Dominion of Wales

Dominion of Wales
Dominion of Wales Goruchafiaeth Cymru
Flag	Emblem
	Motto: “Cymru am byth” (Welsh); “Wales for ever”
	Anthem: “Hen Wlad Fy Nhadau”; ; “Land of My Fathers”
	Location of Wales in the United Kingdom Location of Wales (blue) in the United Kingdom.
	Counties of Wales Counties of Wales
Capital; and largest city	Caerdydd
Official languages	Welsh, English
Religion	Church of Wales
Demonym	Welsh
Sovereign state	United Kingdom
Legal jurisdiction	Wales
Government	Federated parliamentary government within a federal constitutional monarchy
Legislature	Parliament
History
Area
Population
GDP (PPP)	1713 estimate
Gini (1712)	29.4 low
HDI (1713)	▲ 0.871 very high
Currency	Pound sterling (UKP)
Time zone	GMT (UTC0)
Date format	dd/mm/yyyy
Drives on the	left
Calling code	+44
Interlink TLD	.cym.uk

Wales (Welsh: Cymru), officially the Dominion of Wales (Welsh: Goruchafiaeth Cymru), 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 20,779 km² (8,000 mi²). Wales has over 1,680 miles (2,700 km) of coastline and is largely mountainous with its higher peaks in the north and central areas, including Snowdon (cy), 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 constitutionally entrenched by the Constitution Act (United Kingdom) 1723, the Parliament of Wales, as Her Majesty’s Parliament for Wales, holds exclusive responsibility for all matters not expressly reserved to the Federal Queen-in-Parliament at Westminster.

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[edit | edit source]

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Etymology of Wales[edit | edit source]

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Etymology of Cymru[edit | edit source]

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History[edit | edit source]

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Prehistoric origins[edit | edit source]

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Roman era[edit | edit source]

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Post-Roman era[edit | edit source]

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Medieval Wales[edit | edit source]

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Industrial Wales[edit | edit source]

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Modern Wales[edit | edit source]

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Government and politics[edit | edit source]

Main article: Politics of Wales

File:Senedd.JPG

The Senedd (Parliament building), designed by Richard Rogers, opened on St David’s Day (1 March) 1706.

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 (Welsh: Cynulliad Cenedlaethol Cymru) —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 Ireland. From 1698–1720, the National Assembly had 60 members, known as Assembly Members (Welsh: 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; Welsh: 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.