Carmarthenshire

**Carmarthenshire** ( or *Sir Gâr*) is a unitary authority in the sooth wast o Wales an ane o thirteen historic coonties. It is the third lairgest in Wales. The three lairgest touns are Llanelli, Carmarthen an Ammanford.  The county toun an admeenistrative centre o Carmarthenshire is Carmarthen an the maist muckle dounset is the aurie in an aroond the toun o Llanelli.

Wi its fertile land an agricultural produce, Carmarthenshire is kent as the "Garden o Wales".

## History
Carmarthenshire haes its early ruits in the region umwhile kent as *[[Ystrad Tywi]]* (*Vale o [the river] Tywi*) an pairt o the Principality o Deheubarth durin the Heich Middle Ages, wi the court at Dinefwr.

Follaein the Edwardian Conquest o Wales, the region wis reorganizit bi the Statute o Rhuddlan in 1284 intae *Carmarthenshire*.

Carmarthenshire haes been spelt in ither weys in the past, includin:
*Carmardenshire 
*Caermarthenshire
*Caermardi / Caermardī
*Caermaridunum / Caermaridvnvm

## Govrenment

Carmarthenshire became an admeenistrative coonty wi a coonty cooncil takkin ower functions frae the Quarter Sessions unner the Local Govrenment Act 1888.  Unner the Local Govrenment Act 1972, the admeenistrative coonty o Carmarthenshire wis abolished on 1 Aprile 1974 an the aurie o Carmarthenshire became three destricts athin the new coonty o Dyfed : Carmarthen, Dinefwr an Llanelli.  Unner the Local Govrenment (Wales) Act 1994, Dyfed wis abolished on 1 Aprile 1996 an the three destricts unitit tae form a unitary authority which haed the same bundaries as the oreeginal Carmarthenshire.  In 2003, follaein a local campaign, the Clunderwen commonty cooncil aurie wis transferred tae Pembrokeshire.

## Geography

The coonty is bundit tae the north bi Ceredigion, tae the east bi Powys, Neath Port Talbot an Swansea, tae the sooth bi the Atlantic Ocean an tae the wast bi Pembrokeshire.  The surface generally is upland an muntainous. Fforest Fawr an Black Mountain extend intae the east o the coonty an the Cambrian Mountains intae the north. The sooth coast contains mony fishin veelages an sandy beaches. The heichest pynt is Fan Brycheiniog, 2,525 feet (770 m). (awtho the main summit is in Powys).  Carmarthenshire is the lairgest historic coonty bi aurie in Wales.

It is drained bi several important rivers, especially the Towy, which flows intae the Bristol Channel, an its several tributaries, such as the River Cothi. The Towy is the langest river flowin entirely athin Wales an is notit for its trout an salmon fishin. Ither rivers include the Loughor (which forms the eastren bundary wi Glamorgan), an the Gwendraeth Fawr.

Principal touns are Ammanford, Burry Port, Carmarthen, Kidwelly, Llanelli, Llandeilo, Newcastle Emlyn, Llandovery, St. Clears, Whitland an Pendine.  The principal industries are agricultur, forestry, fishin an tourism. Awtho Llanelli is bi far the lairger toun in the coonty, the coonty toun remains in Carmarthen, mainly due tae its central location.

## Demography
Carmarthenshire haes a population o 178,000.  Accordin tae the 2001 census, 39% o the population could speak, read, an write Welsh, an 64% wur able tae dae at least ane o the follaein: speak, read, or write Welsh, or unnerstaund the spoken leid.

## Places o interest

## See an aw
* Leet o places in Carmarthenshire for an alphabetical leet o touns an veelages.
* Fowk frae Carmarthenshire for a leet o notable fowk frae the coonty.

## References

## External links
* Carmarthenshire county council
* Carmarthenshire  offeecial site frae South West Wales Tourist Buird
* Genuki: Research sources for Carmarthenshire
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