Cardiff
Capital of Wales / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Cardiff (/ˈkɑːrdɪf/; Welsh: Caerdydd [kairˈdiːð, kaːɨrˈdɨːð] ⓘ) is the capital and largest city of Wales. Cardiff had a population of 362,310 in 2021, and forms a principal area officially known as the City and County of Cardiff (Welsh: Dinas a Sir Caerdydd). The city is the eleventh-largest in the United Kingdom. Located in the south-east of Wales and in the Cardiff Capital Region, Cardiff is the county town of the historic county of Glamorgan and in 1974–1996 of South Glamorgan. It belongs to the Eurocities network of the largest European cities.[5] A small town until the early 19th century, its prominence as a port for coal when mining began in the region helped its expansion. In 1905, it was ranked as a city and in 1955 proclaimed capital of Wales. Cardiff Built-up Area covers a larger area outside the county boundary, including the towns of Dinas Powys and Penarth.
Cardiff
| |
|---|---|
| City and County of Cardiff Dinas a Sir Caerdydd | |
 Clockwise from top left: The Senedd building, Principality Stadium, Cardiff Castle,[1] Cardiff Bay, Cardiff City Centre, City Hall clock tower, Welsh National War Memorial | |
 Flag  Coat of arms | |
| Nickname(s): The City of Castles, City of Arcades The 'Diff | |
| Motto(s): "Y ddraig goch ddyry cychwyn" (English: 'The red dragon will lead the way') From crest on the coat of arms: "Deffro mae'n ddydd!" (English: 'Awake, it is day!') | |
 City and County of Cardiff and location in Wales | |
  Cardiff Location within Wales Show map of Wales Cardiff Location within the United Kingdom Show map of the United Kingdom Cardiff Location within Europe Show map of Europe | |
| Coordinates: 51°29′N 03°11′W | |
| Sovereign state |  United Kingdom |
| Country |  Wales |
| Ceremonial county | South Glamorgan |
| Historic County | Glamorgan |
| Principal Area | Cardiff |
| Local government | Cardiff Council |
| City status | 1905 |
| Capital city | 1955 |
| Government | |
| • Cardiff Council Leader | Huw Thomas |
| • Senedd | List
|
| • UK Parliament | List
|
| Area | |
| • Capital city and principal area | 140.3 km2 (54.2 sq mi) |
| • Urban | 75.72 km2 (29.24 sq mi) |
| Population (2023) | |
| • Capital city and principal area | 362,400 (Ranked 1st) from Office for National Statistics |
| • Urban | 488,153[2] |
| • Metro | 1,097,000 (Cardiff-Newport) |
| • Cardiff Capital Region | 1,543,293 (est) |
| Demonym | Cardiffian |
Ethnicity (2011)[3]
| |
| Time zone | UTC0 (GMT) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+1 (BST) |
| Post codes | |
| Area codes | 029 |
| Vehicle area codes | CA, CB, CC, CD, CE, CF, CG, CH, CJ, CK, CL, CM, CN, CO |
| Police Force | South Wales |
| Fire Service | South Wales |
| Ambulance Service | Welsh |
| Motorways and trunk roads |  .svg/60px-UK-Motorway-A48_(M).svg.png){kind=small}    |
| Commuter rail | Valleys & Cardiff Local Routes |
| Regional airport |  Cardiff Airport |
| Heliport |  Cardiff Heliport |
| GDP | US$36.0 billion[4] |
| GDP per capita | US$29,674[4] |
| Website | cardiff.gov.uk |
Cardiff is the main commercial centre of Wales as well as the base for the Senedd, the Welsh Parliament. At the 2021 census, the unitary authority area population was put at 362,400.[6] The population of the wider urban area in 2011 was 479,000.[7] In 2011, it ranked sixth in the world in a National Geographic magazine list of alternative tourist destinations.[8] It is the most popular destination in Wales with 21.3 million visitors in 2017.[9]
Cardiff is a major centre for television and film production (such as the 2005 revival of Doctor Who, Torchwood and Sherlock) and is the Welsh base for the main national broadcasters.
Cardiff Bay contains the Senedd building and the Wales Millennium Centre arts complex. Work continues at Cardiff Bay and in the centre, on projects such as Cardiff International Sports Village, BBC drama village,[10] and a new business district.[11]