Christina Robinson, age 16, of Asbury Park, N.J., for her question:
WHEN WAS WALES UNITED WITH ENGLAND?
Wales is one of the four countries that today make up the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. England, Northern Ireland and Scotland are the other three countries.
Wales was united with England more than 400 years ago, in the 16th Century.
People were living in what is now Wales as far back as 6000 B.C. They were called Iberians. Then about 2000 B.C. the Beaker folk ware living there, making small clay pots. And in 600 B.C. the Celts invaded and conquered the country.
Roman armies arrived about A.D. 60, conquered Wales, and controlled the country for 400 years. Later, Wales was able to remain independent for hundreds of years. William the Conqueror put an end to that in 1071 when he declared himself lord of Wales.
T3 speed through history, English troops killed Llewslyn Griffith, Prince of Wales, 1n a battle that crushed a Welsh revolt in 1282. And in 1301 King Edward I gave the Prince of Wales title to his son.
Henry Tudor, a Welsh prince, became King Henry VII of England in 1485.
And Henry VI P s son, Henry VIII, united Wales and England in 1536.
Wales is about the size of the state of New Jersey. It is on the western coast of the island of Great Britain, and it fills a wide peninsula. Wales makes up about one tenth of the island.
Wales has two official languages: English and Welsh. In rural areas, about three fourths of the people speak Welsh. Welsh is a form of the ancient Celtic language.
Wales is a country of singers and poets. The traditions of Welsh literature and music go back more than 1,000 years. Most Welshmen love to sing. When two Welshmen get together, an old saying goes, they almost immediately form a chorus. Welsh songs have a hymniike quality.
Mining and manufacturing today support the economy of Wales. Since the Industrial Revolution started in the 1700s, coal mining and metal processing have been the country's most important industries.
Coal is the most important natural resource. Large deposits can be found in southern Wales.
Plentiful water is another important resource. There are many large reservoirs that are used to produce hydroelectric power.
About a third of the population is employed in manufacturing. The country's main manufactured products are aluminum, iron, iron and copper tubing, steel, steel rails, tin plats and metal products.
Welsh farms do not produce enough food for ail the people in the country, so much of the food has to be imported. The chief crops include barley, hay, oats, potatoes and turnips.