The people of Wales, like those of Britain in general, are descendants of various stocks, including Celts, Scandinavians, and Romans. The population of Wales is 2,921,000 (1996 estimate). The population density was approximately 141 persons per sq km (364 per sq mi). About three-quarters of the population is concentrated in the mining centers in the south.
The major cities of Wales are Cardiff (population mid-1996, 315,000), the capital, principal seaport, and shipbuilding center; Swansea (230,000), a seaport and center of the tin-plate industry; and Newport (137,000).
