What countries have with links to Wales?

Answer 1

Several- the main one is Argentina, whose Southern region of Patagonia was the site of a number of Welsh colonies in the 18th Century, and where the descendants of the settlers still speak Welsh, have Welsh place-names and still observe some Welsh customs and traditions. Others include all the English-speaking nations of the world, including the USA which has a considerable number of Welsh-Americans. Certain states in the US have strong links with Wales, including Pennsylvania whose famous Bryn Mawr college was founded by a Welshman (Bryn Mawr meaning 'Big Hill') and also Utah, as a number of Welsh expatriates became Mormons and tended to settle near to Salt Lake City. Australia has stronger connections still- as many Welsh people emigrated there as Irish, and one of it's most famous statesmen and Prime Ministers, Billy Hughes, was a proud Welshman. There are Welsh bars and clubs in Sydney, and the tradition of 'Eisteddfod' festivals remains in many parts of the country.

Other countries with more tenuous links include Spain, as many Welshmen went out there to fight for the Republican side as part of the International Brigade in the Spanish Civil War. Brittany in France is closely tied to Wales, as the Breton people are of the same race of celtic peoples as the Welsh and their language is similar (although Brittany has yet to gain recognition as a seperate nation and is still classed as part of France). Cornwall in England is another such region.

Ireland has several historical links and, indeed, part of Eastern Ireland was occupied by the Welsh in the 10th Century, but Irish-Welsh relations remain volatile at the best of times. There has periodically been hostility between the two nations, most recently at around the time of the First World War when the Irish hated the Welsh more than they did the English (possibly because David Lloyd George was British Prime Minister at the time of the 1916 Rebellion) and there were anti-Irish riots in Cardiff. Although few Welsh nowadays bear any resentment towards the Irish, the same cannot be said in return, and many Irish feel contempt and derision towards Wales and it's culture.

Scotland has solidarity with Wales since they are both in similar positions, being devolved nations within the UK with a strong nationalist element who want independence- Welsh reltaions with the Scots are far better than they are with the Irish. Wales also ran the Isle of Mann for over 200 years, up until the reign of Llewellyn the Great.