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North Wales

Coordinates:52°56′13″N3°39′32″W/ 52.937°N 3.659°W/52.937; -3.659
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For the Senedd electoral region of the same name, seeNorth Wales (Senedd electoral region).For other uses, seeNorth Wales (disambiguation).
North Wales
Gogledd Cymru
North of Wales, Northern Wales,Y Gogledd
Geographicregion
Historical extent of North Wales (red and lighter red), Montgomeryshire (lighter red) is sometimes also considered Mid Wales. Other cultural definitions of North Wales vary.
Historical extent of North Wales (red and lighter red), Montgomeryshire (lighter red) is sometimes also consideredMid Wales.Other cultural definitions of North Wales vary.
Six principal areas of Wales commonly defined to be North Wales, for policing, fire and rescue, health and regional economy.
Sixprincipal areas of Walescommonly defined to be North Wales, forpolicing,fire and rescue,healthandregional economy.
Sovereign stateUnited Kingdom
Constituent countryWales
Historic counties
List
Principal areas
List
Preserved counties
List
Localities
List of Localities(some as a combined urban area)
Area
• Land6,172 km2(2,383 sq mi)
Population
• Estimate (2018)[note 1]698,400
• Density113.6/km2(294/sq mi)
Demonym(s)North Welsh, North Walian, "gogs" (informally)
Time zoneUTC±0(GMT)
• Summer (DST)UTC+1(BST)
Postcode
LL, CH, SY

North Wales(Welsh:Gogledd Cymru) is aregionofWales,encompassing its northernmost areas. It bordersmid Walesto the south,Englandto the east, and theIrish Seato the north and west. The area is highly mountainous and rural, withSnowdonia National Park(Parc Cenedlaethol Eryri)and theClwydian Range and Dee Valley(Bryniau Clwyd a Dyffryn Dyfrdwy), known for its mountains, waterfalls and trails, wholly within the region. Its population is concentrated in thenorth-eastand northern coastal areas, with significantWelsh-speakingpopulations in itswesternand rural areas. North Wales is imprecisely defined, lacking any exact definition or administrative structure.[1][2][3][note 2][4]It is commonly defined administratively as its six most northernprincipal areas,but other definitions exist, withMontgomeryshirehistorically considered to be part of the region.

Those from North Wales are sometimes referred to as "Gogs" (from "Gogledd" – the Welsh word for "north" );[5]in comparison, those from South Wales are sometimes called "Hwntws" by those from North Wales.

The region includes the localities ofWrexham,Deeside,Rhyl,Colwyn Bay,Flint,Bangor,Llandudno,andHolyhead.The largest localities in North Wales are the city of Wrexham and the conurbations of Deeside and Rhyl/Prestatyn,where the main retail, cultural, educational, tourism, and transport infrastructure and services of North Wales are located. Bangor andSt Asaphare the region'scities,Bangor isWales' oldest city,whereas St Asaph is one of Wales' smallest[6]and was awarded status in 2012.[7]Wrexham, the region's largest settlement, became a city in 2022.[8]

History[edit]

See also:Kingdom of GwyneddandKingdom of Powys
Principalities of North Wales, between 1267–76

Historically, for most of North Wales, the region can be referred to as simply "Gwynedd",[note 3][9]named after one of the last independent Welsh kingdoms, theKingdom of Gwynedd.This has led to a stronger sense ofWelsh identityand home to moreWelsh-language speakers,especially in North West Wales, than the rest of Wales. The term "North Wales" is rarely applied to all of Wales during theAnglo-Saxon invasion of Britainand the period of theHeptarchy,to distinguish it from "West Wales", known today asCornwall,[10]although the term "Wales" or the names of the various petty kingdoms of Wales (Gwynedd, andPowysin North Wales) are more commonly used to depict the region during this time.

The region is steeped in history, being a crucial component inWelsh medieval history,and was from the 5th to the 12th/13th centuries under the control of the influential Welsh kingdoms of Gwynedd, and Powys following theend of Roman rule in Britain.The Kingdom of Gwynedd controlled the majority of what is now the commonly defined 6 counties of North Wales, including all of the North Wales coast, with Powys retaining control over what is modern Powys, and parts of Wrexham and Flintshire, in addition to part of Shropshire. Through their over 800 year existences', their rulers acclaimed themselves to be the "King(s) of the Britons",and Gwynedd would lead the charge in the subsequent formation of thePrincipality of Wales.The mountainous stronghold of Snowdonia formed the nucleus of that realm and would become the last redoubt of independent Medieval Wales — only overcome in 1283 byEnglish forcesunderEdward I.To this day it remains a stronghold of the Welsh language and a centre for Welsh national and cultural identity.

World Heritage & Biosphere Sites[edit]

The area is home to three of the four UNESCOWorld Heritage Sitesin Wales. These arePontcysyllte Aqueduct and Canal,[11]theSlate Landscape of Northwest Walesand, collectively, theEdwardian castles and town walls of the region[12]which comprise those atCaernarfon,Beaumaris,[13]ConwyandHarlech.It also shares with Powys and Ceredigion the distinction of hosting the only UNESCO Biosphere (from Man and Biosphere (MAB) Programme to promote sustainable development) reserve in Wales, namely, Biosffer Dyfi Biosphere. London has only one more site than North Wales.

Definition[edit]

The boundaries and status of North Wales are undefined (compared toregions of England), definitions, and the boundary of North Wales with South or Mid Wales differs between organisations. It is strongly used culturally for comparison to the moreurbanSouth Wales. The most common definition for statistical and administrative purposes of North Wales contains the 6 principal areas of:Isle of Anglesey,Conwy,Denbighshire,Flintshire,Gwynedd,andWrexham.Of which have a combined estimated population in 2018 of 698,400 people.[1]Under this definition, the area borders the principal areas ofCeredigion,Powys,and the rest of Wales to the south, England and itscountiesofShropshire,andCheshireto the east, and the Irish sea to the north and west. Other definitions, especially historical, commonly includeMontgomeryshire,one of thehistoric counties of Wales,to be part of North Wales, although as part of Powys its more commonly considered Mid Wales today. The definitions of North and Mid Wales constantly overlap, withMeirionnydd(southern part of the modern principal area of Gwynedd) sometimes considered Mid Wales.

17–18th century map of North Wales

Capitalisation[edit]

North Wales may also be spelled as 'north Wales' with a lower case 'n' fornorth,coined as the "to cap or not to cap" debate. It is argued that using a lower case 'n' is to be only used to signify "north" as merely a geographic identifier, and a capital 'N' to distinctly separate the region for cultural, organisational, or statistical purposes from the rest of Wales. Such usage may follow ideological lines, with North Wales used to confer the region as a distinctly separate entity from the rest of Wales, whilst north Wales as merely the northern bit of Wales. Organisations, where the region is administered the same as with the rest of Wales, may prefer to use a lower case for north. Whilst organisations only operating in the region or separate from any others in the rest of Wales may use a capitalised N. Local newspapers, such as theDaily Postdescribe themselves to be a "capper" capitalising the 'N', whereas other organisations such asBBC Newsmay use a lower case. The Welsh Government's style guide uses lowercase,[14]whereasVisit Walesuses capitalised.[15]David Williams, chairman of the North Wales Business Club, announced his support for capping the term "North", stating that North Wales should be a "very recognisable region in our own right".[16]

Principal areas[edit]

For local administration, the region is most commonly made up of the following sixprincipal areas,consisting of counties, and county boroughs, they are: the Isle of Anglesey, Conwy County Borough, Denbighshire, Flintshire, Gwynedd, and Wrexham County Borough.

These principal areas are commonly divided into two groups, used for local news (e.g.BBC), regional tourism boards,town and country planning,and were theproposed replacements to the existing 6 principal areas before proposals were scrapped in 2019.They are:North East Wales(Denbighshire, Flintshire, Wrexham), andNorth West Wales(Anglesey, Conwy, Gwynedd) being the two most popular groupings, although a North Central Wales (Conwy and Denbighshire) grouping has been occasionally used, specifically for health administration.

The population, density and areas are estimates for 2022 from theOffice for National Statistics.[17]

Principal area Created Population Population
density/km2 		Area
(km2) 		Style
Flintshire 1996 155,319 353 438 County
Wrexham 1996 135,394 269 498 County borough
Gwynedd 1974 117,591 46 2,535[18] County
Conwy 1996 114,290 102 1,130 County borough
Denbighshire 1996 96,558 115 844 County
Isle of Anglesey 1996 69,049 97 714 County
North Wales
2021
 703,361 114.2 6,159 North Wales (common definition)

Historical divisions[edit]

Main articles:Historic counties of WalesandPreserved counties of Wales

In addition to the six principal areas, North Wales is also divided into the followingpreserved countiesfor various ceremonial purposes:Clwyd(comprising Conwy, Denbighshire, Flintshire and Wrexham), and Gwynedd (comprisingGwyneddandIsle of Anglesey) The preserved counties are based on the counties created by theLocal Government Act 1972and were used for local government purposes (with county councils) between 1974 and 1996. During this period up to the present, Montgomeryshire remained a part of Powys.

Prior to the preserved counties, there were counties, now referred to as historic counties. These are the oldest of the counties of North Wales, used for centuries. North Wales contained 6 historic counties during these times, the counties were; Anglesey,Caernarfonshire,Denbighshire,Flintshire,Merionethshire,and Montgomeryshire. The most notable difference between these six counties and the present six (seven with Montgomeryshire) is that Caernarfonshire and Merionethshire were combined into one principal area, initially called 'Caernarfonshire and Merionethshire' until a day after its formation where it took the name Gwynedd instead, and the formation of two county boroughs, Conwy carved out of Caernarfonshire and Denbighshire, and Wrexham carved out of Denbighshire and Flintshire.

The north of Wales was traditionally divided into three regions during the middle ages: Upper Gwynedd (or Gwynedd above the Conwy), defined as the area north of theRiver Dyfiand west of theRiver Conwy;Lower Gwynedd (or Gwynedd below the Conwy), also known as thePerfeddwlad( "the middle country" )and defined as the region east of the River Conwy and west of theRiver Dee;and Ynys Môn (or Anglesey), a large island off the north coast.English Maelor,currently part of Wrexham County Borough, located east of the River Dee, as the name suggests, was part of England during a significant part of this period.

Electoral divisions[edit]

North Wales is electorally divided into constituencies andelectoral wardsto elect local representatives to multiple layers of government.

Parliamentary constituencies[edit]

See also:List of Parliamentary constituencies in WalesandSenedd constituencies and electoral regions

There are eleven constituencies used for both theUK Parliamentand theSenedd(Welsh Parliament;Welsh:Senedd Cymru): Aberconwy (UK/SN),Alyn and Deeside (UK/SN),Arfon (UK/SN),Clwyd South (UK/SN),Clwyd West (UK/SN),Delyn (UK/SN),Dwyfor Meironnydd (UK/SN),Montgomeryshire (UK/SN,if considered North Wales),Vale of Clwyd (UK/SN),Wrexham (UK/SN),and Ynys Môn (Anglesey,UK/SN).

An electoral regionfor the Senedd, shares the name "North Wales", yet does not cover all of North Wales, only the northern coast, Anglesey, and northeast of Wales (specifically the entire area of the former pre-1996 county of Clwyd); the rest of North Wales (mainly Meirionnydd) is covered by theMid and West WalesSenedd electoral region. All constituencies aside Dwyfor Meironnydd, and Montgomeryshire are in the North Wales Senedd electoral region.

Between 1979 and 1994, all of North Wales (includingMontgomery) was a singleEuropean Parliamentconstituency (EPC), theNorth Wales European Parliament Constituency.In 1994, minor border changes put parts of Montgomeryshire in the neighbouringMid and West Walesconstituency. In 1999, both of the constituencies ceased, when it was absorbed into the largerWales constituencyuntil 2020 when it was subsequently abolished following theUnited Kingdom'swithdrawalfrom theEuropean Unionon 31 January 2020.

Border to the south[edit]

The division with the rest of Wales is arbitrary and depends on the particular use being made. For example, the boundary of North Wales Police differs from the boundary of the North Wales area of theNatural Resources Walesand the North Wales Regional Transport Consortium (Taith). The historic boundary follows the pre-1996 county boundaries of Merionethshire and Denbighshire which in turn closely follow the geographic features of theRiver DyfitoAran Fawddwy,then crossing the high moorlands following the watershed until reachingCadair Berwynand then following theRiver RhaeadrandRiver Tanatto the Shropshire border. The most common definition is that North Wales ends at the peripheries of the northern 6 principal areas, therefore the border is between Wrexham - Powys, Denbighshire - Powys, Gwynedd - Powys, and Gwynedd - Ceredigion (over the River Dyfi).

Geography[edit]

Llanddwyn Island's old lighthouse
Snowdoniain background

The area is mostlyruralwith manymountainsandvalleys.This, in combination with its coast (on the Irish Sea), meanstourismis the principal industry.Farming,which was once the principal economic force in the area, is now much reduced in importance. The average income per capita of the local population is the lowest in the UK.[19]

The eastern part of North Wales contains the most populous areas, with more than 300,000 people living in the areas around Wrexham and Deeside. Wrexham, with apopulationof 65,692 at the2011 census[20]in itsbuilt-up area,it is North Wales' largest city. The total population of North Wales is 696,300 (2017). The majority of other settlements are along the coast, including some popularresort towns,such asRhyl,Llandudno,Pwllheli,PrestatynandTywyn.There are twocathedralcities –BangorandSt. Asaph– and a number ofmedievalcastles(e.g.Criccieth,Dolbadarn,Dolwyddelan,Harlech, Caernarfon Castle, Beaumaris, Conwy) The area of North Wales is about 6,172 square kilometres, making it slightly larger than the country of Brunei, or the island of Bali.

The highest mountain in Wales isSnowdon(Yr Wyddfa),in northwest Wales.

Transport[edit]

Roads[edit]

See also:Trunk roads in Wales
Map of the roads and sea routes in North Wales

North Wales does not have anymotorways,with the only motorways in Wales being present in South Wales, and nearest motorways (M53andM56) being on the other side of theWales-England border.There have been proposals to upgrade the A55 into a motorway or have more motorway-like features.Trunk roadsin the region are maintained by theNorth and Mid Wales Trunk Road Agent(NMWTRA).

The main roads spanning across North Wales, mostly span east to west, especially along the North Wales coast. This is mainly due to the mountainous terrain in the middle of Wales, leading most north-south connections to be slower, leading to diversions onto north-south roads in England. The emphasis on east-west roadways has led to North Wales having closer connections with North West England (centred onLiverpoolandManchester) rather than with South Wales.

The busiest road in North Wales is theA55,the "North Wales Expressway", a dual carriageway primary road connecting Chester toHolyhead,along the North Wales coast and passing Deeside,Llandudno Junction,Conwy, and Bangor. It is described as the economic lifeline for North Wales, and the second most important road in all of Wales, only to theM4in South Wales.[21]The road connects all the way to thePort of Holyheadfollowing an extension in 2001, which provides ferry connections to theRepublic of Ireland.The majority of the road is part of theE-road networkasE22(untilEwloe,where it goes along theA494into England), and is adual carriageway,grade-separated, for its entire 88-mile length.

A historically important road in the region is theA5,a major road that was the primary link between the region andLondon(as the "London-Holyhead Trunk Road "). The road crosses theMenai Suspension Bridgeand is regarded as a more scenic route, with its historical importance as a connection between London and the Port of Holyhead, superseded by the A55. Other roads transiting North Wales, from east to west include theA458fromHalesowentoMallwyd,and the A494 fromDolgellautoSaughall(originally toBirkenhead).

The busiest north-south road travelling through the region is theA483from Chester (originally from Manchester) through Wrexham and into England nearOswestry,before re-entering Montgomeryshire and passing Welshpool and Newtown, before continuing ontoSwansea.Other major north-south roads include the single-carriageways of theA470from Llandudno toCardiffvia theConwy valley,and theA487from Bangor toHaverfordwestvia Caernarfon and Snowdonia.

Sea[edit]

Main article:Port of Holyhead

The Port of Holyhead, on the isle of Anglesey, is the main commercial and ferry port in North Wales. The port had the third-largest volume offreight traffic,in Wales, in 2018 (5.2 million tonnes), afterMilford HavenandPort Talbot,and it is the main port for freight and sea passenger transport with the Republic of Ireland, handling more than 2 million passengers each year. 81% of freight traffic going through Welsh ports to the Republic of Ireland, and 75.5% of sea passenger traffic between Wales and the Republic of Ireland went through Holyhead in 2018. Historically, there were two routes between Holyhead and the Irish ports ofDublinandDun Laoghaire.The route to Dun Laoghaire was the most popular in 1998 with over 1.7 million passengers ferried, however following a consistent decline in passenger traffic, it was removed in 2015. The other route to Dublin saw an overall increase in passenger numbers from just over 1 million in 1998 to just over 1.9 million in 2018, an increase of 82%.

AMostyn-Dublin ferry service once existed, on the nowLiverpool-Dublin route, attracting a peak of 48,000 passengers in 2003, before being discontinued in 2004.[22]

Rail[edit]

Map of rail lines in North Wales

The publicrail networkof the region is largely split into two sections. These sections are centred around the two main west-east railway lines transversing the region, as there are currently no north-south railway lines wholly in the region. This is largely due to the mountainous regions of Snowdonia resting between the two lines, and low passenger numbers of north-south lines leading to their closure. The public rail network is managed and maintained byNetwork Rail.Historically, the region had a more extensive rail network with more interconnectivity of the current lines and more connections to the south. However, due to falling passenger numbers, the emergence of automobiles and other factors, the region's railways came under review, resulting in theBeeching cutsto the network. Many former rail corridors of the once more extensive network were superseded by road infrastructure. The numerous heritage railways scattered across the region serve as a reminder of the former railways across the region.

The majority of lines operated in Wales are part of theWales & Bordersfranchise,the current operator isTransport for Wales Rail,aWelsh-Governmentowned company,although some services (from Holyhead and Wrexham) are operated by theWest Coast Partnershipoperator,Avanti West Coaston services using theWest Coast Main LinetoLondon Euston.[23]

According to StatsWales, the number of rail journeys across the 6 principal areas of North Wales, made in 2017-18 was 1.4 million, an increase of 20,525 from 2007-8. The largest share of these rail journeys, at 38.4%, was within the boundaries of Gwynedd. Conwy was the principal area which saw the greatest increase in rail journeys as a percentage of journeys over the ten-year period, at 22.5%. The least amount of rail journeys in 2018-19 was in Anglesey.

As of 2020, there as 66 rail stations within the boundaries of the 6 northern principal areas, of which 2 are among the 20 busiest stations in Wales,Rhyl,andBangor.[24]41 of the rail stations are stations of the North Wales lines, whereas the remaining 25 are stations of the Mid Wales lines, specifically theCambrian Line.There is a total of 5 rail routes in North Wales: theNorth Wales Coast Line,theShrewsbury—Chester Line,theConwy Valley Line,theBorderlands Line(all part of the North Wales lines) and the Cambrian Line. All 5 routes together in 2018-19 had approximately 5,295,602 entries and exits through the 66 stations.[25][26]

The North Wales Coast Line, the main rail line serving the north Wales coast, and connecting withIrish FerriesandStena Lineferry services to Dublin Port in the Republic of Ireland. The Conwy Valley Line branches off at Llandudno Junction, heading north toLlandudnoand south toBlaenau Ffestiniog.The Shrewsbury—Chester line, connects Chester andShrewsburyviaWrexham,providing the main north Wales and south Wales connection. A former open-access operatorWrexham & Shropshire,used to provide a Wrexham General—London Maryleboneservice until 2011. The Borderlands Line, intersects the Shrewsbury—Chester line at Wrexham General, branching south toWrexham Central(where itterminates), and north toBidston (Birkenhead),and the North Wales Coast Line at Shotton. Bidston connects to theWirral line,providingMerseyrailservices, west toWest Kirby,and east toLiverpool Central.The Cambrian Line forms the other west-east line in the region (as the Mid-Wales line), it connects Shrewsbury, westwards with Mid Wales and towns alongCardigan Bay.The line is commonly split into two sections, the section from Shrewsbury toAberystwythis sometimes referred to as the Cambrian Main Line, with the Cambrian Coast Line, splitting off from this line atDovey Junction,heading northwest toPwllheli.TheWelsh Marches LineconnectsCrewetoNewport,via Shrewsbury, with services from Holyhead usually continuing toCardiff Central.It forms part of theNorth Wales South Wales service,along with the Shrewsbury—Chester, North Wales Coast Line, andSouth Wales Main Line.These lines form the main rail connection between North Wales and South Wales.

Chester provides the main travel connections for the North Wales Coast, as a major transport hub. As part of theNorth Wales Metro,from Chester(and Wrexham General at limited times),via theHalton Curve,direct trains run toLiverpool Lime Street,linking to the Merseyrail. Services toManchester Piccadillyfrom Chester, via theChester—Manchester linefor Transport for Wales services, and theMid—Cheshire lineforNorthernservices, in addition to the Northern service toLeeds,provide North Wales' connections to Northern England. Shrewsbury provides the main travel connections for passengers from the Cambrian line (and those commuting south from other North Wales stations), providing services, in addition to those to South Wales, through England to Crewe,Birmingham International,andBirmingham New Street,and via theHeart of Wales line,services toLlanelli.

Heritage and narrow gauge railway lines[edit]

There are numerousheritage railwaysin the region. Most of them arenarrow-gauge.Several run on sections of historically longer lines. Heritage railways employ more than 300 people and generate over £50 million per year for the North Wales economy.[27]

The heritage railways in the region are:

Name Location Gauge Length Description
Bala Lake Railway Bala (Penybont)toLlanuwchllyn 600 mm(1 ft11+5⁄8in) 4.5 miles (7.2 km) Opened as the standard gaugeRuabon–Barmouth linein 1859, closed in 1948. Re-opened starting in 1966.
Corris Railway Corris 2 ft 3 in(686 mm) 1.5 miles (2.4 km) Opened in 1859, closed in 1948. Re-opened starting in 1966.
Fairbourne Railway FairbournetoBarmouth Ferry 12+1⁄4in(311 mm) 2 miles (3.2 km) Opened in 1916, closed in 1940. Re-opened in 1947.
Ffestiniog Railway PorthmadogtoBlaenau Ffestiniog 1 ft11+1⁄2in(597 mm) 13.5 miles (21.7 km) Opened in 1836, closed in 1946. Re-opened in stages between 1956 and 1981.
Llanberis Lake Railway Llanberis 1 ft11+1⁄2in(597 mm) 2.5 miles (4.0 km) Opened in 1971 on part of the trackbed of thePadarn Railway.
Llangollen Railway LlangollentoCorwen 4 ft8+1⁄2in(1,435 mm) 10 miles (16 km) Opened in 1865, closed in 1962. Re-opened in stages between 1972 and 2015.
Snowdon Mountain Railway LlanberistoSnowdon summit 800 mm(2 ft7+1⁄2in) 4.7 miles (7.6 km) Opened in 1896. Britain's onlyrack railway
Welsh Highland Railway PorthmadogtoCaernarfon 1 ft11+1⁄2in(597 mm) 25 miles (40 km) Opened in 1922, closed in 1937. Re-opened in stages between 1997 and 2011.
Welsh Highland Heritage Railway Porthmadog 1 ft11+1⁄2in(597 mm) 1 mile (1.6 km) Opened in 1980.
Welshpool and Llanfair Light Railway WelshpooltoLlanfair Caereinion 2 ft 6 in(762 mm) 8 miles (13 km) Opened in 1903, closed in 1956. Re-opened in stages between 1963 and 1981.

Several of these lines connect to the Cambrian line. Stations where the heritage railway uses the same station as Network Rail. At Fairbourne, theFairbourne Railwayconnects toBarmouth Ferryand theFfestiniog Railwayconnects atMinffordd.The Talyllyn Railway'sTywyn Wharfstation is a short walk fromTywynstation on the Cambrian line, whileWelshpoolon the Cambrian line is across town fromRaven Squareon theWelshpool and Llanfair Light Railway.

Future developments[edit]

Main article:North Wales Metro

Many rail and bus lines of the region are part of an improvement project called the North Wales Metro or North East Wales Metro, which proposes improvements to the existing lines (specifically the Borderlands lines), improved connectivity between rail and other modes of transport, and more connections toNorth West England.

For theGobowentoOswestryline,Cambrian Heritage Railways,the line's operator, is working on reopening the line (multiple sections of line), and theAnglesey Central Railwayis also proposed to be restored.

Tramways[edit]

In Llandudno, theGreat Orme Tramwaylinks to theGreat Orme.It is the only remaining cable-operated street tramway in Great Britain, and one of only a few surviving in the world.

Geology[edit]

See also:Geology of WalesandGeology of Snowdonia National Park

North Wales has very diverse and complex geology withPrecambrianschistsalong theMenai Straitand the greatCambriandome behindHarlechand underlying much of western Snowdonia. In theOrdovicianperiod muchvolcanismdeposited a range of minerals and rocks over the northwestern parts of Gwynedd whilst to the east of the River Conwy lies a large area of upland rolling hills underlain by theSilurianmudstones and grits comprising theDenbighandMigneintMoors. To the east, around Llangollen, to the north onHalkynMountain and the Great Orme and in eastern Anglesey are beds oflimestonefrom which metals have been mined since pre-Roman times. Added to all this are the complexities posed byParys Mountainand the outcrops of unusual minerals such asJasperand Mona Marble which make the area of special interest togeologists.

Demographics[edit]

Terms for people from the region include; North Welsh, and North Walian (also spelt as North Walean), or informally as "Gogs" from the Welsh word for North, "Gogledd". This term is mostly only used to distinguish from other parts of Wales (i.e. only used domestically in Wales), a majority of the population consider themselves as just "Welsh",and some additionally or only as"British".Communities along the Wales-England border and northern coast may identify as"English"as they are home to many of those ofEnglish ancestry.[28]

Population[edit]

According to Statistics for Wales (StatsWales),[1]the North Wales region, consists of the 6 northern principal areas, and statistics provided by StatsWales only include these 6 areas. In 2018, the estimated population of the region was 698,400 people. North Wales exhibits the evenest distribution of population across the local authorities of any of the 4 statistical regions of Wales, with 4 of the 6 authorities home to over 100,000 residents, Flintshire, Wrexham, Gwynedd and Conwy. Flintshire is the most populated principal area of North Wales, home to an estimated 155,600 people, with the Isle of Anglesey being the least populated with an estimated 70,000 people.[1]

In 2018, North Wales has an estimated population density of 113.6 persons per square kilometre. Flintshire is the most densely populated of the 6 areas, at 355.6 persons per km2,with Gwynedd being the least dense principal area at 49.0 persons per km2.Between 2008, and 2018, the population density of North Wales grew by 2.3%, the third-highest rate of population density growth of the 4 statistical regions of Wales. Gwynedd, with 3.7% growth, had the highest population density growth rate in North Wales, whereas the Isle of Anglesey had the lowest population density growth rate at 0.1% from 2008 to 2018.[1]

The population growth for the region between 1998 and 2018 was 6.3%, however, the rate was lower between 2008 and 2018, than in 1998 and 2008. Conwy was the area with the highest population growth rate for the two decades at 8%, with Isle of Anglesey having the smallest growth rate at just over 3%.

Population settlements

Main article:List of localities in Wales by population

North Wales' largest settlement (locality) is Wrexham, with 65,692 people in the 2011 census. Data from the census details that North Wales has a lower number and proportion of residents living in settlements of 25,000 or more, than South East and South West Wales, but higher than Mid Wales. StatsWales attributes this to North Wales' lack of a settlement of a population higher than 100,000 people.[1]

Age

North Wales has an ageing population, as the proportion of residents over 65 has increased from 18.5% to 23.0%, and the proportion of the population under 15 has decreased from 19.8% to 17.8%.[1]

Language[edit]

Dialect

North Wales has a distinct regional identity.[29]Itsdialectof the Welsh language differs from that of other regions, such asSouth Wales,in some ways: for examplellefrithis used in most of the North instead ofllaethfor "milk"; a simple sentence such asgo upstairs nowmight beDos i fyny'r grisiau rŵanin North Wales, andCer lan y stâr nawrin South Wales.Colloquially,a person from North Wales (especially one who speaks with this dialect or accent) is known as aNorth Walian,or aGog(from the Welshgogledd,meaning "north" ). There areWelsh medium schoolsscattered all across North Wales, ranging from primary to secondary schools.

Welsh-speaking population[edit]

According to the 2011 census, there were 204,406 Welsh-speakers aged three and over in North Wales. Data from theAnnual Population Survey,stated that Gwynedd had the largest proportion of speakers in North Wales and Wales as a whole, with 75.6% of residents aged 3 and over saying they can speak Welsh. Flintshire had the lowest rate of Welsh in North Wales, with only 22.5% saying they can speak it. North Wales is the most Welsh-speaking region of the 4 statistical regions of Wales, at 41.9% of the population speaking Welsh in the year ending September 2019, up approximately 2.4% from September 2009. However, Flintshire is one of 2 principal areas in Wales where the rate of Welsh has decreased over the past decade.[1]

Education[edit]

North Wales is home to two universities,Bangor University,andWrexham Glyndwr University.In 2018-19, in total there were 17,500 enrolments on higher education courses in North Wales, representing 13.2% of student enrolments in all of Wales. Bangor University was home to a majority, 58.3% of these enrolments, with 10,195 enrolments in 2018-19, with Wrexham Glyndwr University following with 5,895 enrolments, and further education collegeGrŵp Llandrillo Menaiproviding the remaining 1,410 enrolments.[1]

Further education(FE) in Wales is provided by "colleges" (not to be confused with auniversity college), these are usually eithersixth form colleges,further education colleges,or sixth forms withinsecondary schools.Further education colleges are the largest further education institutions in North Wales, in which, at present, there are only 2; Grŵp Llandrillo Menai, andColeg Cambria.Both of these colleges, are amalgamations of smaller further education or sixth form colleges, and are sometimes described as "super colleges".[30]Grŵp Llandrillo Menai is a merger ofColeg Llandrillo,Coleg Menai,andColeg Meirion-Dwyfor,providing courses for students of the Isle of Anglesey, Conwy County Borough, Denbighshire, and Gwynedd. Coleg Cambria is a mergerDeeside CollegeandYale College, Wrexham,providing courses for students of Denbighshire, Flintshire, and Wrexham County Borough. There are no standalone sixth form colleges (sixth form only) in North Wales, as all colleges providing sixth form courses also provide non-sixth form courses.

The other institutions providing sixth form further education in North Wales are secondary schools, which provide sixth form education themselves. Not all secondary schools in North Wales provide sixth form education, with it being common for students of a secondary school that does not provide sixth form education to study at a further education college.

Grŵp Colegau NPTC Group of Colleges, a further education college formed from the merger ofNeath Port Talbot CollegeandColeg Powys,is the main further education college for Powys, hosting a campus in Newtown.

Health[edit]

Healthcare service[edit]

Main article:Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board

The 6 counties of North Wales are all part of theBetsi Cadwaladr University Health Board(BCUHB), it is the largest of thelocal health boardswhich divide upNHS Walesservices in Wales. Formed from the merger of the North Wales NHS Trust (itself a merger ofNorth East Wales,andConwy & DenbighshireNHS Trusts), the North West Wales NHS Trust, and the Local Health Boards of the six counties of Anglesey, Conwy, Denbighshire, Flintshire, Gwynedd, and Wrexham.

There are 3 main district general hospitals in North Wales;Ysbyty Gwyneddin Bangor,Ysbyty Glan Clwyd HospitalinBodelwyddan,andWrexham Maelor Hospital.Each hospital is the main centre of healthcare for the west, central, and east parts of North Wales respectively. North Wales additionally has a network of 22 acute andcommunity hospitals,with patients commonly referred to hospitals inEnglandfor rare, more specialised treatment, unavailable under BCUHB, notably toCountess of Chester,Royal Liverpool University,andRoyal Shrewsburyhospitals.

Politics[edit]

Main article:United Kingdom general election results in North Wales

The North Wales region is made up of the following sixprincipal council areas;Isle of Anglesey,Conwy,Denbighshire,Flintshire,GwyneddandWrexham.These areunitary authoritieswhich carry out almost all local government functions in their areas. In February 2021, aNorth Wales Corporate Joint Committeewas formed to allow the six local councils in the region to collaborate in areas relating to economic well-being, strategic planning and the development of regional transport policies.

Economy[edit]

According to the Annual Population Survey andOffice for National Statistics,[1]the unemployment rate of the six principal areas of North Wales was collectively 3.9% for the population aged 16 and over; the employment rate was 75.9% of those aged 16-64, and the economic inactivity rate (excluding students) for the population aged 16-64 was 17.9%.

North Wales Growth Deal[edit]

Main article:Ambition North Wales
See also:Regional economy in Wales § North Wales Growth Deal

In 2016 the UK Government invited North Wales to submit a Growth Deal Bid, to "create thousands of jobs, boost the economy, improve transport and communication links, focus on renewable energy, support tourism and more". A bid was prepared by the North Wales Business Council, which consists of the Leaders and Chief Executives of the 6 councils, the Vice Chancellors of Wrexham Glyndŵr University and Bangor University the Chief Executives of Coleg Cambria andGrwp Llandrillo Menai,and North Wales Mersey Dee Business Council.[31]In the 2018 budgetPhilip Hammondannounced that £120M would be made available by the UK Government to support the Growth Deal.[32]In December 2018,Ken Skatesconfirmed that the Welsh Government would match the UK Government funding, and also offered to match any additional funding support which the UK Government might make available.[33]In November 2019 the Heads of Terms Agreement for the North Wales Growth Deal was signed by the representatives of the North Wales Economic Ambition Board,Alun Cairnsthe UK GovernmentSecretary of State for Wales,andEluned Morgan, Baroness Morgan of Elyon behalf of Welsh Government.[34]

Local media[edit]

Local newspapers[edit]

Two daily newspapers are published in the region. The region-wide "North Wales edition" of theDaily Post,based at Bryn Eirias on Colwyn Bay's Abergele Road,[35]is distributed from Monday to Saturday, whilstThe Leader(formerly theEvening Leader) publishes two editions for Wrexham and Flintshire and is based at the headquarters of Newsquest inMoldafter NWN Media Ltd dissolved after existing since 1920.[36]

Additionally, nine weekly newspapers provide local and community news:

The weekly Aberystwyth-basedCambrian Newscovers southern Gwynedd and publishes separate editions for the Arfon/Dwyfor and Meirionydd districts.

A weekly Welsh-language newspaper,Y Cymrois published each week by theCambrian Newsfrom itsPorthmadogoffice alongside two localised Welsh titles,Y Cyfnod(Bala) andY Dydd(Dolgellau).Yr Herald Gymraegis distributed by Trinity Mirror as a pull-out section in the Wednesday edition of theDaily Post.There are also 24Papurau Bro(area papers) providing community news and generally published each month.

Online[edit]

Several hyperlocal websites in the area provide locally sourced news online. In Conwy county, BaeColwyn.com has provided Welsh language coverage of the Colwyn Bay area since 2011 and AbergelePost.com has been serving the Abergele area since 2010. Wrexham.com is a full-time operation covering Wrexham and the surrounding area, and is based at offices in Wrexham city centre. A full-time citizen-led online news site Deeside.com started in early 2013 and coversConnah's Quay,Mancot,Pentre,Shotton,Queensferry,Sealand,Broughton,Hawarden,Ewloe,Sandycroftand parts ofSaltney.

Radio[edit]

Although no BBC local radio stations exist in Wales, the corporation's national servicesBBC Radio WalesandBBC Radio Cymrucover the region from their broadcasting centres in Bangor, and Wrexham. The Bangor studios produce a large number of Radio Cymru programmes with some music and feature output for Radio Wales originating from Wrexham.

Three commercial radio stations serve the area —Capital North West and Walesbroadcasts local drivetime programming for Wrexham, Flintshire, Denbighshire and Conwy county as well as Cheshire and the Wirral with a Welsh language opt-out service for the formerCoast FMarea on 96.3 FM.Capital Cymruairs an extended local programming service, predominantly in the Welsh language, for Gwynedd and Anglesey. Across the entire region,Heart North Walesalso airs local peak-time programming in English, including an extended news programme on weeknights. All three stations broadcast from studios inGwersyllton the outskirts of Wrexham.

Three community radio stations broadcast on FM —Calon FMserving Wrexham County Borough and parts of southern Flintshire,Tudno FMbroadcasting to Llandudno & surrounding areas andMôn FMacross the Isle of Anglesey and parts of Gwynedd. Radio Glan Clwyd - an extension of hospital service Radio Ysbyty Glan Clwyd - broadcasts on 1287 AM in the Bodelwyddan, St Asaph, Rhuddlan, Towyn and Kinmel Bay areas.

Towards the western side of North Wales, local hills mean national BBC FM coverage can be quite poor, often suffering interference from Irish stations from the west.

Television[edit]

News coverage of North Wales is generally provided within theBBC'sWales Today,NewyddionandFfeilprogrammes (the latter two broadcast onS4C) and onITV'sITV News Cymru Wales.BBC Cymru Wales news teams are based at the corporation's Bangor and Wrexham studios, whileITV Cymru Walesruns a newsroom inColwyn Bay.

S4C has an administrative office inCaernarfon,where a cluster of independent production companies are also based or partly based including Rondo Media, Cwmni Da, Antena, Owain Roberts Animations and Tinopolis.

Sport[edit]

Football[edit]

Wrexham A.F.C.play in theEnglish football league system;having been a member ofthe Football Leaguefor over 80 years, in 2008 they were relegated into theConference Nationalfor the first time in their existence and now play in theEFL League Two(English Football League). Their home ground is theRacecourse Groundin Wrexham and they train atColliers Park,Gresford.In November 2020, the club was purchased by Hollywood actorsRob McElhenneyandRyan Reynolds.[37]

Several teams includingConnah's Quay Nomads F.C.andBangor City F.C.have appeared inUEFAcompetitions, playing within the mostly semi-professional Welsh leagues theCymru Premierand theCymru North.

Due to the proximity of North Wales to the North West of England, support for the English clubs ofLiverpool F.C.,Everton F.C.andManchester United F.C.has been historically strong.

Rugby League[edit]

Wales was represented in theSuper Leagueby theCrusaders RL,they re-located to Wrexham for the 2010 season from South Wales. They played at the Racecourse Ground and trained at Stansty Park both in Wrexham before folding in 2011. They have now been replaced by theLeague 1side,North Wales Crusaders.

North Wales has its own amateur league, in the fifth tier of theBritish rugby league system,theNorth Wales Championship.

Rugby Union[edit]

In September 2008 it was announced by theWelsh Rugby Unionthat a development team based in North Wales would be created, with a long-term goal of becoming the fifth Welsh team in theCeltic League.[38]It was envisaged that this would both help the growth of the game in the area, and provide a larger pool of players for theWelsh national teamto be selected from.[39]The team was namedRGC 1404.

See also[edit]

Notes[edit]

  1. ^Defined as the northern six principal areas
  2. ^includingidentity and linguistic differences
  3. ^Especially,North West Wales.Some borderlands of Wrexham and Flintshire were historically part ofPowys Fadogor England.

References[edit]

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  2. ^"North Wales Growth Deal".Business Wales.Retrieved2020-08-17.
  3. ^"Regions of Wales".Business Wales - Wales Screen.Retrieved2020-08-17.
  4. ^Harries, Robert (2018-09-30)."Why we use different words for the same thing based on where in Wales we live".WalesOnline.Retrieved2020-08-17.
  5. ^Peter Garrett; Nikolas Coupland; Angie Williams (15 July 2003).Investigating Language Attitudes: Social Meanings of Dialect, Ethnicity and Performance.University of Wales Press. pp. 189–.ISBN978-1-78316-207-9.
  6. ^Live, North Wales (2012-03-15)."St Asaph awarded city status after beating competition from Wrexham".North Wales Live.Retrieved2022-05-27.
  7. ^"St Asaph in north Wales named Diamond Jubilee city".BBC News.2012-03-14.Retrieved2022-05-27.
  8. ^"Official – Wrexham is now a city".Wrexham.com.Retrieved2022-09-01.
  9. ^Caradoc of Llancarvan (1812). David Powell (ed.).The History of Wales.London: Longman, Hurst, Rees, Orme, and Brown; and Cradock and Joy, Paternoster-Row. pp. 40, 45, 48, 117.
  10. ^"Anglo-Saxon Britain" The Heptarchy "".etc.usf.edu.Retrieved2020-09-25.
  11. ^Pontcysyllte Aqueduct World Heritage Site,UNESCO
  12. ^Castles and Town Walls of King Edward in Gwynedd World Heritage Site,UNESCO
  13. ^Beaumaris Castle, Anglesey, A World Heritage Site
  14. ^"GOV.WALES style guide".GOV.WALES.Retrieved2021-12-11.
  15. ^"Guidance on house style and use of language mechanics".Wales.2019-11-13.Retrieved2021-12-11.
  16. ^Hughes, Owen (2017-09-24)."Why North Wales should ALWAYS be in capital letters...business leader makes case for 'capping up'".North Wales Live.Retrieved2021-12-11.
  17. ^"Mid-Year Population Estimates, UK, June 2022".Office for National Statistics.26 March 2024.Retrieved3 May2024.
  18. ^"Gwynedd - Population Density (QS102EW)".UKCensusdata.com.Retrieved2018-06-18.
  19. ^Structural Funds: Eligible areas in region West Wales & The Valleys for Objective 1 between 2000 and 2006,European Commission Regional Policy, archived fromthe originalon 2007-09-22
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  22. ^Khonje, James (2019).Statistical Bulletin - Sea Transport, 2018(PDF).StatsWales.
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  24. ^"Rail station usage: April 2018 to March 2019".GOV.WALES.Retrieved2020-11-06.
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  26. ^Khonje, James (19 February 2020)."Rail station usage in Wales, 2018-19"(PDF).gov.wales.Retrieved7 November2020.
  27. ^Hughes, Owen (15 January 2014)."Heritage railways keep North Wales economy on track".Daily Post.
  28. ^Harries, Bethan; Byrne, Bridget; Lymperopoulou, Kitty (November 2014)."Who identifies as Welsh? National identities and ethnicity in Wales"(PDF).Manchester.ac.uk.University of ManchesterESRC Centre on Dynamics of Ethnicity (CoDE).Retrieved26 June2021.
  29. ^"Heritage, Language & Culture".Visit North Wales.Retrieved2016-05-09.
  30. ^"North Wales super-college Grwp Llandrillo Menai formed from mergers".BBC News.2012-04-02.Retrieved2020-11-07.
  31. ^"£1.3bn North Wales Growth Bid – The 10 Things You Need to Know".Business News Wales. 27 April 2018.Retrieved2018-12-11.
  32. ^"Budget 2018: Extra £550m for Welsh Government, chancellor says".BBC News.29 October 2018.Retrieved2018-12-11.
  33. ^"North Wales Growth Deal: Welsh Government confirms £120m".BBC News.7 December 2018.Retrieved2018-12-11.
  34. ^"Green light for £1bn North Wales Growth Deal".Insider Media.Retrieved2019-11-07.
  35. ^Morris-NW, Lydia (16 August 2018)."End of an era as landmark demolition nears final stages".northwales.
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  38. ^"WRU plan for northern development team".The Independent.9 September 2008.Archivedfrom the original on 2022-06-21.
  39. ^Crump, Eryl; Griffiths, Rob (9 September 2008)."Strongest hint yet that North Wales will be fifth rugby region".Daily Post.

External links[edit]

Wikivoyage has a travel guide forNorth Wales.

52°56′13″N3°39′32″W/ 52.937°N 3.659°W/52.937; -3.659

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