Counties

For local government purposes, Wales is divided into 22 unitary authorities. There are 9 counties, 3 cities, and 10 county boroughs, although all have equal status. Collectively these are known as the principal areas of Wales. They came into being on April 1, 1996.

Map

Subdivisions of Wales

areas are Counties unless stated Merthyr Tydfil (County Borough) Caerphilly (County Borough) Blaenau Gwent (County Borough) Torfaen (County Borough) Monmouthshire Newport (City) Cardiff (City) Vale of Glamorgan (County Borough) Bridgend (County Borough) Rhondda Cynon Taf (County Borough) Neath Port Talbot (County Borough) Swansea (City) Carmarthenshire Ceredigion Powys Wrexham (County Borough) Flintshire Denbighshire Conwy (County Borough) Gwynedd Anglesey (Ynys Môn) Pembrokeshire

Name changes

The current names of the counties and county boroughs are in some cases different from those specified in the Act. The following changes took place, all with effect from April 2, 1996.

• Aberconwy and Colwyn to Conwy
• Anglesey to Isle of Anglesey
• Caernarfonshire and Merionethshire to Gwynedd
• Cardiganshire to Ceredigion
• Neath and Port Talbot to Neath Port Talbot

History

1888

From 1889 to 1974, the administrative counties of Wales were used for local government. These were based on the traditional counties of Wales, but not entirely identical.

• Anglesey (Ynys Môn)
• Brecknockshire (Breconshire)
• Cardiganshire
• Carmarthenshire
• Caernarfonshire
• Denbighshire
• Flintshire
• Glamorgan
• Merionethshire
• Monmouthshire
• Montgomeryshire
• Pembrokeshire
• Radnorshire

There were also a number of independent county boroughs

• Cardiff
• Swansea
• Merthyr Tydfil
• Newport

1974

In 1974, eight new two-tier counties were created. These were all (apart from the Glamorgans) given names in Welsh.

The division into districts of these was as follows

• Clwyd - Alyn and Deeside, Colwyn, Delyn, Glyndwr, Rhuddlan, Wrexham
• Dyfed - Carmarthen, Ceredigion, Dinefwr, Llanelli, Preseli, South Pembroke
• Gwent - Blaenau Gwent, Islwyn, Monmouth, Newport, Torfaen
• Gwynedd - Aberconwy, Arfon, Dwyfor, Meirionnydd, Anglesey
• Mid Glamorgan - Cynon Valley, Ogwr, Merthyr Tydfil, Rhondda, Rhymney Valley, Taff-Ely
• Powys, Brecon, Montgomery, Radnor
• South Glamorgan - Cardiff, Vale of Glamorgan
• West Glamorgan - Lliw Valley, Neath, Port Talbot, Swansea

When these counties were abolished in 1996, they were retained with slight amendations for some purposes such as Lieutenancy, and became known as the preserved counties of Wales. These were further amended in 2003 to ensure that each unitary area is wholly within one preserved county.