noun, a principality that is part of the United Kingdom, in the west of Great Britain; conquered by the English in 1282; parliamentary union with England took place in 1536: a separate Welsh Assembly with limited powers was established in 1999. Wales consists mainly of moorlands and mountains and has an economy that is chiefly agricultural, with an industrial and former coal-mining area in the south. Capital: Cardiff. Pop: 2 938 000 (2003 est). Area: 20 768 sq km (8017 sq miles). Welsh name: Cymru. Medieval Latin name: Cambria

From Collins

©HarperCollins 2008. Collins English Dictionary definition of Wales