The town Cardiff is the capital and largest city in Wales. It is located on the south coast of the country. It is bordered to the west by the rural district known as the Vale of Glamorgan, to the east by the city of Newport, to the north by the South Wales Valleys and to the south by the Bristol Channel.



The River Taff winds through the centre of the city and together with the River Ely flows into the freshwater lake of Cardiff Bay. A third river, the Rhymney flows through the east of the city entering directly into the Bristol Channel. A fourth river is the Lleucu.

It was a small town until the early nineteenth century and came to prominence as a major port for the transport of coal following the arrival of industry in the region. It eventually grew to become the largest city in Wales and serves as a major centre of culture, sport and history in the United Kingdom.

Today, Cardiff is the principal finance and business services centre in Wales and as such there is a strong representation of finance and business services in the local economy.

The city has a chequered linguistic history with Latin, English, Welsh, and Norse dominating at different times. The population is a growing one.

A major tourist attraction is situated in the heart of the city centre, near to the main shopping streets of Queen St and St Marys St is Cardiff Castle.

Other tourist attractions include the Cardiff Bay regeneration sites which include the recently opened Wales Millennium Centre and the National Assembly for Wales as well as many other cultural and sites.

The New Theatre was founded in 1906 and completely refurbished in the 1980s. Until the opening of the Wales Millennium Centre in 2004, it was the premier venue in Wales for touring theatre and dance companies and is located in the city centre.

Other venues which are popular for gigs include the International Arena and the Millennium Stadium.

A Festival is held annually in late July early August in the city centre and is the place for many theme park events, rides and regularly attracts annually over 200 000 visitors. The annual Festival claims to be the UKs largest free outdoor festival and plays host to a range of different festivals including the Childrens Festival that takes place in the grounds of the castle.