
  lamorgan (Welsh Morgannwg)
Three counties of south Wales - Mid Glamorgan, South Glamorgan, and West
Glamorgan - created in 1974 from the former county of Glamorganshire.

Vale of Glamorgan Council - Rhondda-Cynon-Taff Council
- Merthyr Tydfil County Borough
Council - Bridgend County
Borough Council - Cardiff County
Council - Neath &
Port Talbot County Borough Council - City and County of Swansea
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Mid Glamorgan
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owns and cities |
Former county of south Wales, 1974 -1996, now divided between Rhondda
Cynon Taff (The administrative centre is Clydach Vale), Merthyr Tydfil, Bridgend, and Vale
of Glamorgan unitary authorities. Other principal towns include Porthcawl, a resort and
residential area, and Maesteg.
The Royal Mint is at Llantrisant. |
rea |
591 sq km / 228 sq miles. |
opulation |
420,900 (1996) |
opography |
Rhondda Cynon Taff consists of a series of linear settlements following
the two rivers, Rhondda Fawr and Rhondda Fach. To the south is the lowland plateau, or Bro
Morgannwg, a rich agricultural area of mixed farming and large villages which is traversed
by the M4 motorway. Merthyr Tydfil area has the largest land-reclamation scheme in
Europe, and includes part of the Brecon Beacons National Park. The authority is
based mainly around the upper valley of the River Taff.
Most of Bridgend consists of the western end of a lowland plateau, Bro Morgannwg, a
rich agricultural area of mixed farming and large villages. In the north is the Cymer
Forest and Mynydd Caerau (556 m / 1,824 ft). The southern area is traversed by the M4
motorway. |
ommerce |
A variety of new light industries have been attracted to Rhondda Cynon
Taff and there are two major industrial estates, one at Treforest near Pontypridd and the
other at Hirwaun near Aberdare. Merthyr Tydfil was formerly a centre of the Welsh coal
and steel industries, its industries now include light engineering and electrical goods.
Industries in Bridgend include civil engineering and chocolate manufacture. |
amous people |
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ttractions |
Caerphilly Castle, a massive fortress surrounded by a moat. |
South Glamorgan
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owns and cities |
Former county of south Wales, 1974 -1996, now divided between Cardiff and
Vale of Glamorgan unitary authoritiesThe city of Cardiff dates from Roman times, the
later town being built around a Norman castle. The castle was the residence of the earls
and marquises of Bute from the 18th century and was given to the city in 1947 by the fifth
marquis. Coal was exported until the 1920s. As the coal industry declined, iron and steel
exports continued to grow, and an import trade in timber, grain and flour, tobacco, meat,
and citrus fruit developed. Cardiff grew into a major city when the docks on the Bristol
Channel were opened in 1839. They were greatly extended by the second Marquis of Bute
(1793-1848), and have now been redeveloped for industry. Cardiff thus became the largest
Welsh town in 1881, and has remained thus. In Cathays Park is a group of public buildings
including the Law Courts, City Hall, the National Museum of Wales
The administrative centre of the Vale of Glamorgan is Barry, which is a also major
port. |
rea |
476 sq km / 184 sq miles. |
opulation |
426,000 (1996) |
opography

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Llandaff, on the right bank of the river Taff 3 km / 1.9 mi to the
northwest, was included in Cardiff in 1922
Nash Point: There are some barely visible remains in the car park of a Long Cairn in an egg-shape and now covered in grass and gorse. It was described in 1811 as an ancient cromlech and was according to tradition the place of worship of the old village, known locally as Hen Eglwys, (Old Church). The Iron Age promontory fort is one of several along the Heritage coast, protecting a potential landing point from coastal raiders. These were built between around 700 BC and the Roman invasion. Most of the fort has been destroyed by cliff erosion.
Nash Point Lighthouses: A public outcry in 1832 followed the loss of 40 lives when the passenger steamer Frolic ran aground on Nash Point sandbank. The two lighthouse towers were built 1,000 feet apart and carefully positioned so that they could be aligned by ships sailing up the channel. Navigation buoys were anchored on the sandbank at the same time. The grassy area around the lighthouses is covered in cowslips in late Spring.
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ommerce |
Industries in Cardiff include car components, flour milling, ship repairs,
electrical goods, paper, and cigars; there are also high-tech industries. The Vale of
Glamorgan is a lowland area where agriculture and sheep farming are important. |
amous people |
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ttractions
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Cardiff cathedral, virtually rebuilt in the 19th century and restored
between 1948 and 1957 after air-raid damage in World War II, contains Jacob Epstein's
sculpture Christ in Majesty. At St Fagan's 5 km / 3 miles to the west is the Welsh
National Folk Museum, containing small, rebuilt historical buildings from rural Wales in
which crafts are demonstrated. The city is the headquarters of the Welsh National Opera. There
is a tidal basin of 360,000 sq m / 3,875,000 sq ft between the mainland and Barry Island
in the Bristol Channel. Within the area are the church of St Cadoc at Cadoxton and the
remains of Barry Castle (13th -15th century), which may stand on the site of an earlier
Norman earthwork castle owned by the de Barri family. At Barry Island are the remains of
the church of St Baruch.
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West Glamorgan
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owns and cities |
Former county of southwest Wales, 1974 -1996, now divided into Neath Port
Talbot, and Swansea unitary authorities. |
rea |
819 sq km / 327 sq miles. |
opulation |
371,400 (1996) |
opography |
The terrain around Neath Port Talbot is dominated by the alternation of
river valleys and high moorland interfluves. The county is mainly industrial with coal
mining predominating, including anthracite in the upper valleys and metallurgical
industries at coastal sites. The western boundary of the authority of Swansea is
determined by the River Loughor and its estuary. The main river is the Tawe. The Gower
Peninsula remains mainly rural and its coastal scenery makes it a tourist area, but the
suburbs of Swansea have spread west into Gower. The area has natural resources in
limestone, silica, brick-earth, shales, and sand. Its metallurgical importance was founded
on copper ore, and copper works multiplied from the early 18th century. The scientific
process of refining the ore was initiated in the region. |
ommerce |
Industries in Neath Port Talbot include chemicals, various metalworks, and
a variety of light industry. Industries in Swansea include tinplate manufacture and
chemicals, and there are oil refineries. |
amous people |
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ttractions |
 The Gower Peninsula, designated
an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. In the 11th century the area was overrun by the
Normans, who built castles and churches, and was thoroughly anglicized in the west and
south. It has notable scenery and contains picturesque ruins. As the coastline is
principally composed of limestone, there are numerous caves, including Paviland Cave, the
site of the important discovery of a skeleton of an old Stone Age man. The old Welsh
kingdom of Gwyr was much more extensive and included land to the north.
The Roman fort of Nidum is near Neath. |
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