Aberystwyth is a historic market town, administrative centre and holiday resort within Ceredigion, Mid Wales.
In modern times Aberystwyth has become a major Welsh educational centre. The indigenous population is around 12,000, but is swelled by an additional 9,250 (2005) students associated with the University of Wales, Aberystwyth. Thus for nine months of the year, Aberystwyth's population is around 21,000 people. The world's first department in international politics was established in Aberystwyth in 1919. It is also the home of the only AMBA accredited MBA programme in Wales.
Aberystwyth is a major tourist centre and a cultural link between the north and south of Wales. Constitution Hill is scaled by the Aberystwyth Electric Cliff Railway giving access to fine views and other attractions at the top, while much of the finest scenery in Mid Wales lies within easy reach of the town. This includes the wilderness of the Cambrian Mountains, whose valleys contain forests and meadows which have little changed in centuries.
Although the town is relatively modern, it contains a number of historic buildings, including the remains of the castle and the imposing but fantastic structure of the old buildings of the University College of Wales nearby. The new university campus overlooks Aberystwyth from Penglais Hill to the east of the town centre.
The architecture is a mix of Gothic, Classical revival and Victorian, and the town is sometimes referred to as "the Oxford of Wales".
The town is generally regarded as the capital of Mid Wales, and several institutions have regional offices there. Perhaps the most important of the public bodies located in Aberystwyth is the National Library of Wales. The library also incorporates the National Screen and Sound Archive of Wales, one of six British regional film archives. The Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Wales, which maintains and curates the National Monuments Record of Wales (NMRW), provides the public with information about the built heritage of Wales.