CYMRU or WALES, an ancient Celtic nation, is rich in Celtic heritage.
It is the birthplace of Europe's oldest surviving language. The celebrated Welsh language is a thousand years older than English and can still be heard spoken in Welsh communities to this day.
One of the most ancient countries on the planet, the Celtic Welsh have been established on this land since 600 BC, where some of the world's most prehistoric human and animal remains have also been discovered.
Its thriving culture follows in traditions which can be sourced to the Dark Ages - some of the world's oldest customs were first practised here in ancient times by Welsh druids.
It is an ancient land of castles, magic, witchcraft and legends, with the highest concentration of medieval castles and ancient monuments in the world.
Wales is the accepted birthplace of Merlin (the legendary magician to King Arthur) and many scholars agree that the ancient Celtic King held round table in Wales.
A nation of tradition, music, inspiration and poetic creativity, its people are by nature passionate, expressive and creative - famous for singing, acting, storytelling, politics and poetry. Renowned as "the Land of Song", particularly famous for the finest massed choirs. The country has also given birth to vocalists Tom Jones, Shirley Bassey and Katherine Jenkins; screen actors the calibre of Anthony Hopkins, Richard Burton, Ray Milland and Catherine Zeta Jones; literary greats Dylan Thomas and Roald Dahl; politicians David Lloyd George, the Liberal prime minister and Aneurin Bevan, Labour, the founder of the NHS and the first Welsh parliament was established by Owain Glyndwr (Owain Glendower) in 1404 in Machynlleth.
In other fields the Welsh have made historical contributions to the world in varying ways, Some random examples are :-
St. Patrick, patron saint of Ireland, was Welsh by birth (according to legend) !
The Welsh invented the longbow - the world's first armour piercing weapon
The Captain of "The Mayflower" was born in Wales. The ship transported the Pilgrim Fathers from Plymouth to the New World in 1620 and has become a cultural icon in the history of the United States.
Up to half the signatories to the U.S. Declaration of Independence had Welsh ancestry, including Thomas Jefferson!
Mount Everest was named after a George Everest, a Brecon man.
The world's first working steam locomotive ran on a nine mile stretch of track at Merthyr Tydfil, in 1804.
Edward George ‘Taffy’ Bowen, one of the men who developed the radar, was born in Swansea
Donald Davies of Treorchy, invented Packet Switching (a vital element of the modern internet)
The world's first sleeping bag was invented by entrepreneur Pryce Jones from Newton
And so the list goes on and on.
Cymru am Byth (Wales forever)
Anyone who is Welsh will live by this saying. It's all about pride and patriotism.