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Rhondda Cynon Taf (Welsh pronunciation: [ˈr̥ɔnða ˈkənɔn ˈtaːv]; RCT; also spelt as Rhondda Cynon Taff) is a county borough in the south-east of Wales. It consists of five valleys: the Rhondda Fawr, Rhondda Fach, Cynon, Taff (Welsh: Taf) and Ely valleys, plus a number of towns and villages away from the valleys. Results from the 2011 census showed 19.1% of its 234,410 residents self-identified as having some ability in the use of the Welsh language. The county borough borders Merthyr Tydfil County Borough and Caerphilly County Borough to the east, Cardiff and the Vale of Glamorgan to the south, Bridgend County Borough and Neath Port Talbot to the west and Powys to the north. Its principal towns are - Aberdare, Llantrisant with Talbot Green and Pontypridd, with other key settlements/towns being - Maerdy, Ferndale, Hirwaun, Llanharan, Mountain Ash, Porth, Tonypandy, Tonyrefail and Treorchy. The most populous individual town in Rhondda Cynon Taf is Aberdare (Welsh: Aberdâr) with a population of 39,550 (2011), followed by Pontypridd with 32,694 (2011). The largest built-up area as defined by the Office for National Statistics is the Tonypandy built-up area, with a population of 62,545 (2011), which covers much of the Rhondda valley. The National Eisteddfod will be held at Rhondda Cynon Taf in 2024, postponed twice from 2022.
