North Wales is the northernmost unofficial region of Wales, bordered to the south by Mid Wales.
It comprises the island of Anglesey, the Lleyn peninsula, the Snowdonia mountain range, the Conwy valley and the River Dee. The area is mostly rural, with many mountains and valleys and this, in combination with its coast (with the Irish Sea), have ensured that apart from farming, tourism is the princpal industry. Economically, the average income per capita of the local population is the lowest in the UK and much of the region has EU Objective One status [1].
The region is made up of the following administrative areas:
The majority of the settlements in North Wales are along the coast, including some popular resorts, such as Rhyl, Llandudno and Pwllheli. The A55 expressway links these towns with the north of England and the port of Holyhead for ferries to Ireland; few routes connect North Wales with South Wales. There are two cathedral cities - Bangor and St. Asaph, and a number of mediaeval castles (e.g.: Harlech, Caernarfon, Beaumaris, Conwy).
North Wales has a somewhat separate identity to the rest of Wales. Its dialect of the Welsh language differs to that of South Wales in some ways; for example llefrith is used instead of llaeth for "milk". Colloquially, a person from North Wales (especially one who speaks with this dialect or accent) is known as a North Walian, or, occasionally, a gog (from the Welsh gogledd, meaning "north").
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