Wales: Language and Religion

Conwy Castle Wales

There are many people who when they decide on a destination to travel, they do so thinking about a place that they can visit and that also has history. When you travel to a place to get to know it without giving yourself It tells you that you are transported to their lands and you are part of their history as well. Today I want to talk to you about Wales. I will tell you about Wales, about its language, religion and much more.

If you are thinking of traveling to Wales (as in any other destination) It is necessary that you are informed about its emblematic monuments to be able to visit them, but it is also important that you know everything about their curiosities, anecdotes and other important information that will surely also be of interest to you.

Where is? Main features of Wales

meadows Wales

Wales is a part of the United Kingdom that is located on a large peninsula in the western part of the island of Great Britain. Anglesey Island is also considered a part of Wales and will be separated from the mainland by the Menai Strait. Wales is surrounded by water on three sides: to the north is the Irish Sea, to the south is the Bristol Channel and to the west the St. George's Channel and Cardigan Bay.

The English counties of Cheshire, Shropshire, Hereford, Worcester, and the border of Wales Gloucestershire are in the east. Wales covers an area of ​​20.760 square kilometers and extends about 220 kilometers. The capital of Wales is called Cardiff and is located in the southeast. Wales is very mountainous and has a rocky, uneven coastline with numerous bays. The highest mountain in Wales is Snowdon Mountain in the North West which reaches a height of 1.085 meters.

The climate of Wales is a temperate and humid climate, something that ensures a great abundance of plant and animal life

The language in Wales

flag wales dragon

The language spoken in Wales is English, it is the official language and the most widely spoken. But also there are some 500.000 people who prefer to speak the particular language of Wales which is Welsh. Welsh is a language with Celtic origin so it is one of the oldest languages ​​on the planet that has remained almost intact over the centuries.

Western Celtic tribes settled in the area during the Iron Age and brought their language, which survived Roman and Anglo-Saxon occupation and influence, although some features of Latin were introduced.

For this reason alone, many people are interested in Welsh. The good news is that if you are interested, on the Internet there are many basic courses that can help you get into this language and thus decide if you really want to continue learning it or not.

In North and West Wales many people are bilingual in English and Welsh. There were many factors that affected the Welsh languageIn particular, contact with other language groups, the industrial revolution of the XNUMXth and XNUMXth centuries marked a dramatic decline in the number of Welsh speakers.

In 1967 the Welsh language was approved as the official language of Wales and in 1988 the Welsh Language Board was established to ensure the rebirth of Wales and recognition of the language. Today, there are efforts to support and enhance the use of the Welsh language in addition to English, such as Welsh television programs, English-Welsh bilingual schools, exclusive Welsh-language kindergartens, language courses for adults, etc.

Religion in Wales

Wales beaches

Before traveling to Wales it is interesting that you know the religion and beliefs of the people who live there. Statistics state that at leasts 70% of Welsh people follow the Christian faith by the Presbyterian Church or by the Catholic religion. However, there is also a chapel belonging to the Russian Orthodox Church. This Church, in addition to being frequented, is also a tourist attraction and people who want to know it should go to the rural town of Blaenau Ffestiniog, which is a small town that has no more than 4.830 people and is located in Gwynedd, northwest Wales. .

Religion has always played an important role in Welsh culture. Protestantism, Anglicanism or Methodism are part of the history of Wales. Today, followers of Methodism still make up a large religious group. The Anglican Church or the Church of England and the Roman Catholic Church are also important. There are also a smaller number of Jews and Muslims.

In general religion and beliefs play a very important role in modern Welsh society, But the number of people regularly participating in religious activities dropped dramatically after World War II.

There are some holy places that you can visit such as St David's Cathedral in Pembroskeshire (it is the most significant national shrine). David was the patron saint of Wales and he was the one who spread Christianity and who converted the tribes of Wales. He died on March 1, 589 and today it is celebrated on Saint David's Day, a national holiday for all Welsh people. His remains are buried in the cathedral.

In addition to all this, it is very important to note that in Wales there is total freedom of worship And that is why it is not at all strange that you can find people who follow different religions such as Buddhism, Judaism or Islam. Although they exist and coexist with the rest of religions, they are in smaller quantity compared to the people who are devotees of Christianity.

These are some important facts about Wales that are worth knowing before you travel there, so you will know the most important aspects of that place. This way you can already know which are the official languages, the most important religions and some information of interest that will also help you to locate yourself better and to know where it is exactly. Now you just need ... to prepare the trip!


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  1.   QueVerEnZ.com said

    A real data bath about Wales !! Fantastic, so you inspire many to dare to travel to Wales, which must be a fantastic stop !!

    Greetings and success.