CARDIFF, Wales (Welsh, Caerdydd, per haps the fortress on the Tad but but derivation uncertain), a municipal and parliamentary borough, raised to the rank of a city (with the title of lord mayor for its chief magistrate) by royal charter in 1905, a seaport on the Bristol Channel, the capital of Glamorgan and the largest town in Wales. The city is built on both banks of the river Taff, a mile above its junction with the estuary of the Severn (known as the Bristol Channel) and extends to the rivers Rhymney on the east and Ely on the west. It is 135 miles west of London, on the Great Western main line from London to New Milford and Fishguard (for Ireland).
Almost every geological forma tion from the Silurian up to the coal measures is found in the ring of higher ground sur rounding the plain of recent alluvial deposits on which the city stands.
Trade and The rapid in crease of the last half century is due to the development of the coal trade consequent upon the construction of the Bute docks. The first dock, completed in 1839, was built by the sec ond Marquess of Bute, and five great docks have since been constructed at a cost of 15,500,000. Their total water area is over 200 acres, and the shipments of coal exceed 20,000, 000 tons per annum. There are also docks at the adjoining ports of Penarth and Barry. The coal is worked in collieries to the north (near est colliery nine miles) and shipped at the docks below the city, which is singularly free from any evidence of the staple trade. The fine, wide streets, abundance of trees, freedom from smoke and other evidences of progressiveness are a surprise to visitors. Besides the dock operations, the most important works are the Cardiff Dowlais steel works, the Tharsis Cop per Works, numerous ship repairing yards, extensive flour mills, biscuit works, ice and cold storage (with large import trade) and steam trawlers for the fishing industry. The import trade has been developed of late years and Cardiff is now the chief wholesale centre for supplying the teeming populations of the min ing valleys of Glamorgan and Monmouth.
The Great Western Railway and its connections provide a good and quick service to distant places, while the local rail ways constructed primarily for mineral traffic, the Taff Vale, Rhymney and Barry respect ively, communicate with the districts adjacent. The Midland and London and North Western companies have good depots.
Government and Public The government of the city is vested in the lord mayor, aldermen and councillors. The oldest surviving charter, granted sometime before 1147, evidences the existence of rights and privileges extending to a much earlier time. Other charters were given by the feudal lords, and later by the Crown. Cardiff returns one member to the House of Commons.
Public The public buildings are being grouped in a park of 50 acres. The town-hall and law courts (cost, 1330,000) are completed, as are also the offices of the Uni versity of Wales, new buildings for the Univer sity College of South Wales and the Welsh National Museum. The secondary and ele mentary schools are modern, and efficiently equipped and administered, and special pro vision is made for blind, deaf and dumb, and defective children. Other public buildings in clude the post-office, custom-house, offices of the Board of Trade and Mercantile Marine, hospitals, etc. The castle, restored and ex tended at great cost by the third Marquess of Bute, is maintained as one of the residences of his successors.
Libraries.— The public libraries contain 156,000 volumes and include the largest collec tion of Welsh books and manuscripts in exist ence. The school library system of the city is one of the best in existence. The museum and art gallery, about to be merged in the National Museum of Wales, contains modern paintings and sculpture; Swansea, Nantgarw and other porcelain, and examples of pre-Norman sculp tured stones and crosses.