20 interesting facts about Wales

Wales (in Welsh is Cymru) is part of the United Kingdom, famous for the wealth of cultural and historical values. Here are 20 not-so-well-known facts about Wales that will definitely bring you lots of interesting information about this beautiful country.

1. Mount Everest is named after George Everest - a Welsh geographer from Gwernvale, Breconshire.

2. Only 21% of people in Wales can speak the language (Welsh language).

3. Wales is more famous as the country with the most castles (per square mile) than any other place in the world.

4. Pryce Jones from Newtown Montgomeryshire is one of the first successful entrepreneurs in the world with the mail order business (Mail Order).

Wales - a very beautiful country

5. Mathematician Robert Recorde from Pembrokeshire was the one who invented the "=" sign.

6. The letters K, Q, V and Z are not in the Welsh alphabet.

7. All the statues surrounding Cardiff Castle are about animals.

8. Playing tennis on grass (Lawn tennis) first appeared in Wales in the 1800s.

9. Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwyll-llantysiliogogogoch is the name of a town in Northern Wales translated into English as "St Mary's Church in the hollow of the white hazel near a rapid whirlpool and the Church of St Tysilio of the red cave" (Church Saint Mary in the hazelnut cavity near the large whirlpool and St. Tysilio's church of red cave). This is also the place with the longest name in the world.

10. The first telegram through radio waves sent by Marconi in 1897 is between two Wales locations.

11. The Millenium Stadium in Cardiff has the second largest mobile shelter in the world.

12. Wales is the mysterious land of Emperor Arthur (King Arthur).

13. The slogan "Cymru am byth" literally means Wales.

14. Hymn Hen Wlad Fy Nhadau means "Land of my Fathers".

Ancient castles in Wales

15. Wales is the only part of the United Kingdom that does not appear on the British Union flag.

16. Wales has a population of about 3 million people.

17. Wales has 4 times more sheep than the population.

18. Famous Wales celebrities include Richard Burton, Sir Anthony Hopkins, Tom Jones, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Shirley Bassey, Timothy Dalton and Charlotte Church.

19. 7 natural wonders of Wales is a list of 7 cultural places and landmarks in Wales that appeared in a bad poem at the end of the 18th century. All are in the north of Wales, including Snowdon (highest mountain), Gresford Bells (bells on an old church in All Saints, Gresford), Llangollen Bridge in Flintshire, Wrexham Steeple, yew trees at Overton and Pistyll Rhaeadr waterfall.

20. Saint David (in Wales, Dewi Sant) is bishop of Wales in the 6th century, later considered a patron saint of this land.