LANGUAGE extremists are calling for Wales to be known only as Cymru.
More than 12,000 nationalists signed a petition demanding the Welsh Government officially change the name.
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The national football team now refers to itself as Cymru and nationalists are demanding the whole country follows suit.
The petition says: “Wales is a name imposed on Cymru and is not a Welsh word at all.
“The world knows about Wales because of its English connection since 1282.
“Hardly anyone has heard of Cymru or realises we have our own unique language and culture which is totally different from the other countries within the United Kingdom.”
A counter-petition deriding the move as a “pointless waste of taxpayers’ money” has gathered more than 5,000 signatures.
The Welsh Government discussed both petitions and said people could use whatever name they liked.
The row comes after Snowdonia officially became known as Eryri in 2022 and the Brecon Beacons National Park rebranding itself as Bannau Brycheiniog last year.
Other petitions from language extremists have also called for “Welsh names for Welsh places” and axing English spellings of well-known tourist towns.
It would have meant Caerphilly cheese would become Caerffili Cheese and Barry Island would be Ynys y Barri.
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