Wales

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History

The country of Wales or Cymru (in Welsh) has been inhabited by modern humans for at least 29,000 years, although stable settlements in the territory would not appear until the last ice age. In Wales there are many sites and remains of the (mainly dolmens and crómlechs) Neolithic period, as well as further remains of the bronze age and from the iron age. The written history of Wales begins with the arrival of the Romans, who made several campaigns against the Deceangli tribe in the northeast of the current Wales in 48. Two of the biggest British tribes, the Silures and the Ordovices, resisted Roman rule for some years, but finally the Ordovices were subjected in 79. [The British tribes in the pre-Roman period occupied the territory of present-day Wales, but also parts of [England]] and the South of Scotland, where it was organized in the Roman province of Britannia until the withdrawal of the Roman legions at the beginning of the 5th century. In the following centuries the territory of Wales were divided into small kingdoms such as Gwynedd and Powys, at the same time the British were converted to Christianity.During the early medieval period Wales was divided into small kingdoms, but the ruler of the Kingdom of Gwynedd was usually acknowledged as the King of the Britons. Some of these rulers were able to rule over several kingdoms and with the passage of time its centralizing influence spread. In the mid-11th century Gruffydd ap Llywelyn came to control all the kingdoms of Wales and parts of England for a brief period. The high middle ages in Wales was characterized by the fight against English kingdoms such as Mercia, later against the unified Kingdom of England, and later against the Norman invaders, who arrived in the borders of Wales in the year 1067. The war against the invaders continued for more than two centuries until the death of the Llywelyn the last in 1282, which constituted the annexation of Wales to the Kingdom of England. Owain Glyndŵr led a rebellion against the English at the beginning of the 15th century and controlled Wales for a few years before the English Crown restored its authority. During the 16th century Welsh law was progressively amended to incorporate the Executive structures to England. However, despite the English assimilation, the Welsh maintained its language and culture.During century XVIII Wales was affected by two major reforms. The industrial revolution and the Methodist revival. During the 19th century South-East Wales in particular experienced rapid industrialization and population growth. These areas were "anglificadas" due to the arrival of immigrants, highlighting with rural areas, where traditional Welsh culture was preserved with more force. Also, the area experienced the influence of Methodist Christianity.In the 20th century, and after the second world war, the territory of Wales experienced a gradual decline due to the crisis of the coal and iron industry. In the political sphere the crisis led to the Liberal Party was displaced from power by the labour party. During this period the nationalists of Plaid Cymru party, led by Gwynfor Evans, managed for the first time in the Parliament of the United Kingdom in 1966, and became the "return" of the Welsh parliamentary institutions its main political goal. In the referendum of 1979 he won the vote, but in 1997 a new referendum in which he won the Yes was by a strengthened margin, which allowed the creation of a Welsh Parliament in Cardiff.

Wales in the world

Wales has a varied geography. The South is famous for its industrial past, while the central part has many valleys with farms and hills, as well as beaches of fine sand as Cardigan Bay. The West has a landscape similar to the South-West of England. The North of the country is one of the most popular tourist areas of all of the British Islands, with many resorts on the coast. The coast has some very hilly areas that are very attractive for tourists. In the interior, with mountainous character, emphasizes the region of Snowdonia, very popular among the walkers and lovers of climbing.