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| Geography | |
| Area - Total - % Water |
Ranked 3rd 2,395 km² ? % |
|---|---|
| County Town | Carmarthen |
| Largest Town | Llanelli |
| ISO 3166-2 | GB-CMN |
| ONS code | 00NU |
| Demographics | |
| Population: - Total (2006 est.) - Density |
Ranked 4th 178,000 Ranked 18th 74 / km² |
| Ethnicity | 99.4% White |
| Welsh language - Any skills |
Ranked 3rd 63.6% |
| Politics | |
 Carmarthenshire County Council http://www.carmarthenshire.gov.uk/ |
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| Control | NOC (Independent-led coalition) |
| MPs | |
| AMs |
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| MEPs | Wales |
Carmarthenshire (Welsh: Sir Gaerfyrddin) is a unitary authority in the south west of Wales and one of thirteen historic counties. Its three largest towns are Llanelli, Carmarthen and Ammanford. The county town and administrative centre of Carmarthenshire is Carmarthen and the most populous settlement is the area in and around the town of Llanelli.
Contents |
Geography
The county is bounded to the north by Ceredigion, to the east by Powys, Neath Port Talbot and Swansea, to the south by the Bristol Channel and to the west by Pembrokeshire. Carmarthenshire has a population of approximately 170,000, 55.1% of whom are Welsh speakers. The surface generally is upland and mountainous. Fforest Fawr and Black Mountain extend into the east of the county and the Cambrian Mountains into the north. The south coast contains many fishing villages and sandy beaches. The highest point is the Fan Brycheiniog, 2,525 feet (770 m). Carmarthenshire is the largest historic county by area in Wales.
Principal towns are Ammanford, Burry Port, Carmarthen, Kidwelly, Llanelli, Llandeilo, Newcastle Emlyn and Llandovery, Sandy, St. Clears, Whitland, Pendine. The main rivers are the Tywi, the Loughor (which forms the eastern boundary with Glamorgan), and the Gwendraeth Fawr. The principal industries are agriculture, forestry, fishing and tourism. Although Llanelli is by far the larger town in the county, the county town remains in Carmarthen, mainly due to its central location.
Government
Carmarthenshire became an administrative county with a county council taking over functions from the Quarter Sessions under the Local Government Act 1888. Under the Local Government Act 1972, the administrative county of Carmarthenshire was abolished on April 1, 1974, and the area of Carmarthenshire became three districts within the new county of Dyfed : Carmarthen, Dinefwr and Llanelli. Under the Local Government (Wales) Act 1994, Dyfed was abolished on April 1, 1996, and the three districts united to form a unitary authority, which had the same boundaries as the original Carmarthenshire. In 2003, following a local campaign, Clunderwen community council area was transferred to Pembrokeshire.
Schools
Top performing secondary schools in Carmarthenshire, (5 GCSEs, grade A-C, according to the latest inspection report from Estyn)
- 75% Ysgol Bro Myrddin, Carmarthen (Welsh-medium)
- 69% Ysgol Tre-Gib, Llandeilo (Bilingual)
- 69% Ysgol Gyfun Dyffryn Taf, Whitland (Bilingual)
- 68% Ysgol Pantycelyn, Llandovery (Bilingual)
- 64% Ysgol Gyfun Maes yr Yrfa, Cefneithin (Welsh-medium)
- 61% Ysgol Gyfun Emlyn, Newcastle Emlyn (English)
- 60% Ysgol Gyfun Y Strade, Llanelli (Welsh)
- 59% St John Lloyd Cath Comprehensive School, Llanelli (English)
- 58% Amman Valley Comprehensive School, Ammanford (Bilingual)
- 57% Queen Elizabeth Maridunum Sch, Carmarthen (English)
- 56% Queen Elizabeth Cambria School, Carmarthen (English) (Now combined as Queen Elizabeth High School, Carmarthen)
- 44% Bryngwyn School, Llanelli (English)
- 44% Ysgol y Gwendraeth, Drefach (English)
- 40% Coedcae School, Llanelli (English)
- 37% Glan-y-Mor Comprehensive School, Burry Port (English)
Places of interest
| Carmarthenshire | |
 Ancient extent of Carmarthenshire |
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| Geography | |
| 1831 area | 606,331-acre (2,453.73 km²) |
| HQ | Carmarthen |
| Chapman code | CMN |
| History | |
| Succeeded by | Dyfed |
| Demography | |
|---|---|
| 1831 population - 1831 density |
100,740[1] 0.2/acre |
| Politics | |
| Governance | Carmarthenshire County Council (1889-1974) |
Historical placesGeography |
Museums
Heritage railwaysSports venues |
See also
- List of places in Carmarthenshire for an alphabetical list of towns and villages.
- People from Carmarthenshire for a list of notable people from the county.
References
- ^ Vision of Britain - 1831 Census
External links
- Carmarthenshire county council
- Carmarthenshire Official site from South West Wales Tourist Board
- Genuki: Research sources for Carmarthenshire
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