Facts about Wales in English. Wales - "land of friends", art and mountain landscapes

Wales is part of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and is one of the 4 main administrative and political parts. It is located in the southwestern part of Great Britain and is washed by three seas at once, and also borders on England.

Near Wales there are many islands, but the largest of them is Anglesey. The background part of the national flag of Wales is represented by green and white colors, and on top of them is a red dragon. Most of the population and industrial enterprises located in the south of Wales, its capital is the city of Cardiff.

There are about 18 operating restaurants in the capital. They mainly serve lamb, seafood, and spicy cheeses. In the center of the capital there is a picturesque Katey Park, which houses various architectural structures and sculptures.

The concentration of the population and enterprises in the south is due to the fact that in the northern and central part there is a mountainous area. most high point country is Mount Snowdon, which is hidden behind the clouds at 1085 m.

Wales is very rich in various deposits, in the south there is a large coalfield, in the southwest there are many mineral springs, large of them sulfur and salt.

On the territory of Wales, sheep are bred, the number of which is 4 times the number of the local population.

On the roads of Wales are located road signs, the inscription on which is presented in English and Welsh. Many sports are well developed in Wales. So, for example, the mountainous terrain allows you to organize competitions in rock climbing and mountain biking. Every year there are competitions of people with jockeys on horseback. The Gower Peninsula hosts surfing competitions. Such a sport as golf is very popular in this country; more than 200 golf courses have already been equipped. There is a large football stadium Millennium, its capacity can reach 80 thousand people. If Soccer game fell on rainy weather, for this the stadium is equipped with a retractable roof.

There are many ancient castles in Wales. The largest, majestic and ancient is Caernarvon Castle.

The oldest building in the capital of Wales is represented by the Church of John the Baptist, which was built in the 15th century. However, for such a long period of time, the church has been destroyed more than once; it contains the relics of the patron saint of Wales - St. David.

Wales is famous for its National Opera and various museums. The most interesting of them are the Slate Museum and the Wool Museum.

The largest lake is called Bala and has an area of ​​​​about 5 square kilometers, its depth is 42 meters. In this lake lovers fishing can not only have a good time, but also catch fish. Basically, perch, pike, trout and carp are found in Lake Bala. As you can see, the fish are different, there are even predators.

Culture and competition in Wales is also given great attention. For example, theatrical, literary, jazz, film festivals are held, and a song contest is held in the capital.

Wales is a picturesque country most which are occupied by mountains. In the Welsh language, its name is pronounced Cymru. Loosely translated, it means "country of friends." The Welsh are a mysterious and controversial people. They are passionate about family values, love rugby and pay great attention to creativity.

National features and traditions of Wales

• Welch

The first thing that surprises those who are unfamiliar with the peculiarities of Wales is their language. Despite the fact that the country is part of the United Kingdom, at least 20% of the inhabitants continue to speak their ancient dialect. Even during the Roman rule, the indigenous people had to learn Latin, which greatly influenced their language, which can still be observed with your own eyes. Welsh is deservedly considered one of the oldest European languages and in the cities of Wales you can often find signs, signs and posters duplicated on it. Despite everything, over time, English is gradually replacing Welsh and today many activists are working to return to life. ancient traditions while not forgetting contemporary culture.

• Culture of Wales

The Welsh, like most Celtic peoples, love the arts. They are very musical, love the theater, are fond of oratory and do not refuse good poetry. They are great masters at writing and telling stories. It is from here that many came into the world beautiful legends, for example, the story of King Arthur, Camelot and knights round table. There are many gifted people in Wales who love to practice different types creativity, arrange all kinds of festivals and enthusiastically participate in them.

• Holidays in Wales

ABOUT traditional holidays, which Wales - Great Britain is famous for, can be told for a very long time. We note the most interesting. First of all, this is the old Eisteddvod festival dedicated to rich culture Celts, song and poetry. For those who want to learn more about the mentality and culture of Wales, visiting this holiday will be of great benefit. An important event is the Day of St. David. On the holiday of the name of the ancient patron of Wales, residents wear daffodils on their clothes - the national emblem of the country.

• Indigenous mentality

More than one group of researchers worked on characterizing and describing the mentality of the Welsh. The last of them came to the conclusion that indigenous people Wales can be described as rude, unfriendly, not sparkling with hospitality and politeness. In response to such unflattering results, the Welsh themselves always respond in the same way, complaining that foreigners do not perceive them as full British citizens. In addition, they are distinguished by a more calm and measured way of life, which is alien to the modern tourist. Judging by the results of the research, one thing is clear to us - too little is known about Wales and the contradictory mentality of its population. That is why all those interested are strongly recommended to visit this picturesque, mysterious country and dispel the myth about the strangeness and unsociableness of its inhabitants.

07.10.2016

Wales is that part of the United Kingdom that does not seek independence at all. Unlike Scotland or Ireland, this region has never been a separate state. Attempts to combine it into approximately modern borders happened several times, but ended in defeat. Therefore, the gradual conquest of scattered kingdoms by the British and, as a result, the legal merger of Wales with England in the 16th century became final and was not subject to doubt. However, the Welsh retained their culture and traditions. This is confirmed by some Interesting Facts about themselves and about Wales.

1. Welsh (Welsh) is spoken by about 20% of the inhabitants of the region. Moreover, it is widespread and used in Everyday life on par with English. In addition to Great Britain, this language is also used in Argentina - in the province of Chubut, where Welsh immigrants live.
2. Music has an important place in the culture of Wales. A special place belongs to choral singing, which is known all over the world. Traditional musical instrument- triple (with three rows of strings) harp.
3. Saint David, a bishop and educator who lived in the 6th century, is considered the patron saint of Wales. His memory day is celebrated on March 1 and is an official holiday. The main parade takes place in Cardiff, where soldiers from the Royal Regiment take part.
4. Leek became in the 7th century. According to legend, before the battle with the Saxons, the ruler of the Welsh (according to another version, Saint David himself) ordered the soldiers to attach a branch of this plant to the helmet so that they could easily distinguish their own from opponents. The battle was then won, and the plant subsequently received national status. In the Welsh language, the same word means both the leek and the narcissus, similar in shape to the leaves. So the yellow-white flower in Wales is also respected.
5. Most castles per unit area are in Wales. Well-preserved - about a hundred, and almost disappeared remains - several times more. Most of them were built for defensive purposes.
6. The longest name in the world, consisting of 58 letters, is a village on the island of Anglesey. She is called Llanfair Pullwyngyll for short. full name translated from Welsh as "St. Mary's Church in a hollow of white hazel near a stormy whirlpool and the church of St. Tisilio near the red cave."
7. The sandy beach of Rossili Bay on the Gower Peninsula near Swansea hit the top ten the best beaches peace. This is a beautiful corner of untouched nature surrounded by limestone cliffs.
8. The title of Prince of Wales until the 13th century was worn by the rulers of Wales. After its conquest by England, the title was given by King Edward I to his son, who was born in the castle of the Welsh city of Caernarvon.
9. The first Prince of Wales later became the King of Great Britain, and the tradition was fixed for centuries - this title is given to the heir to the throne, the first male child of the reigning monarch. But this does not happen automatically, but every time anew, after the status of the heir is recognized and all the formalities are observed. The wife of the heir to the throne becomes the Princess of Wales.

The Celts once lived in what is now Wales. The Germans called them Welsh and hence the name of the country. The inhabitants themselves call the country in Welsh - Cymru. Despite the fact that Wales has long and firmly connected with England and is part of the United Kingdom, he still managed to maintain his traditional culture. The Welsh language is considered very difficult to learn, but its use is strongly encouraged, because it is the language that binds people living in the same territory into a nation.

Unspoiled, uncrowded, full of natural and rural beauty, Wales has a strong Celtic flavor, despite centuries of conquest that left behind countless fortresses.

Compound Welsh is a Celtic heritage supported by Wales' bilingual policy. Another Celtic tradition - singing and quoting poems - is supported by "eistedfods". The Llangolen Festival is the largest. It attracts more than 12,000 participants from all over the world every year.

Typical Welsh handicrafts can be found in almost every city and also in small workshops along the roads. Among them: wooden love spoons, Celtic jewelry of gold and silver, whole line woolen items and unique souvenirs made of slate, wood, clay and even coal!

Wales is also famous for its delicious dishes such as bara brith (juicy fruit bread), laverbread (edible seaweed) and lamb.

Since the landscape of Wales is predominantly rural, "bed and breakfast" is offered by friendly farmers everywhere. Here you will be hospitably greeted wherever you go.

Despite the fact that Wales is an agricultural area, there are also cities. The smallest of them is St. Davids (St. David "s), located in the valley of the southwest coast. The city received the status of "City" due to the presence of a cathedral in it that stores the relics of St. David, the patron saint of Wales.

Swansea, the most Big City, - the entrance to the picturesque coastal areas of the Gower Peninsula and the Pembrokeshire coastal national park(Pembrokeshire Coast National Park).

The capital of Wales is the city of Cardiff, an interesting combination 19th architecture century city center and palaces, as well as modern architecture shops and bays.

Wales is famous for its castles. Many of them are destroyed, but some have been restored to their original form, including luxury apartments. One of them is the castle in Cardiff, rebuilt in late XIX century by William Burges and is an example of majestic medieval romanticism. The same master restored the castle of Coch (Castell Coch), located to the north of the city of Cardiff, designed in the pseudo-Norman style.

Some of the most impressive Welsh castles were actually built by the English conqueror of Wales, King Edward I. Among them: Caernarfon Castle, which was built as the official royal residence, and Conwy Castle, where medieval fortifications are still preserved, to the mouth of the river.

In relatively recent times, Wales was famous for its mines, in particular coal mines, some of which are now open to visitors. In the Big Pit Mining Museum in Blaenafon, you can, equipped with a miner's helmet with searchlights, go down the mine to a depth of 90 m and listen to a guided tour of the mine working. You also go deep into the Llechwedd Slate Caverns near Blaenau Ffestiniog, where you can watch the slate splitting on the surface.

Gold has always been and continues to be the most rare mineral in Wales. The developments in the Dolaucothi Gold mines near the village of Pumpsant (Pumsaint) were made in Roman times, although gold was mined in them as recently as 1938.

However, the best attraction of Wales is its luxurious green hills, bordering mainly on sandy beaches, dotted with rivers and waterfalls, storing many lakes and reservoirs and crowned with mountain formations.

In the south at national park Brecon Beacon National Park includes four mountain ranges. There are high, open and forest gorges, waterfalls and caves, which are ideal for educational walks and spending time on fresh air.

Further west is the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park, a magnificent sandy shoreline teeming with life. animal world nearby steep cliffs, following the path through which you get to the beautiful beaches. In the neighboring town of Tenby, there are not only beaches, but also many shops and other entertainment.

Toward the north lies Snowdonia National Park - encompassing such inspiring mountains, valleys and villages. The summit of Snowdonia is reached by train, except for serious climbers. Short walks from villages like Beddgelert and stations railway Ffestiniog Railway between Porthmadog and Blaenau Ffestiniog will be pleasant for travelers.

Possible reduction in tourist flow to the UK
Tour operators expect a reduction in the flow of tourists to the UK by up to 50% in the first six months after the introduction of the rule, according to which biometric data must be provided to apply for a visa.

Speyside - Speyside - Whiskey Valley
The idea of ​​the trip was to see Speyside - the Spey Valley in Northern Scotland, where a good half of all Scotch malt whiskey is made.

Who was Richard the Lionheart?
Richard I (English) Lion Heart was born in Oxford on September 8, 1157 in the family of Henry II Plantagenet and Eleanor (Eleanor) of Aquitaine (Guyenne).

Asked Interesting historical facts about Wales given by the author awake the best answer is The settlement of the country by the Celtic tribe of Cymrs, or Cumbrians (from the British *kom-brogi "compatriots"), who gave it the name Cymru, dates back to the 1st millennium BC. e. The Roman Empire, having captured Britain (I century), practically did not rule in Wales, except for a narrow coastal strip in the southeast of the peninsula. The decisive event for the formation of the Welsh into a separate nation was the Anglo-Saxon conquest of Britain, after which, in the second half of the 6th century, the Celts of Wales were cut off from the other Celtic tribes of the island. At the same time, the main clans of the Welsh were formed. In parallel with the unification of England in the 9th century, the first states aspiring to hegemony in all of Wales were formed. Wales retained its actual independence until the subjugation of England (1282-1284) under Edward I, who gave Wales to his son, later King Edward II (1301). Since then, the heir to the English and then the British throne has been titled Prince of Wales. A number of Welsh uprisings against English domination are known (the largest - led by Owain Glendur at the beginning of the 15th century, depicted by Shakespeare in the chronicle "Henry IV"). The Welsh Tudor family, actively involved in the War of the Scarlet and White Roses, became the reigning dynasty in England in 1485. The final legal merger of the Principality of Wales with England took place in 1536, under Henry VIII.
From the 18th century, industrial Wales became the center of the workers, and on the other hand, the nationalist movement (the Plaid Camry party - from 1925). Welsh was recognized as an equal language with English only in 1967.

Answer from spread[guru]
Wales (Wall. Cymru, English Wales, in the old Russian program Wallis) is one of four main administrative and political parts of Great Britain, in the past a conglomerate of independent Celtic kingdoms. Wales is located in the south-west of Great Britain, in the east it borders on the English counties of Cheshire, Shropshire, Herefordshire and Gloucestershire, on three sides it is surrounded by the sea: in the south it is the Bristol Channel (the mouth of the Severn), in the south-west - St. George's Strait, in the north and in the west - the Irish Sea, in the northeast - the mouth of the River Dee (Afon Dyfrdwy).
The formal name of the country is Principality of Wales (Tywysogaeth Cymru), but it is rarely used. Wales has never been a sovereign state within its current borders. True, from about 1057 to 1063, Gruffydd ap Llywelyn owned almost all the lands that make up present-day Wales. After the death of Gruffydd, this did not happen again, and by the time of the Norman conquest of West Wales in 1282, the country had already been divided again into several kingdoms. In 1400, a descendant of two ancient royal families of Wales, Owen Glyndwr, led a rebellion against the British and was proclaimed King of Wales, but completely lost support by 1410 and was forced into hiding. Welsh law was not completely superseded by English law until 1542. Only in 1955 did the Queen officially proclaim Cardiff the capital of Wales (before that, the country simply did not have a capital), although the Prince of Wales usually undergoes an investiture in Cairnarvon.
In 1997, the National Assembly for Wales was created, which has the right to amend the laws that the UK Parliament adopts. In 2006, a second Governance for Wales Act was passed which expanded the powers of the Assembly.