Descriptive Gazetteer Entry for Carmarthenshire

Carmarthenshire, a maritime co. of S. Wales, and the largest of all the Welsh counties; is bounded N. by Cardiganshire, E. by Brecknockshire and Glamorgan, S. by the Bristol Channel, and W. by Pembrokeshire; greatest length, NE. and SW., 50 miles; greatest breadth, E. and W., 42 miles; the coast, which is marshy, measures about 35 miles; area, 594,405 ac.; pop. 124,864. The surface generally is upland or mountainous, much of it being waste. The Black Mountains rise on the NE. border, the chief summit, Carmarthen Van, having an alt. of 2596 ft. The vale of the river Towy extends in length about 30 miles NE. and SW. through the middle of the co. The uplands consist chiefly of slate or limestone; old red sandstone occurs about the estuary of the Towy; coal and ironstone are worked in the SE. Good crops of oats, barley, and wheat are produced in the valleys, but the principal industry is stock-raising. (For agricultural statistics, see Appendix.) The fisheries are of some importance. The co. comprises 5 hundreds, 3 commots, 81 pars., with part of 1 other, the Carmarthen Boroughs (Carmarthen and Llanelly -- 1 member), and the mun. bors. of Carmarthen and Llandovery. It is entirely in the diocese of St David's. For parliamentary purposes it is divided into 2 divisions, viz., Eastern and Western, 1 member for each division.


(John Bartholomew, Gazetteer of the British Isles (1887))

Linked entities:
Feature Description: "a maritime county"   (ADL Feature Type: "countries, 2nd order divisions")
Administrative units: Carmarthenshire AncC
Place: Carmarthenshire

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