Visit the UK: Counties of Wales


Flag of Wales Image by manuel \| MC

Wales was divided into 22 Principal Areas for local government purposes by the Local Government (Wales) Act 1994. 11 of them are known as Counties, and 11 are known as County Boroughs.

These 22 Principal Areas replaced the 8 Ceremonial Counties that had been created by the Local Government Act 1972. These 8 Ceremonial Counties became known as Preserved Counties, which are used for purposes such as Lieutenancy.

Principal Areas of Wales

These lists show the Counties and County Boroughs of Wales, including their Welsh language names if the primary name is English.

Counties of Wales

County	Welsh language name
Cardiff	Caerdydd
Carmarthenshire	Sir Gaerfyrddin
Ceredigion
Denbighshire	Sir Ddinbych
Flintshire	Sir y Fflint
Gwynedd
Isle of Anglesey	Ynys Môn
Monmouthshire	Sir Fynwy
Pembrokeshire	Sir Benfro
Powys
Swansea	Abertawe

County Boroughs of Wales

County Borough	Welsh language name
Blaenau Gwent
Bridgend	Pen-y-bont ar Ogwr
Caerphilly	Caerffili
Conwy
Merthyr Tydfil	Merthyr Tudful
Neath Port Talbot	Castell-nedd Port Talbot
Newport	Casnewydd
Rhondda Cynon Taf
Torfaen	Tor-faen
Vale of Glamorgan	Bro Morgannwg
Wrexham	Wrecsam

Preserved Counties of Wales

The use of Preserved Counties as Ceremonial Counties was consolidated by the Lieutenancies Act 1997. Each Ceremonial County has an appointed Lord Lieutenant, who acts as the Monarch's deputy. For this reason, they are also known as Lieutenancies.
The Preserved Counties of Wales are: