Importance of Cardiff since 1839
In 1801 Cardiff was a small town with a population of 1,870. With the opening of Bute Dock in 1839 Cardiff became a major port- the largest coal-exporting coal in the world by 1900. It was granted city status in 1905 and became the capital city of Wales in 1955. In 2012 it had a population of 340,000.