The number of coal mines in Wales in 1913 was 485.

• A. 320
• B. 485
• C. 600
• D. 450

Answer: (B)

This question tests your recall of a specific statistic about Wales’s coal industry before the First World War. The figure 485 is the exact number of coal mines Wales had in 1913 in standard historical references. Because the task is to choose the precise statistic from the material, 485 matches the source data exactly, making it the best choice.

Other numbers are not correct because they don’t reproduce the exact figure used in the typical Welsh mining statistics. A lower total would understate the extent of the mining network, a higher total would overstate it, and 450 is close but not the precise count given in the historical records. Understanding this helps you see how a single precise figure can be used to illustrate the scale of industrial activity in Wales on the eve of the war.