South Wales (Welsh: De Cymru) is in the United Kingdom.
These are historic counties used for geographic purposes. Due to the large populations of Glamorgan and Monmouthshire they are divided into twelve local authorities called "council areas", namely Swansea, Neath Port Talbot, Rhondda Cynon Taf, Bridgend, Vale of Glamorgan, Cardiff, Newport, Monmouthshire, Torfaen, Blaenau Gwent, Caerphilly and Merthyr Tydfil.
Spectacular rocky coastline with a few good beaches. The westernmost county in Wales.
Hill farming area, as well as sandy beaches. The only county in South Wales with a Welsh-speaking majority.
Former industrial heartland of Wales, vibrant regenerated cities, spectacular coastline. The most visited region by tourists visiting Cardiff and Swansea.
hilly pastoral scenery and historic towns.
South Wales is a very mixed area. There is stunning pastoral scenery in many parts of South West Wales, the Vale of Glamorgan near Cardiff and the beautiful Wye Valley in the historic county of Monmouthshire. Wales' two largest cities, Cardiff and Swansea, are both located in the historic county of Glamorgan and offer an excellent shopping, restaurants and entertainment opportunities. The coast around Pembrokeshire and the Gower Peninsula in Swansea, in particular, have stunning coastal paths and sandy beaches, and the area boasts an abundance of castles. In addition, South Wales has a proud industrial heritage, with Port Talbot being a major steel processing town, while the valleys in central Glamorgan were once the centre of the Welsh coal mining industry. Since the 1960s, Carmarthenshire and Pembrokeshire have been very popular with people involved in alternative and counter-culture; consequently South West Wales has become home to many communes and organic farms.
Welsh is commonly spoken in Carmarthenshire, northern Pembrokeshire and parts of West Glamorgan, but it is used much less in southern Pembrokeshire, Monmouthshire and the rest of Glamorgan, with the exception of some parts of Cardiff (notably Canton and Whitchurch). English is spoken natively throughout the region, and South Wales has a number of regional accents, including the distinctive Kairdiff dialect.
The M4 motorway links London and southern England to Newport, Cardiff, Swansea and near Carmarthen. If travelling from the Midlands and the North, the M50 and A40 are the best roads to use.
Great Western runs a main line service from London to Swansea, with stops in Newport, Cardiff, Bridgend, Port Talbot and Neath. Arriva Trains covers the rural areas west and north of Swansea.
There is an international airport at Cardiff and a small airport serving private planes at Swansea
There are regular car ferry services from Ireland to Fishguard and Pembroke.
Swansea offers mooring facilities for around 700 boats at the city's marina.
Cardiff, Swansea and Newport are connected to the National Express coach network, linking them to other major UK cities.
Trains connect all the main centres of population, and a local bus network links the stations to the smaller communities in the area.
South Wales does not have a high crime rate, though like anywhere is in the UK, caution is required, especially in urban areas.
2nd-order administrative division
Primary administrative division