Traditional counties of Wales

Wales has thirteen traditional counties (or vice counties). They serve many cultural and geographic roles and were also the basis of local government in Wales from 1888 until 1974. Since then, local government has moved away from using traditional counties as the basis of administrative areas, creating eight administrative counties for administrative purposes. These in turn were replaced in 1996, by the current principal areas of Wales. The traditional counties, however, have remained the same throughout these administrative changes.

Related Topics:
Wales - 1888 - 1974 - Eight administrative counties - 1996 - Principal areas of Wales

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The vice counties are always used for biological recording to this day. This makes it easier to make comparisons in the biodiversity of different parts of Wales over time.

Related Topics:
Biological recording - Biodiversity

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The area of Monmouthshire was not legally part of Wales until 1974, although it was usually paired with it.

Related Topics:
Monmouthshire - Wales - 1974

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There is a minor dispute as to which of two sets of borders of the traditional counties of Wales is true and valid: see Traditional counties of England for more detail. The dispute derives from an 1844 Act of Parliament that purported to abolish several enclaves.

Related Topics:
Traditional counties of England - 1844 - Enclave

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One of these, Welsh Bicknor was an enclave of Monmouthshire between Gloucestershire and Herefordshire and thus geographically in England.

Related Topics:
Welsh Bicknor - Monmouthshire - Gloucestershire - Herefordshire - England

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The exclave of Flintshire, called Maelor Saesneg (English Maelor) was left untouched however.

Related Topics:
Flintshire - Maelor Saesneg - Maelor

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