Anglesey

For other places with the same name, see Anglesey (disambiguation) and Ynys Môn (disambiguation).
"Môn" redirects here. For the radio station, see Môn FM.

Isle of Anglesey
Ynys Môn (Welsh)
County
Left to right:
Flag of Isle of Anglesey
Flag
Coat of arms of Isle of Anglesey
Coat of arms
Motto(s): 
Welsh: Môn Mam Cymru, lit. 'Anglesey Mother of Wales'
Anglesey (county) shown within Wales
Anglesey (county) shown within Wales
Coordinates: 53°17′N 4°20′W / 53.283°N 4.333°W / 53.283; -4.333
Sovereign stateUnited Kingdom
CountryWales
Preserved countyGwynedd
Incorporated1 April 1974
Unitary authority1 April 1996
Administrative HQLlangefni
Government
[1]
 • TypePrincipal council
 • BodyIsle of Anglesey County Council
 • ControlPlaid Cymru
 • MPsLlinos Medi (PC)
 • MSs
Area
[2]
 • Total275 sq mi (712 km2)
 • Rank9th
Population
 (2022)[2]
 • Total69,049
 • Rank20th
 • Density250/sq mi (97/km2)
Welsh language (2021)
[3]
 • Speakers55.8%
 • Rank2nd
Time zoneUTC+0 (GMT)
 • Summer (DST)UTC+1 (BST)
ISO 3166 codeGB-AGY
GSS codeW06000001
Websiteanglesey.gov.wales

Anglesey (/ˈæŋɡəlsiː/; Welsh: Ynys Môn [ˈənɨs ˈmoːn]) is an island off the north-west coast of Wales. It forms the bulk of the county known as the Isle of Anglesey, which also includes Holy Island (Ynys Gybi) and some islets and skerries.[4] The county borders Gwynedd across the Menai Strait to the southeast, and is otherwise surrounded by the Irish Sea. Holyhead is the largest town, and the administrative centre is Llangefni. The county is part of the preserved county of Gwynedd. Anglesey is the northernmost county in Wales.

The Isle of Anglesey has an area of 275 square miles (712 km2) and a population of 69,049 in 2022.[2] After Holyhead (12,103),[5][failed verification] the largest settlements are Llangefni (5,500) and Amlwch (3,967). The economy of the county is mostly based on agriculture, energy, and tourism, the latter especially on the coast. Holyhead is also a major ferry port for Dublin, Ireland.[6] The county has the second-highest percentage of Welsh speakers in Wales, at 57.2%, and is considered a heartland of the language.[7]

The island of Anglesey, at 261 square miles (676 km2), is the largest in Wales and the Irish Sea, the seventh largest in Britain, and the sixth most populous island in Britain. The northern and eastern coasts of the island are rugged, and the southern and western coasts are generally gentler; the interior is gently undulating. In the north of the island is Llyn Alaw, a reservoir with an area of 1.4 square miles (4 km2). Holy Island has a similar landscape, with a rugged north and west coast and beaches to the east and south. The county is surrounded by smaller islands; several, including South Stack and Puffin Island, are home to seabird colonies. Large parts of the county's coastline have been designated an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

The county has many prehistoric monuments, such as Bryn Celli Ddu burial chamber. In the Middle Ages the area was part of the Kingdom of Gwynedd and native Principality of Wales, and the ruling House of Aberffraw maintained courts (Welsh: llysoedd) at Aberffraw and Rhosyr. After Edward I's conquest of Gwynedd he built the castle at Beaumaris, which forms part of the Castles and Town Walls of King Edward in Gwynedd World Heritage Site. The Menai Strait to the mainland is spanned by the Menai Suspension Bridge, designed by Thomas Telford in 1826, and the Britannia Bridge, originally designed by Robert Stephenson in 1850.

  1. ^ "Council". Isle of Anglesey County Council. Retrieved 6 August 2024.
  2. ^ a b c "Mid-Year Population Estimates, UK, June 2022". Office for National Statistics. 26 March 2024. Retrieved 3 May 2024.
  3. ^ "How life has changed on the Isle of Anglesey: Census 2021". Office for National Statistics. 19 January 2023. Retrieved 6 August 2024.
  4. ^ "Sir Ynys Mon – Isle of Anglesey". Ordnance Survey. Retrieved 29 November 2019.
  5. ^ "Build a custom area profile - Census 2021, ONS". www.ons.gov.uk. Retrieved 27 November 2023.
  6. ^ C. Michael Hogan (2011). "Irish Sea". In P. Saundry; C. Cleveland (eds.). Encyclopedia of Earth. Washington, D. C.: National Council for Science and the Environment.
  7. ^ "The Welsh language on Anglesey". www.anglesey.gov.wales. Retrieved 27 November 2023.