Claim: Roald Dahl was born in a country.

Wales -LRB- -LSB- ˈweɪlz -RSB- Cymru -LSB- ˈkəm.rɨ -RSB- -RRB- is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain . It is bordered by England to the east , the Irish Sea to the north and west , and the Bristol Channel to the south . It had a population in 2011 of 3,063,456 and has a total area of 20779 km2 . Wales has over 1680 mi of coastline and is largely mountainous , with its higher peaks in the north and central areas , including Snowdon -LRB- Yr Wyddfa -RRB- , its highest summit . The country lies within the north temperate zone and has a changeable , maritime climate .   Welsh national identity emerged among the Celtic Britons after the Roman withdrawal from Britain in the 5th century , and Wales is regarded as one of the modern Celtic nations . Llywelyn ap Gruffudd 's death in 1282 marked the completion of Edward I of England 's conquest of Wales , though Owain Glyndŵr briefly restored independence to Wales in the early 15th century . The whole of Wales was annexed by England and incorporated within the English legal system under the Laws in Wales Acts 1535 -- 1542 . Distinctive Welsh politics developed in the 19th century . Welsh Liberalism , exemplified in the early 20th century by Lloyd George , was displaced by the growth of socialism and the Labour Party . Welsh national feeling grew over the century ; Plaid Cymru was formed in 1925 and the Welsh Language Society in 1962 . Established under the Government of Wales Act 1998 , the National Assembly for Wales holds responsibility for a range of devolved policy matters .   At the dawn of the Industrial Revolution , development of the mining and metallurgical industries transformed the country from an agricultural society into an industrial nation ; the South Wales Coalfield 's exploitation caused a rapid expansion of Wales ' population . Two-thirds of the population live in south Wales , mainly in and around Cardiff -LRB- the capital -RRB- , Swansea and Newport , and in the nearby valleys . Now that the country 's traditional extractive and heavy industries have gone or are in decline , Wales ' economy depends on the public sector , light and service industries and tourism . Wales ' 2010 gross value added -LRB- GVA -RRB- was # 45.5 billion -LRB- # 15,145 per head , 74.0 % of the average for the UK , and the lowest GVA per head in Britain -RRB- .   Although Wales closely shares its political and social history with the rest of Great Britain , and the vast majority of the population speaks English , the country has retained a distinct cultural identity and is officially bilingual . Over 560,000 Welsh language speakers live in Wales , and the language is spoken by a majority of the population in parts of the north and west . From the late 19th century onwards , Wales acquired its popular image as the `` land of song '' , in part due to the eisteddfod tradition . At many international sporting events , such as the FIFA World Cup , Rugby World Cup and the Commonwealth Games , Wales has its own national teams , though at the Olympic Games , Welsh athletes compete as part of a Great Britain team . Rugby union is seen as a symbol of Welsh identity and an expression of national consciousness .