Portal:Wales

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Wales (Welsh: Cymru [ˈkəmrɨ] ^ⓘ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. 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 Gruffydd ap Llywelyn in 1055. After over 200 years of war, the conquest of Wales by King Edward I of England was completed by 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 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 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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Conwy's town walls are a medieval defensive structure around the town of Conwy in North Wales. The walls were constructed between 1283 and 1287 after the foundation of Conwy by Edward I, and were designed to form an integrated system of defence alongside Conwy Castle. The walls are 1.3 km (0.8 miles) long and include 21 towers and three gatehouses. The project was completed using large quantities of labourers brought in from England; the cost of building the castle and walls together came to around £15,000, a huge sum for the period.

The walls were slightly damaged during the rebellion of Owain Glyndŵr in 1401, but political changes in the 16th century reduced the need to maintain such defences around the town. The fortifications were treated sympathetically during the development of the road and railway systems in Conwy during the 19th century and survived largely intact into the modern period. Today the walls form part of the UNESCO world heritage site administered by Cadw. Archaeologists Oliver Creighton and Robert Higham describe the defences as "one of the most impressive walled circuits" in Europe.

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Royal Badge of Wales

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Did you know...?

... that the Masonic Hall in Monmouth, Wales, located on Monk Street, houses the oldest surviving masonic lodge in Monmouthshire?
... that Whitecross Street is included on the 1610 map of Monmouth (pictured) drawn by cartographer John Speed?
... that a year after excavation of Neolithic and Roman artefacts at 33 Whitecross Street, archaeologists discovered evidence of Mesolithic human settlement in Monmouth?
... that boys from a Monmouth prep school housed in The Grange won the British under-11 chess championship in 2003?

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Rhys ap Gruffydd (1132 – 28 April 1197) was the ruler of the kingdom of Deheubarth in south Wales. He is commonly known as The Lord Rhys, in Welsh Yr Arglwydd Rhys, but this title may not have been used in his lifetime. He usually used the title "Prince of Deheubarth" or "Prince of South Wales", but two documents have been preserved in which he uses the title "Prince of Wales" or "Prince of the Welsh". Rhys was one of the most successful and powerful Welsh princes, and after the death of Owain Gwynedd of Gwynedd in 1170 was the dominant power in Wales.

Rhys's grandfather, Rhys ap Tewdwr, was king of Deheubarth, and was killed at Brecon in 1093 by Bernard de Neufmarche. Following his death, most of Deheubarth was taken over by the Normans. Rhys's father, Gruffydd ap Rhys, was eventually able to become ruler of a small portion, and more territory was won back by Rhys's older brothers after Gruffydd's death. Rhys became ruler of Deheubarth in 1155.

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Wikinews Wales portal

General images

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

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