from the Magadhi Prakrit, Pāli and Sanskrit languages. ... Arabic can mean: From or related to Arabia From or related to the Arabs The Arabic language; see also Arabic grammar The Arabic alphabet, used for expressing the languages of Arabic, Persian, Malay ( Jawi), Kurdish, Panjabi, Pashto, Sindhi and Urdu, among others. ... Pre-1989 division between the West (grey) and Eastern Bloc (orange) superimposed on current national boundaries: Russia (dark orange), other countries of the former USSR (medium orange),members of the Warsaw pact (light orange), and other former Communist regimes not aligned with Moscow (lightest orange). ...

Culture

See also: Culture of Wales

The traditional pastimes of the area include rugby and music. This does not cite any references or sources. ... A BCRFC match at Boston College Rugby football, often just rugby, may refer to a number of sports descended from a common form of football developed at Rugby School in England United Kingdom. ... // Music is an art form consisting of sound and silence expressed through time. ...

Music ranges from the traditional Male Voice Choirs of the Valleys to the South Wales Hardcore Scene. Bands such as Lostprophets, Bullet for My Valentine, Stereophonics, Manic Street Preachers, Funeral for a Friend, The Automatic, Midasuno, SaidMike, elsid, Kids In Glasshouses and The Blackout all come from the South Wales area. Lostprophets are a Welsh alternative metal/alternative rock band formed in 1997. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Stereophonics are a rock band from Wales with members Kelly Jones, Richard Jones (no relation to Kelly) and Javier Weyler. ... This article needs additional references or sources for verification. ... For the Elton John song, see Funeral for a Friend/Love Lies Bleeding. ... The Automatic are a Welsh band who met in Cowbridge, Glamorgan, but are now based in Cardiff. ... The Blackout are a post-hardcore band from South Wales. ...

Industry today

The former heavy industries of coal and iron production, have long disappeared, to be replaced, today, by the service industries.

The cities along the M4 corridor, in particular Cardiff, are home to a number of high profile blue-chip companies such as Admiral Insurance, Legal and General and the Principality Building Society.

A large number of telephone call centres are located in the region and in particular in the valleys area. Merthyr Tydfil is home to the principal UK call centre for German mobile telephone company, T-Mobile.

The television and film media are fast becoming a major industry in south Wales, with the development, by the BBC, of a vast dedicated production studio in Nantgarw, just north of Cardiff, for the highly successful Doctor Who series.

Lord Attenborough is shortly due to open the first completely new film studio in the UK in over fifty years. Dragon International Studios, a huge purpose-built studio complex located alongside the M4 motorway, between Bridgend and Llantrisant contains a number of large soundstages which have already attracted the interest of a number of Hollywood directors and producers alike, looking for suitable facilities in Europe.

Other facts

South Wales Coastline overlooking the Bristol Channel at Llantwit Major

The state of New South Wales in Australia is probably named after the area, although that region's name could alternatively allude to a New Wales in the southern hemisphere. Image File history File linksMetadata Size of this preview: 800 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (2048 × 1536 pixel, file size: 685 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): Bristol Channel Llantwit Major Llantwit Major... Image File history File linksMetadata Size of this preview: 800 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (2048 × 1536 pixel, file size: 685 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): Bristol Channel Llantwit Major Llantwit Major... View From Llantwit Major Beach Across The Bristol Channel Llantwit Major (Welsh: Llanilltud Fawr -- llan church enclosure + Illtud + mawr great) is a small coastal town and community in the Vale of Glamorgan, South Wales, lying on the Bristol Channel coast. ... Capital Sydney Government Constitutional monarchy Governor Professor Marie Bashir Premier Morris Iemma (ALP) Federal representation  - House seats 50  - Senate seats 12 Gross State Product (2004-05)  - Product ($m)  $305,437 (1st)  - Product per capita  $45,153/person (4th) Population (End of March 2006)  - Population  6,817,100 (1st)  - Density  8. ...

New South Wales was actually named so by Captain Cook as the coastal approaches to NSW looks very similar to those of the Glamorgan Coast in South Wales^{[citation needed]}.

See also

• Geography of Wales
• Subdivisions of Wales
• M4 Corridor
• South Wales Valleys

Wikipedia does not yet have an article with this exact name. ... For local government purposes, Wales is divided into 22 unitary authorities. ... The M4 corridor is the area adjacent to the M4 motorway. ... The South Wales Valleys are a number of industrialised valleys in South Wales. ...

External links

• Some Place-names
• Independent Guide to South Wales
• Stay South West Wales - Independent Guide to South West Wales
• South Wales Online - Community news, info and business directory for South Wales
• Outdoor Activities in Wales Information on attractions in South Wales
• map of south wales Interactive map from One Big Garden