Powys is a local government principal area and a preserved county in Wales.
Powys covers the former administrative counties of Montgomeryshire and Radnorshire, most of Brecknockshire, and a small part of Denbighshire — an area of 5,196 km², making it the largest principal area in Wales by land area.
It is bounded the north by Gwynedd, Denbighshire and Wrexham; to the west by Ceredigion and Carmarthenshire; to the east by England (counties of Shropshire and Herefordshire); and to the south by Rhondda Cynon Taff, Merthyr Tydfil, Caerphilly (county borough), Blaenau Gwent and Monmouthshire.
Most of Powys is very mountainous with north-south transportation by car and rail being quite difficult.
Just under a third of the residents have Welsh linguistical skills and first language speakers are concentrated mainly in the rural areas both in and around Machynlleth, Llanfyllin and Llanrhaeadr-ym-Mochnant (where William Morgan first translated the whole Bible into Welsh in 1588) in Montgomeryshire (Sir Drefaldwyn), and the industrial area of Ystradgynlais in the extreme south-west of Brecknock (Sir Frycheiniog). Radnorshire (Sir Faesyfed) was almost completely Anglicised by the end of the 18th century.
Powys was originally created on 1 April 1974 under the Local Government Act 1972, and originally had Montgomery and Radnor and Brecknock as districts under it, which were based directly on the former administrative counties.
On 1 April 1996, the districts were abolished, and Powys was reconstituted as a unitary authority, with a minor border adjustment in the north-east (specifically the addition of the communities of Llanrhaeadr-ym-Mochnant, Llansilin and Llangedwyn from Glyndwr district in Clwyd, all historically part of Denbighshire).
The first Lord Lieutenant of Powys was previously the Lord Lieutenant of Montgomeryshire. The Lord Lieutenant of Brecknockshire and Lord Lieutenant of Radnorshire were appointed as Lieutenants.
The present Lord Lieutenant is The Honourable Mrs Legge-Bourke LVO.
Abbey-Cwmhir Aberangell Aberangell (1) Aber-Bran Aberedw Abergwesyn Aberhafesp Abermule Alltmawr Arddleen Beguildy Berriew Bettws Cedewain Bettws Disserth Beulah Bleddfa Boughrood Brecon Bronllys Builth Road Builth Wells Buttington Bwlch Caersws Carno Cascob Castle Caereinion Cathedine Cemmaes Cemmaes Road Church Stoke Clyro Colva Corris Cray Cregrina Crickadarn Crickhowell Criggion Cwm-du Darowen Devynock Discoed Dolanog Dolau Dolau (1) Dylife Erwood Evenjobb Felin Fach Felindre Forden Four Crosses Garth Garthbeibio Gladestry Glasbury Glascwm Guilsfield Gwenddwr Halfway Highgate Hirnant Hundred House Hyssington Kerry Kinnerton Knucklas Leighton Llanafan-fawr Llananno Llanbadarn-fawr Llanbadarn-fynydd Llanbedr Llanbedr (1) Llanbedr (2) Llanbister Llanbrynmair Llanddewi Ystradenny Llandefaelogfach Llandefalle Llandegley Llandeilor-Fan Llandinam Llandrindod Wells Llandrinio Llandulas Llandysilio Llandyssil Llanerfyl Llanfair Caereinion Llanfaredd Llanfechain Llanfihangel Rhydithon Llanfihangel-Bryn-Pabuan Llanfihangel-Nant-Bran Llanfihangel-nant-Melan Llanfihangel-yng-Ngwynfa Llanfrynach Llanfyllin Llangadfan Llangammarch Wells Llangattock Llangenny Llangorse Llangunllo Llangurig Llangynidr Llangyniew Llangynog Llangynog (1) Llangynog (2) Llanhamlach Llanidloes Llanigon Llanllugan Llansaintfraed in Elvel Llansantffraid-ym-Mechain Llansantffread Llanspyddid Llanstephan Llanwddyn Llanwnog Llanwrin Llanwrthwl Llanwrtyd Llanwrtyd Wells Llanyblodwel Llanymynech Llanyre Llowes Llyswen Llywel Lower Chapel Machynlleth Maesmynis Mallwyd Manafon Meifod Melverley Merthyr Cynog Mochdre Montgomery Nantmel New Bridge New Radnor Newbridge on Wye Newchurch Newtown Norton Old Radnor Painscastle Pant-y-dwr Partrishow Penegoes Pennant Pennant-Melangell Pen-rhos Pen-rhos (1) Pentre-bach Penybont Pen-y-bont-fawr Pen-y-bont-fawr (1) Pen-y-cae Pen-y-cae (1) Pont Newydd Pont-Robert Pool Quay Rhayader Rhos-goch Saint Harmon Sarn Sennybridge Staylittle Stow Talerddig Talgarth Talybont Trecastle Trefeglwys Tregynon Trelystan Tretower Upper Chapel Van Velindre Welshpool Whitton Ystradfellte Ystradgynlais
