Rhondda, or Rhondda Valley (Welsh: Cwm Rhondda) is a former coal-mining valley in Wales, consisting of 16 communities all built around the River Rhondda.
The valley is actually made up of two valleys, the larger Rhondda Fawr valley and the smaller Rhondda Fach valley. Both the singular term 'Rhondda Valley' and the plural 'Rhondda Valleys' are commonly used. Rhondda is part of the county borough of Rhondda Cynon Taff. The Rhondda Valley is one of the South Wales Valleys.
The Rhondda Valley is most notable for its historical link to the coal mining industry which was at its peak between 1840-1925 AD. The Rhondda Valleys were home to a strong early nonconformist Christian movement which manifested itself in the baptist chapels which moulded Rhondda values in the 19th and early 20th century. Rhondda is also famous for strong masculine cultural ties within a social community which expressed itself outside industry in the form of male voice choirs, rugby union, trade unions and public house life.
The larger of the two valleys, the Rhondda Fawr, extends from Porth and rises through the valley until it reaches Blaenrhondda, near Treherbert.
The settlements that make up the Rhondda Fawr are as follows:
* Blaencwm a district of Treherbert.
* Blaenrhondda a district of Treherbert.
* Cwm Clydach a community.
* Cwmparc a district of Treorchy.
* Cymmer a district of Porth.
* Dinas Rhondda a district of Penygraig.
* Edmondstown a district of Penygraig.
* Gelli a district of Ystrad
* Glynfach a district of Cymmer
* Llwynypia a community.
* Pentre a community.
* Penygraig a community
* Porth a community that sees itself as the unofficial capital of the Rhondda, mainly due to its geographic location.
* Ton Pentre a district of Pentre.
* Tonypandy a community.
* Trealaw a community.
* Trebanog a district of Cymmer
* Trehafod the most southernmost and smallest of the Rhondda Valley communities.
* Treherbert a community.
* Treorchy the largest community in either of the valleys.
* Tynewydd a district of Treherbert
* Williamstown a district of Penygraig.
* Ynyswen a district of Treorchy.
* Ystrad a community.
Rhondda Fach
The Rhondda Fach is celebrated in the 1971 David Alexander song 'If I could see the Rhondda'; the valley includes Wattstown, Ynyshir, Pontygwaith, Ferndale, Tylorstown and Maerdy. The settlements that make up the Rhondda Fawr are as follows:
* Blaenllechau a district of Ferndale.
* Ferndale a community.
* Maerdy a community.
* Penrhys a district of Tylorstown.
* Pontygwaith a district of Tylorstown.
* Tylorstown a community.
* Stanleytown a district of Tylorstown.
* Wattstown a district of Ynyshir.
* Ynyshir a community.
