Greetings students of the world, in this video I’m going to introduce you to the country
of Wales, and it’s Capital City Cardiff, home to Cardiff Metropolitan University.
Hello again, Jack from Cardiff Met International here.
In the last video I introduced you to Cardiff Metropolitan University, but I didn’t go into
too much detail about where the university actually is.
So in this video I’ll be introducing you to , and the city of Cardiff, and the country of Wales.
First for a quick geography lesson!
Skip this section if you’ve already found Wales on the map!
If you’re watching this video, you may well already be thinking about coming to study
in the UK, but may not know that the UK is actually made up of four countries.
England, Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales.
Wales is a beautiful country, renowned for its spectacular natural beauty, rich culture
and heritage (there are over 600 castles here – more per square mile than anywhere else
in the world!), and its really really friendly people.
Whilst the majority of people in Wales do speak English, Wales also has its own language, Welsh,
and this brings with it a strong cultural identity, and is spoken by around 20% of the population.
Wales is known worldwide for its musical tradition, often referred to as ‘the land of song’,
birth place to International stars such as Tom Jones.
Wales also has a love for the written and spoken word, producing famous poets such as Dylan Thomas,
and famous authors, such as Roald Dahl.
Wales punches above its weight in the world of International Sport with its famous rugby
team, and international football super stars like Gareth Bale.
It’s a country of adventure, with National Parks, Mountain Ranges, stunning beaches,
and a coastal path that runs
all of the way around the Welsh coast.
Wales is home to innovation and creativity, from the foundation of the NHS to the invention
of the radar, and the fuel cell, along with being the creative home of International TV programmes
like Dr Who and Torchwood.
That’s quite a lot to be known for, for such a small country!
So now that the scene is set, it’s time to introduce you to the main event, the city
of Cardiff.
Cardiff is the capital city of Wales, located just over the border from England, around
two hours on the train from London.
Cardiff is a medium sized, friendly city, which is big enough to have loads going on,
but also is small enough to feel safe, friendly, and is very easy to travel around.
Even though Cardiff is a capital city, it is consistently rated as the most affordable
student city in the UK, which means it has a low cost of living, but a high quality of life.
Cardiff boasts all of the benefits of a major cosmopolitan city, but in a safe, friendly,
and affordable space, which makes it a fantastic place to be a student!
Cardiff has something going on, whatever you’re in to
If you’re into Food and Drink, there are countless restaurants, cafes, and markets
to cater for every International taste.
If you’re into Shopping, there is everything from shopping centres to boutique shops and arcades.
If you’re into Nightlife, there are bars and clubs open late into the night.
If you’re into Sport there are three International stadiums showcasing International cricket,
rugby and football, and there's also loads of local sport to get involved with as well.
If you’re into Culture there are galleries, museums, and historical attractions such
as Cardiff Castle, which is right in the middle of the city.
Sorry, I’m just going to have to catch my breath, turns out there is a lot
going on in Cardiff!
If you’re into Music or Theatre, there's loads of venues with concerts and shows throughout the year.
If you’re into Events, there is a packed calendar of festivals and activities to keep you busy.
If you’re into Wildlife and Nature, there are acres of parkland, trails, nature reserves,
and nearby beaches to explore.
If you’re into Outdoor activities, you’re on the doorstep of the rest of Wales with
endless opportunities for hiking, biking, surfing and any other adventuring you can
think of.
There’s all of that going on, and I’m sure I’ll have missed things out as
well, so if there's something specific you want to know about Cardiff, please be sure to let me know
in the comments below.
So, I hope that I’ve given you a good introduction to Wales, and to the city of Cardiff, and
that you have a better idea about where you'll be spending your time when you come
to study at Cardiff Met.
If you haven’t done so already, make sure that you subscribe to our YouTube channel so that you
can see as soon as we release more videos about Cardiff Met, about study in the UK
in general, and about Cardiff and Wales.
But for now, thanks for watching, and hopefully we’ll welcome you to Cardiff Met one day soon.
Bye bye