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For other uses, see the city in Wales.
City of Cardiff
Administration Cardiff
Post Code CF1, CF2 CF--
ONS code 00PT
Traditional county Glamorgan
Ceremonial county South Glamorgan
Coordinates 51°29N 3°11W
Demographics
Population:
- (2022)
- Density
  		Ranked

Ranked
/ km²
Ethnicity 91.57% White
1.99% Mixed
3.96% S. Asian
1.28% Black
1.20% Chinese or other.
Welsh language
- Any skills 		Ranked 18th
16.3%
Politics
File:Cardiffarms.PNG

Cardiff County Council
http://www.cardiff.gov.uk/
Control Labour
MPs

Cardiff (Welsh: Caerdydd) is the largest city, and capital of, Wales. Located on the South Wales coast it is administered as a unitary authority. It was a small town until the early nineteenth century and came to prominence following the arrival of industry in the region and the use of Cardiff as a major port for the transport of coal. Cardiff was made a city in 1905 and proclaimed capital of Wales in 1955. According to 2004 population estimates, the population of Cardiff is around 316,800, making it the 16th largest settlement in the United Kingdom.

Millennium Stadium

Geography

Cardiff is bordered to the west by the fertile plains of the Vale of Glamorgan, to the east by the city of Newport, to the north by the South Wales Valleys and to the south by the Bristol Channel. The River Taff winds through the centre of the city and together with the River Ely flows into the freshwater lake of Cardiff Bay. A third river, the Rhymney flows through the east of the city entering directly into the Bristol Channel. A fourth river, the Lleucu, has been culverted.

Cardiff is a relatively flat city and its geographic features were influential in its development as one of the world's largest coal ports. Most notably this included its proximity and easy access to the coal fields of the South Wales Valleys. Cardiff has a relatively dry climate compared to the rest of Wales[1] , with an average rainfall of 1,065 mm. It is also a relatively mild city,[2] with an average January temperature of 4.5°C and an average July temperature of 16°C[3]

People

At the time of the 2001 census the ethnic make-up of Cardiff's population was: 91.6% white, 2% mixed race, 4% Asian, 1.3% Black, 1.2% Chinese or other ethnic origin. 66.9% described themselves as Christian, below the Welsh and UK average, while 3.7% described themselves as Muslim, significantly above the Welsh average but in line with the UK average. 18.8% stated they had no religion, while 8.6% did not state a religion. The city council, however, have published two articles that argue the 2001 census seriously underreports the population of Cardiff and, in particular, the ethnic minority population of some inner city areas. If this work is given credence, a current population of approximately 340,000 with up to 11% ethnic minority would be preferred.[4]

Year Population Year Population Year Population
1801 6,342 1941 257,112 1981 274,500
1851 26,630 1951 267,356 1991 299,557
1901 172,629 1961 278,552 2001 305,340
1921 227,753 1971 290,227 Source: [5]

Districts

There have been seven major expansions to Cardiff's boundaries between the years 1875-1996. Before 1875 Cardiff was comprised of the two parishes of St John and St Mary and totalled an area of 786 hectares, however this had increased to 13,953 hectares by 1996.[6] The first expansion, of 1875 included the areas of and around Canton and Roath. The expansion of 1922 took in the areas between Ely and Llanishen. The next expansion in 1938 incorporated Rumney in Monmouthshire into the city. Further expansion in 1974 included an arc from St Fagans in the west, through Lisvane in the north and St Mellons in the east. The most recent expansion of 1996 has brought the areas of and around Creigiau and Pentyrch into the city's boundaries.

Roughly speaking, "Inner Cardiff" can be considered to consist of the following wards: Penylan, Plasnewydd, Gabalfa, Cathays, Adamsdown and Splott ward on the north and and east of the city centre, and Butetown, Grangetown, Riverside and Canton to the south and west. The inner-city areas to the south of the A4161 road known as the "Southern Arc" are, with the exception of affluent and trendy Cardiff Bay, some of the poorest districts of Wales with low levels of economic activity and high ethnic minority populations. The proximity of these areas to Cardiff Bay have led some critics of the project to argue that the regeneration scheme has failed as it has done little to improve the economic prospects of local people, and may have worsened problems of exclusion and alienation. On the other hand Gabalfa, Plasnewydd and Cathays have very large student populations, and Pontcanna in Riverside is a favourite for young professionals. Penylan, which lies to the north east side of Roath Park is an affluent area popular with those with older children and the retired.

"Suburban Cardiff" can be broken down into three distinct areas. To the west lie Ely, Caerau and Fairwater which contain some of the largest housing estates in the United Kingdom. With the exception of some of the outlying privately built estates at Michaelston Super Ely and 1930s developments near Waun-Gron Road, this is an economically disadvantaged area with high numbers of workless households. Radyr, Llandaff, Llandaff North, Whitchurch & Tongwynlais, Rhiwbina, Health, Llanishen, Lisvane, and Cyncoed which lie in an arc from the north west to the north east of the centre can be considered the main middle class suburbs of the city. In particular, Cyncoed, Radyr and Lisvane contain some of the most expensive housing in Wales, and the latter is likely to see considerable expansion in coming years with the council planning 4000 houses in the area. Further to the east lie the wards of Pontprennau & Old St Mellons, Rumney, Pentwyn, Llanrumney and Trowbridge. The latter 3 are again largely of public housing stock, although new private housing is being built in Trowbridge in considerable number. Pontprennau is the newest 'suburb' of Cardiff, whilst Old St Mellons has a history going back to the Norman Conquest.

To the North West of the city lies a region that may be called "Rural Cardiff" containing the villages of St Fagans, Creigau and Pentyrch. The latter two are primarly "planned" communities developed from the mid 20th century and are popular with families looking for green space close to the city. St Fagans, home to the Museum of Welsh Life, is protected from further development.

History

The Norman Keep, Cardiff Castle.

The name Cardiff is an Anglicisation of the Welsh name "Caerdydd". There is uncertainty concerning the origin of "Caerdydd"—"Caer" means "fort" or "castle," but although "Dydd" means "Day" in modern Welsh, it is unclear what was meant in this context. Some believe that "Dydd" or "Diff" was a corruption of "Taff", the river on which Cardiff castle stands, in which case "Cardiff" would mean "the fort on the river Taff" (in Welsh the T mutates to D).

Others favour a link with Aulus Didius Gallus, as it is known that the Romans established a fort in Cardiff when he was governor of the nearby province, in which case Cardiff might mean "the Fort of Didius". A Norman castle still exists, within the site of the earlier Roman fort, but was substantially altered and extended during the Victorian period by John Crichton-Stuart, 3rd Marquess of Bute, and the architect William Burges. Original Roman work can, however, still be distinguished in the wall facings.

There is a second castle north of the city, called Castell Coch (Welsh: "the Red Castle"). The current castle is an elaborately decorated Victorian folly designed by Burges for the Marquess and built in the 1870s. However, the Victorian castle stands on the footings of a much older medieval castle possibly built by Ivor Bach, a regional baron with links to Cardiff Castle also. The exterior has become a popular location for film and television productions.

Situated on the narrowest part of the South Wales coastal plain, Cardiff had a crucial strategic importance in the wars between the Normans (who had occupied lowland Wales) and the Welsh who maintained their hold on the Uplands. As a result Cardiff claims to have the largest concentration of Castles of any city in Europe. As well as Cardiff Castle and Castell Coch the remains of Castell Morgraig, Bishop's Castle, Y Twmpath, Ruperra Castle and Saint Fagans Castle are still in existence while Whitchurch Castle and King's Castle have disappeared under later developments.

Cardiff has a chequered linguistic history with both English and Welsh dominating at different times. Although the original settlement was Norman, it is believed that Welsh was the majority language from the thirteenth century until the city's explosive growth in Victorian times. As late as 1850 five of the twelve Anglican churches within the current city boundaries conducted their services exclusively in Welsh, while only two worshipped exclusively in English. By 1891 the percentage of Welsh speakers had dropped to 27.9% and only Lisvane, Llanedyrn and Creigiau remained as majority Welsh-speaking communities. The Welsh language became virtually extinct in the city in the first half of the twentieth century with the remnant communities grouped around a small cluster of Chapels and Churches, the most notable of which is Tabernacl in the city centre, one of four UK churches chosen to hold official services to commemerate the new millennium. Following the establishment of the city's first Welsh School Ysgol Gymraeg Bryntaf in the 1950s Welsh has slowly regained ground. Aided by Welsh-medium education and migration from rural Wales the number of Welsh speakers in Cardiff rose by 14,451 between 1991 and 2001 and is now spoken by 11% of Cardiffians. The highest percentage of Welsh speakers is in Creigiau where over twenty per cent of the population are able to speak the language. Despite many pro-Welsh campaigners seeing this as the revival of the old language, the latest research suggests that although Welsh is growing as a 2nd language, as a 1st language it continues to decline with many of the new speakers making little use of the language. Pontcanna has become famous as an enclave of a Welsh-speaking political and media class, and some residents resent this fearing an imposition of Welsh on a large Anglophone population. Migration into the city from England and overseas makes the prospect of a widespread resurgence of Welsh unlikely. King Edward VII granted Cardiff city status on October 28, 1905. It was then proclaimed capital city of Wales on December 20, 1955. Cardiff therefore celebrated two important anniversaries in 2005.

The city is county town of Glamorgan, although this role has diminished since council reorganisation in 1974 paired Cardiff and the Vale of Glamorgan together as the new county of South Glamorgan. Further local government restructuring in 1996 resulted in Cardiff City's district council becoming a unitary authority.

On March 1, 2004, Cardiff was granted Fairtrade City status.

Industry and economy

Cardiff Central Market

The industrial development and growth of Cardiff was initially centred on the transportation of coal, where coal mined from the Rhondda Valley was sent to the port by barge along the valley of the River Taff, initially by canal and later by the Taff Vale Railway. A logical extension of the coal business was the development of an iron and steel industry, based largely on the port and the coal of the South Wales valleys. The 1980s brought closures to the industry in the entire region, and thousands of local workers were made redundant as the steel industry moved out of Cardiff, including the largest GKN steelworks in Newport Road.

Cardiff's port, known as Tiger Bay, was once one of the busiest ports in the world and - for some time - the world's most important coal port. Indeed, Cardiff's Coal Exchange was reputedly the first host to a business deal for a million pounds Sterling.

The Tiger Bay area also housed one of the UK's earliest immigrant communities. After a long period of neglect as Cardiff Bay, it is now being regenerated as a popular area for arts, entertainment and nightlife. Much of the growth has been thanks to the building of the Cardiff Barrage.

The city's central region, extending from the Hayes (a name allegedly derived from hedge) is now full of attractive modern buildings. This area of Cardiff will also shortly be redeveloped, as part of St Davids Centre - Phase 2 project. Highlights of this project will include a new Central Library and a John Lewis store. The affected area is bounded by The Hayes, Mill Lane, Mary Ann St and Bute Terrace.

The city is also host to S A Brain, a brewery with premises in Cardiff since 1882.

Culture, media, sport and tourism

See also List of cultural venues in Cardiff
The Wales Millennium Centre.

The city has a a regional rugby union team, Cardiff Blues, a professional football team, Cardiff City F.C., a rugby league side, Cardiff Demons, an ice hockey team, Cardiff Devils, as well as a county cricket side, Glamorgan CCC. The city also features an international sporting venue, the Millennium Stadium, where the Welsh rugby team and the Welsh football team plays. The 1999 Rugby Union World Cup final was also played there. Cardiff hosted the 1958 British Empire and Commonwealth Games. The Wales Empire Swimming Pool was demolished to make way for the Millennium Stadium, and eventually, a 50 metre replacement pool will be built in Cardiff Bay. Of the venues used for the Games only the cycling track at Maindy remains. (boxing)

Cardiff is home to Cardiff Castle, the National Assembly for Wales, St. David's Hall, the National Museum and Gallery, and Cathays Park (including municipal buildings modelled on those in New Delhi), and the Cardiff Metropolitan Cathedral. The Welsh National Opera moved into the Wales Millennium Centre in November 2004.

Cardiff's centre is a particularly green one with Bute Park, formerly the castle grounds, extending northwards from the top of the Cardiff's main shopping street (Queen Street); when combined with the adjacent Llandaff Fields to the northwest it produces a massive open space skirting the river Taff. The popular name of Taffy, for the Welshman abroad has its origins in the name of the river. Other popular parks include Roath Park in the north, donated to the city by the 3rd Marquess of Bute in 1887 and which includes a very popular boating lake; Victoria Park, Cardiff's first official park; and Thompson's Park, formerly home to an aviary removed in the 1970s.

It is possible to cycle from Cardiff to Brecon almost completely off road on the Taff Trail, a cycle route which follows the River Taff and many of the old disused railways of the Glamorganshire valleys.

Cardiff is starting to become a centre for contemporary music, with musicians like The Automatic and Charlotte Church tracing their roots from here.

Cardiff has been repeatedly mentioned in the revival (2005-) of the BBC TV programme Doctor Who, the series having been chiefly filmed in and around the city (it is made for the BBC network by BBC Wales). The mentions are a bit tongue-in-cheek, of the "So, after 900 years travelling time and space I'm going to die... in Cardiff !" variety – the show's producer and chief writer, Russell T Davis, is from Swansea. The 2006 spin-off show, Torchwood, will also film in Cardiff and is to be actually set in the real-life modern city (as was one episode of Doctor Who: "Boom Town" (Doctor Who)). It has been claimed that 1 out of 5 tourists to Cardiff chose to visit after seeing it on TV (The Sun, Monday 17th April 2006)

Cardiff hosted the National Eisteddfod in 1883, 1899, 1938, 1960 and 1978, and is set to host it again in 2008. Cardiff is unique in Wales in having two permanent stone circles used by the Gorsedd of Bards during Eisteddfodau. The original circle stands in Gorsedd Gardens in front of the National Museum while its 1978 replacement is situated in Bute Park.

Cardiff Philatelic Society is the oldest Philatelic Society in Wales. It was formed in 1899.

Politics

File:Welsh Assembly Building.jpg
Welsh Assembly buildings in Cardiff Bay: The Pierhead Building (left) and the Senedd.

Since local government reorganisation in 1996, Cardiff has been governed by Cardiff County Council. From then until 2004 the Labour Party had a large working majority. In 1995, the balance was 61 Labour , 9 Liberal Democrats , 1 Conservative and 1 Plaid Cymru. In 1999 the balance was 50 Labour , 18 Liberal Democrats , 5 Conservatives, 1 Plaid Cymru and 1 Independent.

Following the 2004 local elections, no individual political party has a majority on Cardiff County Council. The Liberal Democrats have 32 councillors (33 were elected, but one councillor crossed the floor to Plaid Cymru) and have formed a minority administration, Labour have 27, the Conservatives have 12 and Plaid Cymru have 4. The Leader of the Council, Cllr Rodney Berman, is from the Liberal Democrats.

Parliamentary representation

Cardiff is presently split into four parliamentary constituencies which form the electoral basis for elections to the United Kingdom Parliament and the National Assembly for Wales.

The constituencies and their representatives are:

Famous politicians who have represented Cardiff constituencies include:

Education

Cardiff is home to three major institutions of higher education: Cardiff University, founded by Royal Charter in 1883,[7], is a "red brick" university and member of the Russell Group of leading research led universities; University of Wales Institute, Cardiff (UWIC) gained university status in 1992; The Royal Welsh College of Music & Drama is a conservatoire established in 1949 and is based in the grounds of Cardiff Castle. The University of Glamorgan will also have a Cardiff campus from 2007. The City also has two dedicated further education (FE) colleges: Coleg Glan Hafren and St David's Catholic College. Cardiff has eighty-three state primary schools (two bilingual, ten Welsh medium)[8], and twenty state secondary schools, of which two are Welsh medium.[9]. There are also a number of independent schools in the City, including Llandaff Cathedral School and Howell's School, a single-sex girls' school.

As well as academic institutions, Cardiff is also home to other educational and learning organisations such as Techniquest, a hands on science discovery centre that now has franchises throughout Britain.[10] Techniquest is also part of the Wales Gene Park in collaboration with Cardiff University, NHS Wales and the Welsh Development Agency (WDA).[11]

Cardiff University was home to Millicent McKenzie who was possibly the first female in Britain to be addressed as ‘Professor’, becoming associate Professor in 1904 and full Professor in 1910.[12]. Famous alumni of Cardiff University include Neil Kinnock, Glenys Kinnock, millionaire businessman and philanthropist Julian Hodge, and the BBC newsreader Huw Edwards.

Twinning

Cardiff has twinning arrangements with:

It was previously, but is no longer, twinned with Baltimore County, USA

Transport links

Natives of Cardiff

References

  1. ^ [1] Met Office statistics
  2. ^ [2] Met Office statistics
  3. ^ [3] Weather Statistics
  4. ^ [4]. National Statistics.
  5. ^ Historical population (Accessed 7 June 2006)
  6. ^ [Davies, J. (2002) Cardiff – A Pocket Guide, University of Wales Press/Western Mail].
  7. ^ Cardiff University [5]
  8. ^ Cardiff Council [6]
  9. ^ Cardiff Council [7]
  10. ^ Techniquest [8]
  11. ^ Wales Gene Park[9]
  12. ^ [Cunningham V. and Goodwin J. (2001) Cardiff University – A Celebration, Cardiff University External Relations Division]

See also

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Cardiff.

External links



Template:Welsh Cities

51°30′N 3°12′W / 51.500°N 3.200°W / 51.500; -3.200

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