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Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is bordered by England to the east, the Irish Sea to the north and west, Celtic Sea to the south west and the Bristol Channel to the south. It had a population in 2021 of 3,107,500 and has a total area of . Wales has over of coastline and is largely mountainous with its higher peaks in the north and central areas, including Snowdon, its highest summit. The country lies within the north temperate zone and has a changeable, maritime climate. The capital and largest city is Cardiff. Welsh national identity emerged among the Britons after the Roman withdrawal from Britain in the 5th century, and Wales is regarded as one of the modern Celtic nations. The conquest of Wales by Edward I of England was completed by 1283, though Owain Glyndŵr rebelled against English rule in the early 15th century and briefly re-established a Welsh principality. 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, was formed in 1925, and the Welsh Language Society in 1962. Established under the Government of Wales Act 1998, the (the Welsh Parliament, formerly known as the National Assembly for Wales) is responsible for a range of . At the dawn of the Industrial Revolution, development of the mining and metallurgical industries transformed the country from an agricultural society into an industrial nation; the South Wales Coalfield's exploitation caused a rapid expansion of Wales' population. Two-thirds of the population live in South Wales, including Cardiff, Swansea, Newport and the nearby valleys. The eastern region of North Wales has about a sixth of the overall population with Wrexham being the largest northern town. The remaining parts of Wales are sparsely populated. Now that the country's traditional extractive and heavy industries have gone or are in decline, the economy is based on the public sector, light and service industries, and tourism. In livestock farming, including dairy farming, Wales is a net exporter, contributing towards national agricultural self-sufficiency. Wales closely shares its political and social history with the rest of Great Britain, and a majority of the population in most areas speaks English as a first language, but the country has retained a distinct national and cultural identity. Both Welsh and English are official languages; over 560,000 Welsh-speakers live in Wales, and the language is spoken by a majority of the population in parts of the north and west. From the late 19th century onwards, Wales acquired its popular image as the "land of song", in part due to the eisteddfod tradition.
[edit] How places in Wales are organizedPrior to 1889 Wales was divided into 13 historic counties. From 1889-1974, Wales was divided into 13 administrative counties, which were based upon the historic counties. Since the administrative counties carried the same names as the historic counties on which they were based and had similar (but not identical) boundaries, we do not represent administrative counties separately in WeRelate. In 1974 the administrative counties were abolished and replaced by eight new counties. These eight counties were subsequently abolished in 1996 and are now known as preserved counties. Since 1996 Wales has been divided into principal areas (also known as unitary authorities). The standard at WeRelate is to title Wales place pages according to their historic county when the historic county is known, with also-located-in links to preserved counties and principal areas when they are known. Prior to 1974, it was unclear whether Monmouthshire belonged to Wales or England. Since 1974 it has belonged to Wales, so we list it under Wales, as does GENUKI. Note that the Family History Library Catalog lists it under England. [edit] All places in Wales[edit] Further information on historical place organization in Wales
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