Wales

I

Introduction

Wales, country and principality, part of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, united politically, legally, and administratively with England, and occupying a broad peninsula on the western side of the island of Great Britain. Wales also includes the island of Anglesey, which is separated from the mainland by the narrow Menai Strait. Wales is bounded on the north by the Irish Sea; on the east by the English counties of Cheshire, Shropshire, Herefordshire, and Gloucestershire; on the south by the Bristol Channel; and on the west by the St George’s Channel and Cardigan Bay. The maximum north-south length of the Welsh mainland is about 220 km (137 mi); in an east-west direction the width of the country varies between 60 and 155 km (36 and 96 mi). The total area of Wales is 20,760 sq km (8,015 sq mi). Cardiff is the capital, largest city, and principal seaport of Wales.

II

Land and Resources

Wales has an irregular coastline with many bays, the largest of which is Cardigan Bay. Except for the narrow coastal plains, mainly in the south and west, the river valleys, and the lowlands of the Welsh Marches along the English border, Wales is almost entirely mountainous. The raised plateau of the Cambrian Mountains, which has an average elevation of 610 m (2,000 ft) and extends north-south through central Wales, occupies about two thirds of the country. Other major highland areas are the Brecon Beacons in the south-east, the rugged volcanic rocks of the Snowdon massif, in the north-west, and Cader Idris, in the west. Snowdonia contains the highest peaks in Wales; Mount Snowdon (1,085 m/3,560 ft), in Snowdonia National Park, is the highest point in England and Wales.

A

Rivers and Lakes

The River Dee, which rises in the mountains of Snowdonia National Park, to the west of Lake Bala (the largest natural lake in Wales), and flows through northern Wales into England and then the Irish Sea, is one of the country’s principal rivers. The others are the Wye and the Severn, which both begin near Aberystwyth, flow eastward into England, and then turn south to empty into the Bristol Channel. In the south, many of the rivers flow through steep valleys, including the Usk, Teifi, and Towy. The main river of the north, apart from the Dee, is the Clwyd.

B

Plants and Animals

The flora and fauna of Wales are generally the same as those of similar parts of England. Ferns and mosses are abundant in low-lying, wet areas; grasslands and then moorlands predominate at higher elevations. About 12 per cent of Wales is covered in woodlands, mainly in the uplands, at elevations up to 305 m (1,000 ft). Species include mountain ash, oak, and various conifers; large stands of fast-growing, commercial coniferous forests have been planted in the Welsh mountains since 1945, by both private owners and the Forestry Commission, a government department. Above 305 m (1,000 ft), there are mainly species of small shrubs, coarse grasses, and alpine flora. Among the few wild animals found in Wales, but not generally found in England, are the pine marten and the polecat.