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- This article refers to the traditional county of Glamorgan in Wales, United Kingdom. See also Glamorgan (disambiguation)
Glamorgan or Glamorganshire () is a maritime traditional county of Wales, and was previously a mediæval kingdom or principality.
Geography
The county is bounded to the north by Brecknockshire, east by Monmouthshire, south by the Bristol Channel, and west by Carmarthenshire and Carmarthen Bay. Its total area is 2,100 km², and total population around 1,220,000. Its highest point is at Craig-y-llyn (600 m).
Glamorgan is the most populous and industrialised county in Wales. The northern part of the county is a mountainous area, dissected by deep narrow valleys, with urbanisation typified by ribbon development. Although the coal industry, which shaped these valleys and their communities, has now all but disappeared, this area remains heavily populated with light industry and the service sector now providing the economic base.
The Vale of Glamorgan, a lowland area mainly comprising farmland and small villages stretches across most of the south of the county from Porthcawl to Cardiff. Further west, beyond Swansea, lies the Gower Peninsula, an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.
The major rivers of Glamorgan include the River Taff, the Ely, the Ogmore, the Neath, Dulais, the Tawe, the Rhymney (which forms the border with Monmouthshire) and the Loughor (which forms the border with Carmarthenshire). The main towns include Aberdare, Barry, Bridgend, Cardiff, Caerphilly, Cowbridge, Maesteg, Merthyr Tydfil, Mountain Ash, Neath, Penarth, Pontypridd, Porthcawl, Port Talbot and Swansea.
The county has a wide and diverse economic base including public administration, agriculture, light industry, manufacturing, service sector and tourism.
Places of interest
Places of special interest include:
- Aberdulais Falls
- Barry Island pleasure beach
- Caerphilly Castle
- Cardiff Castle
- Castell Coch, Tongwynlais
- Dare Valley Country Park,
- Dunraven Park, Southerndown
- Ewenny Priory
- Gower Peninsula
- Llandaff Cathedral
- Museum of Welsh Life, St. Fagans
- National Museum of Wales, Cardiff
- National Waterfront Museum, Swansea
- Neath Abbey
- Old Beaupre Castle
- Ogmore Castle
- Oxwich Castle
- Margam Country Park,
- Penscynor Wildlife Park, Cilfrew
- Tinkinswood burial chamber
- Vale of Glamorgan Railway
- Weobley Castle, Gower Peninsula
History
Initially it was founded as an independent petty kingdom named Morgannwg after a founding king called Morgan. It was at times united with the neighbouring kingdoms of Gwent and Ergyng. By virtue of its location and geography, Morgannwg was the second part of Wales, after Gwent, to be overrun by the Normans and was frequently the scene of fighting between the Marcher Lords and Welsh princes.
Administration
The county of Glamorgan falls into several distinct regions: the industrial valleys, the agricultural Vale of Glamorgan, and the scenic Gower Peninsula. Being by far the most populous of the counties, the administrative county of Glamorgan was divided into three at the time of the local government reorganisation of the 1970s, and has now been further subdivided into several unitary authorities.
See also
Glamorgan | Traditional counties of Wales
Sir Forgannwg | Regno di Morgannwg | Glamorgan | Glamorgan | Ґламорґан
"Glamorgan"