List of Welsh principal areas

Politics of Wales
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This is a list of the 22 principal areas of Wales^[1]^[2] giving their most recent date of creation and the style by which they are known.

The population and density are from the first results of the 2021 census from the Office for National Statistics.^[3]

Principal area	Created	Population	Density (/km²)	Area km²	Type
Cardiff	1996 ^a	359,512	2,551	140	County (also a city)
Swansea	1996 ^a	237,834	630	378	County (also a city)
Rhondda Cynon Taf	1996	237,497	560	424	County borough
Carmarthenshire	1996 ^a	188,191	79	2,370^[4]	County
Caerphilly	1996	176,005	635	278	County borough
Newport	1996 ^a	159,658	838	190	County borough (also a city)
Flintshire	1996 ^ab	155,076	353	438	County
Bridgend	1996	145,760	581	246	County borough
Neath Port Talbot †	1996	141,931	322	442	County borough
Wrexham	1996	135,132	268	498	County borough (also a city)
Vale of Glamorgan	1996	132,534	400	335	County borough
Powys	1974	133,557	26	5,180^[5]	County
Pembrokeshire	1996 ^a	123,669	76	1,590	County
Gwynedd *	1974 ^b	117,072	46	2,535^[6]	County
Conwy ‡	1996	114,828	102	1,126	County borough
Denbighshire	1996 ^ab	96,046	115	844	County
Monmouthshire	1996 ^ab	93,194	110	850	County
Torfaen	1996	92,453	736	126	County borough
Ceredigion §	1996	70,658	40	1,795	County
Isle of Anglesey	1996 ^a	68,944	97	711	County
Blaenau Gwent	1996	66,993	616	109	County borough
Merthyr Tydfil	1996 ^a	58,866	528	111	County borough

* = Named as 'Caernarfonshire and Merionethshire' in legislation. Name changed by the council.

† = Named as 'Neath and Port Talbot' in legislation. Name changed by the council.

‡ = Named as 'Aberconwy and Colwyn' in legislation. Name changed by the council.

§ = Named as 'Cardiganshire' in legislation. Name changed by the council.

a = re-instated as a principal administrative authority after a gap

b = boundaries significantly altered in 1996 from its previous incarnation

References

^ "Welsh Local Authority Links - WLGA". www.wlga.wales. Retrieved 2020-06-10.
^ "Local Government (Wales) Act 1994 - Schedule 1: The New Principal Areas". Legislation.gov.uk. The National Archives. 5 July 1994. Retrieved 2020-11-26.
^ "Population and household estimates, Wales: Census 2021 - Office for National Statistics". www.ons.gov.uk. Retrieved 2022-06-28.
^ "Carmarthenshire - Population Density (QS102EW)". UKCensusdata.com. Retrieved 2018-06-18.
^ "Powys - Population Density (QS102EW)". UKCensusdata.com. Retrieved 2018-06-18.
^ "Gwynedd - Population Density (QS102EW)". UKCensusdata.com. Retrieved 2018-06-18.

v t e Lists of settlements in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom	Urban areas Cities Nicknames GVA
England	Districts by population area ethnic composition population density Most populated per county Towns Combined authorities
Wales	Lists of places Built-up areas Principal areas by date / population / area / density percentage Welsh language Communities Cities Towns Economic regions Ports and harbours
Scotland	Localities / settlements Council areas by population / density / area Scottish Gaelic speakers Burghs Community council areas Ports and harbours
Northern Ireland	Localities Districts by population / density / area religion or religion brought up in national identity Pre-2015 districts Towns and villages

v t e Principal areas of Wales
Areas	Blaenau Gwent Bridgend Caerphilly Cardiff Carmarthenshire Ceredigion Conwy Denbighshire Flintshire Gwynedd Isle of Anglesey Merthyr Tydfil Monmouthshire Neath Port Talbot Newport Pembrokeshire Powys Rhondda Cynon Taf Swansea Torfaen Vale of Glamorgan Wrexham
Lists	Date / population / area Welsh speakers Highest point Councils Council armorials
Geography Politics Wales

Geography of Wales

Geography of the United Kingdom

Physical

Bays
Beaches
- Blue Flag
Border with England
- Offa's Dyke
- Wat's Dyke
Canals
- history
Caves
Coastline
- Coastal paths
- heritage
Dams and reservoirs
- Reservoir management
- by volume
Desert of Wales
Dune systems
Estuaries
Extreme points
- centre
Forests
- Broadleaf
- Temperate rainforests
Geology
- fossiliferous stratigraphic units
- faults
Islands
Lakes
Meadows
Moorlands
Mountains and hills
- 3000s
- County tops
  - historic
- Furths
- by height
- Hewitt
- highest
- Marilyns
- Nuttall
- P600s
- passes
- ranges
- rescue
Peninsulas
Protected areas
- National parks
- AONBs
- Nature reserves
- Ramsar
Rivers
Springs
Vales
- for military-use
Extinct volcanoes
Waterfalls
Wetlands

Environment

Land use

Administrative

Subdivisions	Local government history Cantref Commote Marches lords law Hundreds Historic counties by area 1831 1891 1844–1974 exclaves by population in 1971 Poor law unions Local districts 1848–1894 1894–95 1896–1974 UDs RDs 1973 Preserved counties districts Principal areas list Communities list Electoral wards Built-up areas Regions for economy
Settlements	Places Cities capital Towns Twin towns with Brittany by county
Toponymy	General forms of place-names Caer Llan Pil Welsh Place-Name Society In other countries in the United States Standardised Welsh