The last contested elections would have been held at the same time as the 2017 Cardiff Council election, had there been more candidates standing than available seats. At the dawn of the Industrial Revolution, development of the mining and metallurgical industries transformed the country from an agricultural society into an industrial nation; the South Wales Coalfield's exploitation caused a rapid expansion of Wales' population. [67] It defined Wales as "annexed and united" to the English Crown, separate from England but under the same monarch. Voters elect 75 councillors every four years. [48] John Davies notes this as consistent with the British victory at Badon Hill, attributed to Arthur by Nennius. Cardiff only became a centre of national administration with the establishment of the Welsh Office in 1964, which later prompted the creation of various other public bodies such as the Arts Council of Wales and the Welsh Development Agency, most of which were based in Cardiff. It has five Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty; Anglesey, the Clwydian Range and Dee Valley, the Gower Peninsula, the Llŷn Peninsula, and the Wye Valley. But it was denied the National Library of Wales, partly because the library's founder, Sir John Williams, considered Cardiff to have "a non-Welsh population".[46]. [180] Cathedral Road was developed by the 3rd Marquis of Bute and is lined by fine villas, some backing on to Sophia Gardens. [323], In international cricket, Wales and England field a single representative team, administered by the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB), called the England cricket team, or simply 'England'. [13][14] However, the Assembly eventually located at Tŷ Hywel in Cardiff Bay in 1999. Herring, mackerel and hake are the more common of the country's marine fish. Several out-of-town retail parks exist, such as Newport Road, Culverhouse Cross, Cardiff Gate and Cardiff Bay. Marcher Law and Welsh Law (for civil cases) remained in force until Henry VIII of England annexed the whole of Wales under the Laws in Wales Acts 1535 and 1542 (often referred to as the Acts of Union of 1536 and 1543), after which English law applied to the whole of Wales. Monthly rainfall pattern shows that from October to January average monthly rainfall in Cardiff exceeded 100 millimetres (3.9 in) each month, the wettest month being December with 125.3 millimetres (4.93 in). [160] At low elevations, rain is unpredictable at any time of year, although the showers tend to be shorter in summer. 029 is the current telephone dialling code for Cardiff, as well as for the neighbouring towns of Penarth, Dinas Powys and Caerphilly. [95][96], Cardiff experiences less rainfall than the average for Wales. Historically, Wales did not have a definite capital. With access to local coal deposits and a harbour that connected it with Cornwall's copper mines in the south and the large copper deposits at Parys Mountain on Anglesey, Swansea developed into the world's major centre for non-ferrous metal smelting in the 19th century. [57], From 800 onwards, a series of dynastic marriages led to Rhodri Mawr's (r. 844–77) inheritance of Gwynedd and Powys. Balsom, Denis. The main catalyst for its transformation from a small town into a big city was the demand for coal required in making iron and later steel, brought to the sea by packhorse from Merthyr Tydfil. [188][189], Poor-quality soil in much of Wales is unsuitable for crop-growing so livestock farming has traditionally been the focus of farming. Idloes Owen, founder of the Welsh National Opera, lived in Llandaff, Shirley Bassey is familiar to many as the singer of three of the James Bond film themes. Current developments include the continuation of the redevelopment of the Cardiff Bay and city centre areas with projects such as the Cardiff International Sports Village, the BBC drama village,[9] and a new business district in the city centre. [213] In the 19th century, with increasing state involvement in education, Wales was forced to adopt an education system that was English in ethos even though the country was predominantly Non-conformist, Welsh-speaking and demographically uneven because of the economic expansion in the south. [225][226][227] The stadium houses the Headquarters of Welsh Athletics, the sport's governing body for Wales. Many of these self-identify as Welsh. [176] Cardiff is also home of the largest regional office of the International Baccalaureate Organisation (IBO). Its growth has been attributed to its strong representation in finance and business services. [14], The modern Welsh name for themselves is Cymry, and Cymru is the Welsh name for Wales. [112] The Senedd must elect a First Minister, who selects ministers to form the Welsh Government. Archaeological evidence suggests this castle was never finished, and it is debated whether the fortification was of Norman or Welsh origin. [39] Archaeological evidence, in the Low Countries and what was to become England, shows early Anglo-Saxon migration to Great Britain reversed between 500 and 550, which concurs with Frankish chronicles. Wales, constituent unit of the United Kingdom that forms a westward extension of the island of Great Britain. [86] The industrial workers of Wales began shifting towards the Labour Party. Find out what's going on at Cardiff’s Chapter Arts Centre, from arthouse cinema to chilled out café bar. [318] Rugby league in Wales dates back to 1907. A number of festivals are also held in Cardiff—the largest of these is the Cardiff Big Weekend Festival, which is held annually in the city centre during the summer and plays host to free musical performances (from artists such as Ash, Jimmy Cliff, Cerys Matthews, the Fun Loving Criminals, Soul II Soul and the Magic Numbers), fairground rides and cultural events such as a Children's Festival that takes place in the grounds of Cardiff Castle. The English words "Wales" and "Welsh" derive from the same Old English root (singular Wealh, plural Wēalas), a descendant of Proto-Germanic *Walhaz, which was itself derived from the name of the Gaulish people known to the Romans as Volcae. Some are under their own councils, while some are governed by the Cardiff City Council. Most of the increase came in the coal mining districts, especially Glamorganshire, which grew from 71,000 in 1801 to 232,000 in 1851 and 1,122,000 in 1911. [145] The Brecon Beacons (Bannau Brycheiniog) are in the south (highest point Pen y Fan, at 886 metres (2,907 feet)),[146] and are joined by the Cambrian Mountains in Mid Wales (highest point Pumlumon, at 752 metres (2,467 feet)). [159] The centre was named the international shopping centre of the year in 2010 by Retail Leisure International (RLI).