Anglesey (Sir Fôn) is an island county, separated from Caernarfonshire on the mainland by the Menai Straits, spanned by the Britannia Bridge and the Menai Suspension Bridge. This is the only county in Wales that is not mountainous, the highest point being Holyhead Mountain (722 feet).
There are two main islands: Anglesey itself and Holy Island to the west, joined to the main isle by a causeway.
The northern coasts of the islands are rocky and a haven for nesting seabirds, choughs and ravens. Elsewhere the coast is gentler and dotted with shingle and sandy beaches.
There are many antiquities, including the impressive Beaumaris Castle, built by Edward I. The main rivers are the Braint and the Cefni.
Holyhead on Holy Island is the gateway of Ireland: the main ferry terminal between Great Britain and the Republic of Ireland, freight thundering back and forth along the A5 through the heart of the island.
Away from the port and the road, Anglesey remains a pretty, quiet and mainly Welsh-speaking island, whose most important industries are agriculture and tourism (one of the biggest drawing attractions being the village of Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch).
County Facts
County Town: Beaumaris
Main Towns: Beaumaris, Holyhead, Llanerchymedd, Menai Bridge, Newborough, Trearddur Bay.
Main Rivers: Alaw, Braint, Cefni, Wygyr.
Highlights: Beaumaris Castle; Britannia Bridge; Bryn Celli Du burial chamber; Din Lligwy Roman village.
Highest Point: Holyhead Mountain, 722 feet.
Area: 276 sq miles
Flower: Spotted Rock-rose
