Carmarthenshire is located in South West Wales, and is one of thirteen historic counties. The county is bordered to the north by Ceredigion, to the east by Powys and West Glamorgan and to the west by Pembrokeshire. Its main towns are Llanelli, Carmarthen and Ammanford with other noteable towns being Burry Port, Kidwelly, Llandeilo, Newcastle Emlyn, Llandovery, St. Clears, Whitland and Pendine. Carmarthenshire has a population of approximately 178,000, and although Llanelli is by far the largest town in the county, the county town remains in Carmarthen, mainly due to its central location.

Carmarthenshire has the largest number pf Welsh speakers througout Wales, and according to the 2001 census, 63.6% of the population could understand, speak, read or/and write in Welsh, and around 55% were completely fluent. The main rivers are the Tywi, the Loughor and the Gwendraeth Fawr. The principal industries are agriculture, forestry, fishing and tourism, and the south coast contains many fishing villages and sandy beaches. The surface generally is upland and mountainous. Fforest Fawr and Black Mountain extend into the east of the county and the Cambrian Mountains into the north.

Carmarthenshire became an administrative county with a county council following the Local Government Act 1888. In 1974 the administrative county of Carmarthenshire was abolished, and the area of Carmarthenshire became three districts within the new county of Dyfed : Carmarthen, Dinefwr and Llanelli. Dyfed was abolished as an administrative county in 1996, and the three districts united to form a unitary authority, which had the same boundaries as the original Carmarthenshire.

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