Wales

Introduction & Quick Facts
Land
- Relief
- Drainage
- Soils
- Climate
- Plant and animal life
People
- Ethnic groups and languages
- Religion
- Settlement patterns
  - Rural settlement
  - Urban settlement
- Demographic trends
Economy
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing
- Resources and power
- Manufacturing
- Services
- Transportation
Government and society
- Constitutional framework
- Local government
- Justice and security
- Political process
- Health and welfare
- Housing
- Education
Cultural life
- Daily life and social customs
- The arts
  - Music, literature, and film
  - Visual arts
- Cultural institutions
- Sports and recreation
- Media and publishing
History
- Wales before the Norman Conquest
  - The prehistory of Wales
  - Roman Wales (1st–4th centuries)
  - The founding of the kingdoms
  - Early Christianity
  - Political development
  - Early Welsh society
- Wales in the Middle Ages
  - Norman infiltration
  - Gwynedd, Powys, and Deheubarth
  - Llywelyn ap Iorwerth
  - The Edwardian settlement
  - Rebellion and annexation
- Wales from the 16th to the 21st century
  - Union with England
  - The Reformation
  - Social change
  - Politics and religion, 1640–1800
  - The growth of industrial society
  - Political radicalism
  - The 20th century
  - The 21st century

References & Edit History Facts & Stats

Images & Videos

Map of Wales showing its political boundaries with England in red, major cities and towns such as Cardiff, Swansea, and Bangor, and surrounding bodies of water including the Irish Sea, St. George's Channel, and the Celtic Sea. The map also includes parts of neighboring Ireland and England for regional context.

Conwy Castle with multiple round towers stands beside the River Conwy in Wales, with a stone bridge crossing the water and a sailboat docked nearby.

Map highlighting Wales within the United Kingdom, showing its location on the island of Great Britain to the west of England. Major surrounding countries and bodies of water, including Ireland, France, the Atlantic Ocean, and the English Channel, are also labeled. Cardiff, the capital of Wales, is marked.

Map of Wales highlighting its physical features, including mountain ranges such as the Cambrian Mountains, national parks like Snowdonia and Brecon Beacons, and coastal areas. Major bodies of water including the Irish Sea, Bristol Channel, and Cardigan Bay are labeled, as well as the border with England and notable islands like Anglesey and Holy Island.

Pembrokeshire Coast National Park, Wales

Eryri National Park

At a Glance

Stone ruins of Denbigh Castle in Denbigh, Wales, stand on grassy ground under a blue sky with wispy clouds.

Wales: Media

constituent unit, United Kingdom

Videos

Explore picturesque rural North Wales and historic Conwy Castle

Explore picturesque rural North Wales and historic Conwy Castle

Rural scenes and 13th-century Conwy Castle in North Wales.

Video: Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.

Survey the industrial landscape and Port Talbot urban area of urban South Wales, United Kingdom

Survey the industrial landscape and Port Talbot urban area of urban South Wales, United Kingdom

The industrial landscape of southern Wales, U.K.

Video: Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.

Images

flag of Wales

Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.

Map of Wales showing its political boundaries with England in red, major cities and towns such as Cardiff, Swansea, and Bangor, and surrounding bodies of water including the Irish Sea, St. George's Channel, and the Celtic Sea. The map also includes parts of neighboring Ireland and England for regional context.

Wales

Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.

Conwy Castle with multiple round towers stands beside the River Conwy in Wales, with a stone bridge crossing the water and a sailboat docked nearby.

Conwy Castle, Wales

Conwy Castle, along the River Conwy, Wales.

© Tomas Marek/Dreamstime.com

Map highlighting Wales within the United Kingdom, showing its location on the island of Great Britain to the west of England. Major surrounding countries and bodies of water, including Ireland, France, the Atlantic Ocean, and the English Channel, are also labeled. Cardiff, the capital of Wales, is marked.

Wales

Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.

Map of Wales highlighting its physical features, including mountain ranges such as the Cambrian Mountains, national parks like Snowdonia and Brecon Beacons, and coastal areas. Major bodies of water including the Irish Sea, Bristol Channel, and Cardigan Bay are labeled, as well as the border with England and notable islands like Anglesey and Holy Island.

Physical features of Wales

Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.

Snowdon

Snowdon

Snowdon, northern Wales.

Gdr

Pembrokeshire Coast National Park, Wales

Pembrokeshire Coast National Park, Wales

Coastline, Pembrokeshire Coast National Park, Wales.

James P. Rowan

River Dee

River Dee

River Dee at Llangollen, Wales.

Akke Monasso

Wales

Wales

Waterfalls in the Vale of Neath, Wales, United Kingdom.

Geoff Tompkinson/GTImage.com (A Britannica Publishing Partner)

Eryri National Park

Eryri National Park

Landscape in Eryri National Park in Wales.

© Rixie/Fotolia

Aberystwyth

Aberystwyth

Aberystwyth, Ceredigion, Wales.

Aeronian

Caernarfon Castle, Wales

Caernarfon Castle, Wales

Caernarfon Castle, a popular tourist attraction in Wales.

Photos.com/Thinkstock

Map of the United Kingdom highlighting current political boundaries and subdivisions for Scotland, England, Wales, and Northern Ireland. The map shows administrative counties, unitary authorities, metropolitan counties, and other local authorities, with major cities and numbered subdivisions labeled in each country. Insets display the Channel Islands, Shetland Islands, and a locator map for geographic context. Lists of numbered subdivisions for each UK country are included around the map.

Map showing the political boundaries of the United Kingdom

Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.

University of Wales

University of Wales

University of Wales, Bangor, Gwynedd, Wales.

Velela

Dylan Thomas

Dylan Thomas

Dylan Thomas, 1952.

Rollie McKenna

Tintern Abbey, Monmouthshire, Wales

Tintern Abbey, Monmouthshire, Wales

Ruins of Tintern Abbey, Monmouthshire, Wales.

Kenneth Scowen

Wales-England rugby match

Wales-England rugby match

The “Home Union” teams of Wales (red and white) and England (white), with England...

Sporting Pictures (U.K.)

The image shows four badges. The Italian badge looks like a rope; the Welsh badge looks like a leek; the French badge looks like a hedgehog wearing a crown; and the English badge looks like a rose wearing a crown.

Badges

Italian, Welsh, French, and English badges are represented by the knot of the royal...

Drawing by Wm. A. Norman, Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.

Map of the United Kingdom showing regional results of the 2016 EU Referendum. Scotland, Northern Ireland, and London are shaded blue to indicate a majority voted to remain in the European Union, while the rest of England and Wales are shaded red to show a majority voted to leave.

United Kingdom Brexit referendum

The majority vote by region in the 2016 referendum on whether the United Kingdom...

Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.

Political map of England showing major cities, towns, and transportation links, with borders outlined for Scotland, Wales, and surrounding countries. The map includes neighboring bodies of water such as the Irish Sea, North Sea, and Celtic Sea, and features an inset for regional context within the British Isles and Europe.

England

Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.

Map showing the physical features of England, including major hills, plains, national parks, and upland regions such as the Lake District, Pennines, Yorkshire Dales, Cotswolds, and South Downs. The map also marks surrounding countries-Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland, and Ireland-as well as nearby bodies of water like the North Sea, Irish Sea, and English Channel.

England

Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.

Denbigh Castle

Denbigh Castle

Denbigh Castle, Wales.

© Digital Vision/Getty Images

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