Wales

Constituent part of the United Kingdom, in the west between the British Channel and the Irish Sea; area 20,780 sq km/8,020 sq mi; population (2001) 2,903,100. The capital is Cardiff, and other major towns and cities include Swansea, Wrexham, Newport, and Carmarthen. Geographical features include the Snowdonia Mountains (Snowdon, at 1,085 m/3,560 ft, is the highest point in England and Wales), the Black Mountains, the Brecon Beacons, the Black Forest ranges, and the rivers Severn, Wye, Usk, and Dee. There are oil refineries and open-cast coal mines, but traditional industries have declined, and the last deep coal mine in north Wales closed in 1996. Varied modern and high-technology ventures are being developed, and Wales has the largest concentration of Japanese-owned plants in the UK. It also has the highest density of sheep in the world and a dairy industry. Tourism is important.

People
19% of the population are Welsh-speaking. Nonconformist Protestant denominations predominate, and there is a Roman Catholic minority.

Government
In 1998 a National Assembly for Wales was created. Wales also sends 40 members to the UK Parliament at Westminster. In local government, the 8 counties were replaced by 22 county and county borough unitary authorities in April 1996.

Arts and culture
The flagship arts project for the Millennium, Wales Millennium Centre, was designed to house performing arts companies such as the Welsh National Opera, Diversions Dance Company, and Hijinx Theatre; it is due to open in 2004.