Denbighshire (Welsh: Sir Ddinbych) is a county in North Wales. Places in Denbighshire include:
The current Denbighshire was created in 1996. The current county has substantially different borders to the traditional county which has the same name.
Traditional Denbighshire
Geography
The current county is mostly hilly moorland, with the Clwydian range in the east of the county, the Hiraethog Moors in the West, the Berwyn range are adjacent to the southern boundary of the county. The broad, fertile Vale of Clwyd runs south to north in the centre of the county, and there is a narrow coastal plain in the north. Average temperatures are 2°C in January and 19°C in July.
Population
Denbighshire's total population at the 2001 census was 93,065, with the largest towns on the coast at Rhyl (pop. c.25,000) and Prestatyn (pop. c.15,000). The inland towns are much smaller, Denbigh having a population of 8,500, Ruthin 5,000, and Llangollen 3,300. 18% of the population speaks Welsh, mainly in the upland area and the Vale of Clwyd.
Economy
There are no heavy industrial sites in the county although most of the towns have small industrial estates for light industry, the economy of the area being based on agriculture and tourism. A large proportion of the working population is employed in service industries. The uplands support the rearing of sheep and beef cattle, while in the Vale of Clwyd dairy farming and the growing of wheat and barley predominates.
On November 19, 2004, Denbighshire was granted Fairtrade County status.
Last updated: 06-01-2005 23:36:42
