Text 4 wales

( 1) Wales (Cymru* in Welsh) is a mountainous country occupying a broad peninsula on the western side of the island of Great Britain. Wales is one of the four parts of the United Kingdom. Technically, Wales is a principality. This means that it is ruled by a prince. Traditionally the Prince of Wales is the eldest son of the English monarch. Wales is united politically, legally, and administratively with England.

( 2) The total area of Wales is about 21,000 square kilometres. Wales is approximately 242 kilometres from north to south. Cardiff is the capital, principal seaport, and shipbuilding centre. The population of Wales is over 3 million. About two-thirds of the total population live in the South Wales coastal area, where the three biggest towns are located: Swansea, Cardiff and Newport.

(3) The two symbols of Wales are a leek and a daffodil. Dragon of Cadwallader* is the national flag of Wales. The patron saint of Wales is St. David whose feast is celebrated on 1 March, as well as the national day of Wales.

(4) Although visitors don't need passports to cross the border from England into Wales they soon realize that they are entering a country with its own distinct geography, culture, traditions and, of course, language. The Welsh pride themselves on being the original Britons*. The Welsh have retained more of the culture of their Celtic forebears than have either the Scots or the English. The Welsh are best known outside the country for their bardic and choral traditions, exemplified in the eisteddfod* and in the male-voice choirs. The Welsh literary tradition is one of the oldest and richest in Europe, dating back more than 1,000 years. Dylan Thomas is the best known of 20th-century Welsh-born poets, though he wrote in English.

(5) The Welsh are very proud of their language and culture. These are best preserved in the north and west of the country, for in the south and east they have been more challenged by industrialization. South Wales is a thickly populated area. The west coast, mid Wales and North Wales are wild and beautiful! North Wales is a land of mountains and lakes, a wild and picturesque region which has long been popular with mountain-climbers, artists and tourists. Here sheep outnumber people: altogether Wales has a sheep population of some 11 million (15 per cent of the EU total). The highest mountain is Snowdon (1085 m), situated in a breathtakingly beautiful National Park. 

(6) In South Wales most people used to work in industry or in the coalmines. The decline of the coal industry and the widespread closing of pits in South Wales, followed by the contraction of the steel industry, caused a serious unemployment problem.  European Community grants have been used to redevelop derelict industrial sites for small businesses, and Japanese investment has helped to create new jobs. At present the main industries are mining, steel, electronics, engineering, and tourism. Farm produce includes beef, lamb, milk, butter, cheese, and cereals.

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*Dragon of Cadwallader – название национального флага Уэльса, изображающего красного дракона на бело-зеленом поле; самый известный символ Уэльса

*Briton – [´britn] ист. бритт

*eisteddfod – [ai´steðvƆd] ежегодный фестиваль бардов (в Уэльсе)

DID YOU GET IT?

Skim through the text and say which paragraph mentions the following:

___ In North Wales sheep outnumber people.

___ The Prince of Wales is the eldest son of the English monarch.

___ Coalmines used to be major industry in South Wales.

___ The greater part of population in Wales lives in coastal area.

___ Welsh are well-known for their choral traditions.

___ The National day of Wales is St David’s day.