West Wales (Welsh: Gorllewin Cymru) is a region of Wales.

It has various definitions, either covering Pembrokeshire, Ceredigion and Carmarthenshire, which historically comprised the Welsh principality of Deheubarth, and an alternative definition is to include Swansea and Neath Port Talbot, but exclude Ceredigion. The West Wales and the Valleys NUTS area also includes more westerly parts of North Wales as well as the South Wales Valleys.

The preserved county of Dyfed covers what is generally considered to be West Wales; between 1974 and 1996, Dyfed was a county, with a county council and six district councils.

Definitions

There are various definitions of "West Wales".

• Pembrokeshire, Ceredigion and Carmarthenshire, which historically comprised the Welsh principality of Deheubarth^{[1]: 87, 95} This is also the area covered by the West Wales Regional Partnership Board, comprising councils, health sectors and the NHS, on matters relating to the area covered by Hywel Dda University Health Board.^[2][3]
• Carmarthenshire, Neath Port Talbot, Pembrokeshire, and Swansea – Is used by Visit Wales,^[4][5] and covers a similar area as South West Wales. This would exclude Ceredigion.^[6][7]
• Pembrokeshire and Carmarthenshire (excluding Llanelli) – Was used by the Welsh Development Agency before the mid 1990s.^[8]
• Pembrokeshire, Carmarthenshire, Swansea, Neath Port Talbot and Bridgend County Borough – Was used by the Welsh Development Agency from the mid 1990s.^[8]

There is also a West Wales and the Valleys Nomenclature of Territorial Units for Statistics (now International Territorial Level) statistical region.^[9] As well as South West Wales, Mid and West Wales or Mid and South West Wales and North West Wales.

Historic use

Historically, the term West Wales was applied to the Kingdom of Cornwall during the Anglo-Saxon invasion of Britain and the period of the Heptarchy.^[10] The Old English word Wealas, a Germanic term for inhabitants of the Western Roman Empire, which the Anglo-Saxons came to apply especially to the Britons, gave its name to Wales and is also the origin of the second syllable in the name Cornwall.

Railways

Mainlines

• West Wales Line
• Heart of Wales Line
• Cambrian Line

Heritage lines

• Gwili Railway
• Llanelli and Mynydd Mawr Railway
• Teifi Valley Railway
• Vale of Rheidol Railway