Portal:Wales

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The Wales Portal

Wales (Welsh: Cymru [ˈkəmrɨ] ^ⓘ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is bordered by the Irish Sea to the north and west, England to the east, the Bristol Channel to the south, and the Celtic Sea to the south-west. , it had a population of 3,107,494. It has a total area of 21,218 square kilometres (8,192 sq mi) and over 2,700 kilometres (1,680 mi) of coastline. It 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. The capital and largest city is Cardiff.

A distinct Welsh culture emerged among the Celtic Britons after the Roman withdrawal from Britain in the 5th century, and Wales was briefly united under Gruffydd ap Llywelyn in 1055. After over 200 years of war, the conquest of Wales by King Edward I of England was completed by 1283, though Owain Glyndŵr led the Welsh Revolt against English rule in the early 15th century, and briefly re-established an independent Welsh state with its own national parliament (Welsh: senedd). In the 16th century 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, Plaid Cymru, was formed in 1925, and the Welsh Language Society in 1962. A governing system of Welsh devolution is employed in Wales, of which the most major step was the formation of the Senedd (Welsh Parliament, formerly the National Assembly for Wales) in 1998, responsible for a range of devolved policy matters. (Full article...)

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Sibyl de Neufmarché, Countess of Hereford, suo jure Lady of Brecknock (c. 1100 – after 1143), was a Cambro-Norman noblewoman, heiress to one of the most substantial fiefs in the Welsh Marches. The great-granddaughter of Gruffydd ap Llywelyn, king of Wales, Sibyl was also connected to the nobility of England and Normandy. Sibyl inherited the titles and lands of her father, Bernard de Neufmarché, Lord of Brecon, after her mother, Nest ferch Osbern, had declared her brother Mahel to have been illegitimate. Most of these estates passed to Sibyl's husband, Miles de Gloucester, 1st Earl of Hereford, as her dowry. Their marriage had been arranged personally by King Henry I of England in the spring of 1121. Sibyl, with her extensive lands, was central to the King's plans of consolidating Anglo-Norman power in south-east Wales by the merging of her estates with those of Miles, his loyal subject on whom he relied to implement Crown policy.

As an adult, Sibyl lived through King Stephen's turbulent reign, known to history as the Anarchy, in which her husband played a pivotal role. Following Miles' accidental death in 1143, Sibyl entered a religious life at Llanthony Secunda Priory, Gloucestershire, England, which she had endowed up to six years previously. Sibyl is buried at the priory, founded by Miles in 1136.

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Royal Badge of Wales

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Did you know...?

... that St Eugrad's Church, Llaneugrad contains an Art Nouveau memorial to one of the officers who died in the wreck of the Royal Charter in 1859?
... that St Beuno's Church, Aberffraw is a rare example of a church in Anglesey with two naves?
... that a 19th-century rector of St Mary's Church in Llanfair-yng-Nghornwy was awarded a gold medal for his attempt to save a boat during a gale?
... that Maurice Wilks, who invented the Land Rover, is buried at St Mary's Church, Llanfair-yn-y-Cwmwd?

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Gethin Clifford Jones (born 12 February 1978) is a Welsh television presenter best known for co-presenting the long-running BBC children's show Blue Peter. An active rugby union player when at the Manchester Metropolitan University and for a time after graduation, Jones began his television career on Welsh channel S4C as a presenter of children's programmes such as Popty, Mas Draw and the flagship children's entertainment show Uned 5 (Unit 5, 2002–2005). In 2005, he became the 31st presenter of Blue Peter, the world's longest-running children's television series. He has also hosted major live telecasts of events like Mardi Gras in Cardiff and New Year Live (2007) and, from 2008, co-hosts the entertainment news programme E24 on BBC News 24. He has made guest appearances in various programmes, including The Mighty Boosh (2004) and Doctor Who (2006). In 2007 Jones was a contestant in Series 5 of Strictly Come Dancing, achieving third place.

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In the news

Wikinews Wales portal

General images

The following are images from various Wales-related articles on Wikipedia.

Image 1Owain Glyndŵr painting by AC Michael (from Culture of Wales)
Image 2Cawl, a Welsh dish of meat and vegetables (from Culture of Wales)
Image 3Crempog - Anglesey style (from Culture of Wales)
Image 4Owain Glyndŵr (from History of Wales)
Image 5The Flag of Saint David (from Culture of Wales)
Image 6Portrait of William Morgan. (from History of Wales)
Image 7Harlech Castle was one of a series built by Edward I to consolidate his conquest. (from History of Wales)
Image 8Senedd-Welsh Parliament, Cardiff Bay. (from History of Wales)
Image 9King Hywel Dda depicted in a 13th-century manuscript (from History of Wales)
Image 10Facsimile of Part of Column 579 from the Red Book of Hergest (from Culture of Wales)
Image 11Two of the furnaces of the Blaenavon Ironworks (from History of Wales)
Image 12Medieval crwth instrument (from Culture of Wales)
Image 13Standard of Bleddyn ap Cynfyn, King of Powys 1063-1075. (from History of Wales)
Image 14Gravestone of King Cadfan ap Iago of Gwynedd (died c. 625) in Llangadwaladr church (from History of Wales)
Image 15'The Welsh at Mametz Wood' painted by Christopher Williams, commissioned by Secretary of State for War at the time, David Lloyd George. (from History of Wales)
Image 16Offa's Dyke (Clawdd Offa) Map. (from History of Wales)
Image 17Roman invasion of Wales. (from History of Wales)
Image 18Island of Britain in AD 500. (from History of Wales)
Image 19Caradog by Thomas Prydderch. Caradog led multiple celtic tribes against the Romans. (from History of Wales)
Image 20The Bard, 1774, by Thomas Jones (1742–1803) (from Culture of Wales)
Image 21Big Pit, National Coal Museum. (from History of Wales)
Image 22Tom Jones performing with Janis Joplin in 1969 (from Culture of Wales)
Image 23Medieval kingdoms of Wales shown within the boundaries of the present day country of Wales and not inclusive of all (from History of Wales)
Image 24Market Day in Old Wales by Sydney Curnow Vosper (1910) (from Culture of Wales)
Image 25Red Dragon of Wales (from Culture of Wales)

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Wales topics

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This is a list of recognized content, updated weekly by JL-Bot (talk · contribs) (typically on Saturdays). There is no need to edit the list yourself. If an article is missing from the list, make sure it is tagged (e.g. {{WikiProject Wales}}) or categorized correctly and wait for the next update. See WP:RECOG for configuration options.