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| Cymru | |
|---|---|
| Conventional long name | Cymru |
| Common name | Cymru |
| Capital | Cardiff |
| Largest city | Cardiff |
| Official languages | Welsh, English |
| Area km2 | 20779 |
| Population estimate | 3150000 |
| Currency | Pound sterling |
| Government type | Devolved Parliament within a United Kingdom framework |
Cymru Cymru is a nation on the island of Great Britain with a distinct legal, cultural, and linguistic identity. Its capital, Cardiff, is a major port and administrative centre alongside historic cities such as Swansea and Newport. Cymru's landscape ranges from the mountains of Snowdonia to the coastal plains of Pembrokeshire and the industrial valleys of Gwent, giving rise to diverse regional institutions and movements.
The modern name derives from the Old Welsh term used by native speakers, connected to ethnonyms found in sources such as the Historia Brittonum, the Annales Cambriae, and inscriptions cited alongside continental sources like the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle and works of Bede. Medieval chroniclers including Geoffrey of Monmouth and later antiquarians such as Edward Lhuyd and Iolo Morganwg discussed vernacular names alongside Latin and Norman forms used by Norman and Plantagenet administrations. The English-language name evolved in parallel through contacts recorded in charters preserved in archives such as National Library of Wales collections and cited by scholars like John Rhys and Sir John Morris-Jones.
Early settlement in Cymru is attested by megalithic sites contemporaneous with Neolithic Europe and by Iron Age hillforts that appear in archaeology linked to the Celtic peoples and artefacts comparable to finds in Ireland and Brittany. Roman campaigns led by commanders referenced in texts about the Roman conquest of Britain reached parts of the territory, leaving roads documented in the Antonine Itinerary, while post-Roman polities such as Gwynedd and Powys feature in accounts of rulers like Rhodri the Great and dynastic chronicles. The medieval period saw conflicts with Norman invasion of Wales forces and later with Edward I of England culminating in campaigns recorded alongside sieges like those at Dolwyddelan Castle and Caernarfon Castle. The Tudor era and figures such as Henry VII and legal changes associated with the Laws in Wales Acts 1535 and 1542 integrated institutions with those of England and Wales. Industrialisation brought coalfields of South Wales Coalfield into strategic prominence during events linked to the Industrial Revolution and parliamentary constituencies debated in the Reform Acts. Twentieth-century developments include labour movements connected to Trades Union Congress activity, wartime mobilization during the Second World War, and devolution initiatives culminating in elections to the Senedd after referendums modeled on processes involving the United Kingdom polity.
Cymru occupies a varied geography including mountain ranges such as the Snowdonia massif with peaks like Snowdon (Yr Wyddfa), coastal landscapes along Cardigan Bay, and protected areas such as Pembrokeshire Coast National Park and Brecon Beacons National Park. Rivers such as the River Severn, River Wye, and River Taff shape drainage and urban settlement patterns including Cardiff Bay redevelopment projects associated with bodies like Welsh Development Agency in the late twentieth century. Biodiversity initiatives draw on designations used by European Union frameworks prior to their withdrawal and by organisations collaborating with RSPB and Natural Resources Wales on habitats for species monitored against international agreements such as those negotiated under the Convention on Biological Diversity.
Cymru's devolved legislature, the Senedd, legislates on matters devolved under acts passed by the Parliament and shaped by debates involving parties such as Welsh Labour, Plaid Cymru, and the Conservative Party. Executive functions are exercised by a First Minister nominated in the Senedd and by ministerial teams comparable to cabinets in other devolved administrations; interactions with the Supreme Court of the United Kingdom occur where competence disputes arise. Electoral reforms and campaigning have featured organisations like Electoral Commission and civic groups modelled on initiatives from the Joseph Rowntree Charitable Trust and NGOs that echo networks active across Europe.
Population patterns show urban concentrations in South Wales Valleys and coastal cities such as Swansea and Cardiff, while rural communities persist in Ceredigion and Gwynedd. Cultural life is anchored by national festivals like the National Eisteddfod of Wales and institutions including the Royal Welsh College of Music & Drama, National Museum Cardiff, and the Urdd Gobaith Cymru. Sporting traditions involve clubs such as Cardiff City F.C., Newport County A.F.C., and the Ospreys in competitions administered by bodies like the Football Association of Wales and Welsh Rugby Union. Media organisations such as BBC Wales, S4C, and newspapers tracing lineage to publishers like Western Mail shape public discourse alongside academic centres at Cardiff University, Swansea University, and Bangor University.
Economic history is marked by extractive industries in the South Wales Coalfield and metallurgical centres at sites connected to the Industrial Revolution. Contemporary sectors include services anchored in Cardiff Bay finance and public administration, manufacturing clusters that evolved from legacy industries, and tourism focused on attractions such as Castles and Town Walls of King Edward in Gwynedd and outdoor recreation in Snowdonia. Economic policy involves engagement with institutions like the UK Treasury and regional development agencies historically including the Welsh Development Agency, while trade patterns connect firms to markets in European Union member states and global partners through ports such as Port Talbot and Holyhead.
The Welsh language and the English language coexist in public life, education, and media; language promotion traces to bodies like Welsh Language Commissioner and legislative measures passed by the Senedd. Education provision includes institutions ranging from primary schools operating under curricula influenced by debates in the Department for Education to higher education at universities such as Cardiff University, Aberystwyth University, and Bangor University. Cultural transmission occurs through organisations such as Mentrau Iaith and youth movements like Urdd Gobaith Cymru, with research collaborations linking scholars to projects funded by bodies including the Arts and Humanities Research Council and the Economic and Social Research Council.
Category:Nations of the British Isles