About Cardiff
Cardiff is the capital and most populous city of Wales, with a population of 361,485 in 2019. The city is the country's chief commercial centre, the base for most national cultural institutions and Welsh media, and the seat of the National Assembly for Wales. At the 2011 census, the unitary authority area had a population of 305,353, and the wider urban area had a population of 1,096,000. Cardiff is a significant tourist centre and the most popular visitor destination in Wales with 26.3 million visitors in 2010. In 2011, Cardiff was ranked sixth in the world in National Geographic's alternative tourist destinations.
The city of Cardiff is the county town of the historic county of Glamorgan (and later South Glamorgan). Cardiff is part of the Eurocities network of the largest European cities. A small town until the early 19th century, its prominence as a major port for the transport of coal following the Industrial Revolution was established by the construction of a canal in 1805 and later enhanced by its status as a hub for railways arriving from all across Britain. By 1905, Cardiff was officially recognised as the capital of Wales.
The city is on the River Taff to the south of its centre, with a historic castle on its banks. The city centre is dominated by Victorian architecture and Edwardian shopping arcades, which reflect its status as Wales' pre-eminent commercial centre. The Millennium Stadium (home to the Wales national rugby union team) and Cardiff City Stadium (home to Cardiff City Football Club and Swansea City Football Club) are located within the city's boundaries. The area surrounding Cardiff has many castles, hills and rivers.
The town of Cardiff was founded around AD 550 by a Celtic chieftain named Cadoc. According to legend, Cadoc built his first church on the site where Cardiff Castle now stands; this would make it one of the oldest Christian sites in Britain. The castle itself was built by Norman invaders in 1081. Cardiff Castle is now a major tourist attraction, hosting over 200 events each year including open-air concerts and fairs.
The original medieval town wall enclosed an area of just over 64 acres (26 hectares), making it one of the smallest cities in Europe. However, as Cardiff grew throughout the Industrial Revolution it became one of Britain's biggest cities with a population exceeding 500,000 by 1901. This growth led to an increase in demand for housing which resulted in large scale suburban development during the late 19th and early 20th centuries; much of this can still be seen in areas such as Cathays and Roath.
In 1955, work began on Bute Park which transformed what was once marshland into landscaped gardens. The park is now one of Cardiff's most popular green spaces with over 12 million visitors each year.
The late 20th century saw a period of decline for Cardiff's traditional industries such as coal and steel due to deindustrialisation; however, this was offset by growth in other sectors such as finance, retail, tourism and public administration. In recent years there has been significant regeneration in areas such as Cardiff Bay which has transformed the waterfront into a vibrant mix of residential, commercial and leisure uses. This has been accompanied by investment in other areas of the city including the redevelopment of Central Station and construction of new office buildings such as Capital Tower and St David's 2
