Portal:Wales

Portal topics: Activities; Culture; Geography; Health; History; Mathematics; Nature; People; Philosophy; Religion; Society; Technology; Random portal

The Wales Portal

Wales (Welsh: Cymru [ˈkəmrɨ] ^ⓘ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is bordered by the Irish Sea to the north and west, England to the east, the Bristol Channel to the south, and the Celtic Sea to the south-west. , it had a population of 3,107,494. It has a total area of 21,218 square kilometres (8,192 sq mi) and over 2,700 kilometres (1,680 mi) of coastline. It is largely mountainous with its higher peaks in the north and central areas, including Snowdon (Yr Wyddfa), its highest summit. The country lies within the north temperate zone and has a changeable, maritime climate. The capital and largest city is Cardiff.

A distinct Welsh culture emerged among the Celtic Britons after the Roman withdrawal from Britain in the 5th century, and Wales was briefly united under Gruffydd ap Llywelyn in 1055. After over 200 years of war, the conquest of Wales by King Edward I of England was completed by 1283, though Owain Glyndŵr led the Welsh Revolt against English rule in the early 15th century, and briefly re-established an independent Welsh state with its own national parliament (Welsh: senedd). In the 16th century the whole of Wales was annexed by England and incorporated within the English legal system under the Laws in Wales Acts 1535 and 1542. Distinctive Welsh politics developed in the 19th century. Welsh Liberalism, exemplified in the early 20th century by David Lloyd George, was displaced by the growth of socialism and the Labour Party. Welsh national feeling grew over the century: a nationalist party, Plaid Cymru, was formed in 1925, and the Welsh Language Society in 1962. A governing system of Welsh devolution is employed in Wales, of which the most major step was the formation of the Senedd (Welsh Parliament, formerly the National Assembly for Wales) in 1998, responsible for a range of devolved policy matters. (Full article...)

Refresh with new selections below (purge)

edit

Selected article

Flat Holm (Welsh: Ynys Echni) is a limestone island lying in the Bristol Channel approximately 6 km (4 mi) from Lavernock Point in the Vale of Glamorgan, but in the City and County of Cardiff. It includes the most southerly point of Wales. It is now managed by Cardiff Council's Flat Holm Project Team and designated as a Local Nature Reserve, Site of Special Scientific Interest and a Special Protection Area, because of the maritime grassland and rare plants such as Rock Sea-Lavender (Limonium binervosum) and Wild Leek (Allium ampeloprasum). The island also has significant breeding colonies of Lesser Black-backed Gull (Larus fuscus), Herring Gull (Larus argentatus) and Great Black-backed Gull (Larus marinus). It is also home to Slow worms (Anguis fragilis) with larger than usual blue markings.

The island has a long history of occupation, dating at least from Anglo-Saxon and Viking periods. Religious uses include visits by disciples of Saint Cadoc in the 6th century, and in 1835 it was the site of the foundation of the Bristol Channel Mission, which later became the Mission to Seafarers. A sanatorium for cholera patients was built in 1896 as the isolation hospital for the port of Cardiff. Guglielmo Marconi transmitted the first wireless signals over open sea from Flat Holm to Lavernock. Because of frequent shipwrecks a lighthouse was built on the island, which was replaced by a Trinity House lighthouse in 1737. Because of its strategic position on the approaches to Bristol and Cardiff a series of gun emplacements, known as Flat Holm Battery, were built in the 1860s as part of a line of defences, known as Palmerston Forts. On the outbreak of World War II, the island was rearmed.

edit

Selected image

Portmeirion is an Italianate village designed and built by Sir Clough Williams-Ellis between 1925 and 1975. It has served as the location for numerous films and television shows, most famously serving as The Village in the 1960s television show The Prisoner.

edit

Did you know...?

... that St Eugrad's Church, Llaneugrad contains an Art Nouveau memorial to one of the officers who died in the wreck of the Royal Charter in 1859?
... that St Beuno's Church, Aberffraw is a rare example of a church in Anglesey with two naves?
... that a 19th-century rector of St Mary's Church in Llanfair-yng-Nghornwy was awarded a gold medal for his attempt to save a boat during a gale?
... that Maurice Wilks, who invented the Land Rover, is buried at St Mary's Church, Llanfair-yn-y-Cwmwd?

edit

Selected quote

edit

Selected biography

Sasha (born Alexander Coe on 4 September 1969), is a Welsh DJ and record producer. Sasha began his career playing acid house dance music in the late 1980s, and became a central figure in the development and popularisation of electronic dance music. He partnered with fellow DJ John Digweed in 1993, touring internationally and producing a series of mixes (compilations of other artists work played in a continuous fashion). Through their track selection and mixing techniques, Sasha and Digweed were instrumental in the evolution of progressive trance and house music. Sasha has produced multiple UK-charting singles and has remixed tracks for artists such as Madonna and The Chemical Brothers. His remix of Felix da Housecat's "Watching Cars Go By" earned him a 2004 Grammy nomination. Sasha's remixing and production often combine electronic music genres, making it difficult for critics to pinpoint his musical style, including on his debut album of original work, Airdrawndagger. After achieving success as a producer and DJ, Sasha worked with younger DJs and producers such as Brian Transeau and James Zabiela, influencing their musical styles and techniques.

edit

In the news

Wikinews Wales portal

General images

The following are images from various Wales-related articles on Wikipedia.

Image 1Crempog - Anglesey style (from Culture of Wales)
Image 2Tom Jones performing with Janis Joplin in 1969 (from Culture of Wales)
Image 3Portrait of William Morgan. (from History of Wales)
Image 4Cawl, a Welsh dish of meat and vegetables (from Culture of Wales)
Image 5Island of Britain in AD 500. (from History of Wales)
Image 6Roman invasion of Wales. (from History of Wales)
Image 7Facsimile of Part of Column 579 from the Red Book of Hergest (from Culture of Wales)
Image 8Offa's Dyke (Clawdd Offa) Map. (from History of Wales)
Image 9'The Welsh at Mametz Wood' painted by Christopher Williams, commissioned by Secretary of State for War at the time, David Lloyd George. (from History of Wales)
Image 10Owain Glyndŵr painting by AC Michael (from Culture of Wales)
Image 11Owain Glyndŵr (from History of Wales)
Image 12Senedd-Welsh Parliament, Cardiff Bay. (from History of Wales)
Image 13King Hywel Dda depicted in a 13th-century manuscript (from History of Wales)
Image 14Medieval crwth instrument (from Culture of Wales)
Image 15The Bard, 1774, by Thomas Jones (1742–1803) (from Culture of Wales)
Image 16Caradog by Thomas Prydderch. Caradog led multiple celtic tribes against the Romans. (from History of Wales)
Image 17Big Pit, National Coal Museum. (from History of Wales)
Image 18Gravestone of King Cadfan ap Iago of Gwynedd (died c. 625) in Llangadwaladr church (from History of Wales)
Image 19The Flag of Saint David (from Culture of Wales)
Image 20Standard of Bleddyn ap Cynfyn, King of Powys 1063-1075. (from History of Wales)
Image 21Harlech Castle was one of a series built by Edward I to consolidate his conquest. (from History of Wales)
Image 22Medieval kingdoms of Wales shown within the boundaries of the present day country of Wales and not inclusive of all (from History of Wales)
Image 23Two of the furnaces of the Blaenavon Ironworks (from History of Wales)
Image 24Red Dragon of Wales (from Culture of Wales)
Image 25Market Day in Old Wales by Sydney Curnow Vosper (1910) (from Culture of Wales)

edit

Wales topics

edit

Featured content

This is a list of recognized content, updated weekly by JL-Bot (talk · contribs) (typically on Saturdays). There is no need to edit the list yourself. If an article is missing from the list, make sure it is tagged (e.g. {{WikiProject Wales}}) or categorized correctly and wait for the next update. See WP:RECOG for configuration options.