Merthyr Tydfil

Merthyr Tydfil (mûr`thər tĭd`vĭl), town (1981 pop. 38,893) and county borough, 43 sq mi (111 sq km), S Wales. Located on the Taff River, the town is connected to Cardiff by canal. It has ironworks and steelworks. After World War II, light industries were stressed to revive the economy. Textiles, clothing, and leather goods are also made. The name Merthyr Tydfil comes from the tale of the martyrdom of St. Tydfil, a Welsh princess killed in the 5th cent. Richard Trevithick built the world's first steam railway locomotive there in 1804.

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Merthyr Tydfil

1. a town in SE Wales, in Merthyr Tydfil county borough: formerly an important centre for the mining industry. Pop.: 30 483 (2001)

2. a county borough in SE Wales, created from part of N Mid Glamorgan in 1996. Pop.: 55 400 (2003 est.). Area: 111 sq. km (43 sq. miles)

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Merthyr Tydfil 

a city in the Taff River valley, Glamorganshire, Wales. Population, 55,200 (1971). The coal and metallurgical industries, founded in the recent past, have now declined because of the exhaustion of a nearby iron-ore deposit. Local industries include the production of electrical equipment, toys and sporting goods, and knitwear and clothing.