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Powys | |
|---|---|
| |
 Coat of arms | |
| Motto(s): | |
 Powys shown within Wales | |
| Coordinates: 52°18′N 3°25′W / 52.300°N 3.417°W | |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Country | Wales |
| Incorporated | 1 April 1974 |
| Unitary authority | 1 April 1996 |
| Administrative HQ | County Hall, Llandrindod Wells |
| Government | |
| • Type | Principal council |
| • Body | Powys County Council |
| • Control | No overall control |
| • MPs | 2 MPs |
| • MSs | 2 MSs
|
| Area | |
• Total | 2,000 sq mi (5,181 km2) |
| • Rank | 1st |
| Population (2022)[2] | |
• Total | 133,891 |
| • Rank | 11th |
| • Density | 70/sq mi (26/km2) |
| Welsh language (2021) | |
| • Speakers | 16.4% |
| • Rank | 7th |
| Time zone | UTC+0 (GMT) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+1 (BST) |
| ISO 3166 code | GB-POW |
| GSS code | W06000023 |
| Website | www |
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Powys (/ˈpoʊɪs, ˈpaʊɪs/ POH-iss, POW-iss,[4] Welsh: [ˈpou̯ɪs]) is a county and preserved county in Wales.[a] It borders Gwynedd, Denbighshire, and Wrexham to the north; the English ceremonial counties of Shropshire and Herefordshire to the east; Monmouthshire, Blaenau Gwent, Merthyr Tydfil, Caerphilly, Rhondda Cynon Taf, and Neath Port Talbot to the south; and Carmarthenshire and Ceredigion to the west. The largest settlement is Newtown, and the administrative centre is Llandrindod Wells.
Powys is the largest and most sparsely populated county in Wales, having an area of 5,181 km2 (2,000 sq mi) and a population of 133,891 in 2022.[2] While largely rural, its towns include Welshpool in the north-east, Newtown in the north-centre, Llandrindod Wells in the south-centre, Brecon in the south, Ystradgynlais in the far south-west, and Machynlleth in the far west. The Welsh language can be spoken by 16.4% of the population.[5] The boundaries of Powys largely follow those of the historic counties of Montgomeryshire, Radnorshire, and Brecknockshire.
The county is predominantly hilly and mountainous. To the west lie the Cambrian Mountains, where the River Severn and River Wye both have their source on the Powys side of the Plynlimon massif; together with their tributaries they drain most of the county. The southern quarter of Powys contains, from east to west, part of the Black Mountains, the Brecon Beacons, Fforest Fawr, and part of the Black Mountains, all of which are part of Brecon Beacons National Park. Further north are two more upland areas, Mynydd Epynt and Radnor Forest. The only extensive area of flat land in Powys is the region northeast of Welshpool.
The county is named after the Kingdom of Powys, which was a Welsh successor state, petty kingdom and principality that emerged during the Middle Ages following the end of Roman rule in Britain.
- ^ "Council Information". Powys County Council. Retrieved 6 August 2024.
- ^ a b c "Mid-Year Population Estimates, UK, June 2022". Office for National Statistics. 26 March 2024. Retrieved 3 May 2024.
- ^ "How life has changed in Powys: Census 2021". Office for National Statistics. 19 January 2023. Retrieved 6 August 2024.
- ^ "Powys". Collins English Dictionary. HarperCollins. Retrieved 6 August 2023.
- ^ "How life has changed in Powys: Census 2021".
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