Portal:Wales

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The Wales Portal

Wales (Welsh: Cymru [ˈkəm.rɨ] ^ⓘ) 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. As of the 2021 census, 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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Our Lady Star of the Sea and St Winefride, Amlwch is a Roman Catholic church in Amlwch, a town on the island of Anglesey, north Wales. It was built in the 1930s to a design by an Italian architect, Giuseppe Rinvolucri, using reinforced concrete. The church is in the shape of an upturned boat, reflecting Amlwch's maritime heritage, and is dedicated to Our Lady, Star of the Sea (a title of St Mary) and St Winefride, a Welsh saint.

The church was closed between 2004 and 2011 because of structural problems that required costly repairs. The church is a Grade II* listed building, a designation given to "particularly important buildings of more than special interest", because it is a "remarkable inter-war church", built to "a highly unusual and experimental design". The Twentieth Century Society has called it "a rare and unique church", and it has also been called "one of Britain's most avant-garde churches".

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Credit: Stemonitis

The Welsh language is, with English, one of the two official languages of Wales, and most road signs in Wales are bilingual.

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Did you know...?

... that King Arthur's Cave, near Ganarew, to the northeast of Monmouth, is reputedly older than any other Arthurian site?
... that during the Popish Plot, on Sunday 17 November 1678, John Arnold of Monmouthshire captured Father David Lewis at St Michael's Church, Llantarnam and he was later executed?
... that there were so many pubs in Monmouth's market place that they said "A gin court here, a gin court there, No wonder they call it Agincourt Square"?
... that Lady Llangattock, the mother of Charles Rolls, commemorated the centenary of Nelson's death at The Kymin?

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There is no greater mistake than to try to leap an abyss in two jumps.

— David Lloyd George, in Lloyd George, David (1933). "XXIV: Disintegration of the Liberal Party". War Memoirs. Vol. 2 (1st ed.). London: Ivor Nicholson & Watson. p. 740.

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Lloyd Owen (born 14 April 1966) is a British actor of Welsh descent. Trained at the National Youth Theatre and the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA) in London, he is probably best known for his portrayal of Indiana Jones's father Professor Dr. Henry Jones, Sr. in The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles between 1992 and 1993 and for playing Paul Bowman-MacDonald in the BBC Scotland television series Monarch of the Glen from 2002 to 2005. He played the role of solicitor William Heelis in the film Miss Potter (2006). However, his first love has always been the theatre. His first break on stage was the role of Nick in Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? in 1996. Other highlights of his stage career include playing Dan in Closer in 1998 and George in The York Realist in 2002. His most recent role was as Peter in Paul (2005). Growing up in a theatrical family, as a child Owen met many icons who were his father's friends, including John Conteh, Tommy Cooper, Ken Dodd, Ronnie Fraser, Richard Harris, Danny La Rue and Peter O'Toole.

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In the news

Wikinews Wales portal

General images

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

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

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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.