Monmouthshire. a county in the west of England, bounded NE. by Hereford, E. by Gloucester, S. by the estuary of the Severn, and W. and NW. by South Wales. With a maximum length and breadth of 32 and 28 miles, it contains 578 sq. m., or 370,350 acres, of which more than one-half is under permanent pasture, and about one-twelfth in woods. Pop. (1801) 45,582; (1841) 134,368; (1881) 211,267; (1891) 252,260. Its surface is hilly, especially in the north and northwest (the Sugar Loaf is 1954 feet high), but the Caldicot and Wentloog Levels, which for a distance of 25 miles skirt the southern coast, are so low as to require in places the protection of sea-walls and earthworks. The Wye, with its tributary the Monnow, the Usk, Ebwy, and Rumney, all flowing south into the estuary of the Severn, are the principal rivers. In the rich valleys of the three former wheat is the principal crop raised, whilst on the poorer soils on the west side of the county oats and barley are chiefly grown. There are also extensive orchards. The great wealth, however, of Monmouthshire is derived from its minerals, coal and ironstone abounding in the region of Pontypool and Rhyynney. In 1889 coal weighing 6,751,308 tons and in 1894 the amount of 8,213,156 tons were raised; some 400,000 tons of pig-iron are annually made, and much limestone and other building stone, as also fireclay, produced. The county comprises six hundreds, the municipal boroughs of Monmouth and Newport, and 147 civil parishes. Three members are returned to parliament for the county, and one for the combined borough of Monmouth, Newport, and Usk; the County Council numbers 64. Towns other than the above are Abergavenny, Blaenavon, Caerleon, Chepstow, and Tredegar. Monmouthshire, which until 1535 formed part of Wales, is noted for its beautiful scenery and for the many remains of feudal castles, &c. scattered throughout it. Of these the finest examples are the castles of Raglan, Caldicot, and Chepstow, and the abbeys of Llanthony and
Tintern. See the county histories by Williams (1796) and Coxe (1801).