Snowdon, one of Britain's tallest mountains, is to formally adopt its Welsh language name after a vote by national park authorities.
The peak will now be known as Yr Wyddfa (Snowdon) after the Snowdon National Park Authority changed the name "as a mark of respect for our cultural heritage".
More than 5,000 people had previously signed a petition requesting the name change after a councillor last year brought a motion encouraging the authority to drop the English names.
The park committee on Wednesday agreed to the switch after a vote. During the decision, it was announced that the nearby Snowdonia, a Unesco heritage site, will be referred to as Eryri (Snowdonia).
Moves to use the Welsh names in English context have been in motion for several years, with many of the authority’s communications already adopting the names Eryri and Yr Wyddfa, with a reference to the English names in brackets.
The national park will still be legally obliged to use both the Welsh and English names in official documentation.
Naomi Jones, head of cultural heritage at the Snowdonia National Park Authority, said that many public bodies in Wales have already moved to both Welsh and English names, or the Welsh name only.
"This is very encouraging, and gives us confidence that this change in the authority’s approach will be accepted for the benefit of the Welsh language and as a mark of respect to our cultural heritage," she said.
“By referring to our most renowned landmarks by their Welsh names we give people from all over the world the opportunity to engage with the Welsh language and its rich culture,” she added.
The Welsh language has official status in Wales and is said to be spoken by nearly a third of the three-million-strong population.
UK World Heritage Sites - In Pictures
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The slate landscapes of north-west Wales has been added to the illustrious World Heritage List. -
Stonehenge, Avebury and associated sites were added to the Unesco World Heritage List in 1986. -
Hadrian's Wall in Scotland, once a frontier of the Roman Empire, is included on the World Heritage List. -
Caernarfon Castle was included in 1986 as part of the Castles and Town Walls of King Edward in Gwynedd, Wales. -
The Severn River passes through Ironbridge Gorge in Shropshire, England, another Unesco World Heritage Site, on its way to the sea in Bristol. -
The mines at Botallack in Cornwall, England are included in the World Heritage List as part of the Cornwall and West Devon Mining Landscape entry. -
Durham Castle and Cathedral have been on the heritage list since 1986. -
The Forth Bridge in Fife, Scotland, was designed by two English engineers, Sir John Fowler and Sir Benjamin Baker, and built by Sir William Arrol of Glasgow. -
Unesco lists the Heart of Neolithic Orkney in Scotland, as a World Heritage Site, which includes the settlement at Skara Brae, pictured. -
Old and New Towns of Edinburgh, Scotland. -
Saltaire in Yorkshire, England, is a Victorian model village. -
The Giant's Causeway in Northern Ireland is listed, along with the surrounding Causeway Coast. -
Studley Royal Park including the Ruins of Fountains Abbey in Yorkshire, England. -
The Dorset and East Devon Coast, including Durdle Door, pictured, is included on the list. -
Canterbury Cathedral in England. -
Blaenavon Industrial Landscape in Wales. -
Blenheim Palace in Oxfordshire, England. -
The East Silk Mill in Derbyshire. England, part of the Derwent Valley Mills listing. -
The English Lake District in Cumbria. -
Bath, in England, is included in the Great Spas of Europe. -
Jodrell Bank Observatory in Chesire, England, features the 3,200 tonne Lovell telescope. -
The Pontcysyllte Aqueduct and Canal in Wales. -
The Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew in London are popular with local and international visitors. -
New Lanark, Scotland, is considered a milestone in urban planning and development. -
Palace of Westminster and Westminster Abbey in London. -
City of Bath, England. -
Maritime Greenwich in London. -
The isolated St Kilda archipelago is in the North Atlantic, off Scotland. -
A Beefeater and raven at the Tower of London.
