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Sunday, 2.5.2012

Wales

Wales/Cymru

General information
Population: 2,966,000 inhabitants (2006)
Area: 20,779 km²
Institutions: National Assembly for Wales
Major cities: Cardiff, Swansea, Newport, Wrexham, Aberystwyth
State administration: United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
Territorial languages: Welsh and English
Official language: Welsh and English
Date of national holiday: March 1
Major religion: Christianity (Protestant)

Politics

Capital: Cardiff
Primer minister: Rhodri Morgan, Welsh Labour Party (2007)
Political system: One of the four "home nations" of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
Distribution of seats in parliament (2007). 60 members:
Welsh Labour Party - 26
Plaid Cymru - 15
Welsh Conservative Party - 12
Welsh Liberal Democrats - 6
Independents - 1
Electoral system: Plurality voting system (first-past-the-post) in 40 electoral districts and proportional representation in the other 20.
Government: Coalition of the Welsh Labour Party and Plaid Cymru.


Degree of self-government
In 1999 Wales approved a referendum on the creation of their National Assembly, which has legislative powers, although not to the degree of the Scottish parliament.


Observations
In the last elections to the Assembly, in 2007, the pro-independence Plaid Cymru gained seats, which gave them a place in the government. Plaid had a role in the executive along with the Welsh Labour Party on the agreement that there would be an increase in Welsh self-government at the end of the current legislature.

Links

Fèroe

Politics
National Assembly for Wales new.wales.gov.uk
Website of the Welsh Labour Party www.welshlabour.org.uk
Website of Plaid Cymru www.plaidcymru.org

Language and Culture
Bwrdd yr Iaith Gymraeg (Welsh Language Board) www.byig-wlb.org.uk
Cymdeithas yr Iaith Gymraeg (The Welsh Language Society) www.cymdeithas.com

Media
S4C, television in Welsh www.s4c.co.uk
South Wales Echo, Welsh newspaper in English walesonline.co.uk
South Wales Evening Post, Welsh newspaper in English www.thisisswansea.co.uk

Nationalia 2007-2012, by CIEMEN, under a Creative Commons licence Creative Commons License
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