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WALES
Wales (Welsh: Cymru;
pronounced /"k@mrI/ SAMPA, ˌkəmɽɪ IPA, 'Kumree' approximate pronunciation)
is one of the four major nations comprising the United Kingdom (UK). (The
term Principality of Wales, Welsh: Tywysogaeth Cymru, though often used, is
rejected by many in Wales since the Prince of Wales has no role in the
governance of Wales). Wales has had no real independence since 1282. It has
no significant national government, and, like the other three nations of the
UK, it does not issue its own currency and is not in control of any armed
forces.
History
Main article: History of Wales
The Romans established a string of forts across the southern part of the
country, as far west as Carmarthen (Maridunum). There is evidence that they
progressed even further west. They also built the legionary fortress at
Caerleon (Isca), whose magnificent amphitheatre is the best preserved in
Britain. The Romans were also busy in north Wales, and an old legend claims
that Magnus Maximus, one of the last emperors, married Elen or Helen, the
daughter of a Welsh chieftain from Segontium, near present-day Caernarfon.
Wales was never conquered by the Saxons, due to the fierce resistance of its
people and its mountainous terrain. A Saxon king, Offa of Mercia, is
credited with having constructed a great earth wall, or dyke, along the
border with his kingdom, to mark off a large part of Powys which he had
conquered from the Welsh. Parts of Offa's Dyke can still be seen today.
Wales remained a Celtic region, and its people kept speaking the Welsh
language, even as the Celtic elements of neighbouring England and Scotland
gradually disappeared. The name 'Wales' is evidence of this, as it comes
from a Germanic root meaning "stranger", and as such is related to Wallonia,
and Wallachia in Romania, also regions where a 'strange' (non-Germanic)
language was spoken.
Wales continued to be a Christian country when its neighbour, England, was
overrun by German and Scandinavian tribes, though many older beliefs and
customs survived among its people. Thus, Saint David went on a pilgrimage to
Rome during the 6th century, and was serving as a bishop in Wales well
before Augustine arrived to convert the king of Kent and founded the diocese
of Canterbury. Although the Druidic religion is alleged to have had its
stronghold in Wales until the Roman invasion, many of the so-called
traditions, such as the gorsedd or assembly of bards, were the invention of
eighteenth-century "historians". The traditional women's Welsh costume,
incorporating a tall black hat, was devised in the nineteenth century by
Lady Llanover, herself a prominent patron of the Welsh language and culture.
The conquest of Wales by England did not take place in 1066, when England
was conquered by the Normans, but was gradual, not being complete until
1282, when King Edward I of England defeated Llywelyn the Last, Wales's last
independent prince, in battle. Edward constructed a series of great stone
castles in order to keep the Welsh under control. The best known are at
Caernarfon, Conwy and Harlech. Wales was legally annexed by the Act of Union
1536, in the reign of Henry VIII of England. The Wales and Berwick Act 1746
provided that all laws that applied to England would automatically apply to
Wales (and Berwick, a town located on the Anglo-Scottish border) unless the
law explicitly otherwise. This act, with regard to Wales, was repealed in
1967.
Politics
Main article: Politics of Wales, also Politics of the United Kingdom
Wales has been a principality since the 13th century, initially under the
Welsh prince Llywelyn the Great, and later under his grandson, Llywelyn the
Last, who took the title Prince of Wales around 1258, and was recognised by
the English Crown in 1277 by the Treaty of Aberconwy. Following his defeat
by Edward I, however, Welsh independence in the 14th century was limited to
a number of minor revolts. The greatest such revolt was that of Owain
Glyndwr, who gained popular support in 1400, and defeated an English force
at Pumlumon in 1401. In response, the English parliament passed repressive
measures denying the Welsh the right of assembly. Glyndwr was proclaimed
Prince of Wales, and sought assistance from the French, but by 1409 his
forces were scattered under the attacks of King Henry IV of England and
further measures imposed against the Welsh.
The Act of Union 1536 partitioned Wales into thirteen counties: Anglesey,
Brecon, Caernarfon, Cardigan, Carmarthen, Denbigh, Flint, Glamorgan,
Merioneth, Monmouth, Montgomery, Pembroke, and Radnor, and applied the Law
of England to both England and Wales, making English the language to be used
for official purposes. This excluded most native Welsh from any formal
office. Wales continues to share a legal identity with England to a large
degree as the joint entity of England and Wales. Scotland and Northern
Ireland retain separate legal systems and identities.
Wales was for centuries dwarfed by its larger neighbour, England. Indeed,
one well-known British encyclopedia was said - perhaps apocryphally - to
have had an entry reading "WALES. See under ENGLAND". In 1955 steps were
taken to re-establish a sense of national identity for Wales when Cardiff
was established as its capital. Before this, legislation passed by the UK
parliament had simply referred to England, rather than England and Wales.
The National Assembly for Wales sitting in Cardiff, first elected in 1999,
is elected by the Welsh people and has its powers defined by the Government
of Wales Act, 1998. The title of Prince of Wales is still given by the
reigning British monarch to his or her eldest son, but in modern times the
Prince does not live in Wales and does not have anything to do with its
administration or government. The Prince is, however, still symbolically
linked to the principality; the investiture of Charles took place at
Caernarfon Castle in North Wales, a place traditionally associated with the
creation of the title in the 13th century.
Geography
Wales is situated on a peninsula of Great Britain. It is bordered by England
to the east, the Bristol Channel to the south, and the Irish Sea to the west
and north.
The main population and industrial areas are in South Wales, including the
capital, Cardiff, and the other two major cities, Swansea and Newport.
Much of Wales is mountainous, particularly North Wales and Mid Wales. The
Brecon Beacons in the south and Snowdonia in the north are joined by the
Cambrian Mountains. The highest mountain in Wales is Snowdon.
There are several islands off the north and west coasts, with Anglesey being
the largest.
Divisions
For administrative purposes, Wales has been divided since 1996 into
principal areas: 9 counties, 10 county boroughs and 5 cities.
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