Wales Travel Guide

Wales — Country and Tourist Information

Browse the Wales Photo Gallery

Country Facts

Location: Western Great Britain.
Language: English and Welsh are the official languages. Welsh is taught in all schools, and at least one-fifth of the population speaks it.
Area: 20,732 sq km (8,004 sq miles).
Electricity: 240 volts AC, 50Hz. Square three-pin plugs are standard.
Population: 3 million (2008).
Population Density: 144.7 per sq km.
Capital City: Cardiff. Population: 324,800 (2008).
Head of Government: First Minister Rhodri Morgan since 2000.
Head of State: HM Queen Elizabeth II.
Religion: Predominantly Christian (Church of England, Roman Catholic, Presbyterian, Methodist), sizeable Muslim, Sikh, Jewish and Hindu minorities. Around 15% of the population have no religion.

Recent History

Wales was granted its own assembly in 1999 which was given general control over the central government budget.

In 2006, the Government of Wales Act gave the Welsh Assembly similar legislative powers to the Scottish Parliament.

Since 2007, a coalition between Plaid Cymru (The Party of Wales) and the Welsh Labor Party has been working towards achieving full law-making powers.

Communications

Telephone

Country Code: . There are numerous public call boxes. Some boxes take coins, others phonecards or credit cards.

Mobile Telephone

Roaming agreements exist with most international mobile phone operators. Coverage is mostly good, but can be patchy in rural areas.

Internet

There are Internet cafés and centers in most urban areas. Some multimedia phone booths, often located at main railway stations and airports, offer touch-screen access.

Media

The media are free and able to report on all subjects. The variety of publications reflects the full spectrum of political opinion. The Western Mail is a daily tabloid newspaper published in Cardiff and circulated in North Wales. The Daily Post is the Welsh edition of the Liverpool daily. Wales on Sunday is a popular tabloid. South Wales Echo is a Cardiff-based evening paper. South Wales Evening Post is a Swansea-based evening paper. All the national UK TV channels and radio stations are available throughout Wales. BBC Radio Wales caters for the English-speaking sector; BBC Cymru is BBC Wales' Welsh Language station.

Public Holidays

Below are listed Public Holidays for the January 2011-December 2012 period.
2010
25 Dec Christmas Day
26 Dec Boxing Day

2011
1 Jan New Year’s Day
22 Apr Good Friday
25 Apr Easter Monday
28 Apr Royal Wedding
2 May Early May Bank Holiday
30 May Spring Bank Holiday
29 Aug Summer Bank Holiday
25 Dec Christmas Day
26 Dec Boxing Day

2012
1 Jan New Year’s Day
6 Apr Good Friday
9 Apr Easter Monday
7 May Early May Bank Holiday
3 Jun Spring Bank Holiday
4 Jun Queen’s Diamond Jubilee
27 Aug Summer Bank Holiday
25 Dec Christmas Day
26 Dec Boxing Day
If the date falls on the weekend, the public holiday will be observed on the next working day.