West Wales

{{Short description|Geographical region of Wales}} {{for|the region formerly called West Wales|Dumnonia}} [[File:West Wales.svg|thumb|A common definition of West Wales, covering Carmarthenshire, Ceredigion and Pembrokeshire. Other definitions may exist.]] '''West Wales''' ({{langx|cy|Gorllewin Cymru}}) is a region of Wales.

It has various definitions, either covering Pembrokeshire, Ceredigion and Carmarthenshire, which historically comprised the Welsh principality of ''Deheubarth'', and an alternative definition is to include Swansea and Neath Port Talbot, but exclude Ceredigion (corresponding to South West Wales). The West Wales and the Valleys NUTS area also includes more westerly parts of North Wales as well as the South Wales Valleys.

The preserved county of Dyfed covers what is generally considered to be West Wales; between 1974 and 1996, Dyfed was a county, with a county council and six district councils.

== Definitions == There are various definitions of "West Wales".

* Pembrokeshire, Ceredigion and Carmarthenshire, which historically comprised the Welsh principality of ''Deheubarth''<ref name="Davies1994">{{cite book|title=A History of Wales|last=Davies|first=John|author-link=John Davies (historian)|publisher=Penguin History|date=1994|isbn=978-0-14-014581-6}}</ref>{{rp|87, 95}} This is also the area covered by the ''West Wales Regional Partnership Board'', comprising councils, health sectors and the NHS, on matters relating to the area covered by Hywel Dda University Health Board.<ref>{{Cite web |title=West Wales Area Plan - Ceredigion County Council |url=https://www.ceredigion.gov.uk/resident/wellbeing-and-care/search-for-information-advice-and-support/west-wales-area-plan/ |access-date=2024-03-30 |website=www.ceredigion.gov.uk}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=West Wales Regional Partnership Board – Working together to plan and deliver services for adult and children with needs for care and support. |url=https://wwrpb.org.uk/en/ |access-date=2024-03-30 |language=en-US}}</ref> * Carmarthenshire, Neath Port Talbot, Pembrokeshire, and Swansea – Is used by Visit Wales,<ref name="VisitWales">{{Cite web |title=Introduction to Wales |url=https://www.visitwales.com/info/introduction-wales |access-date=2021-12-06 |website=VisitWales |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Destinations |url=https://www.visitwales.com/destinations |access-date=2021-12-05 |website=VisitWales |language=en}}</ref> and covers a similar area as South West Wales. This would exclude Ceredigion.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://wwcc.co.uk/|title=West Wales Chamber of Commerce|website=wwcc.co.uk}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.learningobservatory.com/uploads/publications/55.pdf|title=Future Skills Wales Project Summary Report for West Wales 1998-2007}}</ref> * Pembrokeshire and Carmarthenshire (excluding Llanelli) – Was used by the Welsh Development Agency before the mid 1990s.<ref name="Phelps-2000">{{Citation |last1=Phelps |first1=Nick |title=Regions, Governance and FDI: The Case of Wales |date=2000 |work=The Globalization of Multinational Enterprise Activity and Economic Development |pages=366–389 |editor-last=Hood |editor-first=Neil |url=https://doi.org/10.1057/9780230599161_15 |access-date=2021-12-17 |place=London |publisher=Palgrave Macmillan UK |language=en |doi=10.1057/9780230599161_15 |isbn=978-0-230-59916-1 |last2=Morgan |first2=Kevin |last3=Fuller |first3=Crispian |editor2-last=Young |editor2-first=Stephen|url-access=subscription }}</ref> * Pembrokeshire, Carmarthenshire, Swansea, Neath Port Talbot and Bridgend County Borough – Was used by the Welsh Development Agency from the mid 1990s.<ref name="Phelps-2000" />

There is also a West Wales and the Valleys Nomenclature of Territorial Units for Statistics (now International Territorial Level) statistical region.<ref name="ONS">[http://www.ons.gov.uk/ons/guide-method/geography/beginner-s-guide/eurostat/wales/index.html ONS NUTS guide to Wales statistical groupings]</ref> As well as South West Wales, Mid and West Wales or Mid and South West Wales and North West Wales.

==Historic use== Historically, the term West Wales was applied to the Kingdom of Cornwall during the Anglo-Saxon invasion of Britain and the period of the Heptarchy.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.lib.utexas.edu/maps/historical/shepherd/british_isles_802.jpg|title=The Historical Atlas by William R. Shepherd, 1926}}</ref> The Old English word ''Wealas'', a Germanic term for inhabitants of the Western Roman Empire, which the Anglo-Saxons came to apply especially to the Britons, gave its name to Wales and is also the origin of the second syllable in the name Cornwall.

==Railways== ===Mainlines=== *West Wales Line *Heart of Wales Line *Cambrian Line

===Heritage lines=== *Gwili Railway *Llanelli and Mynydd Mawr Railway *Teifi Valley Railway *Vale of Rheidol Railway

==Notes== {{reflist}}

Category:Regions of Wales Category:NUTS 2 statistical regions of the United Kingdom