About Wales

This is Wales

Welcome to Wales! It's a country with a warm heart, a rich history, and an exciting future.

Topics:

A Welsh flag blowing in the wind across a beautiful mountainous moorland scene

The location of Wales in the world

Where is Wales?

The basics

view across to Castell Coch, with Welsh flag in the foreground.

Facts about Wales

Find out about the population, climate, symbols, national anthem and more interesting facts about Wales.

Topics:

An image of buildings on the waterfront at Cardiff Bay

Living in a devolved nation

How is modern Wales governed - learn about the Welsh Government and our Senedd (parliament)

Money matters

Find out the facts about currency, making money and the cost of living in Wales.

Topics:

King Charles III accompanied by the Queen Consort, walking down some stairs and waving at crowds

Welsh connections to the Crown

Find out more about the links between the Royal Family and Wales.

A huge mural of a woman wearing a yellow football shirt, on the side of a building.

The stories behind creating inspirational, inclusive art installations

Find out how a Cardiff-based collective is leading the way in creating dynamic street art.

Topics:

Our people

A person wearing a yellow helmet handles wood with a saw.

Getting their hands dirty - the women behind the hard graft

From chainsaws to chickens: the challenges facing the women caring for our land.

Inside a wooden garden shelter with 'Tafarn y Plu' written on a sign.

Local communities breathing life back into their pubs

Rhys Iorwerth discovers the growing trend of communities regaining and breathing life back into local hubs.

Topics:

Siarad Cymraeg?

What’s in a name?

Discover the origins and meanings of some of Wales' unique place names.

Topics:

A group of children playing with a parachute.

The youth movement on a mission for peace

The national youth movement of Wales is celebrating its centenary this year. Read about the celebrations and what the future holds for the Urdd.

Heart of the nation

Former National Poet Ifor ap Glyn explains how language is at the heart of Welsh daily life.

Topics:

Land of my fathers: Wales’ national anthem

Evoking passion and pride - find out more about the Welsh national anthem.

Topics:

Where is Wales?

Take me there

You can get to Wales by train, plane, car or even by boat.

Topics:

Aerial view of city centre and Bristol Channel, Cardiff, South East Wales

Cities in Wales

Find out more about what cities Wales have to offer: Cardiff, Newport, Swansea, Bangor, St Davids, St Asaph and Wrexham.

Topics:

An aerial shot of a car driving along a mountainous coastal road

Hit the road

The Wales Way, a series of epic road trip routes, helps visitors see the best of Wales on four wheels.

Sweet music

A young harp player wearing a long dress, sitting and playing a harp on a beautiful deserted beach

The strings of our nation's heart

Celebrating the Welsh harp, our national instrument

Lisa Jen sitting on a wall in Snowdonia.

Celtic connections: the story of folk music in Wales

The musical connections between the Celtic nations run deep. Charles Williams explores the history of Welsh folk music and its modern expressions.

Topics:

Wales and the world

Exterior shot of the entrance to an old castle.

Crossing the Atlantic: the links between America and Wales

The Welsh were among the first to settle in the USA and Canada in the late seventeenth century, and the links between Wales and North America are still strong.

Topics:

A Welsh flag and a Japanese flag in front of Himeji Castle.

The cultural links between Wales and Japan

There are strong links between Wales and Japan, from arts and culture to sport and business

Topics:

Overview

large group of people around memorial outside chapel.

Patagonia: a small slice of Wales in South America

The incredible tale of why 150 people set up a remote Welsh settlement in South America.

Topics:

Ice cream, rugby, and a night at the opera

Although you’ll see Wales and Italy regularly facing off on the rugby pitch, the relationship between the two countries goes back a few hundred years.

External shot of a large museum building entrance

Close connections across the water

Learn about the ties that bind us - the shared history between Wales and France.

A crowd of people cheering at a football match, with a Welsh flag flying amidst them in the stadium seating

Wrexham AFC’s rise to stardom

Wrexham goes Hollywood: the story of Wrexham AFC’s rise to stardom - and back into League One

Traditions

An old postcard showing Welsh women wearing traditional dress

Black hats, petticoats and bedgowns - exploring traditional outfits in Wales

Bedgowns and tall black hats: the 19th-century style we still love today.

interior of church with highly decorative walls.

Christmas and New Year Traditions

When Welsh people wish you 'Nadolig Llawen', they’re not just thinking about ordinary festivities. They're thinking about horses’ skulls, 3am hymn-singing, odd apples, mountain races and seaside swims too. Jude Rogers dips into the deep Welsh midwinter traditions