Ceredigion
is a county in Mid Wales. The county was created as Cardiganshire (Welsh: Sir Aberteifi) in 1282 in the area of the former
Kingdom of Ceredigion.
The historic county was abolished in 1974 and reconstituted in 1996 as Ceredigion. The county had a population of 75,900 at the 2011 UK census. Aberystwyth, which is the largest town, is one of the two administrative centres; the other being Aberaeron.
Aberystwyth houses Aberystwyth University, Bronglais Hospital and the National Library of Wales. The inland town of Lampeter houses part of the University of Wales Trinity Saint David.
The county is mainly rural with large parts being hilly or mountainous land. There is level, low-lying land on the coastal strip that runs along the margins of Cardigan Bay. There are a number of sandy beaches popular with visitors here, linked by the long-distance Ceredigion Coast Path.
More than half the population speak the Welsh language and the county is considered a centre of Welsh culture.
At one time, Ceredigion had more industry than it does today.
Lead, silver and zinc were mined here, and many of the sailing ships trading round the coast of Wales were built here.
However these industries dwindled over time, and the economy became almost completely dependent on dairying and the rearing of livestock, which were sent to the English market. During the last century, livestock farming has become less profitable, and the population of Cardiganshire has been in decline as people emigrated to more prosperous parts of Wales and to countries abroad.
More recently, the population has started rising again as elderly people move into the county for retirement, and various government and European Union initiatives have encouraged tourism and other alternative sources of income
