Editing Carmarthenshire

{{Short description|County in Wales}}
{{Distinguish|Caernarfonshire}}
{{Good article}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2024}}
{{Use British English|date=August 2024}}
{{Infobox settlement
| name                    = Carmarthenshire
| native_name             = {{native name|cy|Sir Gaerfyrddin}}
| settlement_type         = [[Principal areas of Wales|County]] and [[historic counties of Wales|historic county]]
| image_skyline           = Guildhall Square, Carmarthen.jpg
| imagesize               =
| image_alt               =
| image_caption           = Guildhall Square and [[Carmarthen Guildhall]]
| image_flag              =
| flag_alt                =
| image_shield            = Arms of Carmarthenshire County Council.svg
| shield_alt              =
| shield_link             =
| image_blank_emblem      =
| blank_emblem_size       =
| blank_emblem_type       =
| blank_emblem_link       =
| etymology               =
| nickname                =
| motto                   = {{langx |cy|Rhyddid Gwerin Ffyniant Gwlad |translation=the freedom of the people is the prosperity of the country}}
| image_map               = Carmarthenshire UK location map.svg
| map_alt                 =
| map_caption             = Carmarthenshire shown within [[Wales]]
| coordinates             = {{coord|51|51|22|N|4|18|38|W|region:GB_type:adm2nd|display=inline,title}}
| subdivision_type        = [[Sovereign state]]
| subdivision_name        = [[United Kingdom]]
| subdivision_type1       = [[Countries of the United Kingdom|Country]]
| subdivision_name1       = [[Wales]]
| subdivision_type2       = [[Regions of Wales|Region]]
| subdivision_name2       =
| subdivision_type3       = [[Preserved counties of Wales|Preserved county]]
| subdivision_name3       = [[Dyfed]]
| subdivision_type4       =
| subdivision_name4       =
| established_title       = Incorporated
| established_date        = [[Local Government (Wales) Act 1994|1 April 1996]]
| established_title1      =
| established_date1       =
| named_for               =
| seat_type               = Administrative{{nbsp}}HQ
| seat                    = [[County Hall, Carmarthen]]
| parts_type              =
| parts                   =
<!-- Government -->
| government_footnotes    = <ref name="Council leadership">{{cite web |url=https://www.carmarthenshire.gov.wales/home/council-democracy/ |title=Council & Democracy |publisher=Carmarthenshire County Council |access-date=6 August 2024}}</ref>
| government_type         = [[Local government in Wales#Principal councils|Principal council]]
| governing_body          = [[Carmarthenshire County Council]]
| leader_title            =
| leader_name             =
| leader_title1           = [[Political make-up of local councils in the United Kingdom|Control]]
| leader_name1            = {{UK council control|GSS=W06000010}}
| leader_title2           =
| leader_name2            =
| leader_title3           = [[Member of Parliament (United Kingdom)|MPs]]
| leader_name3            = {{Collapsible list |title=2 MPs
 |[[Ann Davies (politician)|Ann Davies]] ([[Plaid Cymru|PC]])
 |[[Nia Griffith]] ([[Labour Party (UK)|L]])
 }}
| leader_title4           = [[Member of the Senedd|MSs]]
| leader_name4            = {{Collapsible list |title=3 MSs
 |[[Samuel Kurtz]] ([[Welsh Conservatives|C]])
 |[[Adam Price]] ([[Plaid Cymru|PC]])
 |[[Lee Waters]] ([[Welsh Labour|L]])
 }}
 +4 [[Mid and West Wales (Senedd electoral region)|regional members]]
<!-- Area -->
<!-- ALL fields with measurements have automatic unit conversion -->
| area_footnotes          = <ref name="popstats">{{UK subdivision statistics citation}}</ref>
| area_total_km2          = {{UK subdivision area|GSS=W06000010}}
| area_land_km2           =
| area_water_km2          =
| area_rank               = [[List of Welsh principal areas|{{Welsh council area rank|GSS=W06000010}}]]
<!-- Population -->
| population_footnotes    = <ref name="popstats" />
| population_as_of        = {{UK subdivision statistics year}}
| population_total        = {{UK subdivision population|GSS=W06000010}}
| population_rank         = [[List of Welsh principal areas|{{Welsh council population rank|GSS=W06000010}}]]
| population_density_km2  = {{UK subdivision density|GSS=W06000010}}
| population_demonym      =
<!-- demographics (section 1) -->
| demographics_type1      =
| demographics1_footnotes =
| demographics1_title1    =
| demographics1_info1     =
<!-- demographics (section 2) -->
| demographics_type2      = [[Welsh language]] <span style="font-weight:normal;">([[2021 United Kingdom census|2021]])</span>
| demographics2_footnotes = <ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.ons.gov.uk/visualisations/censusareachanges/W06000010/ |title=How life has changed in Carmarthenshire: Census 2021 |date=19 January 2023 |website=Office for National Statistics |access-date=6 August 2024 }}</ref>
| demographics2_title1    = Speakers
| demographics2_info1     = 39.9%
| demographics2_title2    = Rank
| demographics2_info2     = [[List of Welsh principal areas by percentage Welsh language|4th]]
| timezone1               = [[Greenwich Mean Time|GMT]]
| utc_offset1             = +0
| timezone1_DST           = [[British Summer Time|BST]]
| utc_offset1_DST         = +1
<!-- Codes -->
| postal_code_type        = [[Postcodes in the United Kingdom|Postcode areas]]
| postal_code             =
| area_code_type          = [[Telephone numbers in the United Kingdom|Dialling codes]]
| area_code               =
| iso_code                = [[ISO 3166-2:GB|GB-CMN]]
| blank1_name             = [[GSS coding system|GSS code]]
| blank1_info             = W06000010
| website                 = {{URL|www.carmarthenshire.gov.wales}}
}}
'''Carmarthenshire''' ({{IPAc-en|k|ər|ˈ|m|ɑr|ð|ən|ʃ|ər|,_|-|ʃ|ɪər}};<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20170411054424/https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/carmarthenshire "Carmarthenshire"], ''British & World English Dictionary'', Oxford Dictionaries Online</ref> {{langx|cy|Sir Gaerfyrddin}} {{IPA|cy|siːr gɑːɨrˈvərðɪn|}} or informally ''{{lang|cy|Sir Gâr}}'') is a [[Principal areas of Wales|county]]  in the [[South West Wales|south-west]] of [[Wales]]. The three largest towns are [[Llanelli]], [[Carmarthen]] and [[Ammanford]]. Carmarthen is the [[county town]] and administrative centre. The county is known as the "Garden of Wales" and is also home to the [[National Botanic Garden of Wales]].

Carmarthenshire has been inhabited since prehistoric times. The county town was founded by the Romans, and the region was part of the Kingdom of [[Deheubarth]] in the [[High Middle Ages]]. After invasion by the [[Normans]] in the 12th and 13th centuries it was [[Conquest of Wales by Edward I|subjugated]], along with other parts of Wales, by [[Edward I of England]]. There was further unrest in the early 15th century, when the Welsh rebelled under [[Owain Glyndŵr]], and during the [[English Civil War]].

Carmarthenshire is mainly an agricultural county, apart from the southeastern part which was once heavily industrialised with coal mining, steel-making and tin-plating. In the north of the county, the woollen industry was very important in the 18th century. The economy depends on agriculture, forestry, fishing and tourism. West Wales was identified in 2014 as the worst-performing region in the [[United Kingdom]] along with the [[South Wales Valleys]] with the decline in its industrial base, and the low profitability of the livestock sector.<ref>{{cite news
 |title=West Wales the worst performing economy in the UK
 |url=http://www.carmarthenjournal.co.uk/West-Wales-worst-performing-economy-UK/story-25522049-detail/story.html
 |newspaper=Carmarthen Journal
 |date=10 December 2014
 |access-date=16 December 2018}}
</ref>

Carmarthenshire, as a tourist destination, offers a wide range of outdoor activities. Much of the coast is fairly flat; it includes the [[Millennium Coastal Park]], which extends for {{convert|10|mile}} to the west of Llanelli; the [[WWT Llanelli Wetlands Centre|National Wetlands Centre]]; a championship golf course; and the harbours of Burry Port and [[Pembrey]]. The sandy beaches at Llansteffan and Pendine are further west. Carmarthenshire has a number of medieval castles, [[hillfort]]s and [[Menhir|standing stones]]. The [[Dylan Thomas Boathouse]] is at [[Laugharne]].

== History ==
[[Stone tool]]s found in [[Coygan Cave]], near [[Laugharne]] indicate the presence of [[hominins]], probably [[neanderthals]], at least 40,000 years ago,<ref>{{cite book|author1=Pettitt, Paul|author2=White, Mark|title=The British Palaeolithic: Hominin Societies at the Edge of the Pleistocene World|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=U7VYXridvUgC&pg=PA336 |year=2012 |publisher=Routledge |isbn=978-0-415-67454-6 |page=336}}</ref> though, as in the rest of the [[British Isles]], continuous habitation by [[modern humans]] is not known before the end of the [[Younger Dryas]], around 11,500 years [[Before Present|BP]].<ref>Pettitt and White, pp. 489, 497</ref>
Before the [[Roman army|Romans]] arrived in Britain, the land now forming the county of Carmarthenshire was part of the kingdom of the [[Demetae]] who gave their name to the county of [[Dyfed]]; it contained one of their chief settlements, [[Moridunum (Carmarthen)|Moridunum]], now known as [[Carmarthen]].<ref name=Lewis>{{cite web |url=http://www.british-history.ac.uk/topographical-dict/wales/pp180-202 |title=Carmarthenshire |author=Lewis, Samuel |year=1849 |work=British History Online |access-date=15 April 2016}}</ref> The Romans established two forts in South Wales, one at [[Caerwent]] to control the southeast of the country, and one at Carmarthen to control the southwest. The fort at Carmarthen dates from around 75 AD, and there is a [[Roman amphitheatre]] nearby, so this probably makes Carmarthen the oldest continually occupied town in Wales.<ref name=Grigg/>

Carmarthenshire has its early roots in the region formerly known as {{lang|cy|[[Ystrad Tywi]]}} ('Vale of [the river] Tywi') and part of the Kingdom of {{lang|cy|[[Deheubarth]]}} during the High Middle Ages, with the [[capital city|court]] at [[Dinefwr Castle|Dinefwr]]. After the Normans had subjugated England they tried to subdue Wales. Carmarthenshire was disputed between the Normans and the Welsh lords and many of the castles built around this time, first of wood and then stone, changed hands several times.<ref name=Grigg/> Following the [[Conquest of Wales by Edward I]], the region was reorganized by the [[Statute of Rhuddlan]] in 1284 into Carmarthenshire.<ref>{{cite book|author=Jones, Francis |title=The Princes and Principality of Wales |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=7SWTAAAAIAAJ |year=1969 |publisher=University of Wales Press|page=35|isbn=9780900768200 }}</ref> [[Edward I of England|Edward I]] made Carmarthen the capital of this new county, establishing his courts of chancery and his exchequer there, and holding the [[Court of Great Sessions in Wales]] in the town.<ref name=Lewis/>

The Normans transformed Carmarthen into an international trading port, the only [[Staple right|staple port]] in Wales. Merchants imported food and French wines and exported wool, pelts, leather, lead and tin. In the late medieval period the county's fortunes varied, as good and bad harvests occurred, increased taxes were levied by England, there were episodes of [[Bubonic plague|plague]], and recruitment for wars removed the young men. Carmarthen was particularly susceptible to plague as it was brought in by flea-infested rats on board ships from southern France.<ref name=Grigg/>

In 1405, [[Owain Glyndŵr]] captured [[Carmarthen Castle]] and several other strongholds in the neighbourhood. However, when his support dwindled, the principal men of the county returned their allegiance to [[Henry V of England|King Henry V]].<ref name=Lewis/> During the [[English Civil War]], [[Roundhead|Parliamentary forces]] under Colonel Roland Laugharne besieged and captured Carmarthen Castle but later abandoned the cause, and joined the [[Cavalier|Royalists]]. In 1648, Carmarthen Castle was recaptured by the Parliamentarians, and [[Oliver Cromwell]] ordered it to be slighted.<ref name=Lewis/>

[[File:Radnor Brecknok Cardigan Caermarden Map.jpg|thumb|250px|Hand-drawn map of Radnorshire, Brecknockshire, Ceredigion and Carmarthenshire by Christopher Saxton in 1578]]

The first industrial canal in Wales was built in 1768 to convey coal from the Gwendraeth Valley to the coast, and the following year, the earliest tramroad bridge was on the tramroad built alongside the canal.<ref name=Grigg/> During the [[Napoleonic Wars]] (1799–1815) there was increased demand for coal, iron and agricultural goods, and the county prospered. The landscape changed as much woodland was cleared to make way for more food production, and mills, power stations, mines and factories sprang up between [[Llanelli]] and [[Pembrey]].<ref name=Grigg/> Carmarthenshire was at the centre of the [[Rebecca Riots]] around 1840, when local farmers and agricultural workers dressed as women and rebelled against higher taxes and tolls.<ref>{{cite book |author=Dylan Rees |title=Carmarthenshire: The Concise History |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=x1xnAAAAMAAJ |year=2006 |publisher=University of Wales |isbn=978-0-7083-1949-9 |page=90 }}</ref>

== Geography ==
[[File:Llyn y Fan Fawr.jpg|thumb|Llyn y Fan Fawr, below [[Fan Brycheiniog]] in the Black Mountain]]
The county is bounded to the north by [[Ceredigion]], to the east by [[Powys]] (historic county [[Brecknockshire]]), [[Neath Port Talbot]] (historic county [[Glamorgan]]) and [[Swansea]] (also Glamorgan), to the south by the [[Bristol Channel]] and to the west by [[Pembrokeshire]].  Much of the county is upland and hilly. The [[Black Mountain (range)|Black Mountain range]] dominates the east of the county, with the lower foothills of the [[Cambrian Mountains]] to the north across the valley of the [[River Towy]]. The south coast contains many fishing villages and sandy beaches. The highest point ([[List of counties of England and Wales in 1964 by highest point|county top]]) is the minor summit of [[Fan Brycheiniog#Fan Foel|Fan Foel]], height {{convert|781|m|ft}}, which is a subsidiary top of the higher mountain of [[Fan Brycheiniog]], height {{convert|802.5|m|ft}} (the higher summit, as its name suggests, is actually across the border in Brecknockshire/Powys). Carmarthenshire is the largest historic county by area in Wales.<ref name=Atlas>{{cite book |title=Atlas of the World |last=Philip's |year=1994 |publisher=Reed International |isbn=0-540-05831-9 |pages=16–17 }}</ref>

The county is drained by several important rivers which flow southwards into the [[Bristol Channel]], especially the River Towy, and its several tributaries, such as the [[River Cothi]].<ref name=Atlas/> The Towy is the longest river flowing entirely within Wales.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://primaryfacts.com/550/the-river-towy-facts-about-the-longest-river-in-wales/ |title=The River Towy: Facts About the Longest River in Wales |work=Primary Facts |date=17 January 2013 |access-date=20 April 2016}}</ref> Other rivers include the [[River Loughor|Loughor]] (which forms the eastern boundary with [[Glamorgan]]), the [[River Gwendraeth]] and the [[River Taf]]. The [[River Teifi]] forms much of the border between Carmarthenshire and Ceredigion, and there are a number of towns in the Teifi Valley which have communities living on either side of the river and hence in different counties. Carmarthenshire has a long coastline which is deeply cut by the estuaries of the Loughor in the east and the Gwendraeth, Tywi and Taf, which enter the sea on the east side of [[Carmarthen Bay]].<ref name=Atlas/> The coastline includes notable beaches such as [[Pendine Sands]] and [[Cefn Sidan]] sands, and large areas of foreshore are uncovered at low tide along the Loughor and Towy estuaries.<ref name=FBM>{{cite web |url=http://www.beacheswestwales.co.uk/carmarthenshire/carmarthenshire-beaches |title=Carmarthenshire Beaches |publisher=FBM Holidays |work=A Guide to the Beaches of Pembrokeshire and West Wales |access-date=20 April 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160513062318/http://www.beacheswestwales.co.uk/carmarthenshire/carmarthenshire-beaches |archive-date=13 May 2016 |url-status=dead}}</ref>

[[File:The Towy valley - geograph.org.uk - 520962.jpg|thumb|[[River Towy|Towy Valley]]]]
The principal towns in the county are [[Ammanford]], [[Burry Port]], [[Carmarthen]], [[Kidwelly]], [[Llanelli]], [[Llandeilo]], [[Newcastle Emlyn]], [[Llandovery]], [[St Clears]], and [[Whitland]].  The principal industries are agriculture, forestry, fishing and tourism. Although Llanelli is by far the largest town in the county, the county town remains Carmarthen, mainly due to its central location.<ref name=Atlas/>

Carmarthenshire is predominantly an agricultural county, with only the southeastern area having any significant amount of industry. The best agricultural land is in the broad Tywi Valley, especially its lower reaches.<ref name=Lloyd/> With its fertile land and agricultural produce, Carmarthenshire is known as the "Garden of Wales".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.discovercarmarthenshire.com/gardens/index.html|title=Carmarthenshire County Council, Tourism & Marketing Division: Discovering Carmarthenshire|access-date=1 February 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151208142423/http://www.discovercarmarthenshire.com/gardens/index.html|archive-date=8 December 2015|url-status=dead}}</ref> The lowest bridge over the river is at Carmarthen, and the Towi Estuary cuts the southwesterly part of the county, including [[Llansteffan]] and Laugharne, off from the more urban southeastern region. This area is also bypassed by the main communication routes into Pembrokeshire.<ref name=Lloyd>{{cite book|author1=Lloyd, Thomas |author2=Orbach, Julian |author3=Scourfield, Robert |title=Carmarthenshire and Ceredigion |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=wEkcJb2lHx8C&pg=PA2 |year=2006 |publisher=Yale University Press |isbn=0-300-10179-1 |pages=2–3}}</ref> A passenger ferry service used to connect [[Ferryside]] with Llansteffan until the early part of the twentieth century.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.llansteffan.com/ |title=Llansteffan |year=2015 |publisher=Llansteffan Tourism Association |access-date=15 April 2016}}</ref>

== Economy ==
[[File:Iron works at Llanelly.jpeg|thumb|Etching of ironworks near [[Llanelli]] by [[John George Wood]], 1811]]
[[File:Allt-y-Cafan Mill and Weir, Pentrecwrt.jpg|thumb|Allt-y-cafan Mill beside the [[River Teifi]] from which it got its power]]
Agriculture and forestry are the main sources of income over most of the county of Carmarthenshire. On improved pastures, dairying is important and in the past, the presence of the railway enabled milk to be transported to the urban areas of England.<ref name=FBM/> The creamery at [[Whitland]] is now closed but milk processing still takes place at Newcastle Emlyn where [[mozzarella]] cheese is made.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.dairypartners.co.uk/our-locations/ |title=Our locations: Newcastle Emlyn |publisher=Dairy Partners |access-date=20 April 2016}}</ref> On upland pastures and marginal land, livestock rearing of cattle and sheep is the main agricultural activity.<ref name=Lloyd/> The estuaries of the Loughor and Towy provide pickings for the [[Cerastoderma edule|cockle]] industry.<ref name=FBM/>

Llanelli, Ammanford and the upper parts of the Gwendraeth Valley are situated on the [[South Wales Coalfield]]. The opencast mining activities in this region have now ceased but the old mining settlements with terraced housing remain, often centred on their [[Nonconformist (Protestantism)|nonconformist]] chapels. [[Kidwelly]] had a [[Tinning|tin-plating]] industry in the eighteenth century, with Llanelli following not long after, so that by the end of the nineteenth century, Llanelli was the world-centre of the industry. There is little trace of these industrial activities today. Llanelli and [[Burry Port]] served at one time for the export of [[coal]], but trade declined, as it did from the ports of Kidwelly and Carmarthen as their estuaries silted up. Country towns in the more agricultural part of the county still hold regular markets where livestock is traded.<ref name=Lloyd/>

In the north of the county, in and around the Teifi Valley, there was a thriving woollen industry in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Here water-power provided the energy to drive the looms and other machinery at the [[Textile manufacturing|mills]]. The village of [[Dre-fach Felindre]] at one time contained twenty-four mills and was known as the "Huddersfield of Wales". The demand for woollen cloth declined in the twentieth century and so did the industry.<ref>''The Woollen Mills of Wales'', a leaflet from National Museum Wales.</ref>

In 2014, West Wales was identified as the worst-performing region in the United Kingdom along with the South Wales Valleys. The [[gross value added]] economic indicator showed a figure of £14,763 per head in these regions, as compared with a GVA of £22,986 for [[Cardiff]] and the [[Vale of Glamorgan]].<ref>{{cite news
 |title=West Wales the worst performing economy in the UK
 |url=http://www.carmarthenjournal.co.uk/West-Wales-worst-performing-economy-UK/story-25522049-detail/story.html
 |newspaper=Carmarthen Journal
 |date=10 December 2014
 |access-date=18 April 2016
}}{{dead link|date=November 2016 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> The Welsh Assembly Government is aware of this, and helped by government initiatives and local actions, opportunities for farmers to diversify have emerged. These include farm tourism, rural crafts, specialist food shops, farmers' markets and added-value food products.<ref name=Nienaber>{{cite book|author=Nienaber, Birte|title=Globalization and Europe's Rural Regions |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=RFurCwAAQBAJ&pg=PA79 |year=2016|publisher=Routledge |isbn=978-1-317-12709-3 |pages=76–83}}</ref>

In 2015, in an attempt to boost the local economy, Carmarthenshire County Council produced a fifteen-year plan that highlighted six projects which it hoped would create five thousand new jobs. The sectors involved would be in the "creative industries, tourism, agri-food, advanced manufacturing, energy and environment, and financial and professional services".<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.insidermedia.com/insider/business/fifteen-year-plan-to-boost-carmarthenshire-economy |title=Fifteen-year plan to boost Carmarthenshire economy |author=Farrell, Stephen |date=23 November 2015 |publisher=Insider Media Limited |access-date=18 April 2016}}</ref>

== Local government ==
{{main|Carmarthenshire County Council}}
Under the [[Local Government Act 1888]], Carmarthenshire became an [[administrative county]] with a [[county council]] taking over functions from the [[Quarter Sessions]]. Under the [[Local Government Act 1972]],<ref name=lga1972>{{cite book|title=Local Government Act 1972. 1972 c.70|publisher=The Stationery Office Ltd|isbn=0-10-547072-4|year=1997}}</ref> the administrative county of Carmarthenshire was abolished on 1 April 1974 and the area of Carmarthenshire became three districts within the new county of [[Dyfed]] : [[Carmarthen (district)|Carmarthen]], [[Dinefwr Borough Council|Dinefwr]] and [[Llanelli (district)|Llanelli]]. Until 1974, Carmarthenshire had been governed locally by [[civil parish]]es; these in large part equated to [[parish|ecclesiastical parishes]], most of which still exist as part of the Church in Wales.<ref>{{cite web|title=GENUKI: Carmarthenshire Towns and Parishes|url=https://www.genuki.org.uk/big/wal/CMN/indexpars|access-date=28 September 2024}}</ref> Under the [[Local Government (Wales) Act 1994]],<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1994/19/contents |title=Local Government (Wales) Act 1994 |year=1994 |publisher=[[The National Archives (United Kingdom)|The National Archives]] |work=[[Legislation.gov.uk]] |access-date=19 April 2016}}</ref> Dyfed was abolished on 1 April 1996 and Carmarthenshire was re-established as a county.<ref name=Schaefer>{{cite book|author=Schaefer, Christina K. |title=Instant Information on the Internet!: A Genealogist's No-frills Guide to the British Isles|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=9xRI0H8pE8UC&pg=PA51 |year=1999 |publisher=Genealogical Publishing Com |isbn=978-0-8063-1614-7 |page=51}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|author=Breverton, Terry |title=Wales: A Historical Companion|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=I2qoAwAAQBAJ&pg=PT81 |year=2012|publisher=Amberley Publishing Limited |isbn=978-1-4456-0990-4 |page=81}}</ref> The three districts united to form a [[unitary authority]] which had the same boundaries as the traditional county of Carmarthenshire. In 2003, the [[Clynderwen]] community council area was transferred to the administrative county of [[Pembrokeshire]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.pembrokeshire.gov.uk/objview.asp?object_id=2985 |title=Community ref 11,: Clunderwen |work=Review of Communities |publisher=Pembrokeshire County Council |access-date=14 April 2016}}</ref>

As of 2024, the council leader is Darren Price of [[Plaid Cymru]].<ref>{{Cite web |date=2024-07-27 |title=Your Councillors |url=https://democracy.carmarthenshire.gov.wales/mgMemberIndex.aspx |access-date=2024-07-27 |publisher=Carmarthenshire County Council |language=en}}</ref>
The county covers three [[Senedd constituencies]], with its [[Members of the Senedd]] since [[2021 Senedd election|2021]] being:<ref>{{Cite web |title=Members of Welsh Parliament (Senedd Cymru) |url=https://www.carmarthenshire.gov.wales/home/council-democracy/councillors-ams-and-mps/members-of-welsh-parliament/ |access-date=2024-07-27 |publisher=Carmarthenshire County Council}}</ref>
* [[Samuel Kurtz]] ([[Welsh Conservatives]]) for [[Carmarthen West and South Pembrokeshire (Senedd constituency)|Carmarthen West and South Pembrokeshire]]
* [[Adam Price]] (Plaid Cymru) for [[Carmarthen East and Dinefwr (Senedd constituency)|Carmarthen East and Dinefwr]]
* [[Lee Waters]] ([[Welsh Labour]]) for [[Llanelli (Senedd constituency)|Llanelli]].
In the [[UK Parliament]], the county covers two [[UK Parliament constituencies in Wales]], with its [[Members of Parliament (United Kingdom)|Members of Parliament]] since [[List of MPs for constituencies in Wales (2024–present)|2024]] being:<ref>{{Cite web |title=Members of Parliament |url=https://www.carmarthenshire.gov.wales/home/council-democracy/councillors-ams-and-mps/members-of-parliament/ |access-date=2024-07-27 |publisher=Carmarthenshire County Council}}</ref>
* [[Ann Davies (politician)|Ann Davies]] ([[Plaid Cymru|PC]]) for [[Caerfyrddin (UK Parliament constituency)|Caerfyrddin (Carmarthen)]]
* [[Nia Griffith]] ([[Labour Party (UK)|L]]) for [[Llanelli (UK Parliament constituency)|Llanelli]].

== Demography and the Welsh language ==
Prior to the [[Industrial Revolution]], Carmarthen and [[Wrexham]] were the two most populous towns in Wales.<ref>{{Cite journal|last=POWELL|first=NIA|date=2005|title=Do numbers count? Towns in early modern Wales|url=http://www.jstor.org/stable/44613526|journal=Urban History|volume=32|issue=1|pages=46–67|doi=10.1017/S0963926805002695|jstor=44613526|s2cid=144824831 |issn=0963-9268}}</ref><ref name=Lloyd/> In 1931, the county's population was 171,445 and in 1951, 164,800. At the census in 2011, Carmarthenshire had a population of 183,777. Population levels have thus dipped and then increased again over the course of eighty years. The population density in Carmarthenshire is 0.8 persons per hectare compared to 1.5 per hectare in Wales as a whole.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.carmarthenshire.gov.wales/home/council-democracy/research-statistics/census-information#.VxCCF3rGA4A |title=Census information |work=2011 Census |publisher=Sir Gar Carmarthenshire |access-date=15 April 2016}}</ref>

Carmarthenshire was the most populous of the five historic counties of Wales to remain majority Welsh-speaking throughout the 20th century. According to the [[Census in the United Kingdom|1911 Census]], 84.9 per cent of the county's population were Welsh-speaking (compared with 43.5 per cent in all of Wales), with 20.5 per cent of Carmarthenshire's overall population being monolingual Welsh-speakers.<ref name="Census-Report">{{cite web|url=http://www.histpop.org/ohpr/servlet/PageBrowser2?ResourceType=Census&ResourceType=Legislation&SearchTerms=welsh%20speakers%201911&simple=yes&path=Results/Census/1911&active=yes&treestate=expandnew&titlepos=0&mno=156&tocstate=expandnew&tocseq=300&display=sections&display=tables&display=pagetitles&pageseq=first-nonblank|title= Language spoken in Wales, 1911, Page iv|work=histpop.org}}</ref>

In 1931, 82.3 per cent could speak Welsh and in 1951, 75.2 per cent.<ref name="The Distribution of the Welsh Language 1931-1951">{{cite journal|jstor=1790647|title=The Distribution of the Welsh Language, 1931–1951|last1=Williams|first1=D. Trevor|journal=The Geographical Journal|year=1953|volume=119|issue=3|pages=331–335|doi=10.2307/1790647|bibcode=1953GeogJ.119..331W }}</ref> By the [[United Kingdom Census 2001|2001 census]], 50.3 per cent of people living in Carmarthenshire could speak Welsh, with 39 per cent being able to read and write the language as well.<ref name=CarCC_lang>{{cite web|title=Welsh Language Statistics |url=http://www.carmarthenshire.gov.uk/english/council/facts%20and%20stats/populationanddemography/pages/welshlanguagestatistics.aspx |work=Statistics and Census Information: Population and Demography |publisher=Carmarthenshire County Council |access-date=5 January 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120318011329/http://www.carmarthenshire.gov.uk/english/council/facts%20and%20stats/populationanddemography/pages/welshlanguagestatistics.aspx |archive-date=18 March 2012}}</ref>

The 2011 census showed a further decline, with 43.9 per cent speaking Welsh, making it a minority language in the county for the first time.<ref>{{cite news |title=Carmarthenshire to research Welsh-language speaker drop |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-south-west-wales-27037787 |newspaper=BBC News |date=15 April 2014 |access-date=15 April 2016}}</ref> However, the 2011 census also showed that 3,000 more people could understand spoken Welsh than in 2001 and that 60% of 5-14-year-olds could speak Welsh (a 5% increase since 2001).<ref name="The Welsh Language in Carmarthenshire">{{Cite web|url=https://www.carmarthenshire.gov.wales/media/1216437/welshlanguagecarms.pdf|title=The Welsh Language in Carmarthenshire}}</ref> A decade later, the 2021 census, showed further decrease, to 39.9% Welsh speakers—the largest percentage drop in all of Wales.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2022/dec/11/welsh-language-speakers-census-carmathenshire|title='We don't want the language to die': Carmarthen residents speak up for Welsh|first=Steven|last=Morris|date=11 December 2022|work=The Guardian}}</ref>

== Landmarks ==
[[File:Careg Cennen Castle.jpg|thumb|right|Carreg Cennen Castle]]
[[File:Talley Abbey 2010.JPG|thumb|right|Talley Abbey from hillside]]
[[File:Roman workings at Dolaucothi mine (8734).jpg|thumb|right|Roman workings at Dolaucothi gold mine]]
With its strategic location and history, the county is rich in archaeological remains such as forts, earthworks and standing stones. [[Y Garn Goch|Carn Goch]] is one of the most impressive [[Iron Age]] forts and stands on a hilltop near Llandeilo.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.llandeilo.org/h_pre.php |title=Llandeilo History: Prehistory |work=Llandeilo through the ages |access-date=19 April 2016 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160331020519/http://www.llandeilo.org/h_pre.php |archive-date=31 March 2016}}</ref> The [[Bronze Age]] is represented by chambered cairns and [[Menhir|standing stones]] on [[Mynydd Llangyndeyrn]], near [[Llangyndeyrn]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.discovercarmarthenshire.com/did-you-know/llangyndeyrn.html |title=Mynydd Llangyndeyrn Mountain |work=Discovering Carmarthenshire |publisher=Carmarthenshire County Council. |access-date=19 April 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160507223123/http://www.discovercarmarthenshire.com/did-you-know/llangyndeyrn.html |archive-date=7 May 2016 |url-status=dead}}</ref> Castles that can be easily accessed include [[Carreg Cennen Castle|Carreg Cennen]], [[Dinefwr Castle|Dinefwr]], [[Kidwelly Castle|Kidwelly]], [[Castle|Laugharne]], [[Llansteffan Castle|Llansteffan]] and [[Newcastle Emlyn Castle]]. There are the ruinous remains of [[Talley Abbey]], and the coastal village of [[Laugharne]] is for ever associated with [[Dylan Thomas]]. Stately homes in the county include [[Aberglasney|Aberglasney House and Gardens]], [[Golden Grove, Carmarthenshire|Golden Grove]] and [[Newton House, Llandeilo|Newton House]].<ref name=Discovering>{{cite web |url=http://www.discovercarmarthenshire.com/ |title=Discovering Carmarthenshire |publisher=Carmarthenshire County Council |access-date=18 April 2016}}</ref>

There are plenty of opportunities in the county for hiking, observing wildlife and admiring the scenery. These include [[Brechfa Forest]], the [[Pembrey Country Park]], the [[Millennium Coastal Park]] at Llanelli, the [[WWT Llanelli Wetlands Centre]] and the [[Carmel National Nature Reserve]]. There are large stretches of golden sands and the [[Wales Coast Path]] now provides a continuous walking route around the whole of Wales.<ref name=Discovering/>

The [[National Botanic Garden of Wales]] displays plants from Wales and from all around the world, and the [[Carmarthenshire County Museum]], the [[National Wool Museum]], the [[Parc Howard Museum]], the [[Pendine Museum of Speed]] and the [[West Wales Museum of Childhood]] all provide opportunities to delve into the past. [[Dylan Thomas Boathouse]] where the author wrote many of his works can be visited, as can the Roman-worked [[Dolaucothi Gold Mines]].<ref name=Discovering/>

== Sports and leisure ==
Activities available in the county include rambling, cycling, fishing, kayaking, canoeing, sailing, horse riding, caving, abseiling and coasteering.<ref name=Grigg>{{cite book|author=Grigg, Russell |title=Little Book of Carmarthenshire|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=4UDiCAAAQBAJ&pg=PT4 |year=2015 |publisher=History Press Limited |isbn=978-0-7509-6346-6 |pages=4–5}}</ref> [[Carmarthen Town A.F.C.]] plays in the [[List of Cymru Premier clubs|Cymru Premier]]. They won the [[Welsh Football League Cup]] in the 1995–96 season, and since then have won the [[Welsh Cup]] once and the [[Welsh League Cup]] twice.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.fchd.info/CARMARTT.HTM |title=Carmarthen Town Club History |publisher=Football Club History Database (F.C.H.D.) |access-date=18 April 2016}}</ref> [[Llanelli Town A.F.C.]] play in the [[Welsh Football League Division Two]]. The club won the Welsh premier league and Loosemores challenge cup in 2008 and won the Welsh Cup in 2011, but after experiencing financial difficulties, were wound up and reformed under the present title in 2013.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.faw.org.uk/ClubInfo.ink?TeamId=628 |title=Llanelli Town AFC Club Information from Football Association of Wales |publisher=Football Association of Wales |access-date=18 April 2016 |url-status=usurped |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131027044000/http://faw.org.uk/ClubInfo.ink?TeamId=628 |archive-date=27 October 2013}}</ref> [[Scarlets]] is the regional professional [[rugby union]] team that plays in the [[Pro14]], they play their home matches at their ground, [[Parc y Scarlets]]. Honours include winning the 2003/04 and 2016/17 Pro12. [[Llanelli RFC]] is a semi-professional [[rugby union]] team that play in the [[Welsh Premier Division]], also playing home matches at [[Parc y Scarlets]]. Among many honours, they have been [[WRU Challenge Cup]] winners on fourteen occasions and frequently taken part in the [[European Rugby Champions Cup|Heineken Cup]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.llanellirfc.co.uk/Page/Content/125 |title=History of Llanelli RFC |publisher=Llanelli RFC |access-date=18 April 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160403003040/http://llanellirfc.co.uk/Page/Content/125 |archive-date=3 April 2016 |url-status=dead}}</ref> [[West Wales Raiders]], based in Llanelli, represent the county in [[Rugby league]].

Some sporting venues utilise disused industrial sites. [[Ffos Las racecourse]] was built on the site of an [[Open-pit mining|open cast coal mine]] after mining operations ceased. Opened in 2009, it was the first racecourse built in the United Kingdom for eighty years and has regular race-days.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.ffoslas.co/ |title=Ffos Las: Racing and Events |access-date=18 April 2016}}</ref> [[Machynys]] is a championship golf course opened in 2005 and built as part of the [[Llanelli Waterside]] regeneration plan.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.machynys.com/ |title=Machynys Clwb Golff |access-date=18 April 2016}}</ref> [[Pembrey Circuit]] is a motor racing circuit near Pembrey village, considered the home of Welsh motorsport, providing racing for cars, motorcycles, karts and trucks. It was opened in 1989 on a former airfield, is popular for testing and has hosted many events including the [[British Touring Car Championship]] twice.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://pembreycircuit.co.uk/ |title=Pembrey Circuit |access-date=18 April 2016}}</ref> The 2018 [[Tour of Britain]] cycling race started at Pembrey on 2 September 2018.<ref>{{cite news|work=BBC News|title=Geraint Thomas and Chris Froome start Tour of Britain|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-45332493|date=2 September 2018|access-date=2 September 2018}}</ref>

==Transport==

=== Rail ===
Carmarthenshire is served by the main line railway services operated by [[Transport for Wales Rail]] and [[Great Western Railway (train operating company)|Great Western Railway]] which link [[London Paddington station|London Paddington]], [[Manchester Piccadilly station|Manchester Piccadilly]], {{Stnlnk|Cardiff Central}} and {{Stnlnk|Swansea}} to southwest Wales. The main hub is [[Carmarthen railway station]] where some services from the east terminate. The line continues westwards with several branches which serve [[Pembroke Dock railway station|Pembroke Dock]], [[Milford Haven railway station|Milford Haven]] and [[Fishguard Harbour railway station|Fishguard Harbour]] (for the ferry to [[Rosslare Europort railway station|Rosslare Europort]] and connecting trains to [[Dublin Connolly railway station|Dublin Connolly]]).<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.networkrail.co.uk/browse%20documents/StrategicBusinessPlan/RoutePlans/2007/R14%20-%20South%20and%20Central%20Wales%20and%20Borders.pdf |title=Route 14 South and Central Wales and Borders |access-date=20 April 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110607093327/http://www.networkrail.co.uk/browse%20documents/StrategicBusinessPlan/RoutePlans/2007/R14%20-%20South%20and%20Central%20Wales%20and%20Borders.pdf |archive-date=7 June 2011 |url-status=dead }}</ref> The [[Heart of Wales Line]] takes a scenic route through mid-Wales and links [[Llanelli]] with [[Craven Arms]], from where passengers can travel on the [[Welsh Marches Line]] to [[Shrewsbury]].<ref>{{cite news |title=Heart of Wales railway line in danger  |author=Williams, Sally |url=http://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/heart-wales-railway-line-danger-2116102 |newspaper=Wales Online |date=29 March 2013 |access-date=14 April 2016}}</ref>

Two heritage railways, the [[Gwili Railway]] and the [[Teifi Valley Railway]], use the track of the [[Carmarthen and Cardigan Railway]] that at one time ran from Carmarthen to Newcastle Emlyn, but did not reach [[Cardigan, Ceredigion|Cardigan]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Local railway history |url=http://teifivalleyrailway.wales/history/local-railway-history.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160426093421/http://teifivalleyrailway.wales/history/local-railway-history.html |archive-date=26 April 2016 |access-date=18 April 2016 |publisher=Teifi Valley Railway}}</ref>

=== Road ===
The [[A40 road|A40]], [[A48 road|A48]], [[A484 road|A484]] and [[A485 road|A485]] converge on Carmarthen. The [[M4 motorway|M4]] route that links [[South Wales]] with [[London]], terminates at junction 49, the [[Pont Abraham services]], to continue northwest as the [[Dual carriageway|dual carriageway A48]], and to finish with its junction with the A40 in Carmarthen.

Llanelli is linked to M4 junction 48 by the [[A4138 road|A4138]]. The A40 links Carmarthen to [[Llandeilo]], [[Llandovery]] and [[Brecon]] to the east, and with [[St Clears]], [[Whitland]] and [[Haverfordwest]] to the west. The A484 links Llanelli with Carmarthen by a coastal route and continues northwards to [[Cardigan, Ceredigion|Cardigan]], and via the [[A486 road|A486]] and [[A487 road|A487]] to [[Aberystwyth]], and the A485 links Carmarthen to [[Lampeter]].<ref>{{cite book |title=Concise Road Atlas: Britain |year=2015 |publisher=AA Publishing |isbn=978-0-7495-7743-8 |pages=24–27 }}</ref>

=== Bus ===
Bus services run between the main towns within the county and are operated by [[First Cymru]] under their "Western Welsh" or "Cymru Clipper" livery.<ref name=Nevez>{{cite book|author1=Le Nevez, Catherine |author2=Whitfield, Paul |title=The Rough Guide to Wales |url=https://archive.org/details/isbn_9781405389815 |url-access=registration |year=2012 |publisher=Rough Guides Limited |isbn=978-1-4093-5902-9 |pages=[https://archive.org/details/isbn_9781405389815/page/257 257]–267}}</ref> Bus services from Carmarthenshire are also run to Cardiff. A bus service known as "[[fflecsi]] Bwcabus" (formerly just "Bwcabus") operates in the north of the county, offering customised transport to rural dwellers.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.bwcabus.traveline-cymru.info/ |title=Bwcabus |year=2012 |publisher=Bwcabus |access-date=14 April 2016}}</ref>

==Cuisine==
{{See also|Cuisine of Carmarthenshire}}
Carmarthenshire has rich, fertile farmland and a productive coast with estuaries providing a range of foods that motivate many home cooks and chefs.<ref name="Penbontbren">{{cite web |url=http://www.penbontbren.com/local_info_carmarthenshire.php |title=Carmarthenshire &#124; Local information about Carmarthenshire in West Wales and links to activities |access-date=2010-08-10 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080706124318/http://www.penbontbren.com/local_info_carmarthenshire.php |archive-date=6 July 2008}} Retrieved 7 August 2010</ref><ref name="Pressdee">Pressdee, C., 'Colin Pressdee's Welsh Coastal Cookery, BBC Books, 1995, {{ISBN|0-563-37136-6}}</ref><ref name="abayoflife">{{cite web |url=http://www.abayoflife.com/en/news/carmarthenshires-thriving-food-industry-on-show/ |title=Carmarthenshire's Thriving Food Industry on Show » Swansea Bay news information - live, work, study, invest |access-date=2010-08-10 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110707074023/http://www.abayoflife.com/en/news/carmarthenshires-thriving-food-industry-on-show/ |archive-date=7 July 2011}} Retrieved 7 August 2010{{dead link|date=July 2020}}</ref>

== See also ==
* [[Lord Lieutenant of Carmarthenshire|List of Lord Lieutenants of Carmarthenshire]]
* [[Custos Rotulorum of Carmarthenshire]]
* [[High Sheriff of Carmarthenshire|List of High Sheriffs of Carmarthenshire]]
* [[Carmarthenshire (UK Parliament constituency)]] for a list of MPs
* [[List of places in Carmarthenshire]] for an alphabetical list of towns and villages.
* [[Scheduled Monuments in Carmarthenshire]]
* [[List of schools in Carmarthenshire]]
* [[:Category:People from Carmarthenshire|People from Carmarthenshire]] for a list of notable people from the county.

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

== Further reading ==
* Lloyd, John E. (ed.). 1935. ''A History of Carmarthenshire'', 2 vols. London Carmarthenshire Society.

== External links ==
{{Commons category}}
* [https://www.carmarthenshire.gov.wales/ Carmarthenshire County Council]
* [http://www.discovercarmarthenshire.com Carmarthenshire County Council - Tourism & Marketing Division : Discover Carmarthenshire]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20060503144617/http://www.onebiggarden.com/Region/Carmarthenshire-R2-2.aspx Carmarthenshire: Official site from South West Wales Tourist Board]
* [http://www.genuki.org.uk/big/wal/CMN/ GENUKI: Research sources for Carmarthenshire]

{{Carmarthenshire}}
{{Communities of Carmarthenshire}}
{{Wales subdivisions}}
{{Transport in Carmarthenshire}}
{{Historic Counties of Wales}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Carmarthenshire| ]]
[[Category:Counties of Wales]]
[[Category:Historic counties of Wales]]
[[Category:Principal areas of Wales]]