Cymru Wales
Flag Coat of arms
Motto: Cymru am byth (Welsh) "Wales Forever"
Anthem: "Hen Wlad Fy Nhadau" (English "Land of my fathers")
Location of  Wales  (orange) in the United Kingdom  (camel) Look up Wales in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Wales_2. ... Flag ratio: 2:3 The Welsh Dragon on the tailfin of an Air Wales ATR 42 aircraft. ... The Coat of Arms of the Principality of Wales is a coat of arms used by the Prince of Wales. ... For other uses, see Motto (disambiguation). ... Welsh redirects here, and this article describes the Welsh language. ... A national anthem is a generally patriotic musical composition that evokes and eulogizes the history, traditions and struggles of its people, recognized either by a countrys government as the official national song, or by convention through use by the people. ... Hen Wlad Fy Nhadau (pronounced , usually translated as land of our fathers init, but literally old country of my fathers) is, by tradition, the national anthem of Wales. ... Look up English, english in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ...
Location of  Wales  (red) – in the U.K.  (camel & orange) – in the European Union  (camel) “UK” redirects here. ...
Capital (and largest city)		Cardiff, Caerdydd 51°29′N, 3°11′W
National Languages		Welsh, English
Demonym		Welsh, Cymreig
Government		Constitutional monarchy
-	First Minister of Wales	Rhodri Morgan AM
-	Deputy First Minister for Wales	Ieuan Wyn Jones AM
-	Prime Minister (of the UK)	Gordon Brown MP
-	Secretary of State (in the UK government)	Paul Murphy MP
-	Queen (of the UK)	Queen Elizabeth II
Unification
-	by Gruffudd ap Llywelyn	1056
Area
-	Total	20,779 km²  8,022 sq mi
Population
-	2008 estimate	3,004,6001
-	2001 census	2,903,085
-	Density	140/km²  361/sq mi
GDP (PPP)		2006 (for national statistics) estimate
-	Total	US$85.4 billion
-	Per capita	US$30,546
HDI (2003)		0.939 (high)
Currency		Pound sterling (GBP)
Time zone		GMT (UTC0)
-	Summer (DST)	BST (UTC+1)
Internet TLD		.uk2
Calling code		+44
Patron saint		David, Dewi
1	Office for National Statistics - UK population grows to more than 60 million
2	Also .eu, as part of the European Union. ISO 3166-1 is GB, but .gb is unused.

Wales (Welsh: Cymru;^[1] pronounced /ˈkəmrɨ/ (help·info)) is a constituent country^[2] within the United Kingdom, located in the west of Great Britain, sharing a land border with England to its east and the Irish Sea and Atlantic Ocean to the west. Wales has a population estimated at three million and is a bilingual constituent country, with English the language spoken by the majority, and Welsh the native tongue. Not to be confused with capitol. ... This is an article about the demographic data of Wales from the 2001 UK census. ... This article is about the capital city of Wales. ... A national language is a language (or language variant, i. ... Welsh redirects here, and this article describes the Welsh language. ... The English language is a West Germanic language that originates in England. ... A demonym or gentilic is a word that denotes the members of a people or the inhabitants of a place. ... This article is about Welsh people who are considered to be an ethnic group and a nation. ... Forms of government Part of the Politics series Politics Portal This box:      A constitutional monarchy or limited monarchy is a form of government established under a constitutional system which acknowledges an elected or hereditary monarch as head of state, as opposed to an absolute monarchy, where the monarch is not... The First Minister of Wales is the leader of Wales and of the Welsh Assembly Government, Waless devolved administration. ... Rhodri Morgan, pictured while on an eve of poll visit during the National Assembly of Wales election in 2003. ... The National Assembly for Wales is composed of 60 members known as AMs or assembly members (in Welsh: ACau or Aelodaur Cynulliad). ... The First Minister is the leader of the Welsh Assembly Government, Waless devolved administration. ... Ieuan Wyn Jones (born 22 May 1949) is leader of Plaid Cymru, Deputy First Minister in the Welsh Assembly Government and Member of the National Assembly for Wales for the Ynys Môn constituency. ... The National Assembly for Wales is composed of 60 members known as AMs or assembly members (in Welsh: ACau or Aelodaur Cynulliad). ... The Prime Minister of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is, in practice, the political leader of the United Kingdom. ... For others with the same or similar names, see Gordon Brown (disambiguation). ... This is a list of Members of Parliament elected to the House of Commons for the Fifty-Fourth Parliament of the United Kingdom at the 2005 general election, arranged by constituency. ... The Secretary of State for Wales is the head of the Wales Office within the United Kingdom cabinet. ... The Right Honourable Paul Peter Murphy (born 25 November 1948) is a British politician for the Labour Party. ... This is a list of Members of Parliament elected to the House of Commons for the Fifty-Fourth Parliament of the United Kingdom at the 2005 general election, arranged by constituency. ... This article is about the monarchy of the United Kingdom, one of sixteen that share a common monarch; for information about this constitutional relationship, see Commonwealth realm; for information on the reigning monarch, see Elizabeth II. For information about other Commonwealth realm monarchies, as well as other relevant articles, see... Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary Windsor; born 21 April 1926) is Queen of sixteen sovereign states, holding each crown and title equally. ... Caerphilly Castle. ... See also Gruffydd ap Llywelyn Fawr Gruffydd ap Llywelyn (c. ... This article is about the physical quantity. ... To help compare orders of magnitude of different geographical regions, we list here areas between 10,000 km² and 100,000 km². ... A square mile is an English unit of area equal to that of a square with sides each 1 statute mile (≈1,609 m) in length. ... Population density per square kilometre by country, 2006 Population density map of the world in 1994. ... PPP of GDP for the countries of the world (2003). ... The United States dollar is the official currency of the United States. ... Look up Per capita in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... The United States dollar is the official currency of the United States. ... This page talks about Human Development Index, for other HDIs see HDI (disambiguation) World map indicating Human Development Index (2007). ... GBP redirects here. ... ISO 4217 is the international standard describing three letter codes (also known as the currency code) to define the names of currencies established by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO). ... Timezone and TimeZone redirect here. ... UTC redirects here. ... Although DST is common in Europe and North America, most of the worlds people do not use it. ... UTC redirects here. ... A country code top-level domain (ccTLD) is a top-level domain used and reserved for a country or a dependent territory. ... This is a list of country calling codes defined by ITU-T recommendation E.164. ... This is a trivia section. ... Saint Quentin is the patron saint of locksmiths and is also invoked against coughs and sneezes. ... For other uses, see Saint David (disambiguation). ... ISO 3166-1, as part of the ISO 3166 standard, provides codes for the names of countries and dependent areas. ... Not to be confused with United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. ... .gb is a reserved Internet country code top-level domain (ccTLD) for the United Kingdom. ... Welsh redirects here, and this article describes the Welsh language. ... // Constituent country is a phrase used, often by official institutions, in contexts in which a historical, currently non-legally officially recognised country makes up a part of a larger entity or grouping. ... List of Land Borders International borders Country/Region Total Borders Neighbours and Borders Afghanistan 5,529 km China: 76 km Iran: 936 km Pakistan: 2,430 km Tajikistan: 1,206 km Turkmenistan: 744 km Uzbekistan: 137 km Akrotiri N/A N/A Albania 720 km Greece: 282 km The Former... For other uses, see England (disambiguation). ... Relief map of the Irish Sea. ... The term bilingualism (from bi meaning two and lingua meaning language) can refer to rather different phenomena. ... The English language is a West Germanic language that originates in England. ... Welsh redirects here, and this article describes the Welsh language. ...

Originally (and traditionally) one of the six Celtic nations, a distinct Welsh national identity emerged in the early 5th century, after the Roman withdrawal from Britain.^[3] The Edwardian conquest in the 13th Century brought about centuries of English occupation, and Wales was eventually annexed to the English legal system with the formation of the Laws in Wales Acts 1535–1542, creating the legal entity known today as England and Wales. Distinctive Welsh politics developed in the 19th century eventually leading to a devolved legislature and government in 1999, with the formation of the National Assembly for Wales in Cardiff Bay. Today, Wales continues to share political and legal structures to varying degrees with the United Kingdom, while now maintaining more direct ties with various international bodies^[4][5] and the business world.^[6][7][8][9] The Assembly Government has also increased its direct links with the European Union, although foreign policy remains the reserved responsibility of the UK Government.^[10][11] The Six Nations considered the heartland of the modern Celts Celtic nations are areas of Europe inhabited by members of Celtic cultures, specifically speakers of Celtic languages. ... This article is about Welsh people who are considered to be an ethnic group and a nation. ... The Roman departure from Britain was completed by 410. ... (12th century - 13th century - 14th century - other centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 13th century was that century which lasted from 1201 to 1300. ... The Laws in Wales Acts 1535–1542 were a series of parliamentary measures by which the legal system of Wales was annexed to England and the norms of English administration introduced in order to create a single state and a single legal jurisdiction, which is frequently referred to as England... Politics in Wales forms a distinctive polity in the wider politics of the United Kingdom, with Wales as one of the four constituent countries of the United Kingdom. ... Look up Devolution in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Established 1999 by the Government of Wales Act 1998 Presiding Officer Lord Elis-Thomas AM (Plaid) Since May 12, 1999 Deputy Presiding Officer Rosemary Butler AM (Lab) Leader of the House Carwyn Jones AM (Lab) Chief Executive and Clerk to the Assembly Claire Clancy Political parties 6 Welsh Labour (26... Events of 2008: (EMILY) Me Lesley and MIley are going to China! This article is about the year. ... Established 1999 by the Government of Wales Act 1998 Presiding Officer Lord Elis-Thomas AM (Plaid) Since May 12, 1999 Deputy Presiding Officer Rosemary Butler AM (Lab) Leader of the House Carwyn Jones AM (Lab) Chief Executive and Clerk to the Assembly Claire Clancy Political parties 6 Welsh Labour (26... Cardiff Bay Cardiff Bay (Welsh: Bae Caerdydd) is the regeneration area created by the Cardiff Barrage which impounded two rivers (Taff and Ely) to form a new 500 acre freshwater lake around the former dockland area south of the city centre of Cardiff in south Wales. ... Politics in Wales forms a distinctive polity in the wider politics of the United Kingdom, with Wales as one of the four constituent countries of the United Kingdom. ... Contemporary Welsh Law is a term applied to the body of primary and secondary legislation generated by the National Assembly of Wales, according to newly devolved authority granted in the United Kingdom parliament Government of Wales Act 2006. ... In the United Kingdom reserved matters, also referred to as reserved powers, are those subjects over which power to legislate is retained by Westminster, as stated by the Scotland Act 1998, Northern Ireland Act 1998 or Government of Wales Act 1998. ... The United Kingdom is a unitary state and a democratic constitutional monarchy. ...

The capital Cardiff (Caerdydd), located in the more urbanised South Wales, is Wales' largest city with 317,500 people.^[12]. Cardiff has been a prosperous city since the Victorian era,^[clarify] when it was the biggest coal port in the world.^[13][14] Two-thirds of the Welsh population lives in South Wales, with another concentration in northeastern North Wales. This article is about the capital city of Wales. ... Approximate extent of South East Wales. ... The Victorian era of the United Kingdom marked the height of the British Industrial Revolution and the apex of the British Empire. ... Approximate extent of South East Wales. ... Approximate extent of North Wales North Wales (known in some archaic texts as Northgalis) is the northernmost unofficial region of Wales, bordered to the south by Mid Wales. ...

Wales is known for its divergent and often spectacular landscape,^[15] and tourism is popular throughout the land.^[16][17] From the late 19th century onwards, Wales acquired its popular image as the "land of song", attributable in part to the revival of the eisteddfod tradition.^[18] Historically, the Welsh tradition for storytelling was an oral one, handed-down over the generations. Vocal performers - actors, singers and speakers - are celebrated in Wales today, often attaining international success.^[19][20] Wales has in recent years undergone a cultural revival,^{[citation needed]} and the rapidly-developing capital is the home of the largest media centre in the UK outside of London.^[21][22] Wales is an emerging tourist destination, with 8,078,900 visitors to National Trust and Welsh Tourist Board destinations in 2002. ... Alternative meaning: Nineteenth Century (periodical) (18th century — 19th century — 20th century — more centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 19th century was that century which lasted from 1801-1900 in the sense of the Gregorian calendar. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... The media in Wales is quite varied with there being services for people in both English and Welsh. ... This article is about the capital of England and the United Kingdom. ...

Wales is sometimes referred to as a Principality. Llywelyn the Great founded the Principality of Wales in 1216, and following the Edwardian Conquest, Owain Glyndŵr briefly restored its independence in the early 15th century. Traditionally the British Royal Family have used the courtesy title 'Prince of Wales' for the Heir Apparent to the reigning monarch. A principality is a monarchical feudatory or sovereign state, ruled or reigned over by a Monarch with the title of prince or princess (a synonym is princedom) or (in the widest sense) a Monarch with another title within the generic use of the term prince. ... Llywelyn ap Iorwerth ( 1173–April 11, 1240) was a Prince of Gwynedd and eventually ruler of much of Wales. ... This article is about the historical state known as the Principality of Wales (1267-1542). ... Arms used by Llywelyn ap Gruffydd Llywelyn ap Gruffydd or Llywelyn Ein Llyw Olaf (c. ... Seal of Owain Glyndŵr The Arms of Powys and Deheubarth quartered, adopted by Owain Glyndŵr: Or and Gules, four Lions counterchanged Owain Glyndŵr (Pronounced IPA: ), or Owain Glyn Dŵr, anglicised by Shakespeare into Owen Glendower (c. ... (14th century - 15th century - 16th century - other centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 15th century was that century which lasted from 1401 to 1500. ... Members of the Royal Family, during the lifetime of the late Queen Mother, on the balcony of Buckingham Palace after the Trooping the Colour ceremony. ... A courtesy title is a form of address in systems of nobility used by children, former wives and other close relatives of a peer. ... This article is about the title Prince of Wales. ... Contrasting with heir presumptive, an heir apparent is one who cannot be prevented from inheriting by the birth of any other person. ...

Etymology

See also: List of meanings of countries' names and History of the term Vlach

The English name "Wales" originates from the Germanic word Walha, meaning "foreigner," probably derived from the term Volcae.^{[citation needed]} The term also appears in the "-wall" of Cornwall. The Welsh call their country Cymru in the Welsh language, which most likely meant "compatriots" in Old Welsh.^[23] The name competed for a long time in Welsh literature with the older name Brythoniaid (Brythons). Only after 1100 did the former become as common as the latter;^[24] both terms applied originally not only to the inhabitants of what is now called Wales, but in general to speakers of the Brythonic language and its descendants, many of whom lived in "the Old North": the placenames Cymru (Welsh for Wales) and Cumbria are of the same origin.^[24] The Angles, Saxons and Jutes were known indiscriminately as Saeson in Welsh (the term is cognate with "Saxon"; compare Gaelic Sassenach); Sais, plural Saeson, is the modern Welsh word for "Englishman." Media:Example. ... Vlach is a Slavic-derived term from the Germanic word Valah/Valach used to designate the Romance speaking peoples of South-Eastern Europe: Romanians, Aromanians, Megleno-Romanians and Istro-Romanians. ... Media:Example. ... The Volcae in the 2nd century BC were a large and powerful Celtic nation of Gallia Transalpina, comprised of two branches, the Volcae Arecomici and the Volcae Tectosages. ... For other uses, see Cornwall (disambiguation). ... Welsh redirects here, and this article describes the Welsh language. ... Old Welsh (Hen Gymraeg) is the label attached to the Welsh language from the time it developed from the Brythonic language, generally thought to be in the period between the middle of the 6th century and the middle of the 7th century, until the early 12th century when it developed... The term Welsh literature may be used to refer to any literature originating from Wales or by Welsh writers. ... This article needs to be cleaned up to conform to a higher standard of quality. ... The Brythonic languages (or Brittonic languages) form one of the two branches of the Insular Celtic language family. ... Yr Hen Ogledd or The Old North. Part of northern Britain before the Anglo-Gaelic conquest The Hen Ogledd, or Yr Hen Ogledd, is an Old Welsh term meaning The Old North which refers to the sub-Roman Brythonic kingdoms of what is now northern England and southern Scotland. ... Cumbria (IPA: ), is a shire county in the extreme North West of England. ... White cliffs of Dover in England White cliffs of Rugen down the Baltic coast from Schleswig The Angles is a modern English word for a Germanic-speaking people who took their name from the cultural ancestor of Angeln, a modern district located in Schleswig, Germany. ... For other uses, see Saxon (disambiguation). ... For the coarse vegetable textile fiber, see Jute. ... Scottish Gaelic (Gàidhlig) is a member of the Goidelic branch of Celtic languages. ... Sassenach is a Scottish term for someone from England - usually a term of abuse. ...

There is also a medieval legend found in the Historia Regum Britanniae of Sieffre o Fynwy (Geoffrey of Monmouth) that derives it from the name Camber, son of Brutus and, according to the legend, the eponymous King of Cymru (Cambria in Latin); this, however, is considered largely the fruit of Geoffrey's vivid imagination. Cumberland and Cumbria in the North of England derive their names from the same Old Welsh word. The Middle Ages formed the middle period in a traditional schematic division of European history into three ages: the classical civilization of Antiquity, the Middle Ages, and modern times. ... Wikisource has original text related to this article: History of the Kings of Britain Geoffrey of Monmouths Historia Regum Britanniae (English: The History of the Kings of Britain) is a pseudohistorical account of British history, written around 1136. ... Geoffrey of Monmouth (in Welsh: Gruffudd ap Arthur or Sieffre o Fynwy) (c. ... Camber may refer to: Camber, East Sussex, a seaside resort in England, near to Camber Sands. ... Brutus of Troy or Brutus I of the Britons (Welsh: Bryttys), according to the accounts of the early Welsh historians Nennius and Geoffrey of Monmouth, was the first king of the Britons. ... Cambria is a latinised form of Cymru, which is the Welsh name for Wales. ... For other uses, see Latins and Latin (disambiguation). ... Cumberland is one of the 39 traditional counties of England. ... Cumbria (IPA: ), is a shire county in the extreme North West of England. ...

History

Main article: History of Wales

Caerphilly Castle. ...

Colonisation

The first documented history was recorded during the Roman occupation of Britain. At that time the area of modern Wales was divided into many tribes, of which the Silures in the south-east and the Ordovices in the central and north-west areas were the largest and most powerful. For other uses, see Roman Empire (disambiguation). ... The Silures were a powerful and warlike tribe of ancient Britain, occupying approximately the counties of Monmouth, Brecon and Glamorgan. ... The Ordovices were one of the Celtic tribes living in the British Islands, before the Roman invasion of Britain. ...

Bryn Celli Ddu, a late Neolithic chambered tomb on Anglesey

The Romans established a string of forts across what is now South Wales, as far west as Carmarthen (Caerfyrddin; Latin: Maridunum), and mined gold at Dolaucothi in Carmarthenshire. There is evidence that they progressed even farther west. They also built the legionary fortress at Caerleon (Latin: Isca Silurum), of which the magnificent amphitheatre is the best preserved in Britain. The Romans were also busy in Northern Wales, and the mediaeval Welsh tale Breuddwyd Macsen Wledig claims that Magnus Maximus (Macsen Wledig), one of the last western Roman Emperors, married Elen or Helen, the daughter of a Welsh chieftain from Segontium, present-day Caernarfon.^[25] It was in the 4th century during the Roman occupation that Christianity was introduced to Wales. Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (3504x2336, 766 KB) Summary Bryn Celli Ddu Môn/ Anglesey Rhion Pritchard Licensing File links The following pages link to this file: History of Wales Bryn Celli Ddu Metadata This file contains additional information, probably added from the digital camera or... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (3504x2336, 766 KB) Summary Bryn Celli Ddu Môn/ Anglesey Rhion Pritchard Licensing File links The following pages link to this file: History of Wales Bryn Celli Ddu Metadata This file contains additional information, probably added from the digital camera or... Approximate extent of South East Wales. ... , Carmarthen (Welsh Caerfyrddin - caer fort + Myrddin Moridunum, Merlin [origin disputed]) is the county town of Carmarthenshire, Wales. ... Latin was the language originally spoken in the region around Rome called Latium. ... The Dolaucothi Gold Mines (grid reference SN662399), also known as the Ogofau Gold Mine, are a Roman deep mine located in the valley of the River Cothi, near Pumsaint, Carmarthenshire, Wales. ... Carmarthenshire (Welsh: ) is a one of thirteen historic counties and a principal area in Wales. ... , Caerleon (Welsh: ) is a suburban village and community, situated on the River Usk in the northern outskirts of the city of Newport (of which it is also a electoral ward) in south-east Wales. ... Latin was the language originally spoken in the region around Rome called Latium. ... The Colosseum in Rome, Italy. ... Magnus Maximus. ... Ordinary Magistrates Extraordinary Magistrates Titles and Honors Emperor Politics and Law This article discusses the nature of the imperial dignity, and its dynastic development throughout the history of the Empire. ... Segontium is a Roman auxiliary fort, located on the outskirts of Caernarfon in north Wales. ... Caernarfon (the original Welsh spelling is now almost always used in preference to the anglicised forms, Caernarvon or Carnarvon) is a royal town in north-west Wales. ... Topics in Christianity Preaching Prayer Ecumenism Relation to other religions Movements Music Liturgy Calendar Symbols Art Criticism Christianity Portal This box:      Christianity is a monotheistic[1] religion centered on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as presented in the New Testament. ...

After the Roman withdrawal from Britain in 410, much of the lowlands were overrun by various Germanic tribes. However, Gwynedd, Powys, Dyfed and Seisyllg, Morgannwg, and Gwent emerged as independent Welsh successor states. They endured, in part because of favourable geographical features such as uplands, mountains, and rivers and a resilient society that did not collapse with the end of the Roman civitas. The Roman departure from Britain was completed by 410. ... Disambiguation: For the region of Scotland please see Scottish Lowlands Lowlands, also known as A Campingflight to Lowlands Paradise, is a music festival, held annually in the Netherlands in August. ... The term Germanic tribes (or Teutonic tribes) applies to the ancient Germanic peoples of Europe. ... For the fictional Kingdom of Gwynedd in the Deryni series of novels, see Gwynedd (fictional). ... Medieval kingdoms of Wales. ... Deheubarth was a south-western kingdom or principality of medieval Wales. ... Mediaeval kingdoms of Wales. ... In the fictional BattleTech universe, the Successor States (named such due to their being the Successors of the Star League) are the major military powers of the Inner Sphere, each governed by one of the Great Houses. ... In the history of the Roman empire, civitas (pl. ...

The Saxons at anchor on the sea always

The Cymry venerable until doomsday shall be supreme

They will not seek books nor be covetous of poets

The presage of this isle will be no other than this.

[ from The Omen of Prydein The Great, Book of Taliesin VI ]

This tenacious survival by the Romano-Britons and their descendants in the western kingdoms was to become the foundation of what we now know as Wales. With the loss of the lowlands, England's kingdoms of Mercia and Northumbria, and later Wessex, wrestled with Powys, Gwent, and Gwynedd to define the frontier between the two peoples. Book of Taliesin (Welsh: Llyfr Taliesin) is one of the most famous Welsh manuscripts. ... The term Romano-British describes the Romanised culture of Britain under the rule of the Roman Empire, when Roman and Christian culture had extensively entered into the life of the native Brythonic and Pictish peoples of Britain. ... The Kingdom of Mercia at its greatest extent (7th to 9th centuries) is shown in green, with the original core area (6th century) given a darker tint. ... Section from Shepherds map of the British Isles about 802 AD showing the kingdom of Northumbria Northumbria is primarily the name of a petty kingdom of Angles which was formed in Great Britain at the beginning of the 7th century, from two smaller kingdoms of Bernicia and Diera, and... For the helicopter, see Westland Wessex. ...

Having lost much of the West Midlands to Mercia in the 6th century and early 7th century, a resurgent late 7th century Powys checked Mercian advancement. Aethelbald of Mercia, looking to defend recently acquired lands, had built Wat's Dyke. According to John Davies, this endeavour may have been with Powys king Elisedd ap Gwylog's own agreement, however, for this boundary, extending north from the valley of the River Severn to the Dee estuary, gave Oswestry (Welsh: Croesoswallt) to Powys.^{[citation needed]} King Offa of Mercia seems to have continued this consultative initiative when he created a larger earth work, now known as Offa's Dyke (Welsh: Clawdd Offa). Davies wrote of Cyril Fox's study of Offa's Dyke: The West Midlands is an official Region of England, covering the western half of the Midlands. ... The Kingdom of Mercia at its greatest extent (7th to 9th centuries) is shown in green, with the original core area (6th century) given a darker tint. ... Ethelbald (or Æthelbald) (died 757) was the King of Mercia in England from 716 until his death. ... Wats Dyke is a 40 mile earthwork running through the northern Welsh Marches from Basingwerk on the Dee estuary, passing to the east of Oswestry and onto Maesbury in Shropshire. ... Elisedd ap Gwylog (died c. ... Severn redirects here. ... Oswestry is a town in Shropshire, England, very close to the Welsh border. ... This article is about Offa of Mercia. ... Rough cross-section of Offas Dyke, showing how it was designed to protect Mercia against attacks/raids from Powys. ... Sir Cyril Fred Fox (16 December 1882–15 January 1967) was an English archaeologist. ... Rough cross-section of Offas Dyke, showing how it was designed to protect Mercia against attacks/raids from Powys. ...

In the planning of it, there was a degree of consultation with the kings of Powys and Gwent. On the Long Mountain near Trelystan, the dyke veers to the east, leaving the fertile slopes in the hands of the Welsh; near Rhiwabod, it was designed to ensure that Cadell ap Brochwel retained possession of the Fortress of Penygadden." And for Gwent Offa had the dyke built "on the eastern crest of the gorge, clearly with the intention of recognizing that the River Wye and its traffic belonged to the kingdom of Gwent. River Wye and Lancat and Ban y Gore Nature Reserve The Wye at Hay-on-Wye The Wye at Tintern This article is about the river that flows along the Anglo-Welsh border. ...

Offa's Dyke largely remained the frontier between the Welsh and English, though the Welsh would recover by the 12th century the area between the Dee and the Conwy known then as the Perfeddwlad. By the 8th century the eastern borders with the Anglo-Saxons had broadly been set. Dee might refer to: a name of the letter D a familiar form of the name Mandy, Deanna, Dianne, Diane, Douglas, Denise, Dolores, Deidre, Cordelia, Jody an abbreviation for the dead-end elimination algorithm (DEE) Dee (singer), Canadian electro-pop singer, songwriter and DJ Dee (Actress), Indian bollywood actress Dia... Perfeddwlad, meaning middle country in Welsh, was a name adopted during the twelfth century for the territories in north-east Wales lying between the rivers Conwy and Dee, and comprised the cantrefi of Rhôs, Rhufoniog, Dyffryn Clwyd and Tegeingl. ... The Anglo-Saxons refers collectively to the groups of Germanic tribes who achieved dominance in southern Britain from the mid-5th century, forming the basis for the modern English nation. ...

Following the successful examples of Cornwall in 722 and Brittany in 865, the Britons of Wales made their peace with the Vikings and asked the Norsemen to help the Britons fight the Anglo-Saxons of Mercia to prevent an Anglo-Saxon conquest of Wales. In 878 AD the Britons of Wales unified with the Vikings of Denmark to destroy an Anglo-Saxon army of Mercians. Like Cornwall in 722, this decisive defeating of the Saxons gave Wales some decades of peace from Anglo-Saxon attack. In 1063, the Welsh prince Gruffydd ap Llywelyn made an alliance with Norwegian Vikings against Mercia which, as in 878 AD was successful, and the Saxons of Mercia defeated. As with Cornwall and Brittany, Viking aggression towards the Saxons/Franks ended any chance of the Anglo-Saxons/Franks conquering their Celtic neighbours. For other uses, see Cornwall (disambiguation). ... This article is about the historical kingdom, duchy and French province, as well as one of the Celtic nations. ... The name Viking is a loan from the native Scandinavian term for the Norse seafaring warriors who raided the coasts of Scandinavia, Europe and the British Isles from the late 8th century to the 11th century, the period of European history referred to as the Viking Age. ... The famous parade helmet found at Sutton Hoo, probably belonging to Raedwald of East Anglia circa 625. ... The Kingdom of Mercia at its greatest extent (7th to 9th centuries) is shown in green, with the original core area (6th century) given a darker tint. ... In the period before the Norman Conquest of Wales, several native princes had the name Gruffydd ap Llywelyn (Griffith son of Llywelyn). Two of these were of major importance in the history of Wales. ... This article is about the historical kingdom, duchy and French province, as well as one of the Celtic nations. ... This article is about the European people. ...

Medieval Wales

The southern and eastern lands lost to English settlement became known in Welsh as Lloegyr (Modern Welsh Lloegr), which may have referred to the kingdom of Mercia originally, and which came to refer to England as a whole.^[26] The Germanic tribes who now dominated these lands were invariably called Saeson, meaning "Saxons". The Anglo-Saxons, in turn, labelled the Romano-British as Walha, meaning 'foreigner' or 'stranger'. The Welsh continued to call themselves Brythoniaid (Brythons or Britons) well into the Middle Ages, though the first use of Cymru and y Cymry is found as early as 633 in the Gododdin of Aneirin. In Armes Prydain, written in about 930, the words Cymry and Cymro are used as often as 15 times. It was not until about the 12th century however, that Cymry began to overtake Brythoniaid in their writings. The Kingdom of Mercia at its greatest extent (7th to 9th centuries) is shown in green, with the original core area (6th century) given a darker tint. ... For other uses, see England (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see Saxon (disambiguation). ... The Anglo-Saxons refers collectively to the groups of Germanic tribes who achieved dominance in southern Britain from the mid-5th century, forming the basis for the modern English nation. ... Romano-British is a term used to refer to the Romanized Britons under the Roman Empire (and later the Western Roman Empire) and in the years after the Roman departure exposed to Roman culture and Christian religion. ... brass replica of the Tjurkö Bracteate showing the attestation of the name Walha Walha () is an ancient Germanic word, meaning foreigner or stranger (welsh) or roman. It is attested in the Roman Iron Age Tjurkö Bracteate inscription as walhakurne, probably welsh crown for Roman coin, i. ... The Middle Ages formed the middle period in a traditional schematic division of European history into three ages: the classical civilization of Antiquity, the Middle Ages, and modern times, beginning with the Renaissance. ... Gododdin (pronounced god-o-th-in), or Guotodin (Votadini in Latin), refers to both the people and to the region of a Dark Ages Brythonic kingdom south of the Firth of Forth, extending from the Stirling area to the Northumberland kingdom of Brynaich, and including what are now the Lothian... Aneirin, Aneurin or Neirin mab Dwywei (c. ... The term Welsh literature may be used to refer to any literature originating from Wales or by Welsh writers. ...

Dolwyddelan Castle, built by Llywelyn ab Iorwerth in the early 13th century to watch over one of the valley routes into Gwynedd

From the year 800 onwards, a series of dynastic marriages led to Rhodri Mawr's (r. 844-877) inheritance of Gwynedd and Powys. His sons in turn would found three principal dynasties (Aberffraw for Gwynedd, Dinefwr for Deheubarth, and Mathrafal for Powys), each competing for hegemony over the others. Rhodri's grandson Hywel Dda (r.900-950) founded Deheubarth out of his maternal and paternal inheritances of Dyfed and Seisyllwg, oust the Aberffraw dynasty from Gwynedd and Powys, and codify Welsh law in 930, finally going on a pilgrimage to Rome (and allegedly having the Law Codes blessed by the Pope). Maredudd ab Owain (r.986-999) of Deheubarth (Hywel's grandson) would, (again) temporarily oust the Aberffraw line for control of Gwynedd and Powys. Maredudd's great-grandson (through his daughter Princess Angharad) Gruffydd ap Llywelyn (r.1039-1063) would conquer his cousins' realms from his base in Powys, and even extend his authority into England. Owain Gwynedd (1100-1170) of the Aberffraw line was the first Welsh ruler to use the title princeps Wallensium (prince of the Welsh), a title of substance given his victory on the Berwyn Mountains, according to historian John Davies.^{[citation needed]} The Aberffraw dynasty would surge to pre-eminence with Owain Gwynedd's grandson Llywelyn Fawr (the Great) (b.1173-1240), wrestling concessions out of the Magna Carta in 1215 and receiving the fealty of other Welsh lords in 1216 at the council at Aberdyfi, becoming the first Prince of Wales. His grandson Llywelyn II also secured the recognition of the title Prince of Wales from Henry III with the Treaty of Montgomery in 1267. Later however, a succession of disputes, including the imprisonment of Llywelyn's wife Eleanor, daughter of Simon de Montfort, culminated in the first invasion by Edward I. As a result of military defeat, the Treaty of Aberconwy exacted Llywelyn's fealty to England in 1277. Peace was short lived and with the 1282 Edwardian conquest the rule of the Welsh princes permanently ended. With Llywelyn's death and his brother prince Dafydd's execution, the few remaining Welsh lords did homage for their lands to Edward I. Llywelyn's head was then carried through London on a spear; his baby daughter Gwenllian was locked in the priory at Sempringham, where she remained until her death fifty four years later.^[27] Image File history File linksMetadata Dolwyddelan_Castle2. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Dolwyddelan_Castle2. ... The main keep, which has survived largely intact. ... Llywelyn ap Iorwerth ( 1173–April 11, 1240) was a Prince of Gwynedd and eventually ruler of much of Wales. ... Rhodri the Great a. ... This article is about the county of Wales. ... Powys is a local government principal area and a preserved county in Wales. ... Aberffraw is a small village on the south west coast of Anglesey (Welsh: ), by the west bank of the River Ffraw, at grid reference SH354693. ... Dinefwr was a local government district in Dyfed, Wales from 1974 to 1996. ... Deheubarth was a south-western kingdom or principality of medieval Wales. ... Mathrafal near Welshpool was the seat of the Kings and Princes of Powys probably from the 9th Century until its destruction in 1212 by Llywelyn ap Iorwerth of Gwynedd. ... Look up hegemony in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Howell the Good (880?–950; Welsh: Hywel Dda or Hywel ap Cadell) is listed amongst the kings of Gwynedd. ... Dyfed was one of the ancient kingdoms (or principalities) of Wales prior to the Norman Conquest. ... Seisyllwg was a kingdom of medieval Wales. ... Aberffraw is a small village on the south west coast of Anglesey (Welsh: ), by the west bank of the River Ffraw, at grid reference SH354693. ... Codified by Hywel Dda (Hywell the Good) in the early 10th century, the laws of the Welsh Princes were significantly more complex than would be found in other ares of Western Europe for centuries. ... This article is about the religious or spiritual journey. ... For other uses, see Rome (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see Pope (disambiguation). ... Maredudd ab Owain (died 999) was a Prince of Gwynedd and of Deheubarth. ... Angharad is a popular name in Celtic countries, particularly Wales, having a long association with Celtic royalty, history and myth. ... In the period before the Norman Conquest of Wales, several native princes had the name Gruffydd ap Llywelyn (Griffith son of Llywelyn). Two of these were of major importance in the history of Wales. ... Owain Gwynedd (in English, Owen) (c. ... Cadair Berwyn, with Llyn Lluncaws in the foreground The Berwyn Range is an isolated and sparsely-populated area of moorland located in the north-east of Wales, United Kingdom, roughly bounded by Llangollen in the north-east, Corwen in the north-west, Bala in the south-west, and Oswestry in... There have been several well-known people named John Davies, including: John Davies (writing-master) (1565?-1618) Sir John Davies (poet) (1569-1626) Dr John Davies (Mallwyd) (c. ... Llywelyn ap Iorwerth ( 1173–April 11, 1240) was a Prince of Gwynedd and eventually ruler of much of Wales. ... This article is about the English charter issued in 1215. ... Roland pledges his fealty to Charlemagne; from a manuscript of a chanson de geste. ... Aberdyfi (sometimes Aberdovey in English) is a village on the estuary of the River Dyfi on the west coast of Wales. ... This article is about the title Prince of Wales. ... Arms used by Llywelyn ap Gruffydd Llywelyn ap Gruffydd or Llywelyn Ein Llyw Olaf (c. ... This article is about the title Prince of Wales. ... Henry III (1 October 1207 – 16 November 1272) was the son and successor of John Lackland as King of England, reigning for fifty-six years from 1216 to his death. ... By means of the Treaty of Montgomery (1267), Llywelyn ap Gruffydd was able to get his new title Prince of Wales acknowledged by the English king Henry III. Llywelyn ap Gruffydd finished the work his grandfather, Llywelyn the Great, had started: by force and diplomacy all the other Welsh dynasties... Eleanor de Montfort (1252–June 1282) was the only daughter of Simon de Montfort, 6th Earl of Leicester, and became the last princess of Wales before the English Conquest in 1283. ... From the Chamber of the United States House of Representatives Simon V de Montfort, 6th Earl of Leicester (1208 – August 4, 1265) was the principal leader of the baronial opposition to King Henry III of England. ... Edward I (17 June 1239 – 7 July 1307), popularly known as Longshanks[1], also as Edward the Lawgiver or the English Justinian because of his legal reforms, and as Hammer of the Scots,[2] achieved fame as the monarch who conquered Wales and tried to do the same to Scotland. ... The Treaty of Aberconwy was signed in 1277 by King Edward I of England and Llewelyn the Last of modern-day Wales, who had fought each other on and off for years over control of the Welsh countryside. ... Arms used by Llywelyn ap Gruffydd Llywelyn ap Gruffydd or Llywelyn Ein Llyw Olaf (c. ... Dafydd ap Gruffydd (c. ... Welsh peers hold their titles from a variety of sources. ... Edward I; illustration from Cassells History of England circa 1902. ... Gwenllian ferch Llywelyn (circa June 12, 1282-June 7, 1337) was the only known child of Llywelyn the Last. ... A priory is an ecclesiastical circumscription run by a prior. ... Located near Bourne in Lincolnshire, Sempringham is now a small hamlet that gives little clue to the history entwined within its parish boundary. ...

To help maintain his dominance, Edward constructed a series of great stone castles. Beaumaris, Caernarfon, and Conwy were built mainly to overshadow the Welsh royal home and headquarters Garth Celyn, Aber Garth Celyn, on the north coast of Gwynedd. For other uses, see Castle (disambiguation). ... Beaumaris Castle and moat. ... The ward of Caernarfon Castle, showing (from left to right) the Black Tower, the Chamberlains Tower, and the Eagle Tower. ... Conwy Castle in its present state. ... Garth Celyn, Aber Garth Celyn, now Abergwyngregyn, Gwynedd, the home in the thirteenth century of Llywelyn Fawr, Dafydd ap Llywelyn and LLywelyn ap Gruffudd, Tywysog Cymru Aber Garth Celyn, now known as Abergwyngregyn or Aber, is a settlement of great antiquity and on the north coast of Gwynedd. ... Aber Garth Celyn Aber Garth Celyn, now known as Abergwyngregyn or Aber, is a settlement of great antiquity and strategic importance on the north coast of Gwynedd. ...

There was no major uprising except that led by Owain Glyndŵr a century later, against Henry IV of England. In 1404 Owain was reputedly crowned Prince of Wales in the presence of emissaries from France, Spain and Scotland; he went on to hold parliamentary assemblies at several Welsh towns, including Machynlleth. The rebellion was ultimately to founder, however, and Owain went into hiding in 1412, with peace being more or less restored in Wales by 1415. Seal of Owain Glyndŵr The Arms of Powys and Deheubarth quartered, adopted by Owain Glyndŵr: Or and Gules, four Lions counterchanged Owain Glyndŵr (Pronounced IPA: ), or Owain Glyn Dŵr, anglicised by Shakespeare into Owen Glendower (c. ... Henry IV (3 April 1367 – 20 March 1413) was the King of England and France and Lord of Ireland from 1399 to 1413. ... This article is about the title Prince of Wales. ... This article is about the country. ... , Machynlleth (pronounced ; sometimes abbreviated to Mach) is a market town in the traditional county of Montgomeryshire (Sir Drefaldwyn), north Powys in Wales. ...

Although English conquest of Wales took place under the 1284 Statute of Rhuddlan, a formal Union did not occur until 1536, shortly after which Welsh law, which continued to be used in Wales after the conquest, was fully replaced by English law under the Laws in Wales Acts 1535-1542. Wales remains the largest principality in the world. The Statute of Rhuddlan was enacted on 3 March 1284 after the conquest of Wales by the English king Edward I. The Statute of Rhuddlan was issued from Rhuddlan Castle in North Wales, which was built as one of the iron ring of fortresses by Edward I, in his late... The Laws in Wales Acts 1535–1542 were a series of parliamentary measures by which the legal system of Wales was annexed to England and the norms of English administration introduced in order to create a single state and a single legal jurisdiction, which is frequently referred to as England... A principality is a monarchical feudatory or sovereign state, ruled or reigned over by a Monarch with the title of prince or princess (a synonym is princedom) or (in the widest sense) a Monarch with another title within the generic use of the term prince. ...

Nationalist revival

See also: History of Plaid Cymru

In the 20th century, Wales saw a revival in its national status. Plaid Cymru was formed in 1925, seeking greater autonomy or independence from the rest of the