Bangor | |
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The City of Bangor |
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Bangor shown within Gwynedd | |
Population | 18,810 (2011 census) |
Demonym | Bangorian |
OS grid reference | SH580722 |
• Cardiff | 184 miles (296 km) |
• London | 258 miles (415 km) |
Community |
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Principal area | |
Ceremonial county |
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Country | Wales |
Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
Post town | BANGOR |
Postcode district | LL57 |
Dialling code | 01248 |
Police | North Wales |
Fire | North Wales |
Ambulance | Welsh |
EU Parliament | Wales |
UK Parliament | |
Welsh Assembly | |
Bangor (English /ˈbæŋɡər/; Welsh: [ˈbaŋɡɔr]) is a city in Gwynedd unitary authority, north west Wales, and one of the smallest cities in the United Kingdom. It is the oldest city in Wales. Historically in Caernarfonshire, it is a university city with a population of 18,808 at the 2011 census, including around 10,500 students at Bangor University and including Pentir community. It is one of only six places classed as a city in Wales, although it is only the 25th-largest urban area by population. According to the 2001 census, 46.6% of the non-student resident population speak Welsh, which is low for Gwynedd but despite this, the language keeps a high profile in the city.
The origins of the city date back to the founding of a monastic establishment on the site of Bangor Cathedral by the Celtic saint Deiniol in the early 6th century AD. Bangor itself is an old Welsh word for a wattled enclosure, such as the one that originally surrounded the cathedral site. The present cathedral is a somewhat more recent building and has been extensively modified throughout the centuries.