Helen Veikar, Liisi KondioCarl Robert Jakobson Gymnasium

11c

Viljandi

Supervisors: T. Pukk, M. Maasen

• Part of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.

• Area: 20,760 sq km (8,015 sq miles) • Population: 2,798,200 • Languages: English (100%), Welsh (20%) • Capital City: Cardiff • National Motto: Cymru am Byth ("Wales for

Ever")

• Roman invasion in AD 48. • Independent 400AD to 13th Century. • Partial Norman occupation 11th, 12th and

13th centuries.• Wales made Dominion of English King 1282-

1535. • Independent Principality 1400-1416.• Constituent of Kingdom of Great Britain

(1707-1801) and United Kingdom (from 1801).

• Wales came into existence as a country with Henry the VIII’s Act of Union in 1536.

• Celtic tribes from Europe came to settle the whole of the British isles around 500 - 100 BC, alongside the original Iron Age population.

• The origin of the word Wales is a strange one. It is a variation on a common word used hundreds of years ago by the Anglo-Saxons to mean foreigners or outsiders.

• The Celts dominated Mid and Western Europe for a thousand years.

• The Celts as an ethnic group have long since disappeared, except in places such as Ireland and the Scottish Highlands.

• The Celts transmitted their culture orally, never writing down history or facts.

• They were well educated, particularly on topics such as religion, philosophy, geography and astronomy.

• Wales has always been known as a country of music and song.

• Eisteddfod – since the 12th century. An annual competition which was held to find the best poets, writers and musicians.

• The Red Dragon of Wales was introduced to Britain by the Romans some eighteen hundred years ago.

• All over Wales you will find wishing wells into which people still throw money.

• On March 1 is St. David's Day—the Welsh national holiday.

• The daffodil is a Welsh national emblem. • St. David is the patron saint of Wales. • The leek is the emblem of Wales since the

16th century.

• The origins of the Red Dragon flag, or "y Draig Goch" could date back to the Roman period.

• The dragon was used by Roman military.

• After the Romans left, the Red Dragon remained as a key emblem of Wales.

• Amaethon - The Welsh god of agriculture.• Arianrhod - Celtic earth goddess. • Bran - he is a hero god and perhaps also the

god of poetry and the underworld.• Branwen - is the Celtic goddess of love and

beauty.• Dylan - Welsh sea god.• Gwydion - Welsh warrior and magician god. • Lleu - his festival, the Lugnasad, was held on

the first day of August.

• Laverbread - local eggs and bacon combined with the more unusual ingredients.

• Afternoon tea can be served with Bara Brith ( a fruit bread) or Welsh cakes.

• The traditional meat for dinner in the evening  is Welsh Lamb or for a snack Welsh Rarebit.

• Belongs to a branch of Celtic, an Indo-European language.

• Their language is a distant cousin to Irish and Scots Gaelic and a close brother to Breton.

• Welsh is still used by about half a million people within Wales and possibly another few hundred thousand in England and other areas overseas.

• English 100%, Welsh 20%.

• Anglo-Welsh poets, on the other hand, such as Dylan Thomas are famous throughout the literary world.

• The Welsh writers wrote in English.• Welsh can claim to be the oldest attested

vernacular literature in Europe.• The 6th century poets Taliesin and Aneirin.

• Eldest son of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip.

• He was born at Buckingham Palace on 14 November 1948.

• He has two sons: Harry and William.

                              

            

• The archbishop of Wales is Rowan Williams.

• Some parishes: St.Woolos Cathedral, St. Mary´s Church, Newport Churches.

• Wales is home to some of Europe's finest surviving examples of medieval castle construction.

• Mold castle• Chepstow• Ewloe• Beaumaris

                      

• National Museum and Gallery

• Roman Legionary Museum

• Museum of Welsh Life

• Museum of the Welsh Woollen Industry

Wrexham Steeple Overton Yew TreesPistyll Rhaeadr

Snowdon´s MountainSt. Winifred´s Well

Llangollen Bridge Gresford Bells

Wales is a land of beautiful nature, rich culture and amazing architecture.