These are the pages about my language and my country. I hope you will enjoy it and learn a little about Wales and the Welsh in the process. I'll split it up into different sections for ease of reading. Let's start with the geography and history and then move on to the language.
A QUICK GEOGRAPHY LESSON
Wales is a small country on the western side of England. It is NOT a part of England. It is part of the British Isles, together with England, Scotland and Northern Ireland.
This may sound very obvious but you'd be surprised how many people think Wales is an English county and I've had letters addressed to me in Wales, England!! Also, I'm amazed at how many people don't actually know where Wales is - and they live in England!
Cardiff is the capital city with Swansea as the second city. Both of these are in the south. We can boast the smallest city in Britain - St. David's, or to give it it's Welsh name Tyddewi.
Heavy industry used to be the backbone of the economy in the southern valleys and also in the north-east corner - coal, iron, tin etc. Unfortunately with the changes wrought in industry ( and the actions of assorted governments, but we won't go into that!) the majority of the heavy industry has vanished leaving a great gulf which hasn't really been filled by the light industries which have been brought in to fill the void. In the west, where I am, farming is the major industry and that, of course has been hit by the various crises with BSE, milk quotas etc.
Wales is noted for its mountains. Most people have heard of Snowdon (Yr Wyddfa) but we also have the Brecon Beacons (Bannau Brycheiniog and the Preseli mountains (Y Preselau). They are not quite as wild as the mountains of North Wales but they have their own beauty and can be just as dangerous.
