2. General information
• Area: 20,779 km²
• Population: 2,999,300 (2009)
• Capital: Cardiff
• National languages: Welsh, English
• Monarchy - monarch: Elizabeth II
• First Minister of Wales: Carwyn Jones
• Currency: British Pound (GBP)
4. Geography
• located on a peninsula in central-west Great Britain
• over 1,180 km of coastline
• mountainous landscape, particularly in the north and
central regions
• The 14 Welsh mountains over 3,000 feet high are
known collectively as the Welsh 3000s.
5. Climate
• winters are damp, mild and quite windy
• summers are pleasant with frequent partly-cloudy
days
• can be rainy, especially in fall and the early winter
months
• conditions can change quickly along the western
coast and in the high mountains of the northwest
• Wettest spot – an average of 4,473 millimetres rain a
year at Crib Goch in Snowdonia, Gwynedd
6. History
• inhabited by the Celtic Britons (500 - 100 BC)
• Roman rule (78 AD - 410 ) - lasted over 300 years.
• Saxons invaded Wales (500)
• Treaty of Aberconwy – ended First Welsh
independence war (1277) →
Edward I began building castles
• Black Death swept across country, 40% of
population died (1349)
Caernarfon Castle
7. • Wales was incorporated into
England with the Laws in Wales
Acts (1535–1542)
• Industrial Age began; Wales
became the largest producer of
iron and copper in the world
(1750)
• the Welsh Sunday Closing Act
(1881)
• the National Assembly for
Wales (1999)
• Thousands of sheep tested positive
for foot-and-mouth disease
(2001)
8. Seven Wonders of Wales
• 1. Pistyll Rhaeadr - the highest waterfall in Wales
& England
• 2. Wrexham Steeple - 16th century tower of St
Giles Church
• 3. Snowdon - the highest mountain
• 4. Overton Yew Trees - the yew trees date back to
medieval times
• 5. St Winefride's Well
• 6. Llangollen Bridge
• 7. Gresford Bells - the bells of All Saints church
9.
10. Famous people from Wales
• Edward II - King of England
• Sir Anthony Hopkins - actor
• Catherine Zeta-Jones - actress
• Timothy Dalton - actor
• Shirley Bassey - singer
