Portal:Wales
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Wales (Welsh: Cymru) is one of the four constituent countries of the United Kingdom. It has a population of 2,958,000. Wales is located in the south-west of Great Britain and is bordered by England to the east, the Bristol Channel to the south and the Irish Sea to the west and north. The flag of Wales - the Red Dragon - is one of many Welsh symbols. Saint David is the patron saint of Wales and Saint David's Day, on 1st March, is Wales' national day. There are currently attempts to create a national holiday on this day. Wales has remained distinct from the rest of the United Kingdom due to the strength of Welsh history, culture and especially the Welsh language.  The capital of Wales, and its largest city since 1955, is Cardiff. Machynlleth was the home of a parliament called by Owain Glyndŵr during his revolt at the start of the fifteenth century. In 1999, the National Assembly for Wales was formed, giving Wales power over healthcare, education and certain other devolved matters.  Llywelyn the Great (Welsh Llywelyn Fawr) was a Prince of Gwynedd in North Wales and eventually de facto ruler over most of Wales. By a combination of war and diplomacy he dominated Wales for forty years, and was one of only two Welsh rulers to be called 'the Great'. During Llywelyn's boyhood Gwynedd was ruled by two of his uncles, who had agreed to split the kingdom between them following the death of Llywelyn's grandfather, Owain Gwynedd, in 1170. Llywelyn had a strong claim to be the legitimate ruler and began a campaign to win power at an early age. He was sole ruler of Gwynedd by 1200, and made a treaty with King John of England the same year. Llywelyn's relations with John remained good for the next ten years. He married John's illegitimate daughter Joan in 1205, and when John arrested Gwenwynwyn ab Owain of Powys in 1208 Llywelyn took the opportunity to annex southern Powys. In 1210 relations deteriorated and John invaded Gwynedd in 1211. Llywelyn was forced to seek terms and to give up all his lands east of the River Conwy, but was able to recover these lands the following year in alliance with the other Welsh princes. He allied himself with the barons who forced John to sign Magna Carta in 1215. By 1216 he was the dominant power in Wales, holding a council at Aberdyfi that year to apportion lands to the other princes.  Caernarfon Castle, built by Edward I of England after the English conquest of Wales in 1282
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