Merthyr Tydfil

The closure of the collieries and heavy industries which were traditionally the mainstay of the area's economy have led to efforts to attract new sources of employment. A number of light industries have been established, producing a variety of products including electrical goods, steel tubing, toys, lingerie, and office equipment.

The area of Merthyr Tydfil, along with the rest of Glamorgan, was conquered by the Normans during the late 11th and early 12th centuries. Glamorgan was made a county in 1536. Originally a market town, Merthyr Tydfil became one of the world's great iron-working centres; in 1801 it was the largest town in Wales and was the most significant Welsh town during the Industrial Revolution. By the end of the 19th century it was beginning to decline, overtaken by Cardiff, Swansea, and Newport on the South Wales coast. Keir Hardie, the first leader of the parliamentary Labour Party was Member of Parliament for Merthyr Tydfil from 1900 until his death in 1915.