Cardiff-Newport metropolitan area

The Cardiff-Newport metropolitan area is a conurbation in South East Wales in the Gwent and South Glamorgan counties of Wales, United Kingdom. The metropolitan area includes the cities of Cardiff and Newport. Along with the outlying towns of Merthyr Tydfil, Pontypridd, Caerphilly, Bridgend and Ebbw Vale. With these outlying settlements the metropolitan area has a population of 1.97 million. The other towns and settlements outside the area include Swansea, Neath, Port Talbot, Barry, Penarth, Cwmbran, Brecon, Abergavenny and Caldicot alongside the other outlining settlements which are not considered part of the metropolitan area.

The area is commonly referred to on ESPON as the "Cardiff and South Wales Valley metropolitan area". The area is built up along the south coast of Wales and forms the largest built up area in Wales with the only other larger boroughs being the Wrexham County Borough and the Swansea Urban Area. Powys is also the largest county in Wales but is not urbanized and the biggest town is Newtown.

Cardiff is the official capital of Wales since 1955 and has been a city since 1905. Newport only became a city in 2002 and is a relatively new city. The towns of Bridgend, Caerphilly, Ebbw Vale, Merthyr Tydfil and Pontypridd growing around the mining and industrial revolutions. Especially Ebbw Vale which had steelworks. One could describe the towns as the industrial areas of the metropolitan areas with Cardiff and Newport being home to the docks and shipping ports.