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	County Town: Pontypridd County Population: 240,000 (estimate)
	Rhondda Cynon Taff used to be part of the much larger county of Glamorganshire, and now covers an area of 424 sq km (164 sq miles). In the south the land is low-lying and undulating, but in the north the terrain consists of high moorlands that rise to a height of 600 m (1,970 feet), often cut by deep valleys that run northwest to southeast. Some 54 sq km (21 sq miles) of the north of the county lies within the Brecon Beacons National Park.
	First settled in prehistoric times, Glamorganshire was later occupied by the Romans, then invaded by the Normans in the 11th century, when many castles were built throughout South Wales to subdue local inhabitants. The area began to prosper during the 19th century when local coalfields were extensively mined, but mining has declined rapidly and is now slowly being replaced by light manufacturing and engineering.
	There are many forests and woodland parks within the county which are much frequented by walkers. Aberdare stands at the head of the Cynon valley, at the southern edge of the Brecon Beacons National Park, with Graig Mountain forming a scenic backdrop, and just to the west of Pontypridd is the Rhondda Heritage Centre.
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