Ceredigion (pop. 71,475) is a local government area in Wales. In 1996, it became a unitary authority, a government unit responsible for all local government services within its boundaries. Ceredigion lies along the central part of the western coast of Wales and occupies the area of the former county of Cardiganshire. The Ceredigion authority includes the towns of Aberystwyth, Cardigan, Aberaeron, Tregaron, and Llandyssul. The local economy is based on tourism and farming.
Many of the inhabitants of Ceredigion, especially those living in rural areas, speak both English and Welsh. Two member colleges of the University of Wales are in Ceredigion. One, the University of Wales Aberystwyth, is in the seaside resort of Aberystwyth. The other, the University of Wales Lampeter (formerly St. David’s College), is in the market town of Lampeter. The National Library of Wales is in Aberystwyth. Cardigan lies on the River Teifi, known for its salmon fishing. Aberaeron and New Quay are tourist centers, and Llandyssul is a center of the wool trade. There is a wildlife reserve and sanctuary at Tregaron.
The Lord Rhys, a Welsh ruler who held authority over part of Wales with the support of the Normans during the late 1100’s, staged an important eisteddfod, a festival of poetry and music in which performers compete, in Cardigan in 1176. Aberystwyth was founded as a community in 1277, when King Edward I’s brother Edmund Crouchback built a castle there. The castle was destroyed by the Welsh in 1282. Cistercian monks established an abbey and major seat of learning at Strata Florida, near Tregaron. It fell into ruins in the early 1500’s after King Henry VIII ordered the dissolution of the monasteries. From 1974 to 1996, Ceredigion formed part of the county of Dyfed.
See also Aberystwyth; Dyfed; Teifi, River; Wales, History of.
