Regions of Wales

Wales has traditionally been divided into a number of ambiguous and ill-defined areas described as regions, reflecting historical, geographical, administrative, cultural and electoral boundaries within the country.

Presently, the most common form of division of Wales into "regions" has been using cardinal and intercardinal references: north or south-west for example.

[8][15] However in 2013 there were reports that the Welsh Government may have short-changed the north by £131.53 million, which critics describe as proof of a modern north–south divide.

[18] Plaid Cymru has called for a trans-Wales railway as a solution to bridge the cultural divide between north and south.

There may be a tourism divide between north and south Wales due to geographic and existing transport capabilities, with tourism in the north aimed at nearby tourists from the rest of the UK and closer airports in Liverpool and Manchester, for day trips and staycations; whereas strategies for the south by the devolved administrations aim for more international and longer-term tourism through Cardiff Airport in the south.

[22] Charles III Heir Apparent William, Prince of Wales First Minister (list) Rt Hon Eluned Morgan MS (L) Deputy First Minister Huw Irranca-Davies MS (L) Counsel General-designate – Elisabeth Jones Chief Whip and Trefnydd – Jane Hutt MS (L) Permanent Secretary Sixth Senedd Llywydd (Presiding Officer) Elin Jones MS (PC) Leader of the Opposition Darren Millar MS (C) Shadow Cabinet Prime Minister Rt Hon Keir Starmer MP (L) Secretary of State for Wales Rt Hon Jo Stevens MP (L) Principal councils (leader list) Corporate Joint Committees Local twinning see also: Regional terms and Regional economy United Kingdom Parliament elections European Parliament elections (1979–2020) Local elections Police and crime commissioner elections Referendums Regions using the cardinal and intercardinal points of a compass, e.g. north and south-west for nomenclature, and are based mainly on physical and environmental geographic factors due to their lack of definition.

For many administrative purposes, most of the regions follow the boundaries of the twenty-two principal areas of Wales.

19th Century Map using the term "North and South Wales"
North Wales map
Map of North Wales ; common modern day definition in dark red, historical definition in dark red and light red ( Montgomeryshire ).
Map of South Wales , defined either by combining South East and South West Wales (dark red); or the historic definition (dark red and light red); there are other definitions.
Map of a definition of North Wales, Mid Wales and South Wales
17-18th Century Map of North Wales
17-18th Century Map of South Wales
ITL (formerly NUTS) 2 and 3 regions; East Wales (orange) and West Wales and the Valleys (green)
Map of the four city regions; North (pink); Mid (yellow); Swansea Bay (purple); and Cardiff (orange)
Map of the various historical regions of Wales