Is wales a COUNTRY? This question is on LBC now and no one knows the answer!?

Answer 1

Yes

Answer 2

Wales is a nation. It is not an independent state but it does have its own National Assembly with powers devolved to it by Westminster. In that way we're in a similar situation to Scotland.

Wales has its own language and culture, and Welsh people do see themselves as a united nation - trust me, I am Welsh! We are officially described as a Principality rather than a Kingdom because the last ruler of Wales was a Prince rather than a King. Bear in mind, however, that at around the same time the King of England was actually a French Norman Lord bearing an allegiance to the King of France! Medieval Europe was a patchwork of states, nations and regions with their rulers often holding different titles in different places (like William the Conqueror - only Duke William of Normandy while in France, but at the same time King of England).

The situation is different to that of Ireland, which is more to do with the long-standing occupation of part of Ireland by an invading force (the English).

We do have home-rule throughout Wales, and South Welsh people WOULD NOT prefer to be English, thank you very much (most of them would prefer to be dead than English, in fact). If you doubt that's true, come to Cardiff for a rugby match.

Answer 3

Wales was an independent country -- in fact, a couple of them -- until about the XII Century. It was the refuge of the native Britons when the Anglo-Saxons overran the rest of the country (except Scotland!). In a series of campaigns the Kings of England overran the place, but the Welsh kept rebelling until the XV Century. They also kept their own language, Cymric (KIM-rik) and refer to themselves as Cymry (KIM-ree). The term "Welsh" is from the old Anglo-Saxon "Wealsc", meaning "foreigners", and lots of Cymry don't like being called Welshmen, though they understand it's just our ignorance and not malice -- as far as they are concerned they are the natives and the rest of us are "foreigners". Well, I can see their point...

Wales is a part of Great Britain, but it has a local governing body which is to the British government about as an American state government is to the US government. (So do the Scots.) There are some "Welsh Nationalists" who make noises about wanting to be independent (as do some "Scots Nationalists"), but this has not come to pass. I don't know how popular the idea is with the Cymry in general, and the question is so politicized that I doubt true answers are easy to find.

Answer 4

Wales (Welsh: Cymru; pronounced approximately "COME-ree") is one of the four constituent nations of the United Kingdom. Wales is located in the south-west of Britain and is bordered by the English counties of Cheshire, Shropshire, Herefordshire, and Gloucestershire to the east, the Bristol Channel to the south, St George's Channel to the south-west, and the Celtic Sea to the west and north, and also by the estuary of the River Dee (Afon Dyfrdwy) in the north-east.

The term Principality of Wales (Tywysogaeth Cymru) is its formal name but is rarely used in everyday business. Wales has never been a sovereign state although Gruffudd ap Llywelyn, King of Gwynedd and Powys, brought more of what is today's Wales, together with some English territory, under independent rule, and in 1056 the English recognised his claim of sovereignty. By the time of the English conquest of Wales in 1282, when King Edward I of England defeated Llywelyn ap Gruffydd (Llywelyn II) in the Battle of Cilmeri, Wales had however reverted to its traditional independent kingdoms. Welsh law was not replaced in all cases by English law until the Laws in Wales Acts 1535-1542. It was as recently as 1955 that the Queen declared the capital of Wales to be Cardiff (Caerdydd), although the Prince of Wales is invested at Caernarfon, and Machynlleth (along with other towns) was the home of a parliament called by Owain Glyndŵr during his rising at the start of the fifteenth century. Tradition has it that in 1404 he was crowned Prince of Wales in the presence of emissaries from France, Spain and Scotland. If true (and these countries certainly showed support to Owain), this is the only example of Wales ever being recognised as anything like a sovereign nation.

Answer 5

Wales is neither a country in the sense that it is an internationally recognised independent sovereign state. Nor is it a separate member of the EU. Historically culturally and traditionally it is a country which people can rightly feel proud to be part of.

Answer 6

Yes it is, however it is also part of the United Kingdom. This is made up of four countries, England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. They are all defined countries, with borders, their own language and separate flags, however are unified for the most part by common borders. The question is like asking if France is a country because it is part of continental Europe. A country can be both individual and part of a bigger group.

Answer 7

Well, its not an independent country as such. It is part of the United Kingdom, Great Britain. However, North Wales is in favour of self government so prolly it wont be that long when south wales will be part of the uk and north wales wont be. A bit like Northern and Southern Ireland.

Answer 8

Yes of course it's a country, in the same way that England, Scotland and Ireland are countries.

Answer 9

definitely yes. Wales is a country.

Answer 10

Wales is a principality and has never been a state. It does however have a National Assembly that allows it to amend laws set by the British Government.