Dyfed

Dyfed
Dyfed shown as a preserved county since 2003
Area
• 1974	5765.75 km²
• 1996	5765.75 km² Ranked 1st
Population
• 1971	316,369
• 1992	351,100 (estimate)
• 2007	375,200 (estimate) Ranked 5th
History
• Origin	Kingdom of Dyfed
• Created	1974
• Abolished	1996
• Succeeded by	Carmarthenshire, Ceredigion, Pembrokeshire Preserved county of Dyfed
Status	Non-metropolitan county (1974–1996) Preserved county (1996–)
Government	Dyfed County Council
• HQ	Carmarthen
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Dyfed (Welsh pronunciation: [ˈdəvɛd]) is a preserved county of Wales. It was created on 1 April 1974, as an amalgamation of the three pre-existing counties of Cardiganshire, Carmarthenshire and Pembrokeshire. It was abolished twenty-two years later, on 1 April 1996, when the three original counties were reinstated, Cardiganshire being renamed Ceredigion the following day. The name "Dyfed" is retained for certain ceremonial and other purposes. It is a mostly rural county in southwestern Wales with a coastline on the Irish Sea and the Bristol Channel.

Dyfed is a preserved county of Wales. It was originally created as an administrative county council on 1 April 1974 under the terms of the Local Government Act 1972, and covered approximately the same geographic extent as the ancient Principality of Deheubarth, although excluding the Gower Peninsula and the area west of the River Tawe. The choice of the name Dyfed was based on the historic name given to the region once settled by the Irish Déisi and today known as Pembrokeshire (the historic Dyfed never included Ceredigion and only briefly included Carmarthenshire). Modern Dyfed was formed from the administrative counties (which corresponded to the ancient counties) of Cardiganshire, Carmarthenshire, Pembrokeshire and was divided into the following local government districts.

The county town and administrative headquarters of Dyfed was Carmarthen whilst the largest settlement was Llanelli. Other significant centres of population included Haverfordwest, Milford Haven and Aberystwyth.

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