Isle of Anglesey
Ynys Môn (Welsh) | |
---|---|
Motto(s): | |
Coordinates: 53°17′N 4°20′W / 53.283°N 4.333°W | |
Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
Country | Wales |
Preserved county | Gwynedd |
Incorporated | 1 April 1974 |
Unitary authority | 1 April 1996 |
Administrative HQ | Llangefni |
Government | |
• Type | Principal council |
• Body | Isle of Anglesey County Council |
• Control | Plaid Cymru |
• MPs | Llinos Medi (PC) |
• MSs | |
Area | |
• Total | 275 sq mi (712 km2) |
• Rank | 9th |
Population (2022)[2] | |
• Total | 69,049 |
• Rank | 20th |
• Density | 250/sq mi (97/km2) |
Welsh language (2021) | |
• Speakers | 55.8% |
• Rank | 2nd |
Time zone | UTC+0 (GMT) |
• Summer (DST) | UTC+1 (BST) |
ISO 3166 code | GB-AGY |
GSS code | W06000001 |
Website | anglesey |
Anglesey (/ˈæŋɡəlsiː/; Welsh: Ynys Môn [ˈənɨs ˈmoːn]) is an island off the north-west coast of Wales. It forms the bulk of the county known as the Isle of Anglesey, which also includes Holy Island (Ynys Gybi) and some islets and skerries.[4] The county borders Gwynedd across the Menai Strait to the southeast, and is otherwise surrounded by the Irish Sea. Holyhead is the largest town, and the administrative centre is Llangefni. The county is part of the preserved county of Gwynedd. Anglesey is the northernmost county in Wales.
The Isle of Anglesey has an area of 275 square miles (712 km2) and a population of 69,049 in 2022.[2] After Holyhead (12,103),[5][failed verification] the largest settlements are Llangefni (5,500) and Amlwch (3,967). The economy of the county is mostly based on agriculture, energy, and tourism, the latter especially on the coast. Holyhead is also a major ferry port for Dublin, Ireland.[6] The county has the second-highest percentage of Welsh speakers in Wales, at 57.2%, and is considered a heartland of the language.[7]
The island of Anglesey, at 261 square miles (676 km2), is the largest in Wales and the Irish Sea, the seventh largest in Britain, and the sixth most populous island in Britain. The northern and eastern coasts of the island are rugged, and the southern and western coasts are generally gentler; the interior is gently undulating. In the north of the island is Llyn Alaw, a reservoir with an area of 1.4 square miles (4 km2). Holy Island has a similar landscape, with a rugged north and west coast and beaches to the east and south. The county is surrounded by smaller islands; several, including South Stack and Puffin Island, are home to seabird colonies. Large parts of the county's coastline have been designated an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.
The county has many prehistoric monuments, such as Bryn Celli Ddu burial chamber. In the Middle Ages the area was part of the Kingdom of Gwynedd and its cadet branch the House of Aberffraw who maintained courts (Welsh: llysoedd) at Aberffraw and Rhosyr. After Edward I's late 13th century conquest of Gwynedd, Beaumaris Castle was constructed and today is a part of Gwynedd's world heritage sites.
The Menai Strait to the mainland is spanned by the Menai Suspension Bridge, designed by Thomas Telford in 1826, and the Britannia Bridge, originally designed by Robert Stephenson in 1850.