Wales

History

Wales has a longer history than England. In 1,000 BC, some Celtics came here from the middle of the European continent. Then, Wales were occupied by some other tribes which were later destroyed by the Roman Empire. Celtics in Wales were ruled by the Roman Empire, but they have never been ruled by Anglo-Saxons. Celtics fought against external invasion for a long time. In 1258, Principality of Wales was established. Since 1282, Wales was ruled by England. In 1536, Wales and England signed the Act of Union and they were united. However, Welsh people always have a great sense of identity for their own principality. In 1997, Wales decided to set its own parliament via a national vote.

Natural Environment

Wales has an area of more than 20,000 sq km. It has many mountains and a rugged terrain. Snowdon Mountain in the north, with an altitude of 1,085m, is the second highest mountain in the UK. Most parts of Wales are situated along the sea. One fourth of the land of Wales has been listed as national parks or nature reserves.

Climate Change

It has a maritime temperate deciduous broad-leaved forest climate. The highest temperature is not above 32℃, and the lowest temperature is not below -10℃. Generally, the average temperature in July is 19～25℃ and 4～7℃ in January. Annual precipitation in the north and the west is more than 1,100 mm, and more than 2,000 mm in the mountainous area and 4,000 mm at the most. In the middle, the annual precipitation is 700-850 mm, and in the east and the southeast, it is only 550 mm. It is dry in February and March and moist from October to the next January.