Gwynedd << GWIHN ehth >> (pop. 117,393) is a local government area in North Wales, in the United Kingdom. It is a unitary authority established in 1996, responsible for all local government services within its boundaries. From 1974 to 1996, Gwynedd was the name of a county that covered a larger area.
The Irish Sea lies to the north and west of Gwynedd. The island of Anglesey lies off the northwest corner of Gwynedd and is linked to it by the three bridges (two road bridges and a rail bridge) that cross the Menai Strait.
Gwynedd has the highest proportion of Welsh speakers of any part of Wales. Most of the people of Gwynedd who do not speak Welsh live in the coastal towns in seaside resorts, such as Barmouth or Pwllheli. The council, based in Caernarfon, holds its meetings and publishes official documents in both Welsh and English. The official name for the unitary authority is Cyngor Gwynedd.
Gwynedd includes the towns of Aberdaron, Aberdovey, Bangor, Barmouth, Blaenau Ffestiniog, Caernarfon, Criccieth, Dolgellau, Harlech, Porthmadog, and Pwllheli. The area’s economy is largely dependent on agriculture (mainly dairy farming and sheep-raising) and tourism. There is also some forestry and slate-quarrying. Barmouth, Criccieth, and Pwllheli are holiday destinations. Porthmadog is a business center.
Bangor has a cathedral and is the seat of the University of Wales Bangor, one of the colleges making up the University of Wales. At Harlech are a college and a castle. Blaenau Ffestiniog and Tal-y-Llyn are famous among steam locomotive enthusiasts. The Snowdonia National Park, with its glorious scenery, including the lofty peaks of Snowdon and Cader Idris and the shining lakes of Bala and Trawsfynydd, attracts many thousands of visitors each year. There is a nuclear power plant at Trawsfynydd.
In medieval times, Gwynedd was one of the most powerful of the Welsh kingdoms. It was abolished as the name of a region in the 1500’s and only revived in 1974 for a reorganized county that took in Caernarvonshire, and part of Merionethshire and Montgomeryshire. It also included the island of Anglesey. In 1996, Anglesey and a smaller Gwynedd became separate authorities.
