View source for Preserved counties of Wales

{{short description|Ceremonial divisions of Wales for lieutenancy and shrievalty purposes}}
{{distinguish|Historic counties of Wales}}
{{Infobox subdivision type
| name = {{ubl|Preserved counties|{{native name|cy|Siroedd cadwedig}}}}
| map = {{Switcher
| [[File:Preserved Counties Wales.svg|200px|Map of the preserved counties since 2010]]<br />''Preserved counties of Wales since 2010''
| Show preserved counties since 2010
| {{Image label begin|image=Comtés du pays de Galles (1974-1996).svg|float=center|width=200|font-size=150%}}
{{Image label|scale=|x=0.420|y=0.48|text=<span style="color:gray";>1</span>}}
{{Image label|scale=|x=0.365|y=0.56|text=<span style="color:gray";>2</span>}}
{{Image label|scale=|x=0.345|y=0.5|text=<span style="color:gray";>3</span>}}
{{Image label|scale=|x=0.275|y=0.490|text=<span style="color:gray";>4</span>}}
{{Image label|scale=|x=0.215|y=0.405|text=<span style="color:gray";>5</span>}}
{{Image label|scale=|x=0.350|y=0.325|text=<span style="color:gray";>6</span>}}
{{Image label|scale=|x=0.245|y=0.105|text=<span style="color:gray";>7</span>}}
{{Image label|scale=|x=0.375|y=0.115|text=<span style="color:gray";>8</span>}}
{{Image label end}} [[History of local government in Wales#Local Government Act 1972: Counties and districts|Administrative counties (1974–1996)]]
| Show administrative counties (1974–1996)
}}
| caption = <div style="text-align: left;">
#[[Gwent (preserved county)|Gwent]]
#[[South Glamorgan]]
#[[Mid Glamorgan]]
#[[West Glamorgan]]
#[[Dyfed]]
#[[Powys]]
#[[Gwynedd (preserved county)|Gwynedd]]
#[[Clwyd]]
</div>
| category = [[Lieutenancy area]]s
| territory = [[Wales]]
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| start_date = 1 April 1996
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| legislation_begin = Local Government (Wales) Act 1994 (c. 19)
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| current_number = 8
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{{Politics of Wales}}
The '''preserved counties of Wales''' ({{langx|cy|siroedd cadwedig}}) are the eight current areas used in [[Wales]] for the ceremonial purposes of [[Lord-lieutenant|lieutenancy]] and [[High Sheriff#England, Wales and Northern Ireland|shrievalty]]. They are based on the [[subdivisions of Wales|counties]] which were used for local government and other purposes between 1974 and 1996. Each comprises one or more of the 22 single-tier [[principal areas of Wales|principal areas]] which are used for administrative purposes.

==Usage==
The [[Local Government (Wales) Act 1994]] abolished the eight ceremonial counties created by the [[Local Government Act 1972]]. However, it created the concept of preserved counties based on their areas, to be used for purposes such as [[Lord-lieutenant|lieutenancy]]. This usage was [[Consolidation bill|consolidated]] by the [[Lieutenancies Act 1997]].<ref>{{Citation | place = UK | chapter-url = http://www.opsi.gov.uk/acts/acts1997/1997023.htm | title = Lieutenancies Act | year = 1997 | chapter = 23 | publisher = OPSI}}.</ref> Certain statutes already in force were amended to include reference to them.

==Boundary changes==
The preserved counties were originally almost identical to the 1974–96 counties, but with a few minor changes in line with local government boundary changes: [[Llanrhaeadr-ym-Mochnant]], [[Llansilin]] and [[Llangedwyn]] were transferred from [[Clwyd]] to [[Powys]], and [[Wick, Glamorgan|Wick]], [[St Brides Major]], [[Ewenny]] and [[Pentyrch]] were transferred from [[Mid Glamorgan]] to [[South Glamorgan]]. There were however two local government areas, [[Caerphilly County Borough|Caerphilly]] and [[Conwy County Borough|Conwy]], split between preserved counties.

The Local Government Boundary Commission for Wales were instructed by the [[Senedd Cymru – Welsh Parliament|National Assembly for Wales]] on 11 March 2002 to undertake a review of preserved county boundaries. In their final proposals the part of the local government area of [[Caerphilly County Borough|Caerphilly]] which had been in Mid Glamorgan was to be part of Gwent and the part of the local government area of [[Conwy County Borough|Conwy]] which had been in [[Gwynedd (preserved county)|Gwynedd]] was to be part of [[Clwyd]]. The boundary between Mid Glamorgan and South Glamorgan was also to be re-aligned to reflect small changes in local government boundaries.<ref name="lgbc">{{Citation | place = UK | url = http://www.lgbc-wales.gov.uk/preserved/preserved_final_proposals_e.htm | title = Review of Preserved County Boundaries Final Proposals | publisher = Local Government Boundary Commission for Wales | url-status = dead | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20061013104800/http://www.lgbc-wales.gov.uk/preserved/preserved_final_proposals_e.htm | archive-date = 2006-10-13 }}.</ref> The Assembly accepted these proposals such that from 2 April 2003 each preserved county encompassed between one and five whole local government areas.<ref>{{Citation | title = Legislation | url = http://www.opsi.gov.uk/legislation/wales/wsi2003/20030974e.htm | contribution = Preserved Counties (Amendment to Boundaries) (Wales) Order | year = 2003 | publisher = OPSI | place = UK}}.</ref>

The boundary between West Glamorgan and Powys was further modified on 1 April 2005 as a result of boundary changes between Ystalyfera and Ystradgynlais.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.legislation.gov.uk/wsi/2004/2746/made|title=The Neath Port Talbot and Powys (Cwmtwrch) Order 2004|date=13 October 2004}}</ref>

The boundary between Mid Glamorgan and Powys was further modified on 1 April 2010 to reflect the 2009 local government boundary changes in the area around [[Vaynor]], [[Merthyr Tydfil County Borough|Merthyr Tydfil]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.opsi.gov.uk/legislation/wales/wsi2010/wsi_20100048_en_1|title= The Preserved Counties of Powys and Mid Glamorgan (Changes in Area) Order 2010|website=www.opsi.gov.uk|access-date=February 10, 2019}}</ref>

==List==
{{table alignment}}{{static row numbers}}
{| class="wikitable sortable static-row-numbers static-row-numbers-center col4right" id="list"
|+ Preserved counties of Wales
! rowspan=2 | Preserved county
! colspan=2 | Land area<ref name="popstats"/>
! rowspan=2 | Population ({{Welsh preserved counties|TXT=Year}})<ref name="popstats">{{Welsh preserved counties|TXT=Cite}}</ref>
! colspan=2 | Density<ref name="popstats"/>
! rowspan=2 | Principal areas
|-
! ({{km2}})
! ({{mi2}})
! (/{{km2}})
! (/{{mi2}})
|-
| [[Clwyd]]
| {{convert|{{Welsh preserved counties|ARE=Clwyd}}|km2|disp = table|sortable = on}}
| {{Welsh preserved counties|POP=Clwyd}}
| {{convert|{{Welsh preserved counties|DEN=Clwyd}}|/km2|disp = table|sortable = on}}
| {{cslist |[[Conwy (county borough) |Conwy]] |[[Denbighshire]] |[[Flintshire]] |[[Wrexham (county borough)|Wrexham]] }}
|-
| [[Dyfed]]
| {{convert|{{Welsh preserved counties|ARE=Dyfed}}|km2|disp = table|sortable = on}}
| {{Welsh preserved counties|POP=Dyfed}}
| {{convert|{{Welsh preserved counties|DEN=Dyfed}}|/km2|disp = table|sortable = on}}
| {{cslist |[[Carmarthenshire]] |[[Ceredigion]] |[[Pembrokeshire]] }}
|-
| [[Gwent (preserved county)|Gwent]]
| {{convert|{{Welsh preserved counties|ARE=Gwent}}|km2|disp = table|sortable = on}}
| {{Welsh preserved counties|POP=Gwent}}
| {{convert|{{Welsh preserved counties|DEN=Gwent}}|/km2|disp = table|sortable = on}}
| {{cslist |[[Blaenau Gwent]] |[[Caerphilly (county borough)|Caerphilly]] |[[Monmouthshire]] |[[Newport, Wales|Newport]] |[[Torfaen]] }}
|-
| [[Gwynedd (preserved county)|Gwynedd]]
| {{convert|{{Welsh preserved counties|ARE=Gwynedd}}|km2|disp = table|sortable = on}}
| {{Welsh preserved counties|POP=Gwynedd}}
| {{convert|{{Welsh preserved counties|DEN=Gwynedd}}|/km2|disp = table|sortable = on}}
| {{cslist |[[Gwynedd]] |[[Anglesey|Isle of Anglesey]] }}
|-
| [[Mid Glamorgan]]
| {{convert|{{Welsh preserved counties|ARE=Mid Glamorgan}}|km2|disp = table|sortable = on}}
| {{Welsh preserved counties|POP=Mid Glamorgan}}
| {{convert|{{Welsh preserved counties|DEN=Mid Glamorgan}}|/km2|disp = table|sortable = on}}
| {{cslist |[[Bridgend (county borough)|Bridgend]] |[[Merthyr Tydfil County Borough|Merthyr Tydfil]] |[[Rhondda Cynon Taf]] }}
|-
| [[Powys]]
| {{convert|{{Welsh preserved counties|ARE=Powys}}|km2|disp = table|sortable = on}}
| {{Welsh preserved counties|POP=Powys}}
| {{convert|{{Welsh preserved counties|DEN=Powys}}|/km2|disp = table|sortable = on}}
| [[Powys]]
|-
| [[South Glamorgan]]
| {{convert|{{Welsh preserved counties|ARE=South Glamorgan}}|km2|disp = table|sortable = on}}
| {{Welsh preserved counties|POP=South Glamorgan}}
| {{convert|{{Welsh preserved counties|DEN=South Glamorgan}}|/km2|disp = table|sortable = on}}
| {{cslist |[[Cardiff]] |[[Vale of Glamorgan]] }}
|-
| [[West Glamorgan]]
| {{convert|{{Welsh preserved counties|ARE=West Glamorgan}}|km2|disp = table|sortable = on}}
| {{Welsh preserved counties|POP=West Glamorgan}}
| {{convert|{{Welsh preserved counties|DEN=West Glamorgan}}|/km2|disp = table|sortable = on}}
| {{cslist |[[Neath Port Talbot]] |[[Swansea]] }}
|}

==See also==
*[[Historic counties of Wales]]
*[[Local government in Wales]]
*[[Subdivisions of Wales]]
*[[Principal areas of Wales]]
*[[Ceremonial counties of England]]
*[[Shires of Scotland]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

{{UK subdivisions}}
{{Wales preserved counties}}
{{Geography of Wales}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Preserved Counties Of Wales}}
[[Category:Preserved counties of Wales| ]]
[[Category:Lists of counties of Wales|Preserved]]