Caernarfonshire
Categories: Caernarfonshire | Traditional counties of Wales
| Image:WalesCaernarfonshireTrad.png | |
| Geography | |
| Area - Total - % Water | Ranked 9th 361,156 acres ? % |
|---|---|
| County town | Caernarfon |
| Chapman code | CAE |
Caernarfonshire, also known as Carnarvonshire or, in Welsh, as Sir Gaernarfon, is a maritime traditional county of Wales.
Geography
The county is bounded to the north by the Irish Sea, to the east by Denbighshire, to the south by Cardigan Bay and Merionethshire, and to the west by Caernarfon Bay and the Menai Strait, which separates it from Anglesey. It has an area of 1,462 km² and a population of 128,000. The surface is mountainous. A large part of the Snowdonia National Park lies in the county including Snowdon, the highest mountain in Wales at 1,085 m. The Lleyn Peninsula is less mountaineous and contains many bays and sandy beaches. Bardsey Island is a major site for nesting seabirds. The River Conwy runs north along the eastern boundary.
Principal towns are Bangor, Betws-y-Coed, Caernarfon, Conwy, Llandudno, Porthmadog and Pwllheli. Sheep rearing and tourism are the main industries, the coast being much developed for the latter.
Caernarfonshire has a detached costal portion near the town of Llandulas that lies locally in Denbighshire. This has been omitted from the map opposite, and is shown as being part of Denbighshire.
Places of special interest: Bardsey Island (grid reference SH1221); Caernarfon Castle (grid reference SH4762); Conwy Castle (grid reference SH7877); Cricceith Castle (grid reference SH4937); Great Orme Tramway (grid reference SH7883); Gwydir Castle, nr. Llanrwst (grid reference SH7961); Penrhyn Castle (grid reference SH6071); Swallow Falls, Betws-y-Coed (grid reference SH7657); Snowdon Mountain Railway, Llanberis (grid reference SH5859); Ty Mawr Wybrnant (grid reference SH7752).
Government
For administrative purposes, the county is divided between Gwynedd to the west and Conwy to the east.
See also
| United Kingdom | Wales | Traditional counties of Wales | Image:Wales flag large.png |
|
Anglesey | Brecknockshire | Caernarfonshire | Cardiganshire | Carmarthenshire | Denbighshire | Flintshire | Glamorganshire | Merionethshire | Monmouthshire | Montgomeryshire | Pembrokeshire | Radnorshire |