(based on Hutchinson's new Century Encyclopedia)
Wales
(Welsh Cymru ) Principality of; constituent part of the UK, in the West between the British Channel and the Irish Sea
- Area : 20,780 sq km/8,021 sq mi
- Capital : Cardiff
- Towns and cities : Swansea, Wrexham, Newport, Carmarthen; features Snowdonia Mountains (Snowdon 1,085 m/3,561 ft, the highest point in England and Wales) in the NW and in the SE the Black Mountains, Brecon Beacons, and Black Forest ranges; rivers Severn, Wye, Usk, and Dee Industries : Traditional industries have declined, but varied modern and high-technology ventures are being developed. There are oil refineries and open-cast coal mining. Wales has the largest concentration of Japanese-owned plants in the UK. It also has the highest density of sheep in the world and a dairy industry; tourism is important
- Currency : Pound sterling
- Population : (1993 est) 2,906,000
- Language : English, 19% Welsh-speaking
- Religion : Nonconformist Protestant denominations; Roman Catholic minority
- Government : Returns 38 members to the UK Parliament; the Local
Government (Wales) Act 1994 stated that, from April 1996, the 8
counties are to be replaced by 22 county and county borough unitary
authorities.
New Welsh Assembly started 1999.
