The Wales one of the six Celtic nations, and is belonged to the the United Kingdom. It is called Cymru (to be pronounced Kum-laughed) in Welsh, Wales in English, and Latin Cambria in .

Until its conquest in 1282 by Edouard I {{er}} of England, Wales was made up many independent principalities. Following the Act of Union of the king Henri VIII (itself of a family of Welsh source), the country became a constituent part of the Kingdom of England in 1536.

Since 1301, the oldest son of king d' Angleterre carries traditionally the title of Prince de Galles .

In 1999, a National Assembly of Wales ( Cynulliad Cenedlaethol Cymru / National Assembly for Wales ) was instituted. It sits at Cardiff.

Independent history

See also: History of Wales

The Romains established some fortified towns in the south of the country and in its Western part, as in Caerfyrddin/Carmarthen (Maridunum). They also built the large fortress of Caerleon (Isca), where the amphitheater best preserved of Great Britain is.

The Saxons always failed to conquer Wales, as well because of the mountainous ground, as of the keen resistance of the Welsh people. One of the Saxon kings, Offa de Mercie ends up setting up a large ground wall, “Offa' S Dyke”, at the border of its country, to delimit the part of the area of Powys which it had just conquered. Certain vestiges of this construction are still visible. The Anglo-Saxons end up dominating the country, but this domination was more progressive than the conquest of England by William the Conqueror in 1066. Started with the Saxon ones, at the 6th century, the conquest of Wales was completed only in 1282 on a battle field, with the victory of Edouard I {{er}} over Llywelyn the Last, the last independent prince. To sit his domination, Edouard builds in the area several large castles, of which that of Caernarfon, that of Conwy or that of Harlech.

The country remained Celtic and the use of the Welsh language always remained, while at the same time in England and in Scotland, the use of the Celtic languages was lost or largely decreased.

The English word to indicate this country, Wales , is resulting from the word Germanique Walh which results in “speaking a Celtic or Romance language” (whereas the Welsh word means " compatriote"). One finds this term in other languages and other areas to indicate populations speaking a Celtic or Romance language, or the grounds where they live.

Languages

The first spoken language today is the English. The second language is the Welsh, historical language of Wales, the family of the languages Celtique S and more precisely of the brittonic branch, close relationship of the continental Breton and the Cornique.

Since 1993, a law stipulates that both Langues are with equality, from where number of information and bilingual documents in the life of the every day, including the road signs in double English/Welsh form. According to the census of population of 1991, there were 508.098 people speaking Welsh in Wales. Investigation later, realized in 1992 by Ministry for Businesses Welsh (Welsh Office), has however estimated that the number of people speaking Welsh relatively usually amounted to 930.200, about including 467.300 speaking a little Welsh, 94.900 speaking it and 368.000 people usually speaking it.

At the beginning of the 20th century, 50  % of the population spoke Welsh in the everyday life. The proportion had fallen to 20  % at the end of the century. Thanks to the integration of Welsh in teaching, it went back to 23  % in 2001 and continues its progression. Today, Welsh is the first Celtic language spoken in the world, with more 580  000 speakers listed in Wales (source: Welsh Language Board) and 133  000 in England. There exists a television channel which emits exclusively in this language (S4C), and other chains diffuse Welsh emissions regularly. The majority of the signposts are made out at the same time in English and Welsh. Welsh is in full rebirth.

In teaching, Welsh has a remarkable place, since approximately 20% of the children are provided education for in Welsh and the study in is obligatory up to sixteen years. Consequence, it is in the youngest age groups that one finds the most gallophones. The image of Welsh in the media is associated with the countryside and the past.

Famous personalities of Wales

Wales is, according to the words of the anthem national : “gwlad beirdd has chantorion” , a “country of bards and singers”. One can quote a certain number of it.

But it also provided many personalities apart from the musical field:

Welsh symbols

The symbols of Wales can often appear diverting.

The red dragon ( Y ddraig goch in Welsh), which symbolizes the fight between the Saxon ones and the Celts. A legend tells that the king Uther Pendragon (father of the King Arthur) wanted to build a castle but the ground trembled and destroyed without stop the foundations of them. Merlin, called Myrddin in Welsh, who had the gift of clairvoyance, understood that this tumult was caused by two dragons : one, the white dragon, had taken the place of the other, the red dragon, in its cave. The red dragon, which represents the Breton ones métaphoriquement, would end up overriding the Saxon invader. One knows some poems, probably apocryphal books, of Merlin. It is probable that this emblem is a remainder of the Roman occupation which used it as emblem of troop. It is the royal badge of Wales since 1901 and, since 1959, on order of the queen, the flag the representative on a green and white bottom is the official Welsh flag.

March 1st is the festival of the Saint David, evangelist of Wales. The day is not however non-working.

In the honor of patron saint of Wales, it is of tradition to carry a Poireau on March 1st. Nowadays, the leek ( cenhinen gold cennin ) is often replaced by the Jonquille (which bears almost the same name in gallois : cenhinen (gold cennin) pedr ), certainly more esthetic.

The origin of leek as symbol goes back to a battle which proceeded in a leek field, where holy David advised with the Welsh combatants to provide itself some to be distinguished from their attackers. It was a great Welsh victory. For other authors, the original symbol would not be a leek, but a bouquet of feathers of ostriches (also a warlike trophy), quickly interpreted like a leek, more familiar object…

Today still, each March 1st, the youngest member of the regiment of the Welsh Guards eats a leek believed under the acclamations of his pars.

And, in the same way, the Welsh part of 1 book carries on a face a leek, and its section the devise : “ pleidiol wyf i' m wlad ” (“I am in favor of my country”).

Policy

Wales is a Principauté since the 13th century, under the Welsh prince Llywelyn Large the and its small son, Llywelyn the Last, which took the name of Prince of the Welsh around 1258 and was recognized by the English kings by the Traité of Aberconwy in 1277.

Religion

The druidism, base of the Celtic Civilization gradually disappeared from Wales, with the romanisation; to note the massacre of the Druid S by the Roman legions in 61 a. J. - C. The Christianisme was established at the 6th century: Holy David (Dewi Sant 515 - 589), patron saint of the country, is famous to have been in pilgrimage with Rome and to have on its return instituted the Diocèse of Wales, before even as holy Augustin does not found the diocese of Canterbury and a évangéliser the England does not undertake. Wales developed and maintained a Christianisme tinted practices and beliefs more anciennes. However the contemporary movements which are prevailed today of the druidic, like the “ Gorsedd ” or assembled tradition bards S, do not have historical continuity with the druids of the Roman epoch, but are reinvented well-read men of the 18th century.

Nowadays, the rate of assistance to the religious celebrations in Wales east of 8,6%, is lowest of the United Kingdom. The two religious organizations most widespread of the country are the Église Anglican of Wales ( Yr Eglwys yng Nghymru/The Church in Wales ) and the Catholic church. The latter is mainly made up people originating in other European countries, especially the Ireland. There exists also a great number of independent churches (the chapels ) - resulting from the strong Welsh nonconformist tradition - whose majority are gathered in three federations: the Church presbytérienne of Wales ( Eglwys Bresbyteraidd Cymru/The Presbyterian Church off Wales ) - approximately 38  000 members; union of the Independent Welsh ( Undeb yr Annibynwyr Cymraeg/The Union off Welsh Independents ) - 36  000; the Union Baptist of Wales ( Undeb Bedyddwyr Cymru/The Baptist Union off Wales ) - 25  000.

Music

Wales is famous for the number and the quality of its choral societies.

Important cities

  • CYM, (nonofficial), according to the international Code list of the number plates,-->

    • See too

    External bonds

    • Wales on Wikitravel
    • Welsh National Assembly (in English)
    • official Tourist site (in French)
    • bases of Welsh (in English)
    • Celtic Grounds, the guide Web of the Celtic countries

    Beats-smg: Velsos Be-X-old: Валія Roa-rup: Wales Simple: Wales Zh-min-nan: Cymru

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