106-598: The Cardiff Capital Region ( CCR ; Welsh : Prifddinas-Ranbarth Caerdydd ) is a city region in Wales , centred on the capital city of Wales , Cardiff , in the southeast of the country. It is a partnership between the ten local authorities of Blaenau Gwent , Bridgend , Caerphilly , Cardiff, Merthyr Tydfil , Monmouthshire , Newport , Rhondda Cynon Taf , Torfaen , and the Vale of Glamorgan , local businesses in southeast Wales and other organisations. The regional city deal
212-516: A Cardiff University lead partnership initiative, Clwstwr, assessed the economic impact of the media sector in the region. It reported that the CCR is home to the third largest media sector in the United Kingdom, after London and Manchester, and ahead of other media hubs such as Brighton, Bristol, and Southampton. One in every eight jobs created today in the region is linked to the media sector, with
318-441: A Welsh Language Scheme, which indicates its commitment to the equality of treatment principle. This is sent out in draft form for public consultation for a three-month period, whereupon comments on it may be incorporated into a final version. It requires the final approval of the now defunct Welsh Language Board ( Bwrdd yr Iaith Gymraeg ). Thereafter, the public body is charged with implementing and fulfilling its obligations under
424-594: A Welsh-language edge inscription was used on pound coins dated 1985, 1990 and 1995, which circulated in all parts of the UK prior to their 2017 withdrawal. The wording is Pleidiol wyf i'm gwlad (Welsh for 'True am I to my country'), and derives from the national anthem of Wales, " Hen Wlad Fy Nhadau ". UK banknotes are in English only. Some shops employ bilingual signage. Welsh sometimes appears on product packaging or instructions. The UK government has ratified
530-663: A census glossary of terms to support the release of results from the census, including their definition of "main language" as referring to "first or preferred language" (though that wording was not in the census questionnaire itself). The wards in England with the most people giving Welsh as their main language were the Liverpool wards of Central and Greenbank ; and Oswestry South in Shropshire . The wards of Oswestry South (1.15%), Oswestry East (0.86%) and St Oswald (0.71%) had
636-690: A commission of councils of the CRR, in collaboration with the Western Gateway (a regional group of councils in England and Wales), looked into plans for a barrage or lagoon across the Severn estuary for tidal power . Welsh language Welsh ( Cymraeg [kəmˈraːiɡ] or y Gymraeg [ə ɡəmˈraːiɡ] ) is a Celtic language of the Brittonic subgroup that
742-641: A comparative economic model which like Wales, is a post-industrial area. The Basque country's GDP per person has increased from 70% of the EU15 average in 1985 to being close the average in 2019. The Basque country has had 118% GDP per capita compared to the EU27 and lower unemployment than the Spanish average. The authors say that this was achieved by using a strategy focused on industry over multiple decades with "close co-operation among all levels of government and between
848-831: A more powerful Assembly was a necessary precondition to more effective economic policies was a non-sequitur . Jonathan Bradbury and Andrew Davies suggest that Wales' economic performance has not progressed under devolution with weakness in Welsh government strategy and policy and that the dissolution of the Wales Development Agency remains a topic of debate. Specific issues for lack of economic development include low skills; relatively low urbanisation; weak infrastructure connectivity; low Small and Medium Sized Enterprise (SME) equity with low demand and poor supply; lack of dynamic private sector leadership. The economists Nicholas Crafts and John Bradley have argued that
954-491: A peak of £27,274 in 2022. This compares to the UK averages of £17,073 in 1998, £34,424 in 2019 and £32,141 in 2020. Total public expenditure in Wales was £19.6 billion in 1999/2000 increasing to £54.6 billion in 2020/2021. The total identifiable expenditure in Wales in 2020/21 was £45 billion, with £9.6 billion not being spent directly in Wales. In 2018/19, the managed expenditure of Wales was £43.0 billion. Of this, £33.4 billion
1060-636: A real difference. They also note the view of some that the historic exploitation of Wales and its treatment as an economic periphery plays have implications today. According to the Welsh Government's economic development strategy published in 2005, the role of the public sector in the economy is to help create a stable and favourable business environment, promote skills and innovation (through for example apprenticeships and Design Wales), address market failures and invest in economic infrastructure including transport and information technology. In
1166-762: A report for the Institute of Welsh Affairs in 2003, Phil Cooke of Cardiff University argued that the Welsh Government had responded to the loss of productivity in manufacturing by substituting new jobs in the public sector, making Wales increasingly dependent on fiscal transfers from Whitehall . Cooke suggested that a relatively weak devolution settlement had prevented the Welsh Government from developing innovative economic policies, especially when compared to Scotland . However, critics including former Welsh Secretary Ron Davies and John Lovering, another Cardiff academic, claimed that Cooke's argument that
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#17327655032141272-479: A single discourse (known in linguistics as code-switching ). Welsh speakers are largely concentrated in the north and west of Wales, principally Gwynedd , Conwy County Borough , Denbighshire , Anglesey , Carmarthenshire , north Pembrokeshire , Ceredigion , parts of Glamorgan , and north-west and extreme south-west Powys . However, first-language and other fluent speakers can be found throughout Wales. Welsh-speaking communities persisted well into
1378-446: A total of 1,455,800 people were in employment in Wales. Of these, 441,000 people were employed in the public sector (30.5%) and 1,006,300 were employed in the private sector. The gross disposable household income in Wales per head was £9,402 in 1997 (87.4% of UK average) reaching its highest level ever in the most recent figure in 2020 of £17,592 (82.1% of UK average). The percentage of people living in relative income poverty in Wales
1484-529: A whole was £161,883. In August 2008, average house prices in Wales ranged from £109,000 in Blaenau Gwent to £238,000 in Monmouthshire . Other manufacturing industries not listed here include oil refining and tool making. Today Airbus Broughton employs over 6,500 people, mostly in manufacturing roles. The site is responsible for the wing assembly for all Airbus aircraft, with the exception of
1590-599: Is a net exporter of electricity to England, Ireland and Europe. In the same year, 25% was from renewable sources, up from 22% in 2017. Electricity generation encompasses a broad mix of technologies including coal (e.g. Aberthaw ), gas (e.g. Baglan Bay ), wind ( Cefn Croes ), hydro-electricity ( Dinorwig ), solar thermal/PV and biomass electricity. In 2017, the Welsh Government announced a target of meeting 70% of Wales’ electricity demand from Welsh renewable electricity sources by 2030. By 2018, Wales generated over 3,864 MW renewable energy from 68,728 projects. In June 2018,
1696-565: Is a proposed national Welsh community bank currently under development and aimed to be operating in Wales by 2023. Building societies in Wales includes the Principality Building Society , Monmouthshire Building Society and the Swansea Building Society . Welsh insurance companies include Admiral and Thomas Carroll . Education in Wales differs in certain respects from education elsewhere in
1802-565: Is available throughout Europe on satellite and online throughout the UK. Since the digital switchover was completed in South Wales on 31 March 2010, S4C Digidol became the main broadcasting channel and fully in Welsh. The main evening television news provided by the BBC in Welsh is available for download. There is also a Welsh-language radio station, BBC Radio Cymru , which was launched in 1977. Welsh economy The economy of Wales
1908-688: Is considered to have lasted from then until the 14th century, when the Modern Welsh period began, which in turn is divided into Early and Late Modern Welsh. The word Welsh is a descendant, via Old English wealh, wielisc , of the Proto-Germanic word * Walhaz , which was derived from the name of the Celtic people known to the Romans as Volcae and which came to refer to speakers of Celtic languages, and then indiscriminately to
2014-428: Is currently headed by leader of Torfaen Council , Councillor Anthony Hunt. In April 2021, a South East Wales Corporate Joint Committee was formed to allow the ten local councils in the region to collaborate in areas relating to economic well-being, strategic planning and the development of regional transport policies. The region is home to three universities, Cardiff University , Cardiff Metropolitan University , and
2120-617: Is funded by the UK Government and Welsh Government . The Cardiff Capital Region includes the cities of Cardiff and Newport, and most of the South Wales Valleys , with the region being coterminous with the area defined as South East Wales . The Cardiff Capital Region covers the principal areas of Blaenau Gwent , Bridgend County Borough , Caerphilly County Borough , Cardiff , Merthyr Tydfil County Borough , Monmouthshire , Newport , Rhondda Cynon Taf , Torfaen , and
2226-567: Is mainly provided by the Welsh public health service, NHS Wales . NHS Wales provides healthcare to all permanent residents that is free at the point of need and paid for from general taxation. Health is a matter that is devolved , and considerable differences are now developing between the public healthcare systems in the different countries of the United Kingdom , collectively the National Health Service (NHS). Though
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#17327655032142332-772: Is native to the Welsh people . Welsh is spoken natively in Wales , by some in England , and in Y Wladfa (the Welsh colony in Chubut Province , Argentina ). It is spoken by smaller numbers of people in Canada and the United States descended from Welsh immigrants, within their households (especially in Nova Scotia ). Historically, it has also been known in English as "British", "Cambrian", "Cambric" and "Cymric". The Welsh Language (Wales) Measure 2011 gave
2438-417: Is part of the wider economy of the United Kingdom , and encompasses the production and consumption of goods, services and the supply of money in Wales . On the whole, gross domestic product (GDP) in Wales has increased since 1999, although it remains lower than the UK average. UK government and Welsh government expenditure in Wales has also increased over the same period. Wales has received funding from
2544-455: Is partly due to a weaker agglomeration effect , due to the small size of towns and cities in Wales compared to regions within the UK and small countries. Wales like Northern Ireland has relatively few high value-added employment in sectors such as finance and research and development, attributable in part to a comparative lack of 'economic mass' (i.e. population) – Wales lacks a large metropolitan centre. The lack of high value-added employment
2650-511: Is the label attached to the Welsh of the 12th to 14th centuries, of which much more remains than for any earlier period. This is the language of nearly all surviving early manuscripts of the Mabinogion , although the tales themselves are certainly much older. It is also the language of the existing Welsh law manuscripts. Middle Welsh is reasonably intelligible to a modern-day Welsh speaker. The Bible translations into Welsh helped maintain
2756-732: The Cynfeirdd or "Early Poets" – is generally considered to date to the Primitive Welsh period. However, much of this poetry was supposedly composed in the Hen Ogledd , raising further questions about the dating of the material and language in which it was originally composed. This discretion stems from the fact that Cumbric was widely believed to have been the language used in Hen Ogledd. An 8th-century inscription in Tywyn shows
2862-500: The 2016 Australian census , 1,688 people noted that they spoke Welsh. In the 2011 Canadian census , 3,885 people reported Welsh as their first language . According to the 2021 Canadian census , 1,130 people noted that Welsh was their mother tongue. The 2018 New Zealand census noted that 1,083 people in New Zealand spoke Welsh. The American Community Survey 2009–2013 noted that 2,235 people aged five years and over in
2968-466: The 2021 census , 7,349 people in England recorded Welsh to be their "main language". In the 2011 census, 1,189 people aged three and over in Scotland noted that Welsh was a language (other than English) that they used at home. It is believed that there are as many as 5,000 speakers of Patagonian Welsh . In response to the question 'Does the person speak a language other than English at home?' in
3074-519: The COVID-19 pandemic . This fiscal deficit increased from £14.4 billion in 2019/20 to £25.9 billion in 2020/21. All countries and regions in the UK had a fiscal deficit in 2020/1, which included the North West of England at £49.9 billion; Scotland at £36 billion; Northern Ireland at £18 billion; London at £7.2 billion. The UK as a whole had a fiscal deficit of £318 billion in 2021. Despite being
3180-673: The Commission on Devolution in Wales (the Silk Commission) was set up to review the case for the devolution of fiscal powers. This led to the Wales Act 2014 , which devolved a range of provisions to the National Assembly, including powers over taxation. Fiscal and economic policy are currently reserved matters determined at Westminster , however from 2018 increased tax and borrowing powers devolved. In April 2018
3286-686: The Development Bank of Wales showed that the bank made 243 investment transactions, totalling £28m and associated with around 760 new, safeguarded jobs. During the 2021 calendar year, the value of exported Welsh goods exports increased by 12.4% to £15.2 billion and value of good imports increased by 13.2% to £16.1 billion. The Welsh Government established Independent Commission on Funding and Finance for Wales (the Holtham Commission) which looked at funding devolved public services in Wales, and possible alternative mechanisms. In 2011,
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3392-538: The European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages in respect of Welsh. The language has greatly increased its prominence since the creation of the television channel S4C in November 1982, which until digital switchover in 2010 broadcast 70 per cent of Channel 4's programming along with a majority of Welsh language shows during peak viewing hours. The all-Welsh-language digital station S4C Digidol
3498-590: The European Structural and Investment Funds and the UK government has announced that this funding is being replaced by the UK Shared Prosperity Fund, although the Welsh Government has suggested that Wales is receiving less money. Wales has a negative fiscal balance, although all countries and regions of the UK also had a fiscal deficit in 2020/21. The Gross Value Added in Wales has increased since 1998, but per head remains lower than
3604-552: The National Institute Economic Review in January 2023 criticising both the Welsh government and UK government economic policies for Wales. They note that Wales had one of the weakest economies of the UK prior to devolution. They also noted views that the UK government remained in control of macro-economic powers; lacked regional economic policy; and a lack of devolution to the Welsh government to make
3710-756: The Polish name for Italians) have a similar etymology. The Welsh term for the language, Cymraeg , descends from the Brythonic word combrogi , meaning 'compatriots' or 'fellow countrymen'. Welsh evolved from Common Brittonic , the Celtic language spoken by the ancient Celtic Britons . Classified as Insular Celtic , the British language probably arrived in Britain during the Bronze Age or Iron Age and
3816-578: The Port Talbot Steelworks remains as a major integrated steelmaking plant. Pro Steel Engineering is a steel specialist company based in Wales operating internationally. The company has delivered high-profile work, including collaborative projects such as the London Olympic Stadium Transformation and ICC Wales’ 22 tonne steel Welsh dragon. Nearly all the tinplate and much of the aluminium produced in
3922-640: The United States spoke Welsh at home. The highest number of those (255) lived in Florida . Sources: Calls for the Welsh language to be granted official status grew with the establishment of the nationalist political party Plaid Cymru in 1925, the establishment of the Welsh Language Society in 1962 and the rise of Welsh nationalism in the later 20th century. Of the six living Celtic languages (including two revived), Welsh has
4028-733: The University of South Wales as well as the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama . The region contains one airport, Cardiff Airport . The South Wales Metro (sometimes called the Cardiff Capital Region Metro) is an integrated public transport network centred in the region, with the aim of making the region better connected, through improved rail and bus services. The project involves new rolling stock , electrifying around 170 km (110 mi) of railways, building new stations, upgrading stations and
4134-601: The Vale of Glamorgan . The Cardiff Capital Region Board was established in November 2013, by the Welsh Government Minister for Economy, Science and Transport . Leader of Cardiff Council , Phil Bale, called for a "city deal" to boost Cardiff's and the local region's transport services in November 2014. Bale said that "Cardiff must be treated the same as the other big cities" and that a city deal would increase investment in Cardiff and deliver benefits for
4240-493: The service sector in Wales has seen above average growth; however in 2005 its share of GVA was small compared with most other regions of the UK. Wales does not have a favourable occupational structure, and a relatively high proportion of jobs are in public administration , health and education . Compared to more prosperous parts of the UK, Wales lacks high value added service sector employment in sectors such as finance , business services and research and development . This
4346-437: The "Real Living Wage", and a reduction in unemployment from 6.5% in 2013 to 3.1% in 2017. Another report says that productivity and median income have increased and deprivation has decreased. In 2003, agriculture contributed £418 million to Welsh GVA, or 1.1% (including subsidies). 1.6m hectares (around 77% of Wales' total land area) is used for agricultural production and an estimated 57,500 people are directly employed in
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4452-476: The "hugely important role", adding, "I look forward to working with the Welsh Government and organisations in Wales in developing the new system of standards. I will look to build on the good work that has been done by the Welsh Language Board and others to strengthen the Welsh language and ensure that it continues to thrive." First Minister Carwyn Jones said that Huws would act as a champion for
4558-596: The 1880s identified a small part of Shropshire as still then speaking Welsh, with the "Celtic Border" passing from Llanymynech through Oswestry to Chirk . The number of Welsh-speaking people in the rest of Britain has not yet been counted for statistical purposes. In 1993, the Welsh-language television channel S4C published the results of a survey into the numbers of people who spoke or understood Welsh, which estimated that there were around 133,000 Welsh-speaking people living in England, about 50,000 of them in
4664-536: The 1993 Act nor secondary legislation made under it covers the private sector, although some organisations, notably banks and some railway companies, provide some of their information in Welsh. On 7 December 2010, the Welsh Assembly unanimously approved a set of measures to develop the use of the Welsh language within Wales. On 9 February 2011 this measure, the Welsh Language (Wales) Measure 2011 ,
4770-486: The Assembly which confirms the official status of the Welsh language; which creates a strong advocate for Welsh speakers and will improve the quality and quantity of services available through the medium of Welsh. I believe that everyone who wants to access services in the Welsh language should be able to do so, and that is what this government has worked towards. This legislation is an important and historic step forward for
4876-649: The Cardiff Capital Region City Deal were approved following the conclusion of a gateway review, which occur every five years during the deal's operation. The region is the economically significant to the Welsh economy , accounting for 50% of the total economic output of Wales, and 49% of its total employed workforce population, with a recorded 38,000 active businesses. CCR is a centre of various industries such as: advanced manufacturing, creative and digital industries, energy and energy supply, financial services, and life sciences. In April 2021,
4982-670: The Chinese A320s (these wings are assembled in China) and the A400M (assembled in Filton). General Electric (GE) on Caerphilly Road, Nantgarw in Wales handles the world's largest and most fuel efficient aviation engine, GE9X. The St Athans Aston Martin plant in South Wales created 750 new jobs in 2016. It had a series of recruitment events in South Wales that gained over 3,000 applications. The first technicians were recruited to work on
5088-474: The City Deal aiming to deliver 2,800 new homes across the region. In April 2021, a planned £100 million innovation investment fund was announced. The fund is centred on job creation and business expansion in the region, in addition to attracting inward investment. The fund is in its early stages and may be partially funded (up to £45 million) from the City Deal. In May 2021, funding for the next five years of
5194-591: The City Deal, by both the Welsh Government and UK Government , with an additional £120m committed from the 10 local authorities through the CCR City Deal Wider Investment Fund, totalling to £1.2 billion for the entire city deal. The deal aims to create up to 25,000 new jobs (including 10,000 new apprenticeships) in the region, and an additional £4 billion in private sector investment. The deal aims to boost economic growth through improved transport connections, increasing skills, assisting
5300-550: The Greater London area. The Welsh Language Board , on the basis of an analysis of the Office for National Statistics Longitudinal Study, estimated there were 110,000 Welsh-speaking people in England, and another thousand in Scotland and Northern Ireland. In the 2011 census , 8,248 people in England gave Welsh in answer to the question "What is your main language?" The Office for National Statistics subsequently published
5406-607: The Irish Celtic Tiger model, which includes lower corporation tax rates to stimulate investment and growth, was only effective in the very specific demographic and historical circumstances of Ireland in the late 1980s and 1990s. They suggest that such a policy in Wales' very different economic context would not only require political independence , but could be relatively ineffective and/or require difficult policy choices between higher personal taxes and lower public spending . The Basque Country has been suggested as
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#17327655032145512-563: The UK are made in Welsh plants. TIMET has a plant in Waunarlwydd , Swansea , which is one of the world's major suppliers of titanium for jet engine blades and medical applications. The Welsh fishing industry is the smallest in the UK, with about 1,000 full-time and 400 part-time fishermen. Commercial fishing in Wales employs approximately 600 people full-time and is valued at 39,000,000 pounds sterling . 92% of Welsh fishing vessels are designated small-scale. The minor role that
5618-798: The UK average. The currency used in Wales is the Pound, represented by the symbol £ . The Bank of England is the central bank , responsible for issuing currency, and retains responsibility for monetary policy and is the central bank of the UK. The Royal Mint , which issues the coinage circulated over the whole of the UK, has been based at a single site in Llantrisant , Rhondda Cynon Taf since 1980, having progressively transferred operations from their Tower Hill , London site from 1968. The GDP of Wales has increased from £37.1 billion in 1998 to £85.4 billion in 2022. GDP per head in Wales at current market prices has increased from £12,810 in 1998 to
5724-569: The UK government announced in April 2022 that the EU structural funds would be replaced with the UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF). The Welsh Government has criticised the total sum of £632 million over 2020 to 2023 funding allocated to Wales, stating that Wales is being underfunded by £1.1 billion by the UK government. Wales' net fiscal deficit was £13.7 billion in 2016/17, £14.3 billion in 2017/18 and £13.5 billion in 2018/19. Later figures are affected by
5830-450: The United Kingdom. For example, a significant minority of students all over Wales are educated either wholly or largely through the medium of Welsh : in 2014/15, 15.7% of children and young people received Welsh-medium education – a drop from the 15.9% in 2010/11. In 2018, the annual production of electricity in Wales was 30.2 TWh and consumed 14.9 TWh, which means that Wales generates twice as much electricity as it consumes and
5936-451: The Welsh Government backed the Tidal Lagoon Swansea Bay project with an offer to invest £200 million; the project would see the world's largest tidal hydro-electricity plant. However, in June 2018, the UK Government refused to back the plan due to it being shown to be not viable by an independent report. In 2021, the Welsh government said that more than half the country's energy needs were being met by renewable sources, 2 percent of which
6042-584: The Welsh Government became responsible for three taxes: stamp duty land tax (SDLT), landfill tax and income tax. This was the first time for Wales to raise its own taxes since 1283. In 2005, Plaid Cymru leader Ieuan Wyn Jones suggested that the lack of tax varying powers in Wales was a major reason why Wales did not have its own Celtic Tiger and that growth strategy should not be focused only on cities. Plaid Cymru have also argued that economic dividend can only be achieved with Welsh independence . Jonathan Bradbury and Andrew Davies published an article in
6148-432: The Welsh Language (Wales) Measure 2011, all new signs have Welsh displayed first. There have been incidents of one of the languages being vandalised, which may be considered a hate crime . Since 2000, the teaching of Welsh has been compulsory in all schools in Wales up to age 16; this has had an effect in stabilising and reversing the decline in the language. Text on UK coins tends to be in English and Latin. However,
6254-436: The Welsh Language Scheme. The list of other public bodies which have to prepare Schemes could be added to by initially the Secretary of State for Wales, from 1993 to 1997, by way of statutory instrument . Subsequent to the forming of the National Assembly for Wales in 1997, the Government Minister responsible for the Welsh language can and has passed statutory instruments naming public bodies who have to prepare Schemes. Neither
6360-434: The Welsh industry holds is largely due to its geographical isolation, weak distribution networks and the demise of the Wales distant-water fleet from the 1960s onwards. The retail sector is the largest private sector employer in Wales. The sector has 114,000 employees which accounts for 6.0% of Welsh GVA (gross value added). The retail sector in Wales is considered highly valuable by the Welsh government. In recent years,
6466-421: The Welsh language official status in Wales. Welsh and English are de jure official languages of the Welsh Parliament, the Senedd , with Welsh being the only de jure official language in any part of the United Kingdom, with English being merely de facto official. According to the 2021 census , the Welsh-speaking population of Wales aged three or older was 538,300 (17.8%) and nearly three quarters of
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#17327655032146572-445: The Welsh language, though some had concerns over her appointment: Plaid Cymru spokeswoman Bethan Jenkins said, "I have concerns about the transition from Meri Huws's role from the Welsh Language Board to the language commissioner, and I will be asking the Welsh government how this will be successfully managed. We must be sure that there is no conflict of interest, and that the Welsh Language Commissioner can demonstrate how she will offer
6678-426: The Welsh of the 16th century, but they are similar enough for a fluent Welsh speaker to have little trouble understanding it. During the Modern Welsh period, there has been a decline in the popularity of the Welsh language: the number of Welsh speakers declined to the point at which there was concern that the language would become extinct. During industrialisation in the late 19th century, immigrants from England led to
6784-429: The Welsh-speaking heartlands, with the number dropping to under 50 per cent in Ceredigion and Carmarthenshire for the first time. However, according to the Welsh Language Use Survey in 2019–20, 22 per cent of people aged three and over were able to speak Welsh. The Annual Population Survey (APS) by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) estimated that as of March 2024, approximately 862,700, or 28.0 per cent of
6890-604: The aim of substantially benefiting the medical community and vastly improving the outcomes of a range of medical procedures. RotoMedical has emerged as a leading Welsh manufacturer of PPE and medical equipment. The company produces specifically industrial gauges, ultrasonic level transmitters, temperature probes and pressure measurement equipment. Metal ore refining is a long established industry in Wales. As of 2007, Corus had manufacturing facilities at Port Talbot , Llanwern , Newport , Trostre , Shotton , Ammanford , Pontardulais , Tafarnaubach and Caerphilly , although only
6996-423: The associated signalling, and upgrading the Core Valley Lines to Aberdare, Coryton, Merthyr Tydfil, Rhymney and Treherbert. Funding comes from a ring-fenced contribution of £734m from the CCR City Deal, with sources from the Welsh Government (£500m), UK Government (£125m) and European Regional Development Fund (£94m). The project is being managed by Transport for Wales and contracted companies. In October 2021,
7102-406: The campaign of a Cardiff city deal. All councils announced their commitment to a £500,000 fund to develop a city deal proposal. Secretary of State for Wales Stephen Crabb urged local councils to support the proposal, calling the opportunity a "once in a generation". The regional partnership was formed through the passing of the Cardiff Capital Region City Deal , lasting between 2016 and 2025. It
7208-408: The census. In terms of usage, ONS also reported that 14.4 per cent (443,800) of people aged three or older in Wales reported that they spoke Welsh daily in March 2024, with 5.4 per cent (165,500) speaking it weekly and 6.5 per cent (201,200) less often. Approximately 1.7 per cent (51,700) reported that they never spoke Welsh despite being able to speak the language, with the remaining 72.0 per cent of
7314-444: The city deal hope that the shorter timeframe encourages funding to be delivered to the region faster. It was ratified on 1 March 2017, and every five years the deal undergoes a gateway review where the local authorities can decide to opt-out if they desire to. Carwyn Jones said following ratification "I’m delighted that the landmark £1.2bn Cardiff Capital Region City Deal has been formally ratified.". £1.1 billion has been committed to
7420-414: The course of the 20th century this monolingual population all but disappeared, but a small percentage remained at the time of the 1981 census. Most Welsh-speaking people in Wales also speak English. However, many Welsh-speaking people are more comfortable expressing themselves in Welsh than in English. A speaker's choice of language can vary according to the subject domain and the social context, even within
7526-489: The creation of Old Welsh, Davies suggests it may be more appropriate to refer to this derivative language as Lingua Britannica rather than characterising it as a new language altogether. The argued dates for the period of "Primitive Welsh" are widely debated, with some historians' suggestions differing by hundreds of years. The next main period is Old Welsh ( Hen Gymraeg , 9th to 11th centuries); poetry from both Wales and Scotland has been preserved in this form of
7632-479: The decline in Welsh speakers particularly in the South Wales Valleys. Welsh government processes and legislation have worked to increase the proliferation of the Welsh language, for example through education. Welsh has been spoken continuously in Wales throughout history; however, by 1911, it had become a minority language, spoken by 43.5 per cent of the population. While this decline continued over
7738-491: The following decades, the language did not die out. The smallest number of speakers was recorded in 1981 with 503,000 although the lowest percentage was recorded in the most recent census in 2021 at 17.8 per cent. By the start of the 21st century, numbers began to increase once more, at least partly as a result of the increase in Welsh-medium education . The 2004 Welsh Language Use Survey showed that 21.7 per cent of
7844-469: The highest number of native speakers who use the language on a daily basis, and it is the Celtic language which is considered the least endangered by UNESCO . The Welsh Language Act 1993 and the Government of Wales Act 1998 provide that the Welsh and English languages be treated equally in the public sector, as far as is reasonable and practicable. Each public body is required to prepare for approval
7950-476: The highest percentage of residents giving Welsh as their main language. The census also revealed that 3,528 wards in England, or 46% of the total number, contained at least one resident whose main language is Welsh. In terms of the regions of England , North West England (1,945), London (1,310) and the West Midlands (1,265) had the highest number of people noting Welsh as their main language. According to
8056-456: The history of Welsh, with rather indistinct boundaries: Primitive Welsh, Old Welsh, Middle Welsh, and Modern Welsh. The period immediately following the language's emergence is sometimes referred to as Primitive Welsh, followed by the Old Welsh period – which is generally considered to stretch from the beginning of the 9th century to sometime during the 12th century. The Middle Welsh period
8162-595: The language already dropping inflections in the declension of nouns. Janet Davies proposed that the origins of the Welsh language were much less definite; in The Welsh Language: A History , she proposes that Welsh may have been around even earlier than 600 AD. This is evidenced by the dropping of final syllables from Brittonic: * bardos 'poet' became bardd , and * abona 'river' became afon . Though both Davies and Jackson cite minor changes in syllable structure and sounds as evidence for
8268-506: The language, its speakers and for the nation." The measure was not welcomed warmly by all supporters: Bethan Williams, chairman of the Welsh Language Society, gave a mixed response to the move, saying, "Through this measure we have won official status for the language and that has been warmly welcomed. But there was a core principle missing in the law passed by the Assembly before Christmas. It doesn't give language rights to
8374-555: The language. As Germanic and Gaelic colonisation of Britain proceeded, the Brittonic speakers in Wales were split off from those in northern England, speaking Cumbric, and those in the southwest, speaking what would become Cornish , so the languages diverged. Both the works of Aneirin ( Canu Aneirin , c. 600 ) and the Book of Taliesin ( Canu Taliesin ) were written during this era. Middle Welsh ( Cymraeg Canol )
8480-622: The modern period across the border in England. Archenfield was still Welsh enough in the time of Elizabeth I for the Bishop of Hereford to be made responsible, together with the four Welsh bishops, for the translation of the Bible and the Book of Common Prayer into Welsh. Welsh was still commonly spoken there in the first half of the 19th century, and churchwardens' notices were put up in both Welsh and English until about 1860. Alexander John Ellis in
8586-529: The new DB11 at Aston Martin's Gaydon Headquarters, training for the highly-skilled jobs to work in St Athan. During the 1980s and 1990s, a major growth sector in manufacturing was the electronics industry with over 130 North American and 35 Japanese companies establishing operations in Wales. Creo Medical, based in Chepstow, is an emerging Medical Technology company is developing medical technologies with
8692-448: The number of Welsh-language speakers to one million by 2050. Since 1980, the number of children attending Welsh-medium schools has increased, while the number going to Welsh bilingual and dual-medium schools has decreased. Welsh is considered the least endangered Celtic language by UNESCO . The language of the Welsh developed from the language of Britons . The emergence of Welsh was not instantaneous and clearly identifiable. Instead,
8798-473: The people of Wales in every aspect of their lives. Despite that, an amendment to that effect was supported by 18 Assembly Members from three different parties, and that was a significant step forward." On 5 October 2011, Meri Huws , Chair of the Welsh Language Board , was appointed the new Welsh Language Commissioner. She released a statement that she was "delighted" to have been appointed to
8904-551: The people of the Western Roman Empire . In Old English the term went through semantic narrowing , coming to refer to either Britons in particular or, in some contexts, slaves. The plural form Wēalas evolved into the name for their territory, Wales. The modern names for various Romance-speaking people in Continental Europe (e.g. Walloons , Valaisans , Vlachs / Wallachians , and Włosi ,
9010-488: The population in Wales said they had no Welsh language skills. Other estimates suggest that 862,700 people (28.0%) aged three or older in Wales could speak Welsh in March 2024. Almost half of all Welsh speakers consider themselves fluent, while 20 per cent are able to speak a fair amount. 56 per cent of Welsh speakers speak the language daily, and 19 per cent speak the language weekly. The Welsh Government plans to increase
9116-471: The population not being able to speak it. The National Survey for Wales, conducted by Welsh Government, has also tended to report a higher percentage of Welsh speakers than the census, with the most recent results for 2022–2023 suggesting that 18 per cent of the population aged 3 and over were able to speak Welsh, with an additional 16 per cent noting that they had some Welsh-speaking ability. Historically, large numbers of Welsh people spoke only Welsh. Over
9222-502: The population of Wales aged 3 and over, were able to speak the language. Children and young people aged three to 15 years old were more likely to report that they could speak Welsh than any other age group (48.4 per cent, 241,300). Around 1,001,500 people, or 32.5 per cent, reported that they could understand spoken Welsh. 24.7 per cent (759,200) could read and 22.2 per cent (684,500) could write in Welsh. The APS estimates of Welsh language ability are historically higher than those produced by
9328-407: The population of Wales spoke Welsh, compared with 20.8 per cent in the 2001 census , and 18.5 per cent in the 1991 census . Since 2001, however, the number of Welsh speakers has declined in both the 2011 and 2021 censuses to about 538,300 or 17.8 per cent in 2021, lower than 1991, although it is still higher in absolute terms. The 2011 census also showed a "big drop" in the number of speakers in
9434-708: The public and private sectors". Community wealth building or the Preston Model has been suggested as a model for Wales which says, "retaining more civic wealth within a locality can boost growth and economic resilience in that particular area". In 2016/17, anchor institutions of Preston spent an additional £74 million on procurement in the Preston area an additional £200 million in Lancashire (from 39% to 79.2% locally retained spend) compared to 2012/13. The results of this spend included 4,000 more employees earning
9540-399: The public system dominates healthcare provision, private health care and a wide variety of alternative and complementary treatments are available for those willing to pay. In November 2008, the average price of a house in Wales was £126,181, a fall of 11.7% since the previous year. As of 2022 the average house price in Wales is around £251,000. The average house price in England and Wales as
9646-425: The report stating that targeted funding and productivity incentives can potentially make the region a "global hub for media production". 1,318 firms were stated by the report to be present in the region, with BBC Cymru Wales taking a big share (47%) of the economic contributions from the sector. The Capital Region is overseen by a regional cabinet, consisting of a councillor from each of the ten local authorities. It
9752-542: The required fresh approach to this new role." Huws started her role as the Welsh Language Commissioner on 1 April 2012. Local councils and the Senedd use Welsh, issuing Welsh versions of their literature, to varying degrees. Road signs in Wales are in Welsh and English. Prior to 2016, the choice of which language to display first was the responsibility of the local council. Since then, as part of
9858-448: The sector. Farming is dominated by beef, sheep and the dairy sector, with the arable sector accounting for 10% of agricultural output. Average farm size is 30–40 hectares, small by UK standards, and dominated by family-run enterprises. The Development Bank of Wales is a national Welsh investment bank that was founded by the Welsh Government. It invests in businesses, particularly start ups by providing growth capital. Banc Cambria
9964-651: The shift occurred over a long period, with some historians claiming that it had happened by as late as the 9th century , with a watershed moment being that proposed by linguist Kenneth H. Jackson , the Battle of Dyrham , a military battle between the West Saxons and the Britons in 577 AD, which split the South Western British from direct overland contact with the Welsh. Four periods are identified in
10070-501: The third smallest economy in the UK it typically has the largest absolute deficit, requiring borrowing by the UK to fund with disproportionate liability falling on taxpayers elsewhere in the UK to service the debt. This table shows the annual Gross value added for Wales from 1998 to 2020. Employment rate in Wales was 64.9% in April-June 1992 and increased to a peak of 75.0% during those months in 2019 and 72.7% in 2022. In 2022
10176-497: The unemployed into employment, and providing business support to growing businesses. The deal establishes the Cardiff Capital Region Cabinet, composed of leaders of each of the ten local authorities, to make decisions, pool the resources of the region together, and partner with local businesses. The city deal is composed of various initiatives including: In August 2020, a £45 million fund was launched by
10282-526: The use of Welsh in daily life, and standardised spelling. The New Testament was translated by William Salesbury in 1567, and the complete Bible by William Morgan in 1588. Modern Welsh is subdivided into Early Modern Welsh and Late Modern Welsh. Early Modern Welsh ran from the 15th century through to the end of the 16th century, and the Late Modern Welsh period roughly dates from the 16th century onwards. Contemporary Welsh differs greatly from
10388-511: The wider Welsh economy. Talks of a £1 billion city deal began in April 2015 by Cardiff Council. In the spring 2015 UK Budget , the UK treasury announced that the UK Government is opening negotiations for a Cardiff city deal with the Welsh Government and local partners, with funding being made available for the deal by the UK Government in 2015–16. In July 2015, the ten local councils backed
10494-418: Was "identifiable" expenditure on Wales, £4.6 billion was "non-identifiable" spending attributed to Wales but spent centrally in the UK, £1.2 billion was spent outside the UK. This brings the total annual spend not directly benefiting Wales to £5.9 billion. The remaining £3.7 billion was an accounting adjustment largely due to depreciation. The Welsh government budget as allocated by the UK government in 2020/21
10600-644: Was 27% during 1994–95 to 1996–97. Since then it has dropped to 21% during multiple periods, but currently stands at 23% during the 2017–18 to 2019–20 period, with the UK average at 22%. The number of small and medium sized enterprises (SME) in Wales declined during 2021 and 37% of Welsh SME respondents said that they had been significantly affected by increasing costs in the fourth quarter of 2021. The Size Analysis of Active Businesses in Wales report estimated that 723,500 people were employed in SMEs in Wales in 2021, 1.6% lower than 2020. The 2021/22 third quarterly report of
10706-622: Was complete by around AD 550, and labelled the period between then and about AD 800 "Primitive Welsh". This Primitive Welsh may have been spoken in both Wales and the Hen Ogledd ('Old North') – the Brittonic-speaking areas of what are now northern England and southern Scotland – and therefore may have been the ancestor of Cumbric as well as Welsh. Jackson, however, believed that the two varieties were already distinct by that time. The earliest Welsh poetry – that attributed to
10812-461: Was from 363 hydropower projects. The food and drink sector is classed as a priority economic sector in Wales. It involves 170,000 people that contribute to gross sales of £17.3 billion. The largest private sector employer is the Cardiff brewer and pub owner Brains Brewery , which employs nearly 1,800 people. Forest and woodland makes up 14% of the land area of Wales and there are 4,000 jobs and in forest-based industries . Healthcare in Wales
10918-518: Was passed and received Royal Assent, thus making the Welsh language an officially recognised language within Wales. The measure: The measure required public bodies and some private companies to provide services in Welsh. The Welsh government's Minister for Heritage at the time, Alun Ffred Jones , said, "The Welsh language is a source of great pride for the people of Wales, whether they speak it or not, and I am delighted that this measure has now become law. I am very proud to have steered legislation through
11024-517: Was probably spoken throughout the island south of the Firth of Forth . During the Early Middle Ages the British language began to fragment due to increased dialect differentiation, thus evolving into Welsh and the other Brittonic languages. It is not clear when Welsh became distinct. Linguist Kenneth H. Jackson has suggested that the evolution in syllabic structure and sound pattern
11130-586: Was signed in Cardiff on 15 March 2016 by the Secretary of State for Wales Stephen Crabb, Chief Secretary to the Treasury Greg Hands , local council leaders, and the Welsh Government. First Minister of Wales , Carwyn Jones said the deal was a "vote of confidence in the region", and was a "fantastic" deal handing "real power to local decision makers". The CCR city deal is shorter than other city deals which typically last thirty years. Supporters of
11236-595: Was £20.1 billion, increasing to £24 billion in 2023–24. In 2021/22, public spending per person in Wales was £13,401. This compares with £13,881 in Scotland, £14,062 in Northern Ireland and £11,549 in England. On average, Wales annually received £367 million of EU structural funds during 2014–2020, which included European Regional Development Fund (ERDF): £168.5 million; European social fund (ESF): £120.5 million; European agricultural fund for rural development (EAFRD): £77.9 million. Following Brexit ,
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