History of Wales

The Romans gave the name to the current Wales Cambria, and built a large number of forts in the South of the country, to Carmarthen in the West.

There is evidence that the Romans moved further West and crossed from there to Ireland . They also built the Amphitheater in Caerleon, the best preserved in Britain. The Romans were also busy in the North of the country, and according to the Mabinogion would Magnus Maximus, one of the last emperors of the Empire, are married with a Easton (or Helen), the daughter of a Welsh chieftain near present-day Caernarfon.

By the mountainous terrain with large amounts of rain is never taken by the Anglo-saxons Wales. One of the Saxon Kings, Offa of Mercia, is seen as the one that a large earth wall (or VC) had built along the border with his Kingdom to the Welsh to keep out. Parts of Offa's Dyke can be seen to this day.

Then in 1066 England by the Norman Duke William the Conqueror was invaded, was Wales still independently and did occasionally even successful fall out on English territory.The new Norman rulers of England were in the end, despite some setbacks, more successful against Wales than their Anglo-saxon predecessors. The conquest process was completed in 1282, when King Edward I of England defeated Llywelyn the last . The Normans built as in England stone castles to locals to keep under control. The best known are (still) in Caernarfon, Conwy and Harlech. The last armed anti-English revolt took place between about 1400 and 1412 led by Owain Glyndŵr, the last Welsh Prince of Waleswhich indeed came.

Until the 19th century, the overwhelming majority of the population spoke Welsh. Related to the industrial revolution took the considerable increase in migration from England.These immigrants rarely learned Welsh and the use of Welsh in education was even discouraged. Nowadays still about 20% of the population speaks Welsh. However, all also they speak English, although not always as good as their mother tongue. In the second half of the 20th century, there was again a certain revival of the language, thanks to the introduction of Welsh radio and television channels.