Whether your kids are looking to learn more about Wales for a school project, or you are planning a family holiday in the country, these fun facts about Wales for kids will help in both instances. Discover more about the country, people and more with these facts all about Wales for kids. You might even enjoy them as well!
Fun facts about Wales for kids – the country
The Welsh name for Wales is Cymru. Wales’ motto is “Cymru am byth” which means Wales Forever.
Wales has a population of around 3 million people.
Wales is a part of the United Kingdom and is bordered by England in the east.
Wales has a long coastline that sits along the Irish Sea, running along three sides of the country.
Wales covers an area of 20,779 km2 (8,023 square miles).
The largest city in Wales is Cardiff which is also the capital.
English and Welsh are the official languages and around 20% of the population can speak Welsh. Welsh is a Celtic language, the oldest in Britain and is believed to be over 4000 years old.
Snowdon, found in the Snowdonia National Park, is the highest peak at 1085m (3560 feet) and is called Yr Wyddfa in Welsh.
The deepest cave in Britain can be found in Wales. The Ogof Ffynnon Ddu cave is 294m (900 feet) deep and can be found in the Upper Swansea Valley area of South Wales.
The longest place name in Britain is the village of Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch with 58 letters in total. It is located on the Isle of Anglesey, and it means “St Mary’s Church in the hollow of the white hazel near to the rapid whirlpool and the Church of St Tysilio of the red cave”.
The most visited waterfall in Britain is Swallow Falls at Betws-y-Coed in North Wales.
Interesting facts about Wales for kids – the culture
The National Day in Wales is St David’s Day on 1st March every year, commemorating the Patron Saint of Wales.
Wales has more castles per square mile than any other country in the world, with a total of 600. The second-largest castle in Britain is Caerphilly in South Wales after Windsor Castle.
The national flag of Wales features the Red Dragon (Y Ddriag Goch). Wales is one of only three countries in the world to have a dragon on its flag. The others are Bhutan and Malta.
The national anthem of Wales is ‘Hen Wlad fy Nhadau’ meaning ‘Land Of My Fathers’.
The original national emblem of Wales is the leek. Wales has also adopted a second emblem which is the daffodil.
Rugby is the national sport of Wales.
The Millennium Stadium in Cardiff, now known as the Principality Stadium, has the largest retractable roof of any sports stadium in the world.
Wales is often referred to as the “land of the song” thanks to its harpists, male choirs, and solo singers.
Some of the famous solo artists that hail from Wales are Sir Tom Jones (Pontypridd) and Dame Shirley Bassey (Cardiff).
Other cool facts about Wales for kids
There are over 10 million sheep believed to be in Wales, which is three times the human population.
Llandudno in North Wales features the longest-running Punch and Judy show for 150 years.
The famous children’s author Roald Dahl was born in Cardiff.
The Prince of Wales, currently Prince Charles, is the title given to the eldest son of a British King or Queen and is the next in line to the throne of Great Britain. The current and previous Princes of Wales have had their investiture ceremonies at Caernarfon Castle in North Wales.
There are three National Parks in Wales. They are
- Snowdonia National Park in North Wales
- Brecon Beacons National Park in South Wales
- Pembrokeshire Coast National Park in South Wales
The world’s fastest zip wire can be found at Bethesda in North Wales. Zip World Velocity is where you’ll find it and you can travel at speeds of over 100mph.
The Royal Mint in Llantrisant in South Wales produces coins for both the United Kingdom and other countries.
Mount Everest in the Himalayas was named after Sir George Everest, a Welsh traveller and explorer.
The world’s first major suspension bridge to be was the Menai Bridge in North Wales and it was designed by Thomas Telford.
St Patrick, Patron Saint of Ireland, was Welsh.
So there you have it. Lots of interesting and fun facts about Wales for kids to enjoy, whether they are learning about Wales in school or preparing for a fun visit to Wales.
