Swansea
Swansea is the second largest city
in Wales situated in the county of West Glamorgan. It grew steadily
during the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries to become an important
centre of heavy industry, due largely to its location on the South Wales
Coalfield. The city has a population of around 225,000. Swansea is one of the wettest cities in Britain,
owing to its exposed Atlantic location. The River Tawe passes through
the city centre. Copper smelting was in operation in Swansea in the
early part of the eighteenth century. By the mid
nineteenth century, Swansea was the largest producer of copper in the
country and one of the largest exporters of coal in the world. Through
the twentieth century, the coal mines were closed and the associated
heavy industry declined dramatically, along with the docks, which have
been developed for leisure and modern industry. The Royal Institution of
South Wales houses prehistoric exhibits from the caves of the Gower
peninsula. Most jobs in Swansea are
now in public administration, health, education, distribution and financial services. The map below shows the
features of the city as it was around the mid twentieth century. Click on a selected area of the map to see an
enlargement.
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