Carmarthen, << kur MAHR thuhn or kahr MAHR thuhn, >> is a town in southwest Wales. In Welsh, the town’s name is Caerfyrddin. Carmarthen is a major commercial center and market town and also a center for tourism in the area. The town is near the mouth of the River Tywi, about 71/2 miles (12 kilometers) inland from Carmarthen Bay on the Bristol Channel, an arm of the Atlantic Ocean. Carmarthen is the main administrative center for the unitary authority of Carmarthenshire, a governmental unit responsible for providing local government services within its boundaries. The town is built on the banks of the River Tywi, and has several historic buildings, including the Guildhall, completed in 1777, and the remains of Carmarthen Castle, built in the early 1100’s.
Carmarthen’s history dates back to the Roman period, when the city was a maritime port named Maridunum. In the 1200’s, Carmarthen was the seat of King Edward I’s government in South Wales. Carmarthen was an important center of the wool trade and, by the late 1700’s, was the biggest port and town in Wales. From the 1700’s to the 1900’s, the town became a center for the printing industry. Other traditional local industries include salmon fishing, in small traditional boats called coracles, and dairy farming.
