Portal:Wales/Selected article/11

Rhondda /ˈrɒnðə/, or the Rhondda Valley (Welsh: Cwm Rhondda), is a former coal mining valley in Wales, formerly a local government district, consisting of 16 communities built around the River Rhondda. The valley is made up of two valleys, the larger Rhondda Fawr valley (mawr, large) and the smaller Rhondda Fach valley (bach, small). Both the singular term 'Rhondda Valley' and the plural 'Rhondda Valleys' are commonly used. In 2001 the Rhondda constituency of the National Assembly for Wales had a population of 72,443; the National Office of Statistics described the Rhondda urban area as having a population of 59,602, making it the fourth largest single urban area in Wales after the cities of Cardiff, Swansea and Newport. Rhondda is part of Rhondda Cynon Taf County Borough and is part of the South Wales Valleys.

The Rhondda Valley is most notable for its historical link to the coal mining industry which was at its peak between 1840 and 1925. The Rhondda Valleys were home to a strong early nonconformist Christian movement which manifested itself in the baptist chapels which moulded Rhondda values in the 19th century and early 20th century. Rhondda is also famous for strong masculine cultural ties within a social community which expressed itself outside industry in the form of male voice choirs, sport, trade unions and public house life.