Carmarthenshire

Not to be confused with Caernarfonshire.

County of Carmarthenshire
Sir Gaerfyrddin

Geography
Area - Total - % Water	Ranked 3rd 2,395 km² ? %
County Town	Carmarthen
Largest Town	Llanelli
ISO 3166-2	GB-CMN
ONS code	00NU
Demographics
Population: - Total (2010 est.) - Density	Ranked 4th 180,700 Ranked 18th 75 / km²
Ethnicity	99.4% White
Welsh language - Any skills	Ranked 3rd 63.6%
Politics
Carmarthenshire County Council http://www.carmarthenshire.gov.uk/
Control	NOC (Independent-led coalition)
MPs	Simon Hart Nia Griffith Jonathan Edwards
AMs	Angela Burns (Con) (Carmarthen W. & S. Pembrokeshire) Helen Mary Jones (Plaid) (Llanelli) Rhodri Glyn Thomas (Plaid) (Carmarthen East & Dinefwr)
MEPs	Wales

Carmarthenshire (Welsh: Sir Gaerfyrddin or Sir Gâr) is a unitary authority in the south west of Wales and one of thirteen historic counties. It is the 3rd largest in Wales. Its three largest towns are Llanelli, Carmarthen and Ammanford. The county town and administrative centre of Carmarthenshire is Carmarthen and the most populous settlement is the area in and around the town of Llanelli.

With its fertile land and agricultural produce, Carmarthenshire is known as the "Garden of Wales".^[1]

History

Carmarthenshire has its early roots in the region formerly known as Ystrad Tywi (Vale of [the river] Tywi) and part of the Principality of Deheubarth during the High Middle Ages, with the court at Dinefwr.

Following the Edwardian Conquest of Wales, the region was reorganized by the Statute of Rhuddlan in 1284 into Carmarthenshire.

Carmarthenshire has been spelt in other ways in the past, including:

• Carmardenshire
• Caermarthenshire
• Caermardi / Caermardī
• Caermaridunum / Caermaridvnvm

Geography

Llyn y Fan Fawr, below Fan Brycheiniog in the Black Mountain

The county is bounded to the north by Ceredigion, to the east by Powys, Neath Port Talbot and Swansea, to the south by the Bristol Channel and to the west by Pembrokeshire. Carmarthenshire has a population of approximately 178,000^[2], with just over 50% (50.05%^[3]) whom are Welsh speakers. The surface generally is upland and mountainous. Fforest Fawr and Black Mountain extend into the east of the county and the Cambrian Mountains into the north. The south coast contains many fishing villages and sandy beaches. The highest point is Fan Brycheiniog, 2,525 feet (770 m). (although the main summit is in Powys). Carmarthenshire is the largest historic county by area in Wales.

It is drained by several important rivers, especially the Towy, which flows into the Bristol Channel, and its several tributaries, such as the River Cothi. The Towy is the longest river flowing entirely within Wales and is noted for its trout and salmon fishing. Other rivers include the Loughor (which forms the eastern boundary with Glamorgan), and the Gwendraeth Fawr.

Principal towns are Ammanford, Burry Port, Carmarthen, Kidwelly, Llanelli, Llandeilo, Newcastle Emlyn, Llandovery, St. Clears, Whitland and Pendine. The principal industries are agriculture, forestry, fishing and tourism. Although Llanelli is by far the larger town in the county, the county town remains in Carmarthen, mainly due to its central location.

Government

Main article: Carmarthenshire County Council

Carmarthenshire became an administrative county with a county council taking over functions from the Quarter Sessions under the Local Government Act 1888. Under the Local Government Act 1972, the administrative county of Carmarthenshire was abolished on 1 April 1974 and the area of Carmarthenshire became three districts within the new county of Dyfed : Carmarthen, Dinefwr and Llanelli. Under the Local Government (Wales) Act 1994, Dyfed was abolished on 1 April 1996 and the three districts united to form a unitary authority which had the same boundaries as the original Carmarthenshire. In 2003, following a local campaign, the Clunderwen community council area was transferred to Pembrokeshire.

Places of interest

Carreg Cennen castle

Talley Abbey from hillside

Carmarthenshire
Geography
1831 area	606,331-acre (2,453.73 km2)
HQ	Carmarthen
Chapman code	CMN
History
Succeeded by	Dyfed
Demography
1831 population - 1831 density	100,740[4] 0.2/acre
Politics
Governance	Carmarthenshire County Council (1889-1974)

Historical places Carreg Cennen Castle Dinefwr Castle Kidwelly Castle Laugharne Castle Llansteffan Castle Newton House Talley Abbey Laugharne home of Dylan Thomas. Geography Afon Cywyn Afon Taf Afon Teifi Afon Tywi Aberglasney House and Gardens Black Mountain Brechfa Forest Carmel National Nature Reserve Cefn Sidan Loughor Estuary Millennium Coastal Park, Llanelli National Botanic Garden of Wales Pembrey Country Park Pendine Sands Usk Reservoir WWT National Wetlands Centre, Llanelli

Museums Carmarthenshire County Museum Dolaucothi Gold Mines Dylan Thomas Boathouse Kidwelly Industrial Museum National Woollen Museum Parc Howard Museum Pendine Museum of Speed (Pendine) West Wales Museum of Childhood Heritage railways Gwili Railway Teifi Valley Railway Sports venues Ffos Las racecourse Machynys Stradey Park Parc y Scarlets Carmarthen Velodrome

See also

• List of Lord Lieutenants of Carmarthenshire
• List of High Sheriffs of Carmarthenshire
• Carmarthenshire (UK Parliament constituency) for a list of MPs
• List of places in Carmarthenshire for an alphabetical list of towns and villages.
• People from Carmarthenshire for a list of notable people from the county.

References

1. ^ Visit Britain - Carmarthenshire
2. ^ [1]
3. ^ [2]
4. ^ Vision of Britain - 1831 Census

External links

• Carmarthenshire county council
• Carmarthenshire Official site from South West Wales Tourist Board
• Genuki: Research sources for Carmarthenshire
• Carmarthenshire at the Open Directory Project

Coordinates: 51°51′22″N 4°18′38″W / 51.85611°N 4.31056°W / 51.85611; -4.31056