Wales is one of the most unique parts of the UK thanks to its stunning landscapes, famously wet weather, and of course it’s very own language. While Brits will be familiar with Welsh cities like Swansea and Cardiff, and beautiful holiday spots like Snowdonia National Park, they might be surprised to learn about another Welsh community 8,000 miles away from our shores.
There are 70,000 people who live in the town of Gaiman, Y Wladfain, in the region of Patagonia, Argentina, with 5,000 of those there speaking Welsh. They are descendants of a group of Welshmen who moved to the area 150 years ago. It was 1865, when 153 Welsh settlers arrived via boat, led by a man called Michael D. Jones, who was worried that Wales would lose its identity amid the growth of England’s power.
The little town has a Welsh tearoom, Welsh road signs, and even a B&B offering the full Welsh hospitality experience.
Speaking to The Sun last year, one resident called Ricardo said: « After the settlers came here, the first 10 years was completely Welsh, everything.
« But in 1880, 1885, besides the Welsh people that came here as immigrants, people from Portugal, from Italy, from Spain came, so they mix.
« By the end of the 19th century, there was a very Welsh community here, but perhaps with 50% of people of other countries.
« But in the 20th century, a lot of people came from the north, and the proportion of Welsh people declined. »
Ricardo also confessed to being a huge fan of Wrexham AFC, the football club on the verge of promotion to the Championship thanks to the backing of Hollywood A-lister Ryan Reynolds.
Renowned travel vlogger Simon Wilson, a Welshman who has amassed over 1.3million subscribers on YouTube, visited « Argentina’s Welsh colony ».
He too spoke to Wrexham fans as well as locals in Gaiman who spoke perfect Welsh.
Many of the shop names were also in Welsh.
Speaking to one local, Simon said: « Honestly I just can’t believe from walking around how your Welsh is better than my Welsh….I can’t believe what I’ve seen and the people I’ve met. »
Concluding the video, he said: « I can’t believe I am sat in the Chabut region of Argentina just having a convrsation in Welsh. If you are thinking of common, I highly reccomend it. I think if anyone watching this speaks Welsh you have to come. »
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