I.

Introduction

Dyfed, former county, south-western Wales, bordered on the north by Gwynedd, on the east by Powys, on the south-east by West Glamorgan, on the south by the Bristol Channel, and on the west by Cardigan Bay and St George's Channel. Dyfed was created under the local government reforms of 1974 by the merger of the historic counties of Cardiganshire, Carmarthenshire, and Pembrokeshire. It ceased to exist on April 1, 1996, reverting back to the pre-1974 counties and borders. This was a result of administrative changes implemented under the Local Government Act 1994, which provided for the replacement of the two-tier system of county and district councils introduced in 1974 by a single-tier system of unitary authorities. Dyfed was the largest county in Wales, with a land area of 5,768 sq km (2,227 sq mi). Carmarthen was the administrative centre of the county.