Ceredigion

I

Introduction

Ceredigion, unitary authority and county, western Wales, bounded on the north by Gwynedd, on the east by the county of Powys, on the south by the counties of Carmarthenshire and Pembrokeshire, and on the west by Cardigan Bay. It was created on April 1, 1996, and bears the Welsh name of the historic county of Cardiganshire, which existed from 1284 until 1974. Under the local government reforms implemented in the latter year, Cardiganshire was incorporated into the county of Dyfed as the district of Ceredigion. The new county of Ceredigion was established as a unitary authority under the provisions of the Local Government Act 1994, that changed the structure of local administration in Wales from a two-tier system of county and district councils to a single-tier system of unitary authorities. Comprising the district of Ceredigion, the new unitary authority has the same boundaries as the pre-1974 county and an area of 1,797 sq km (694 sq mi).

II

Land and Resources

Ceredigion comprises a narrow strip of lowland along the coast, giving way inland to a hilly region. This, in turn, gives way in the east and north-east to the sparsely populated highlands of the Cambrian Mountains. The rocks are mainly shales, slates and grits. Ceredigion's main rivers, the Teifi, Ystwyth, and Dyfi, rise in the Cambrian Mountains. So too do the rivers Severn and Wye, which originate on the county's highest peak, Plynlimon Fawr (752 m/2,568 ft) in the extreme north-east, and flow eastwards into Powys. The Teifi, rising above the town of Tregaron, flows in a broad valley southwards as far as Lampeter (Welsh, Llanbedr), and then turns towards the west, forming the boundary between Ceredigion and Pembrokeshire. The Dyfi separates Ceredigion from Gwynedd in the north. The Ystwyth reaches the sea at Aberystwyth. The Countryside Council for Wales has designated 34 km (21 mi) of coastline as the Ceredigion Heritage Coast—this comprises four separate stretches of coastline, including several nature reserves and marine conservation areas. The Cardigan Bay Special Area of Conservation is home to bottle-nosed dolphins, porpoises, and grey seals.

The climate on the coast is mild and precipitation averages 1,000 mm (40 in) a year. In the mountainous interior the winters are harsh with violent winds and snow that lies in the mountains until late spring. On Plynlimon the average rainfall measures 1,520 mm (60 in) a year. The average January temperature is 6° C (43° F); and in August the average temperature is 16° C (61° F).

III

Population and Administration

Ceredigion has a population of 75,384 (2001). The county is mainly agricultural and communities are small and widely spread. According to the 2001 census, over 61 per cent of the population speaks Welsh and in the upland areas it is people's first language; the medium of education in most primary schools is Welsh. Welsh traditions and culture generally remain vibrant, and Welsh nationalism is a strong influence. The main towns are Aberystwyth (population, 1991, 11,154), Cardigan (Welsh, Aberteifi) (1991, 3,758), Lampeter (1991, 1,989), and Aberaeron (1991, 1,493), which is the administrative centre of the unitary authority. Aberystwyth, as well as being an important tourist resort, is one of the main cultural centres of Wales. Cardigan, a small market town on the banks of the River Teifi, is renowned for its salmon and trout, although this industry is declining.

The police authority is the Dyfed-Powys Police, with headquarters at Carmarthen in Carmarthenshire.

IV

Education and Culture

Two institutions of higher education are located in Ceredigion: the Aberystwyth University (formerly part of the University of Wales, founded in 1872) and the University of Wales, Lampeter (formerly St David's University College, founded 1822). In 1995 the Welsh Agricultural College joined Aberystwyth, becoming the Welsh Institute of Rural Studies. Aberystwyth is the home of the National Library of Wales, and of the Welsh Theatr y Werin.