The city of Swansea, located on Wales' south coast on the Gower Peninsula, is the principalities second largest after Cardiff, with a population of 230,000. The city sits on the northern side of the Bristol Channel, which was key in it's development during the industrial revolution, where it became a trading centre of raw goods and materials for the region.
Modern Swansea has become an increasingly service industry focused city, with 90% of the population working in this sector. The city itself has undergone an extensive re-gentrification process, with land reclamation projects creating the UK's first 'Enterprise Zone', seeing light industry, offices and shopping centres springing up in the formerly rundown areas of the city.
Catherine Zeta Jones, Rugby player Dylan Thomas, BBC News Presenter Huw Edwards and Actor Geraint Wyn Davies all hail from Swansea.