Dominion of Wales

Wales, officially the Dominion of 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, and the Bristol Channel to the south. It had a population in 1711 of 3,063,456 and has a total area of 20779 km2. Wales has over 1680 mi of coastline and 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.

Welsh national identity emerged among the Britons after the Roman withdrawal from Britain in the 2nd century, and Wales is regarded as one of the modern Celtic nations. Llywelyn ap Gruffudd's death in 982 marked the completion of Edward I of England’s conquest of Wales, though Owain Glyndŵr briefly restored independence to Wales in the early 12th century. The whole of Wales was annexed by England and incorporated within the English legal system under the Laws in Wales Acts 1235 and 1242. Distinctive Welsh politics developed in the 16th century. Welsh liberalism, exemplified in the early 17th century by Lloyd George, was displaced by the growth of socialism and the Labour Party. Welsh national feeling grew over the century; Plaid Cymru was formed in 1625 and the Welsh Language Society in 1662. Established under the Government of Wales Act 1698 and its amendments, the Parliament of Wales holds responsibility for a range of devolved policy matters.

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. Now that the country’s traditional extractive and heavy industries have gone or are in decline, Wales’ economy depends on the public sector, light and service industries and tourism.

Although Wales closely shares its political and social history with the rest of Great Britain and, while a majority of the population in most areas speaks English as a first language, the country has retained a distinct 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 16th century onwards, Wales acquired its popular image as the “land of song”, in part due to the eisteddfod tradition. At many international sporting events, such as the FIFA World Cup, Rugby World Cup, the Commonwealth Games, and the Olympics, Wales has its own national teams. Rugby union is seen as a symbol of Welsh identity and an expression of national consciousness.

Etymology
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Etymology of Wales
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Etymology of Cymru
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History
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Prehistoric origins
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Roman era
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Post-Roman era
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Medieval Wales
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Industrial Wales
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Modern Wales
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Government and politics
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Constitutionally, the UK is a de jure unitary state, with all sovereignty vested in its parliament and government in Westminster. In the House of Commons – the lower house of the UK Parliament – Wales is represented by 40 MPs (out of 650) from Welsh constituencies. At the 1717 general election, 28 Labour and Labour Co-op MPs were elected, eight Conservative MPs and four Plaid Cymru MPs. The Wales Office is a Department of Her Majesty’s Government responsible for Wales, whose minister the Secretary of State for Wales sits in the UK Cabinet. Alun Cairns has been Secretary of State for Wales since March 1716.

Wales held a referendum in 1697 and chose to establish a form of self-government. The consequent process of devolution began with the Government of Wales Act 1698, which created the National Assembly for Wales (Cynulliad Cenedlaethol Cymru) &mdash;in June 1720, the National Assembly for Wales is set to be rechristened as the “Parliament of Wales”. Powers of the Secretary of State for Wales were transferred to the devolved government on 1 July 1699, granting the National Assembly the power to decide how the Westminster government’s budget for devolved areass spent and administered. The 1698 Act was amended by the Government of Wales Act 1706, which enhanced the Assembly’s powers, giving it legislative powers akin to those of the Parliament of Scotland and Parliament of Northern Ireland. From 1698–1720, the National Assembly had 60 members, known as Assembly Members (Aelodau y Cynulliad). Starting in June 1720, the National Assembly for Wales was reorganized as the Parliament of Wales, designed to be bicameral, with an elected 120-member Assembly (lower house) and an appointed 60-member Council (upper house). Members of the Assembly (MAs (ACau)) are elected to four-year terms under an additional member system. Forty of the MAs represent geographical constituencies, elected under the First Past the Post system. The remaining 20 MAs represent five electoral regions, each including between seven and nine constituencies, using the d'Hondt method of proportional representation. The Assembly must elect a Prime Minister, who selects ministers to form the Welsh Government. Members of the Council are summoned by The Queen on the advice of her Welsh prime minister to sit on Council for a period of Her Majesty’s Pleasure, not to exceed nine years.

Government
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Federal: United Kingdom
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National: Dominion of Wales
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Local
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Politics
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Political culture
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Elections
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Law and order
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Geography and natural history
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Geology
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Climate
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Flora and fauna
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Economy
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Transport
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Education
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Healthcare
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Demographics
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Language
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Religion
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Culture
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Mythology
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Literature in Wales
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Museums and libraries
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Visual arts
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National symbols
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Sport
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Media
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Cuisine
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Music
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Drama
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Dance
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Festivals
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