Bangor, Gwynedd in the context of "Nennius"

Blaenau Ffestiniog (Welsh pronunciation: [ˈbleɨ̯naɨ̯ fɛstˈɪnjɔɡ]) is a town in Gwynedd, Wales. Once a slate mining centre in historic Merionethshire, it now relies heavily on tourism, drawn to the Ffestiniog Railway and Llechwedd Slate Caverns. It reached a population of 12,000 at the peak development of the slate industry, but fell with the decline in demand for slate. The population of the community, including the nearby village Llan Ffestiniog, was 4,875 at the 2011 census: the fourth most populous in Gwynedd after Bangor, Caernarfon and Llandeiniolen. The population, not including Llan, is now only about 4,000.

Bangor University (Welsh: Prifysgol Bangor) is a public research university in Bangor, Gwynedd, Wales. It was established in 1884 as the University College of North Wales (UCNW; Welsh: Coleg Prifysgol Gogledd Cymru), and received a Royal Charter in 1885. In 1893 it became one of the founding institutions of the federal University of Wales. In 1996, after structural changes to the University of Wales, it became known as the University of Wales, Bangor (UWB; Welsh: Prifysgol Cymru, Bangor). It became independent of the University of Wales in 2007, adopting its current name and awarding its own degrees.

The university has over 10,000 students across three academic colleges and eleven schools, as well as several large research institutes. Its campus makes up a large part of Bangor and extends to nearby Menai Bridge as well, with a second campus in Wrexham teaching some healthcare courses.

North West Wales (Welsh: Gogledd-Orllewin Cymru) is an area or region of Wales, commonly defined as a grouping of the principal areas of Conwy County Borough, Gwynedd and the Isle of Anglesey in the north-west of the country. These principal areas make up the entire preserved county of Gwynedd, and parts of Clwyd. It is bordered by Denbighshire, in North East Wales to the east, Powys, and Ceredigion in Mid Wales to the south, and the Irish sea to the north and west (as Cardigan Bay). It is the more mountainous, rural, and sparsely populated part of the north Wales geographic region.

Settlements include: Bangor, Caernarfon, Colwyn Bay, Holyhead, Llandudno, and Pwllheli. The port of Holyhead serves as the major sea link between Wales and Ireland. Snowdonia National Park is located wholly in the area, hosting Snowdon, the largest peak in British Isles excluding the Scottish Highlands. The area also hosts AONBs (Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty) in the Llŷn Peninsula and Isle of Anglesey, and the Castles and Town Walls of King Edward UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Gwynedd (Welsh: [ˈɡwɨnɛð]) is a county in the north-west of Wales. It borders Anglesey across the Menai Strait to the north, Conwy, Denbighshire, and Powys to the east, Ceredigion over the Dyfi estuary to the south, and the Irish Sea to the west. The city of Bangor is the largest settlement, and the administrative centre is Caernarfon. The preserved county of Gwynedd, which is used for ceremonial purposes, includes the Isle of Anglesey.

Gwynedd is the second largest county in Wales but sparsely populated, with an area of 979 square miles (2,540 km) and a population of 117,400. After Bangor (18,322), the largest settlements are Caernarfon (9,852), Bethesda (4,735), and Pwllheli (4,076). The county has the highest percentage of Welsh speakers in Wales, at 64.4%, and is considered a heartland of the language.

Caernarfon (/kərˈnɑːrvən, kɑːr-/; Welsh: [kaɨrˈnarvɔn] ) is a royal town, community and port in Gwynedd, Wales. It has a population of 9,852 (with Caeathro). It lies along the A4871 road, on the eastern shore of the Menai Strait, opposite the island of Anglesey. The city of Bangor is 8.6 miles (13.8 km) to the north-east, while Snowdonia (Eryri) fringes Caernarfon to the east and south-east.

Abundant natural resources in and around the Menai Strait enabled human habitation in prehistoric Britain. The Ordovices, a Celtic tribe, lived in the region during the period known as Roman Britain. The Roman fort Segontium was established around AD 80 to subjugate the Ordovices during the Roman conquest of Britain. The Romans occupied the region until the end of Roman rule in Britain in 382, after which Caernarfon became part of the Kingdom of Gwynedd. In the late 11th century, William the Conqueror ordered the construction of a motte-and-bailey castle at Caernarfon as part of the Norman invasion of Wales. He was unsuccessful, and Wales remained independent until around 1283.

Wales has seven cities as of September 2022. Bangor is Wales' oldest cathedral city, whereas St Davids is the smallest city in the United Kingdom. Cardiff is the capital city of Wales and its most-populous, followed by Swansea the second most-populous. Since 2000, Welsh towns have submitted bids to be awarded city status as part of jubilees of the reigning British monarch or for other events, such as the millennium celebrations, with Newport, St Asaph and Wrexham awarded city status through these contests. Wrexham is the newest to hold the status, being awarded it in September 2022 as part of the Platinum Jubilee Civic Honours of Queen Elizabeth II.