Wales

Photo © Stuart (Erwlas)

Wales, the eastern border of which is connected to England, is with its almost 3.1 million residents a part of the United Kingdom. It is divided into 22 administration units, the so-called Principal Areas, which, however, have to be distinguished from the traditional counties. Although Wales is closely linked with the rest of Great Britain politically as well as socially, it is still officially bilingual and has its own cultural identity. Currently about 560,000 Welsh people speak Welsh next to the English language.

The most important river in Wales is the Dee and the highest mountain is the Snowdon (1,085 metres). The biggest Welsh cities are the capital city of Cardiff with its approximately 350,000 residents as well as Swansea, Newport and Rhondda.

Wales has large deposits of minerals, which is why mining was very important in the past. But as the importance of mining has decreased continuously over the last decades, today’s Wales increasingly backs on tourism thanks to its fabulous nature. Three great national parks as well as a spectacular coastline with a length of about 1,200 km increasingly attract visitors.

Wales, England, Scotland and Northern Ireland all do have different school systems, which, it’s true, are akin, but whose contents and structures are determined by the local authorities.

Pleas learn more about the British education system under education and schooling.