Mid Wales (Welsh: Canolbarth Cymru or simply Y Canolbarth "The Midlands") is the name given to the central region of Wales. The Mid Wales Regional Committee of the National Assembly for Wales covered the counties of Ceredigion and Powys and the area of Gwynedd that had previously been the district of Meirionydd. A similar definition is used by the BBC. The Wales Spatial Plan defines a region known as "Central Wales" which covers Ceredigion and Powys. If Mid Wales is classed as Ceredigion and Powys, the area would be 6,962 square kilometres (about the size of Cumbria).
Mid Wales is dominated by the Cambrian Mountains, including the area sometimes referred to as the "Green Desert of Wales". The region is sparsely populated, with an economy dependent on farming and small businesses. The density of the counties of Ceredigion and Powys combined is only 30 people per square kilometre (78 per square mile).
Coordinates: 52°27′N 3°20′W / 52.450°N 3.333°W