Wales is in north-west Europe and is part of Great Britain, an island country ( See map ) and the United Kingdom (UK) .
The name Wales comes from the Cymraeg word Gwalia, meaning in English "Homeland". It later became Latinized as Walia, then by the Normans to something like Wal~es....then Wales.
- Wales (Cymru in Welsh) is a mountainous country on the western side of Great Britain.
- Wales is bordered by England to the east, the Bristol Channel to the south, St George's Channel in the west, and the Irish Sea to the north.
| Technically, Wales is a principality. This means that it is ruled by a prince. Traditionally the Prince of Wales is the eldest son of the English monarch. |
- Wales is one of the four parts of the United Kingdom (along with England, Scotland, and Northern Ireland).
Great Britain
- Wales has not been politically independent since 1282, when it was conquered by King Edward I of England.
- Until 1999, Wales was ruled directly from London; that year saw the first elections to the National Assembly of Wales, which has limited domestic powers and cannot make law.
- Wales does not issue its own currency and is not in control of any armed forces. These are the powers of the national government of the UK.
- The national game of Wales is Rugby
Why doesn't the Welsh dragon appear on the Union Flag?
The Welsh dragon does not appear on the flag because when the first Union Flag was created in 1606, Wales was already united with England from the 13th century. This meant that Wales a Principality instead of a Kingdom and as such could not be included.
In 1536, under Henry VIII, the Act of Union joined England and Wales officially.
In November 2007, a Welsh MP, Ian Lucas, asked parliament why Wales is not represented in the Union Jack. Of course, we have the answer here on our website, but what if Wales was represented, what would the flag look like?
Below you can see Ian Lucas' version of the Union flag with Wales represented:
Economy
- Coal, copper, iron, lead, and gold have been mined in Wales, and slate has been quarried.
- Much of Wales, due to poor soil, is unsuitable for crop-growing, and so livestock farming has traditionally been the focus of agriculture.
- The Welsh landscape, protected by three National Parks, and the unique Welsh culture bring in tourism, which is especially vital for rural areas.
Traditional Welsh Food
- Welsh food is usually made from local ingredients.
- Some traditional dishes include laverbread (made from seaweed), bara brith (fruit cake), cawl cennin (leek stew), Welsh cakes, Welsh Rarebit, and Welsh lamb.
- A type of shellfish, cockles, is often served with breakfast.
The Welsh cawl
 Famous Welsh people
Wales is known for its great actors - Richard Burton, and today Sir Anthony Hopkins and Catherine Zeta Jones. It is also known for its Celtic traditions and the Red Dragon (Y Ddraig Goch) on its flag.
- Laura Ashley - famous fashion creator.
- David Lloyd George - past British Prime Minister,
- Sir George Everest - famous traveler and explorer, The highest peak in the world is named after him.
- Roald Dahl (1916–1990), author
- Dick Francis (born 1920), jockey and author
- Dylan Thomas (1914–1953), poet
- Ronald Stuart Thomas (1913–2000), poet
- David Jones (1895–1974), artist and poet
- Tom Jones
- Shirley Bassey.
Musical groups:
- Catatonia,
- Super Furry Animals,
- The Stereophonics,
- Manic Street Preachers.
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Where is Wales?
