Y Fro Gymraeg

The Welsh-speaking, Welsh identifying group is perhaps most distinctive and largely centred upon the north and west of Wales.

– David Balsom (1985)[3] A generation or two ago one could say that almost all of western Wales, from Anglesey to parts of Pembrokeshire and Carmarthenshire, lay in the Bro, and that it also included significant parts of western Powys and of the former county of Clwyd,[citation needed] but today the territory of the language as a majority language has shrunk.

The four main counties with a majority of Welsh-speaking inhabitants are Gwynedd, Carmarthenshire (Sir Gaerfyrddin or Shir Gâr in Welsh), Ceredigion and Anglesey (Ynys Môn), although even in these counties one cannot say that every town and village is a Welsh stronghold.

Surrounding areas often included in the Bro, with a significant percentage of Welsh speakers, include parts of Neath Port Talbot (Castell-nedd Port Talbot), parts of western Powys, northern Pembrokeshire (Sir Benfro), the uplands of Conwy, the uplands and countryside of Denbighshire (Sir Ddinbych), Flintshire (Sir y Fflint) and parts of the district of Swansea (Abertawe).

[citation needed] Education in Y Fro Gymraeg is generally through the medium of Welsh, which accounts for about 70% of the school timetable, on average.

The proportion of respondents in the 2011 census who said they could speak Welsh.