3. Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great
Britain.
Bordered by England to its east, the Irish Sea to its north and west, and the Bristol
Channel to its south.
It has a population of 3,063,456 and has a total area of 20,779 km2 (8,023 sq mi).
5. Much of Wales' diverse landscape
is mountainous, particularly in
the north and central regions.
The mountains were shaped
during the last ice age,
the Devensian glaciation. The
highest mountains in Wales are
in Snowdonia (Eryri), of which
five are over 1,000 m (3,300 ft).
The highest of these
is Snowdon (Yr Wyddfa), at
1,085 m (3,560 ft). The 14 Welsh
mountains, or 15 if including
Garnedd Uchaf – often
discounted because of its
low topographic prominence –
over 3,000 feet (910 metres) high
are known collectively as
the Welsh 3000s and are located
in a small area in the north-west.
Snowdon, Gwynedd, the highest
mountain in Wales
6. Wales has three national parks:
Snowdonia, Brecon Beacons
and Pembrokeshire Coast. It has
five Areas of Outstanding Natural
Beauty. These areas include
Anglesey, the Clwydian Range,
the Gower Peninsula, the Llŷn
Peninsula and the Wye Valley.
The Gower Peninsula was the first
area in the United Kingdom to be
designated as an Area of
Outstanding Natural Beauty, in
1956.
Areas of Outstanding
Natural Beauty in Wales.
7. Flag of wales
Dragons
In Welsh mythology, King Vortigern ordered two sleeping dragons – one white, one
red, to be awoken. A ferocious battle lasting many years began but finally the red
dragon was triumphant. It is now the symbol of Wales.
8. Myths and legends are at the heart of
Welsh culture
The Mabinogion
A group of medieval stories known that dates from the 11th
century. It includes Arthurian romances, the story of Afanc the
monster in the lake and also Annwn, King of the Fairies.
Arthur and Merlin
The Gododdin is one of the earliest surviving poems written in
Welsh by the bard (poet) Aneirin around the year 594, and
contains the earliest known reference to Arthur.
The reputed burial site of Merlin the Wizard is near Carmarthen
and his Round Table is still there in the Roman remains at
Caerleon near Newport.
Devils Bridge
The town of Devil’s bridge near the University of Wales
Aberystwyth takes its name from a legend of a clever old lady who
outwitted Satan!
9. REGIONS IN WALES
1. Cardiff*
2. Swansea
3. Rhondda
4. Cynon Taff
5. Caerphilly
6. Newport
7. Carmarthenshire
8. Neath Port Talbot
9. Bridgend
10. Vale of Glamorgan
11. Flintshire
12. Wrexham
13. Conwy
14. Denbighshire
15. Pembrokeshire
16. Blaenau Gwent
17. Gwynedd
18. Powys
19. Monmouthshire
20. Merthyr Tydfil
21. Ceredigion
22. Anglesey
For the purposes of local government, Wales has been divided into 22 council
areas since 1996. These "principal areas" are responsible for the provision of all
local government services, including education, social work, environment and
roads services.
10. Climate in wales
Wales has a moderate climate, very similar to the rest of the UK, but it can also
be slightly unpredictable!
The mountainous nature of our landscape and the shape of our coast mean that
the weather can differ quite dramatically within a very short distance.
Weather also changes quite quickly here- it could be raining in the morning
and gloriously sunny by the afternoon.
11. Most of our rain tends to fall in the autumn and early winter months
(October – January) so be sure to bring a raincoat and a good pair of
waterproof walking shoes to Wales. Our days in winter are shorter
and we tend to experience snow, which provides us with
some spectacular scenery.
Although it’s not all rain and clouds in Wales - the summer months of
June to August are the hottest here and a great time to take advantage of
some of our beautiful beaches and coastline. April, May and September
also offer some warm days to explore our landscape. Our long summer
days also help, it often doesn’t get dark until 10pm/22:00 in midsummer
thanks to our northerly latitude.
The temperature in winter months averages around 6°C with summer
months climbing up to 20°C. However, conditions in the upland areas can
be changeable throughout the entire year.
12. Leeks and
Daffodils
The daffodil and the leek are
national flowers of Wales.
The leek was adopted after St
David advised his men to
wear leeks in their helmets as
they went into battle so that
they could identify friend or
foe.
The flowering of Daffodils
coincides with St Davids Day.
Two varieties of daffodil are
unique to Wales, the Tenby
Daffodil and the Welsh
Daffodil.
13. Welsh Culture
Welsh people have special celebrations around the
Christmas season. The get up between 3 and 6 AM
to go to church services. Many families spend the
entire night of Christmas eve decorating the house
and singing and dancing until it is time to go to
church. They go wassailing which means going out
drinking and singing and carrying the wassail bowl to
friends and neighbors. The wassail bowl contains
cakes, baked apples and sugar with warm beer and
spices poured over it.
14. Welsh
Lovespoons
Welsh people have a
tradition of giving hand
carved wooden love spoons
as a romantic gesture dates
back centuries.
The earliest known
example dates back to 1677
and is kept in The Museum
of Welsh Life in Cardiff
though the tradition
probably dates back far
before that.
Each different spoon has a different romantic
meaning - a diamond means wealth and
good fortune, a dragon means protection, a
daffodil means affection, and a double spoon
means togetherness.
15. National Eisteddfod
first held at Lord Rhys’s
castle in Cardigan in 1176.
A grand gathering of poets
and musicians from all
over the country. A chair at
the Lord's table was
awarded to the best poet
and musician, a tradition
that prevails in the
modern day National
Eisteddfod.
In 1880, the National Eisteddfod association was formed and charged with
the responsibility of staging an annual festival to be held in North and South
Wales alternately, and with the exception of 1914 and 1940, this target has
been met.
Welsh festival of literature, music and performance
16. Music
Wales justly deserves to
be called the "Land of
Song". It is a rich source
of musical talent with
its own world-class
opera company, the
Welsh National Opera
(NO), and a National
Orchestra for Wales.
Another celebrated
form of musical activity
is the Male Voice Choir
and Welsh pop bands
such as Stereophonics,
Super Furry Animals
and Catatonia have
gone global.
17. Wales for Food and Drink
Wales is well known for its unique cheeses and wines, famous Welsh
beef and lamb, and fresh fish and seafood. Swansea has UK’s oldest and
largest indoor market which is still located in the city centre.
Laverbread - A traditional
welsh delicacy made from
seaweed
Welsh Cakes - A traditional
welsh snack, similar to
scones, made from flour,
butter, eggs, sugar, currants
and/or raisins.
18. Cawl - Stew-like dish
consisting of meat and
vegetables
Bara Brith - Sometimes known
as speckled bread.
There are almost 40 food festivals a year in Wales celebrating the culinary
traditions of Wales alongside those of China, India and other countries.
19. Traditional music and Folk music
The most common Welsh
folk song is the love song,
with lyrics pertaining to the
sorrow of parting or in praise
of the girl.
After love songs, the ballad
was a very popular form of
song, with its tales of manual
labour, agriculture and the
every day life.
The most traditional of Welsh
instruments is the harp, and
is considered the national
musical item.
20. Modern Music in Wales
In the non-traditional arena, many Welsh musicians have
been present in popular rock and pop, either as
individuals, individuals in or as bands formed in Wales.
Roger David Glover performing live
with Deep Purple in 2013.
Shakin' Stevens ,UK's
biggest-selling singles
artist of the 1980s
21. Education in Wales
The education system in Wales is the same as England
Pre-school (creche, nursery, kindergarten)
Primary school (aged 4 or 5 to11)
Secondary school (aged 11 to 16 or 18)
The minimum school leaving age is 16
Pupils sit GCSE Ordinary level exams at aged 18 and GCSE Advanced levels
at aged 18
GCSE A levels are required for entry to university
22. Primary and Secondary Schools
There are 2 types of schools – state (also called
comprehensive) and private (also called independent).
There are fees at private schools, state schools are free.
Some private schools are boarding schools, state schools
are day schools.
About 90% of children in Wales go to state schools
Pupils sit various tests throughout their school life
Almost all schools have a uniform
Pupils can have school meals or bring meals from home
23. Independent Schools
There are currently 68 Independent Schools
located throughout Wales. Age ranges from 3 to18+
are covered by the majority of the schools, whilst
the others concentrate on either on 3 to11 or 11 to 18+
Pupil numbers at the schools range from 3 pupils in
small schools to 838 pupils in larger schools. The
smaller schools specialize in pupils with special
educational needs who require more individual
attention. Most are of mixed gender with the odd
one or two single sex schools.
24. Further Education
Education for people over compulsory school age
(sixteen years), including academic and vocational
courses.
general education for people of all ages who want to
study academic subjects or recreational activities as well
as to develop and upgrade work skills.
full-time and part-time courses
qualifications which are accepted for entry into UK
universities
25. MORE ABOUT FURTHER
EDUCATION
There are 24 Welsh further education institutions
(usually called ‘FE colleges’), covering all parts of
Wales and all sorts of vocational and academic
specialisms.
For example, Deeside College works closely with
Airbus Industries (which has a factory nearby) to
provide training for aircraft and wider aerospace
technicians, as well as the other skills needed by a
major multinational company.
26. There are 12 higher education
institutions in Wales
Cardiff University
North East Wales Institute
Royal Welsh College of Music & Drama
Swansea Institute of Higher Education
Trinity College Carmarthen
University of Glamorgan
University of Wales Aberystwyth
University of Wales Bangor
University of Wales Lampeter
University of Wales Institute, Cardiff
University of Wales Newport
Swansea University
28. Wrexham Steeple
Overton Yew Trees
Pistyll Rhaeadr
a tall waterfall, at 240 ft
(73 m)
16th-century tower of St
Giles' Church, Wrexham
ancient yew trees in
the churchyard of St.
Mary's at Overton-on-
Dee
29. Snowdon´s Mountain
St. Winifred´s Well
Llangollen Bridge Gresford Bells
the highest mountain
a pilgrimage site at Holywell
built in 1347 over the River Dee
the peal of bells in the medieval
church of All Saints at Gresford
33. Rugby
The Wales national rugby union
team represent Wales in international rugby
union tournaments.
They compete annually in the Six Nations
Championship with England, France, Ireland, Italy an
d Scotland.
Wales most recent championship win came in 2013.
World position of wales is sixth.
34. Wales rugby team in 1881 played for the first time against
England
40. Mellennium stadium
The Millennium Stadium is the
national stadium of Wales and the
third largest stadium in Britain.
The stadium was built to host the final
at the 1999 Rugby World Cup and
replaced Wales’ previous national
stadium, the Cardiff Arms Park, which
by that time had gotten severely
outdated and lacked the facilities to
stage such final.
Construction of the Millennium
Stadium began in 1997 and was
completed in 1999 at a total cost of
£114 million. The first match played at
the stadium was a rugby friendly
between Wales and South Africa.
The first football match was a friendly
between the Welsh and Finnish
national teams in March 2000.
41. Legends and famous personalities
of football from wales
John Charles Ivor Allchurch Alf Sherwood
These were some of the guys who made to the world cup quarter finals competing
against brazil
43. Joseph William "Joe" Calzaghe, born 23 March 1972) is a
retired Welsh professional boxer. He is a
former WBO, IBF,WBC, WBA & The Ring Super Middleweight Champion
and The Ring Light Heavyweight Champion
44. List of Holidays in Wales
New Year's Day January 1
Good Friday April 18
Easter Monday April 21
Early May Bank Holiday May 5
Spring Bank Holiday May 26
Summer Bank Holiday August 25
Christmas Day December 25
Boxing Day December 26
45. Seasonal festivals
St. David's Day (Dydd Gŵyl Dewi Sant) is celebrated on 1 March,
Dydd Santes Dwynwen is celebrated on 25 January every year as
the Welsh day of love
Gŵyl Fairy Canhwyllau Literally translates as "Mary's Festival of
the Candles“ on February 2.
Alban Eilir (March 20–21) in the middle of Spring.
Calan Awst which is around August 1: The first day of Autumn, a
time of festival and drinking.
Nos Galan Gaeaf and Calan Gaeaf October 31 and November 1:
Winter's eve and the first day of winter.
Alban Arthan on December 21–22: A Winter Solstice or
Midwinter festival, the shortest day of the year.
June 24: Gwyl Ifan (St John's Day) otherwise known
as Midsummer's day.
46. Transportation in Wales
The geography of Wales has been a key influence on
the development of its transport system, with the main
settlements lying on the coasts of North and South
Wales, while Mid Wales is lightly populated. The main
transport corridors are east-west routes
47. Some modes of transportation in Wales are-
Railways
Airways
Waterways
Roadways
48. Railways
Urban Rail
The only form of commuter
rail system in Wales is
the Valley Lines network
serving Cardiff and the South
Wales valleys, serving 20
stations in Cardiff and 61
stations in the surrounding
area. Train frequency at the
core of the network is up to
every 5 minutes.
49. Great Orme Tramway
The only surviving tram service within Wales is the Great
Orme Tramway, a cable hauled tramway
in Llandudno which survives as a tourist attraction.
51. Airways
Wales has two airports offering scheduled services,
Cardiff and Anglesey.
In South Wales the air travel market is estimated to be
in the region of 3.5 million passengers, half of which
are served by Cardiff Airport while the remainder
travels mainly to Heathrow, Bristol and Gatwick.
52. Waterways
Milford Haven is the fourth largest port in the UK in terms of tonnage and the
busiest for oil products. Newport is the busiest UK port for iron and steel and Port
Talbot is the third busiest for ores.
53. Roadways
The trunk road network carries around one third of
road traffic in Wales. Around 80 per cent of traffic on
Welsh roads is cars, taxis, and minibuses, mainly on
east-west routes in north and south Wales.
Wales has 133 kilometres of motorways, all of which
are in the south. The major artery is the M4, which
enters Wales via the Second Severn Crossing and
terminates at Pont Abraham in Carmarthenshire.
54. M4 motorway
The M4 is a motorway which runs
between London and South Wales in the United
Kingdom.
Originally referred to as the London-South Wales
Motorway
55. A483 Road
The A483 is a major road in the United Kingdom,
running from Swansea in Wales to Chester in England,
although the official title is the Swansea to Manchester
Trunk Road.
56. Famous Artist in Welsh Art Thomas Jones (26 September 1742 – 29 April 1803)
was a Welsh landscape painter
The Bard (1774). Oil on canvas, 114.5 × 168.0 cm. National Museum Cardiff.
57. Richard Wilson
Richard Wilson is described in the Welsh Academy
Encyclopedia of Wales as the "most distinguished
painter Wales has ever produced”.
Richard Wilson
Lake Avernus (c. 1765)
58. Welsh Celebrity
Hopkins is well
known for his
portrayal
of Hannibal
Lecter in The Silence
of the Lambs, for
which he won
the Academy Award
for Best Actor.
Sir Philip Anthony Hopkins
59. Richard
Burton, was
a Welsh stage and
cinema actor noted
for his mellifluous
baritone voice and his
great acting talent.
Burton was
nominated seven
times for an Academy
Award without ever
winning.
60. She is a Welsh singer. She found
fame in the mid-1950s and has
been called "one of the most
popular female vocalists in
Britain during the last half of the
20th century.
In the US, in particular, she is
best known for recording the
theme songs to the James
Bond films Goldfinger (1964), Di
amonds Are Forever (1971), and
Moonraker (1979)
Dame Shirley Veronica Bassey
62. Castell caerffili
It is one of the great medieval castles of western Europe. Several
factors give it this pre-eminence - its immense size (1.2h), making it the
largest in Britain after Windsor, its large-scale use of water for defence
and the fact that it is the first truly concentric castle in Britain. Of the
time of its building in the late 13th century, it was a revolutionary
masterpiece of military planning.
64. Brecon Beacons
The Brecon Beacons
National Park is a place
of rivers and mountains
with all sorts of outdoor
activities.
65. Tenby
Tenby is a popular seaside resort and also a mediaeval
walled town. It has lovely sandy beaches and lots of
beautiful places to walk.
66. Swansea has a beautiful bay and a large
marina. It is the second largest city in
Wales.
Swansea
A statue of
Dylan Thomas
a famous Welsh
author
who lived in
Swansea.
67. Cardiff
Cardiff is the capital of
Wales. It has a castle and
its new Millennium Stadium
has hosted some important
football and rugby
matches.
It is also home to the
Welsh Assembly.
68. Llandudno
Llandudno is a Victorian seaside
resort situated in a bay
between two hills. You can ride
a cable car up one, called the
Great Orme.
69. Conwy
Conwy is a walled town
situated on the mouth of
the river Conwy. It has a
castle and the smallest
house in Wales.
70. Snowdonia National Park
Snowdon is the highest mountain in
Wales and is in the second largest
National Park, after the Lake
District, in England and Wales.
71. Cardigan Bay
Cardigan Bay is home to a huge range of
wildlife from skylarks to dolphins. The
coastline runs for 40 miles and ancient
footpaths wind their way along the edge
of the rugged cliffs.
72. Milford Haven
Milford Haven is a seaport. It has
a large dock for the tankers to
collect the oil from its oil
refineries. It is the leading oil
port in Britain and the second
largest in Europe.
73. Anglesey
Anglesey is an island separated from
the mainland by the Menai Strait. You
can cross over on one of its two
bridges. There is a ferry port on the
island from which you can sail to
Dublin.
74. Llŷn Peninsula
The Llŷn peninsula is a narrow strip
of land only 8 miles wide. It is
surrounded by many beautiful
beaches that are popular with
holiday makers. Most are owned by
the National Trust.
75. Cambrian Mountains
The Cambrian Mountains are a
large upland area of Mid Wales,
that are wild and unpopulated.
They are the source of many of
Wales’ main rivers.
76. Vale of Clwyd
The Vale of Clwyd is a valley
that surrounds the River Clwyd.
It is edged by the Clwydian
hills.The land is good for
farming and is only 40 metres
above sea level.
77. Wrexham
Wrexham is the principal town of
North Eastern Wales. It is close to
the border of England and is a centre
for many industries and factories. It
also has a busy agricultural market.
78. Fishguard is a major ferry link
between Pembrokeshire and
Rosslare in Ireland. It has a new
high-speed catamaran. A lot of wild
life can be found in the sea around.
Fishguard
79. Porthcawl was originally built as a port
to transport coal from the valley
mines. It became a popular holiday
resort. It has an extensive promenade
and several beaches. Four rocky points
line the shore.
Porthcawl
80. Newport
Newport is the third largest city in Wales
(after Cardiff and Swansea). It stands at
the gateway of England and Wales, on the
banks of the River Usk.
81. Merthyr Tydfil
Merthyr Tydfil is situated high up
in the mountains and is famous for
producing iron and coal . The last
iron foundry closed in 1987. The
rugby club, Merthyr Tydfil RFC,
are known as the Ironmen.
82. Economy
The economy of Wales is closely linked with the rest of
the United Kingdom and the wider European Economic
Area.
In 2012, according to ONS provisional data, headline gross
value added (GVA) in Wales was £47.3 billion, making the
Welsh economy the tenth largest of the UK's twelve regions
(counting Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland alongside
the nine English Government Office Regions) ahead of
only Northern Ireland and the North East of England.
The modern Welsh economy is dominated by the service
sector. In 2000, services contributed 66% to GVA,
the manufacturing sector contributed 32%,
while agriculture, forestry and fishing together contributed
1.5%
83. The currency used in Wales is the pound
sterlin.
The Bank of England is the central bank, responsible
for issuing currency.
The Royal Mint, which issues the coinage circulated
over the whole of the UK, has been based at a single
site in Llantrisant, south Wales since 1980central
bank, represented by the symbol £, responsible for
issuing currency
85. Banks in Wales
First Choice Finance
NatWest Bank plc
Santander
Coutts & Co
TSB
HSBC
Julian Hodge Bank Ltd
86. Polymer notes
In September 2013 the Bank of England opened a period of
public consultation about the introduction of polymer or
plastic banknotes, which would be introduced into
circulation from 2016 if the proposals were supported.
In December 2013, the Bank confirmed the introduction of
plastic or polymer notes would commence in 2016.It has
been confirmed that the first Polymer note to be put into
circulation will be the £5. A £10 note will go into circulation
about a year later.
A spokesman for LINK, the company that operates cash
machines in the United Kingdom, said machines would
need to be altered to fit the smaller £5 banknotes
87. No Bank Notes of wales
There are no Welsh banknotes in circulation; Bank of
England notes are used throughout Wales. The last
Welsh banknotes were withdrawn in 1908 upon the
closure of the last Welsh bank, the North and South
Wales Bank. An attempt was made in 1969 by a Welsh
banker to revive Welsh banknotes, but the venture was
short-lived and the notes did not enter general
circulation
88. An example of a
provincial English
banknote: a £1 note
issued in 1814 by
the Gloucester Old Bank
89. Top 5 Banks in UK
Bank
Headquart
ers
Market value
(£bn)
4 October 2013
Total Assets
(£bn)
As of 30 June
2012
HSBC
Canary
Wharf
126.3 1,677
Lloyds Banking Group†
City of
London
53.5 955
Royal Bank of Scotland
Group††
Edinburgh 42 1,405
Barclays
Canary
Wharf
43.6 1,620
Standard Chartered
City of
London
36.7 395
90. B.T. & It’s Competitors
BT Global Services is one of the UK’s
leading suppliers of networked IT services for public, finance and
corporate sector customers. Many customers are based in the UK
or have operations in the country.
They offer extensive domestic voice, contact centre and IP VPN
services in the UK. They also have 1,182 core fibre Ethernet nodes
and 730 Ethernet over Copper access nodes.
Global Services customers will also be able to take advantage of the
superfast broadband network (VDSL & GPON), which will be
available to around two-thirds of the UK’s homes and businesses
by the end of 2014. We also have three security operations centres.
BT Global Services has around 1,800 UK customers connecting
businesses and organisations in almost every sector
of the British economy.
91. Top Competitors for BT Group plc
BT has a primary listing on the London Stock
Exchange and is a constituent of the FTSE 100 Index.
Virgin Media
Talk Talk
Sky
Cable & Wireless Worldwide plc
Deutsche Telekom AG
Vodafone Group Plc