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(Welsh: Abertawe, "mouth of the Tawe") is situated on the South Wales coast immediately
to the east of the Gower Peninsula and is the second largest city in Wales. It grew
to its present size during the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, becoming a centre
of heavy industry. It has a population of around 226,000 people, 13.4% of which
are Welsh speakers. In some rural wards the figure rises to 45%.
Industry
Swansea originally developed as centre for metals and mining, especially the copper
industry. However, by the end of the Second World War these heavy industries were
in decline, and over the post-war decades Swansea shared in the general trend towards
a post-industrial, service sector economy. Today, the most important economic sectors
in Swansea are public administration, education and health; distribution, hotels
and restaurants; and banking, finance and insurance. Much large scale private sector
economic activity in the city consists of manufacturing, call centres or other commercial
back office functions including outsourcing There is a wide range of accomodation
available including bed and breakfast, hotel accommodation, self catering, guest
house, cottage, camping and caravan sites..
Geography
The county area of Swansea experiences a milder climate than the mountains and valleys
inland. This location, though, leaves Swansea exposed to rain-bearing winds from
the Atlantic: making Swansea the wettest city in Britain. To the North are the Lliw
uplands which are mainly open moorland reaching the foothills of the Black Mountain.
To the west is the Gower Peninsula. To the east is the coastal strip around Swansea
Bay. Cutting though the middle from the south east to the north west is the urban
and suburban zone stretching from the city of Swansea to the towns of Gorseinon
and Pontarddulais. About three quarters of the county is bordered by the sea. The
two main rivers in the region are the Tawe which passes the city centre and the
Loughor which flows on the northern border with Carmarthenshire. The lower River
Tawe has been heavily engineered whilst the River Loughor remains relatively untouched
by man. In the small county area, the geology is complex, providing diverse scenery,
including the Gower Peninsular, one of the first Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty
(AONB) to be created.
History
Archaeology on the Gower Peninsula includes many remains from prehistoric times,
passing through Stone Age, Bronze Age, and Iron Age. Prehistoric finds in the Swansea
city area proper are rare. The Romans visited the area, as did the Vikings, whose
name for the settlement on the river is used in English today. Following the Norman
Conquest of the area, a marcher lordship was created: named Gower, it included land
around Swansea Bay as far as the Tawe, and the manor of Kilvey beyond the Tawe as
well as the peninsula itself. Swansea was designated its chief town, and subsequently
received one of the earlier borough charters in Wales. Swansea became an important
port and by the mid-nineteenth century Swansea docks was the largest exporter of
coal in the world. These industries declined in the 20th century and the land has
now been reclaimed.
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