Welsh which country

Britain in the early Middle Ages was very different to the country it is now. Rather than England, Scotland and Wales, the island consisted of numerous kingdoms, the fate and fortune of which fluctuated, as some kings gained lordship over others, some smaller kingdoms were swallowed by their larger neighbours and others fell to foreign invaders — including Vikings, in the ninth and tenth centuries.

Today, many of the inhabitants of Britain identify primarily as Scottish , English or Welsh. But this was not always the case.

In the early middle ages, Wales was divided into different kingdoms — Gwynedd, Dyfed and Ceredigion, for example — whose relations with each other formed a central plank of native politics. In the ninth and tenth centuries the Merfynion, a dynasty named after its founder Merfyn Frych , gained power in many of these areas, their authority spreading over both north and south Wales.

We see a similar situation when we look at Welsh language words. Although Wales is a country, it is not a sovereign state and is therefore not a member of the UN.

Wales is governed by a devolved government officially known as the Government of Wales. It is headed by the First Minister of Wales. The government of Wales only handles matters on devolved issues while the government of the UK that is headed by the prime minister handles more complex issues. The Welsh Assembly acts as the legislature although its power is superseded by the UK parliament. Cardiff is both the largest city and the capital of Wales. Thus while Wales meets a lot of the requirements to be a country it is not independent and sovereign which are requirements in the classical definitions of a country.

Our cookie policy. Home Information. Where is Wales? Topics: About Wales. The basics Wales is on the island of Great Britain, to the west of England, and covers an area of 20, square kilometres 8, square miles.

Local knowledge Since , Wales has been divided into 22 local government areas, each with its own elected council. Related stories. The Oxford English Dictionary describes a principality as being: "The territory held or governed by a prince. Now some may offer the Prince of Wales up as an answer to the issue at hand, but that would be wholly inappropriate, since Charles holds no constitutional responsibility over our homeland. His designation is granted by the Queen, and is an entirely traditional title.

Although we are joined with England by land, and we are part of Great Britain, Wales is a country in its own right. Friday 25 July , Main content. Previous Home Next.