More about Wales

The weather in Wales tends to be mild and variable. The coastal areas can be very warm in the summer. Walkers and climbers, please note that the weather in the upland areas is changeable throughout the year. Wales's rainfall is highest in its western mountains. Not surprisingly, the wettest place is the summit of Snowdon, with an annual average of 4,500mm (180in). But many parts of Wales are much drier. The east of Wales and coastal regions, for example, have less than 1,000mm (39in) a year, Ruthun in the Vale of Clwyd recording a mere 753mm (29in)

Communications into South and North Wales are good, with excellent motorway, dual carriageway and rail routes following the line of the coastal plain. North/South communications are not as well developed because of the mountainous terrain, though there is a good trunk route, the A470, which runs from Cardiff through Mid Wales to Llandudno on the North Wales coast.

The National Flag of Wales is a red dragon passant on a green and white field. No-one really knows how the red dragon became the emblem of Wales. However, it seems that the early Britons probably used it as a battle standard, after the Roman occupation and that it may derive from a Roman Standard. In any case the dragon has become a symbol identified with Wales. A legend recorded by an 8th century historian tells of a fight between a red and a white dragon, which ends with the eventual triumph of the red dragon - representing Wales. In 1959, the Queen commanded that Red Dragon on a green and white field be flown as the official Welsh flag.

More Information about Wales can be obtained from a number of internet sites. One of the best places to start browsing is the Wales Tourist Board site, http://www.tourism.wales.gov.uk