Gregory's ServerFor this week's #geoweirdness thread, we return to the United Kingdom ๐ฌ๐ง - join us a look at some of the geo oddness of Wales ๐ด๓ ง๓ ข๓ ท๓ ฌ๓ ณ๓ ฟ, or Cymru in Welsh.
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3/ Welsh history obviously didnโt start with devolution in 1998, though! The Celts settled in Wales ๐ด๓ ง๓ ข๓ ท๓ ฌ๓ ณ๓ ฟ around 600 BCE and developed the Welsh language. Several hundred years later, the Romans invaded in 43 CE as part of their incursion against the Celts and established themselves in the territory. 4/ From the 9th century until 1282, Wales ๐ด๓ ง๓ ข๓ ท๓ ฌ๓ ณ๓ ฟ was governed by princes, but the death of Llywelyn ap Gruffudd marked its conquest by ๐ด๓ ง๓ ข๓ ฅ๓ ฎ๓ ง๓ ฟ English King Edward I and began tightening ties between the English and Welsh. After decades of assimilation, the Laws in Wales Acts (1535 & 1542) officially incorporated Wales into the Kingdom of England https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laws_in_Wales_Acts_1535_and_1542 6/ Incorporation with England ๐ด๓ ง๓ ข๓ ฅ๓ ฎ๓ ง๓ ฟ had a significant impact on traditional Welsh culture, with perhaps the most long-lasting and significant being English becoming the official language of Wales ๐ด๓ ง๓ ข๓ ท๓ ฌ๓ ณ๓ ฟ It maintained official legal status in Wales until 1993 with the Welsh Language Act, which finally gave Welsh an equal legal footing. 7/ According to a 2021 study conducted by the ๐ฌ๐ง UK's Office of National Statistics, Welsh is spoken by roughly 18% of the population today. There is a national push to protect the language, with government plans to hit the one million speakers mark by 2050. 8/ Places in Wales ๐ด๓ ง๓ ข๓ ท๓ ฌ๓ ณ๓ ฟ typically have both a Welsh and an English name, and the Welsh Language Commissioner provides an official "List of Standardised Welsh Place-names". The site is of course available in Welsh and English. https://www.welshlanguagecommissioner.wales/standardised-welsh-place-names 9/ Due to ๐ฌ๐ง British colonial expansion (and as a special form of "fun" for geocoding services like ours) many places around the world today have Welsh placenames or references to Wales ๐ด๓ ง๓ ข๓ ท๓ ฌ๓ ณ๓ ฟ. Most famously of course the Australian ๐ฆ๐บ state of New South Wales 10/ Perhaps less expected though is the Welsh speaking community in Argentinean Patagonia, a legacy of Welsh emigration 150 years ago. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Y_Wladfa as covered in our thread about Argentina ๐ฆ๐ท Today "Patagonian Welsh" is one of five main dialects of the language.  Hmmmmm. ๐ค That roof structure is architecturally and aesthetically quite interesting but it makes me think Wales never has wind? A roof like that wouldnโt last a year in some parts of the USA due to the winds (or tornadoes or worse). |
2/ We start with an intro to the current political status of Wales ๐ด๓ ง๓ ข๓ ท๓ ฌ๓ ณ๓ ฟ within the UK ๐ฌ๐ง
Wales, along with Scotland ๐ด๓ ง๓ ข๓ ณ๓ ฃ๓ ด๓ ฟ, England ๐ด๓ ง๓ ข๓ ฅ๓ ฎ๓ ง๓ ฟ, and Northern Ireland ๐ฌ๐ง is one of the four constituent "nations" of the UK.
Under the Government of Wales Act, 1998, the "Senedd" (Welsh Parliament), was granted devolved power over critical issues such as health, education and housing. National questions such as immigration and foreign affairs are voted for in London.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Senedd
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Government_of_Wales_Act_1998
2/ We start with an intro to the current political status of Wales ๐ด๓ ง๓ ข๓ ท๓ ฌ๓ ณ๓ ฟ within the UK ๐ฌ๐ง
Wales, along with Scotland ๐ด๓ ง๓ ข๓ ณ๓ ฃ๓ ด๓ ฟ, England ๐ด๓ ง๓ ข๓ ฅ๓ ฎ๓ ง๓ ฟ, and Northern Ireland ๐ฌ๐ง is one of the four constituent "nations" of the UK.
Under the Government of Wales Act, 1998, the "Senedd" (Welsh Parliament), was granted devolved power over critical issues such as health, education and housing. National questions such as immigration and foreign affairs are voted for in London.