| | |
| [image] | |
| Geography | |
| Area- Total- % Water | Ranked 14th 378 kmē ? % |
|---|---|
| Admin HQ | Swansea |
| ISO 3166-2 | GB-SWA |
| ONS code | 00NX |
| Traditional county | Glamorganshire |
| Ceremonial county | West Glamorgan |
| OS grid reference | SS6593 |
| Demographics | |
| Population- Total (April 29, 2001)- Density | Ranked 3rd 223,301 591 / kmē |
| Ethnicity | 95.2% White 1.6% S. Asian 1.2% Afro-Caribbean 1.1% Chinese |
| Welsh language- Any skills | Ranked 11th 22.5% |
| Politics | |
| [image] City & County of Swansea Council http://www.swansea.gov.uk/ | |
| Control | Liberal Democrats + Conservative + Ind |
| MPs | |
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Swansea (Welsh: Abertawe, "mouth of the Tawe") is a city and county in South Wales, situated on the coast immediately to the east of the Gower Peninsula. The name Swansea is believed to come from "Sweyn's Ey" ("ey" being a Germanic word for "island") and to have originated in the period when the Vikings plundered the south Wales coast.
Swansea is Wales' second city, and it grew to its present importance during the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, becoming a centre of heavy industry. However, it did not enjoy the same degree of immigration as Cardiff and the eastern valleys. Consequently, it retains close links with agriculture and rural life.
The Gower Peninsula, to which Swansea City is considered the gateway, is Britain's first area to be designated an area of outstanding natural beauty. The coastal landscape of the Gower Peninsula as a whole is impressive. The wide sandy beaches at Langland, Caswell and Limeslade are the most popular with swimmers and tourists with children, whereas the wide and calm waters of Swansea Bay tend to attract the water-sport enthusiast. Coastal paths connect most of the Gower bays and Swansea Bay itself, and hikers can enjoy breathtaking views throughout the year. The north of Swansea, whilst little known on the tourist map, has some of the most outstanding countryside in the country, with unparalleled panoramas of the breathtaking Welsh mountains. Felindre, a district in north-west Swansea, will host the National Eisteddfod in 2006.
As a coastal region, Swansea experiences a milder climate than the mountains and valleys inland. This same location, though, leaves Swansea exposed to rain-bearing winds from the Atlantic: figures from the Met Office make Swansea the wettest city in Britain.
The South Wales coalfields run right down to the coast in Swansea. This had a great bearing on the development of the town. The former fishing village of Mumbles (located on the western edge of Swansea Bay) has excellent restaurants and coffee shops, and is a great place to pick up a local souvenir. In addition, the vista of Swansea Bay is perhaps most spectacular when viewed from the promenade at Mumbles. The village, also known as Oystermouth, is home to the ruins of a 12th Century castle of the same name.
Following the Norman Conquest, a marcher lordship was created: named Gower, it included land around Swansea Bay as far as the Tawe, and the manor of Kilvey beyond the Tawe as well as the peninsula itself. Swansea was designated its chief town, and subsequently received one of the earlier borough charters in Wales.
Swansea became an important port: some coal and vast amounts of limestone (for fertiliser) were being shipped out from the town by 1550. As the Industrial Revolution reached Wales, the combination of port, local coal, and trading links with the west country, Cornwall and Devon, meant that Swansea was the logical place to site copper Smelting works. Smelters were operating by 1720 and proliferated.
Following this, more coal mines (everywhere from Gower to Clyne to Llangyfelach) were opened and smelters (mostly along the Tawe valley) were opened and flourished. Over the next century and a half, works were established to process arsenic, zinc and tin and to create tinplate and pottery. The city expanded rapidly in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, and was termed "Copperopolis".
Through the twentieth century, these industries eventually declined, leaving the lower Swansea valley filled with derelict works and mounds of waste products from them. The Lower Swansea Valley Scheme (which still continues) reclaimed much of the land: the present Enterprise Zone exists almost entirely a result of this scheme, and of the many original docks, only those outside the city continue to work as docks: North Dock is now Parc Tawe and South Dock became the Marina.
Little city centre evidence beyond road layout remains from mediaeval Swansea; its industrial importance made it the target of heavy bombing in World War II, and the centre was flattened completely.
Wind Street is the city's main watering hole and also the location of many high quality restaurants. Many of these buildings were originally banks, with one being the old central Post Office and thus they are substantially larger than some of the other city centre pubs. Discos and clubs line the Kingsway and this street is one of two hubs of central Swansea nightlife. The other being the aforementioned Wind Street. St Helen's Road connects the city centre with the Brynmill area, and has many Indian and Bangladeshi restaurants and shops on it: convenient when walking back from the Kingsway to Brynmill in the evening.
Swansea was granted city status in 1969, to mark Prince Charles's investiture as the Prince of Wales. It obtained the further right to a have Lord Mayor in 1982.
Many areas of the city have seen changes within the early part of the 21st century. The Wales National Pool, of Olympic size, was completed. A new multi-million pound National Waterfront Museum officially opened in October 2005. Out-of-town retail parks increased in the first years of the new century. In addition to the Enterprise Park, there arose new developments at Fforestfach and next to the Liberty Stadium in Landore.
Swansea's diverse and interesting past has helped weave a city of character and charm, which has produced many famous personalities. On the literary stage, the poet Dylan Thomas is perhaps the most well known. He was born in the town and grew up at 5 Cwmdonkin Drive, Uplands. There is a memorial to him in the nearby Cwmdonkin Park. The actress Catherine Zeta-Jones is probably the most famous of the city's recent cultural exports, and she maintains close links with the city. Author Mary Balogh, singer/songwriter Mal Pope, scriptwriter and producer Russell T. Davies and entertainer Sir Harry Secombe were also born and raised in the city, as was the current Archbishop of Canterbury, Rowan Williams.
Perhaps the city's most celebrated personality is Jack - a black labrador. During his seven years of life, he managed to save twenty-seven people from drowning in the murky waters of Swansea docks. There is a monument to commemorate Jack's gallant efforts on the foreshore near the St. Helen's stadium. People from Swansea are known locally as Swansea Jacks, or just Jacks. The source of this nickname is not clear. Some attribute it to Swansea Jack, the life-saving dog. Others point to Swansea's long history as a port and the use of the word jack to indicate a sailor.
The Swans' football following are known as the Jack Army due to the regional nickname for people from Swansea. Strong local rivalries exist between Swansea and Cardiff in football and between Swansea and Llanelli in rugby. Swansea/Neath rugby games used also to be a hotly-contested match, such that there was some debate about whether a regional team incorporating both areas was possible. The Neath-Swansea Ospreys, in fact came fifth in the Celtic League in their first year of existence as a regional team, and won the league in their second year.
Swansea hosted the National Eisteddfod in 1863, 1891, 1907, 1926, 1964 and 1982. The Eisteddfod returns to Swansea in 2006.
45% of the rural council ward Mawr speak Welsh, as do 38% of the ward of Pontardulais. Clydach, Kingsbridge and Upper Loughor all have levels of more than 20%. By contrast, the urban St. Thomas has one of the lowest figures in Wales, at 6.4%, a figure only barely lower than Penderry and Townhill wards.
Traditionally, Swansea refers to the City of Swansea which is the settlement around the Tawe esturary. Prior to local government re-organisation in 1996, Swansea was administered by a two-tier system, the City of Swansea council and the West Glamorgan County Council. From 1 April 1996, the City of Swansea became part of a larger administrative region, covering the western part of the former administrative county of West Glamorgan. This region is administered by a Unitary authority formally named: City and County of Swansea (Welsh: Dinas a Sir Abertawe.)
There are fifteen comprehensive schools under the remit of the local education authority, of which two are Welsh-medium. Swansea is also home to The Bible College of Wales.
As well as its more creditable achievements, Swansea has acquired a less enviable reputation for car crime: the BBC has described it as a "black spot for car crime" , for example. Car crime is a central theme in the film Twin Town, which is set in and around Swansea.
Drunk and disorderly behaviour is an acute problem in the pub and Nightclub areas of Kingsway and Wind Street during the busiest clubbing periods. On a typical Saturday night, you will find a heavy police presence at these areas. The city centre area is heavily watched by police cameras.
Fortunately, Swansea enjoys very little football violence. Football violence has occurred only occasionally - mainly between Swansea City supporters and Cardiff City supporters where many matches between these sides have ended in violent clashes between supporters. These two clubs have a long history of intense rivalry, being described in the media as tribal.
Park and ride services are operated from secure car parks at Landore and the Fabian Way. During busy periods of the year, additional Park and Ride services are operated from the Brynmill recreation ground. Recently it was announced that a third Park and Ride site is to be established on Carmarthen Road (on the site of the old Mettoys factory) with an expected opening date during 2006.
Numerous Taxi firms operate in Swansea ranging from large professional outfits to small and cheap Minicab firms. Vehicles include typical 3/4 seater family saloons, 5 seater London cabs and eight-seater mini-buses. For city centre shoppers, the main taxi rank is located next to St. Mary's church. For transport connections, taxi ranks are located at the Quadrant bus station and the High Street railway station. In addition, small taxi ranks are located at Castle Square and the Kingsway, providing a convenient if expensive way to get home after a good night out on the town.
The Swansea Bay promenade forms a very convenient cycle commuting route, offering spectacular panaromic views of Swansea Bay. The Maritime Quarter and the Knab Rock near the Mumbles Pier form the ends of this route. At the heart of the Clyne Valley Country Park is the Clyne Valley Cycle Track, part of National Cycle Route 4. This track connects Blackpill with Gowerton, cutting through much tranquil woodland. On the east bank of the River Tawe is a cycle track (National Cycle Route 43) and foot path, offering excellent views of the River Tawe and the industrial ruins at Hafod. This route terminates at the Quay Parade road bridge and Pentre-Chwyth traffic juntion.
Swansea is close to the M4 motorway (junctions 42 to 48 inclusive), the main artery for road traffic through south Wales. It is a National Express stop, and for a short while was on the Megabus route. The Swansea-Cardiff shuttle bus is heavily used. Swansea is also on the Traws-Cambria route which connects the north and south of the country together via Aberystwyth, a bus so well-known in Wales that songs have been written about it.
Swansea Airport is situated on Fairwood Common on Gower. It is primarily a domestic airport, first built during WWII when there was no need for an inquiry. Air Wales operated services from Swansea, but ceased to use the airport from late 2004.
There is a thriving passenger ferry service between Swansea and Cork, Ireland. This is a one ferry service run by Swansea Cork Ferries, an independent company.
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