Wales is a  part of the United Kingdom. This country is situated on the south-west of the island of Great Britain. Because of its unique geographic location; being bordered by by England to the east, the Bristol Channel to the south and the Irish Sea to the west and north, it is not easily accessible from the Continent.

The above facts had long ensured that the Welsh country was unknown to most Continental Europeans and the outside world for a long time. However, over time, Wales has set up a lot of Partnerships with other countries. Thanks to that, they have begun attracting people desirous of discovering their history and their monuments.

Furthermore along with International partnerships, they have been attracting several Multinational companies to invest in Welsh cities. For example we can think about the twinning between Nantes, a French city, and Cardiff the capital of Wales. This twinning was made to develop cultural and economic exchanges between the two countries.

Today we can observe, (despite the ignorance (indifference, perhaps?) of a large segment of the local population about the twinning), the effects of the the exchanges between the two cities. One of these observable effects is the transport links that have been set up to link the two cities directly (planes, ferries, trains).

Reference: Friends of the Earth website
 
Submitted by Philippe Cantin, SUP 3, ISEG Nantes