Wales - País de Gales

O Wales (Welsh, Cymru) [1] is a country of Great Britain and is part of the UK.

Wales is rich in history and natural beauty and has a culture distinct from the rest of the UK. Travelers are drawn to Wales because of its beautiful scenery, the open spaces of its impressive national parks and the wealth of history and culture.

Regions

Due to the central mountain range, Wales is culturally and economically divided into three regions:

• North Wales- Several holiday destinations along the coast, but mostly a rural area.
• Mid Wales - A sparsely populated mountainous region with a coastal area on the sea front of the Ireland.
• south wales- South is the most industrialized region, with some large urban areas, especially in the eastern part, but the western part is more rural and includes some stunning coastal scenery.

Cities

Wales has many picturesque towns and villages. These nine are the most remarkable.

• Cardiff - Capital of Wales
• Aberystwyth - seaside city with large student population.
• Bangor - picturesque university town.
• Caernarfon - site of Caernarfon Castle, largest and best preserved castle.
• Conwy - medieval fortified city with impressive castle and shops.
• Hay-on-Wye – the book capital of the UK, which hosts the annual literature festival
• Llandudno - the biggest spa in North Wales.
• Swansea - Wales' seaside town and second largest urban area with beautiful coastline and sandy beaches.
• tenby - medieval walled city and elegant seaside resort.

Other destinations

• Anglesey
• Brecon Beacons National Park
• Gower Peninsula
• Lleyn
• Pembrokeshire Coast National Park
• Snowdonia National Park

Understand

Wales is governed by a combination of institutions from Wales, the United Kingdom and on a European scale. Many important issues are decided at a UK and European Union level. Wales is represented in the UK and European Parliaments.

There has been over time a move to return some decision-making powers to a Welsh level, starting in 1906 with the establishment of the Welsh and Monmouthshire Board of Education. 1964 saw the creation of the non-elected Welsh Office headed by a Welsh and State Secretary, seated in the UK cabinet. This institution evolved into an elected National Assembly in Wales at Cardiff Bay based in 1999. It had the right to make small powers and an executive (including a prime minister). In 2006, the Assembly moved to a new purpose by building the 'Senedd building. In 2007, the Assembly gained more legislative powers, and its structure was reformed so that there was a clearer separation of competences between the Assembly and the Welsh Government. Of particular interest to visitors, many decisions about tourism, transport and health are taken by Wales rather than the UK Government.

Climate

The country has a temperate climate, with long periods of rain throughout the year.

History

Wales was an independent country, though rarely a unified nation, but when King Edward I defeated Llywelyn in 1282, the country fell under the jurisdiction of England. At first it was governed as an independent country, but has since been part of a Union, which currently consists of England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales.

Before the industrial revolution, Wales was a sparsely populated region dependent on the local agricultural trade. However, due to the abundance of coal in the South Wales valleys, there was phenomenal population growth and a dynamic shift in the South Wales economy during the 18th and 19th centuries. The central areas of Glamorgan, in particular, became national centers for coal and steel mining, while the ports of Cardiff and Swansea have established themselves as commercial centers, offering banking, shopping and insurance facilities. In addition, places on the north coast, such as Rhyl and Llandudno, developed into fun fair-type resorts serving the expanding populations of Lancashire's large industrial cities.

In recent years, it has let coal mining and heavy industry decline. However, Wales' stunning scenery and rich history have given themselves to the development of tourism, whilst at the same time, Cardiff and Swansea have maintained their positions as centers of cutting-edge commerce and industry.

To arrive

Wales has the same immigration and visas as the rest of the UK.

For more information on UK immigration and visas, see the UK Home Office web site.

By airplane

The main airport is Cardiff International Airport, located nine miles south of the city. This is the only major airport in Wales, and is served by the following airlines.

Air Southwest domestics operates to Manchester and Newquay.bmibaby operates domestic services to Edinburgh, Glasgow, Belfast and Jersey, and international services to Alicante, Amsterdam, Faro, Ibiza, Malaga, Murcia, Palma de Mallorca and Prague. from Amsterdam 4-5 times a day.Aer Arann operates services from Dublin, Cork and Galway, Ireland and also from Nantes, France.Flybe operates daily to various Serices, George Best Belfast City Airport, Paris Charles De Gaulle, airport from Newcastle, Edinburgh Airport and Glasgow Airport.Zoom operates direct services to Toronto and Vancouver (operations have been suspended since 28 August 2008 - see website).Eastern Airways operates flights to Newcastle.Thomsonfly operates flights to Jersey, Barcelona and many airports in Spain and other parts of the world. There are regular bus services from Cardiff city center to the airport. Alternatively, you can also go to the airport using a bus service from Barry Station, which is close to the airport and local train lines. In 2005, the nearby railway was reopened, including a station in Rhoose, where buses run to the airport.

It could be easier to fly to the airport in England like one of the London airports when visiting South Wales, as a wider range of airlines flights and cities are available from there to destinations across the world with many services Airlines. However London over 2 hours from Cardiff, and already from many other places in Wales. Other cities served by international airports in England that offer reasonable access to parts of Wales include Bristol (South Wales), Birmingham (for Mid Wales), Liverpool and Manchester (North Wales).

Of boat

Regular ferry lines run between Holyhead in North Wales and Ireland (Dublin and Dun Laoghaire), and are provided by two carriers. Stenaline and Irish Ferries offer multiple daily services between the two ports for passengers and vehicles. Bookings can be made through their respective websites. Rosslare in South East Ireland is connected to two ports in Pembrokeshire. Stena operates the route to Fishguard (including a fast ferry service), Irish Ferries operate the route to Pembroke Dock.

By car

South Wales enjoys good motorway links with the rest of the UK

The M4 links London with Bristol, and across the Severn (toll) Bridge, Newport, Cardiff, Swansea and CarmarthenThe M50 links West Midlands with South WalesNorth Wales has no motorways. However, there are still good road links with the rest of the UK.

The A5, followed by the M54 past Shrewsbury, London and the West Midlands takes you through the spectacular Snowdonia National ParkThe Isle of Anglesey is along the A55 road along the coast of North Wales. If you are approaching from the south try the A5, which is a scenic route that takes you through the mountains of North Wales. Wales from England via a country road. You often see the Croeso i Gymru sign crossing the border.

By train

For those unfamiliar with the ins and outs of the UK rail network, Wikivoyage has a handy guide to UK rail travel. Main line rail services connect the south (especially Newport, Cardiff and Swansea) with all parts of the UK,

Circular

Due to Wales' topography and historical development, most travel in Wales is done along an east-west axis rather than a north-south axis. Rail and road links between the centers of South Wales, and along the coast of North Wales are generally fast and efficient, especially along the M4 and A55. An important exception to this is M4 J32 (the interchange with the A470) during rush hour, which gets congested with Cardiff Commuter traffic. The roundabout at junction 32 is the largest in Europe. Until 2010 between roads J29 (A48 (M)) and J30 (Cardiff Gate) can increase your travel time. Most places in South Wales are within an hour and a half.

Traveling between Cardiff and the other main population centers, Swansea and Newport is very simple.

Although only about 170 km from coast to coast, due to topography North-South connections are more difficult in terms of time. By land travel times are comparable to flight hours across the North American continent! However, the trip itself is something a visitor may wish to undertake in order to see the landscape.

Traveline Cymru - bus and train trip planning and calendar information

By airplane

Wales is a small country and flying is not a common mode of domestic transport. There is actually only one domestic route, Cardiff International Airport to Anglesey Airport. This is probably the fastest way by far to travel between North and South Wales.

This route is served by two services in each direction per day. The journey takes about an hour. Despite the time taken starting and heading to the airport, the travel time for air travel must be taken into account as relatively short. This option is most useful for those traveling between the North West and South East Wales.

The service is provided by the Manx2 airline.

By car

Driving between North and South Wales takes about 5-6 hours in some spectacular scenery, especially for trips on the westernmost route through Snowdonia via Corris, Dolgellau, Ffestiniog Blaenau, the Crimea Pass and the Valley of the Conwy. The two main North-South roads are the A470 to Cardiff and Swansea Llandudno A483 to Chester.

By bus

The first Cymru Shuttle bus service is generally faster than the train for travel between Swansea and Cardiff, although at peak times the train is not stuck in traffic!

Traws Cambria Services contact North, Central and South Wales.

Arriva operates a large amount of bus services in North WalesFirst Cymru operates services in South West WalesTrawscambria long distance bus network linking North, Central and South Wales.Stagecoach operates services from South WalesCardiff Bus operates services into CardiffVeolia Transport Cymru operates services from Wales to Cardiff and South

Speak

English is spoken throughout the country, but Wales also has its own language, Wales (in Welsh: Cymraeg). The government's policy is to encourage both languages.

English is the main language of Wales, it has been spoken in Wales more than most other English speaking countries. It is not a Welsh-English dialect in the same sense as there are regional dialects in England or America. However, tourists who speak another dialect of English need not worry too much as Welsh is far from being as far from the standard English as the dialects of Singapore, Scotland, or some northern England.

Depending on your own nationality, you may find it difficult to understand the English language that is spoken in a strong Welsh accent (colloquial sometimes referred to as 'Wenglish'), but don't bother asking someone to repeat something. used in Welsh-English that have the potential to cause confusion to a foreigner, some examples of these are 'yes' which is very commonly used to indicate 'yes' and 'ta-ra' can be said instead of a 'goodbye' (especially in casual conversation), the other is “Where?”, if asked by someone, “where (you)?” taxi company, meaning they want to know where you are currently not where you want to go.

This phrase is widely used but not exclusively in the South Wales Valleys areas.

Welsh is spoken by about 26% of the population which varies geographically from less than 7% in the Southeast to 60% in the Northwest. In Wales as a whole, Welsh is a minority language, but visitors should be aware that, in many of the parts of Wales of particular interest to tourists, it is in fact the majority language.

All traffic signs in Wales are bilingual. Unlike parts of Scotland, there is no color code to distinguish between languages, nor is there a standard protocol like the language that appears at the top. Whenever the English and Welsh name for a city are the same, only one name will appear. Visitors unfamiliar with bilingual policy may believe it is a traffic sign indicating two distinct destinations when in fact it is referring to one. The mileage on the right should clarify the situation.

Many older people, especially in the south, who don't speak Welsh still have a strong emotional attachment to the language because they may have had a Welsh-speaking father or father-grandfather. There was a time when language was down in schools and many parents refrained from speaking their native language with their children.

Due to immigration in the 20th century, there are other languages ​​spoken in Wales, although their use is limited to small geographic areas within certain communities.

Look

Knife

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Brecon Jazz Festival, BreconCardiff Singer of the World Contest, Cardiff Guardian Hay Festival, Hay-on-Wye. A literary festival, Bill Clinton, who aptly described as 'The Woodstock for the mind. “Dylan Thomas Festival, Swansea an annual event held between October 27th and November 9th (the poet's birth and death dates) to commemorate the works of Thomas. In addition, the festival hosts the awards ceremony for the winner of the Dylan Thomas Award - a biannual competition to write outstanding literary talents in English, under the age of 30. Dylan Thomas Fringe, Swansea. Compliments of the main events at the Dylan Thomas Festival and is held at various venues across the city. Faenol Festival is organized by internationally renowned opera singer Bryn Terfel, and takes place every August holiday weekend at Banco Y Felinheli, between Bangor and Caernarfon. International Eisteddfod, Llangollen. An international festival of traditional music and dance. National Eisteddfod (Genedlaethol Eisteddfod). First week of August. The Welsh language event which is hosted in a different city each year, alternating between north and south Wales. In 2009 it will be held in Bala, North Wales, and 2010 is planned for Blaenau Gwent. Sesiwn Fawr World Music Festival takes place every July in Dolgellau. With six steps, there's something for everyone. Swansea Bay Film Festival, Swansea. UK's largest international indie film festival. Swansea Swansea Music and Arts Festival. Annual (October), three week culture bash at various locations in Swansea, and the second largest such festival in the UK. Wakestock is a music festival combined with a wakeboard competition, which takes place every July Abersoch.

With the

Wales is not famous for its cuisine, but there are some special dishes you can try:

Cawl or Lobscouse (North) - a lamb broth. Welsh rarebit - a dish with melted cheese, often seasoned with beer and herbs and served on toasted bread. Laver bread (pronounced "see-home") is not, like the name implies, bread, but a puree made from seaweed (the same type that is used in the preparation of Japanese nori). They are usually rolled into small cakes mixed with oatmeal and served for breakfast alongside slices of bacon, which is simply delicious warmed up and served over buttered toast. This dish is only available in the Swansea area and can be purchased at Swansea Raw Market. Ice Cream - Due to an influx of Italians in Wales, the area has some of the best cones in the country. The following are UK nationals: Ice Cream Frank in Carmarthenshire, [Joe's Ice cream] in Swansea and Fecci & Sons Ice Cream in Tenby. La Belle Rouge in Aberystwyth is also highly recommended.

NB: smoking in enclosed public spaces, including restaurants and cafes, is illegal in Wales, and there is an onsite fine of £50 for those who violate the ban.

drink and go out

Whiskey - After an absence of over 100 years, Wales returned to the club of Celtic whiskey producing countries in 2004 with the launch of Welsh Whiskey. This distillery is based outside the village of Penderyn, near Brecon in South Wales. Penderyn whiskey has received several awards and makes an interesting addition to the whiskey world. The Distillery Visitor Center opened in June 2008. See the most general article on consumption in the UK, with information on bars and real ale.

NB: smoking in enclosed public spaces, including bars and cafes, is illegal in Wales, and there is an onsite fine of £50 for those who violate the ban.

Learn

Wales has ten leading universities, which have large populations of international students:

Aberystwyth. A university overlooking the sea - excellent facilities. Bangor. A relatively small university, but with a good reputation. Cardiff. The highest and highest ranking of universities. Glamorgan. A great university, located in Rio Grande do Sul Valleys. Glyndwr University, Wrexham. “Newest University in Wales”, established in 2008 by the East North Wales Institute of Higher Education. Lampeter. The third oldest university in England and Wales, behind only Oxford and Cambridge, based in the small town of Lampeter in West Wales. Home to the oldest rugby and hockey teams in Wales. Newport. Contains the famous Newport Well-Art School. Swansea. A great university, located on the waterfront - often voted the UK's best university for the student experience. Swansea Metropolitan. This university is located on several campuses throughout the city and is famous for its courses in stained glass design and digital media. Trinity College, Carmarthen. A small but historic university based in beautiful national park. University Institute of Wales, Cardiff (UWIC). The self-styled Metropolitan University Cardiff. Royal College of Music Wales and Drama, Cardiff. A school centered on music and drama

Work

Referring to Welsh people as English is incorrect and may cause irritation. Geopolitical relations between England and Wales are strong, although some light-hearted anti-English sentiment is common, especially in the country's patriotic North West. It is common to hear the Welsh language being spoken in some parts of the country, although locals rarely wait for visitors to try to speak. Using words like Bore Da (Good morning) and Diolch (Thank you) will be appreciated in some parts of the country, but will sound strange in another - this is due to some areas having almost exclusively English speaking populations (such as areas near the English border, along the North coast, the South Wales Valleys, Swansea and South Gower, South Pembrokeshire and Cardiff). About a quarter of the population speaks Welsh and it is a compulsory subject until the age of 16.

Safety

On any 999 or 112 emergency call and ask for Ambulance, Fire, Police or Coast Guard when connected. For non-urgent police matters, dial 101 to be connected to the police station anywhere in Wales.

Wales is considered to be one of the safest parts of the UK, although visitors should be aware that criminal activity, including violent crime, is not uncommon. As in many UK cities and towns, there are ongoing problems with alcohol related anti-social behavior. It is perfectly safe to drive on Welsh roads, although visitors should be extra careful on single-roads and single-lane roads.

Health

The health system in the country is the NHS (National Health Service) is a state service for the UK that provides treatment to residents through a comprehensive range of medical services. NHS Direct Wales has a medical information service available 24 hours a day, every day. You can call NHS DirectWales on 0845 46 47 if you are sitting sick and not sure what to do, or to ask for health information about a comprehensive range of conditions, treatments and local health services. Calls are billed at the local rate of 4p per minute.

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