Understand
Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch lan-vire-pool-guin-gith-go-ger-u-queern-drob-ooth-clandus-ilio-gogo-goch is a Welsh word which translates roughly as "St Mary's Church in the Hollow of the White Hazel near a Rapid Whirlpool and the Church of St. Tysilio near the Red Cave". The name was coined as a publicity gimmick in the 1860s by concatenating the names of Llanfairpwllgwyngyll "St Mary's church in the hollow of the white hazel", the nearby hamlet of Llantysilio Gogogoch "the church of St Tysilio of the red cave", and the chwyrn drobwll "rapid whirlpool" between them. It was the longest place name in an English-speaking country, but has been challenged by Llanfynydd which unofficially changed its name to something longer and a train stop elsewhere in Wales, but neither of these has received official recognition. A hill in New Zealand has the 85-character name derived from Maori of Taumatawhakatangihangakoauauotamateapokaiwhenuakitanatahu.
Locals refer to the village as Llanfair, or as Llanfair PG pronounced roughly "Hlan-var Pee Gee" to distinguish it from other places in Wales called "Llanfairsomething". Although typed as 58 characters, it is technically only 50 letters, because in Welsh ll ng and ch are treated as single letters.
The village is divided into two sections. The upper village has mostly older residences and the lower village has newer commercial buildings and the train station.
