San Jose is at the heart of Silicon Valley

He told 500 guests: "We want to recruit you as unpaid ambassadors for Wales."

The Welsh Americans were gathered in the heart of Silicon Valley to hear Mr Morgan at the Festival of Wales 2001, a weekend meeting staged by the Welsh American Society of Northern California.

On Friday, the first minister appeared in a live-phone in on the San Francisco Bay radio station KQED in the heart of the dot.com region.

He talked of plans to create a Welsh version of Silicon Valley back at home.

Mr Morgan has frequently spoken of his desire to model the Welsh business environment on the entrepreneurial knowledge economy of the valley.

Dynamic Wales

Speaking after the festival's banquet, he asked the ex-patriates to help develop a dynamic, prosperous Wales to where future descendents would return to live and work.

"Although the claim that Prince Madog discovered America has yet to be proven, there is no doubt that the Welsh made a major contribution to the development of modern democracy in the USA.

"The radical and democratic ideals from Wales had a major effect on the constitution of the USA and how it works.

We want to recruit you as unpaid ambassadors for Wales

Rhodri Morgan, First Minister for Wales

"It may have taken 200 years for the principle of devolution to wash back to Wales, but we have it and we have to make that system work."

Mr Morgan unveiled a new website and video which offer promotional views of Wales.

Dubbed "Wales. World Nation," the website is available in English, Spanish, French, German and Japanese.

Users around the world can subscribe for news on managing businesses in Wales."

Folk musician and political activist Dafydd Iwan joined the First Minister and guests at the Fairmont Hotel in San Jose.

Mr Morgan's Californian trip will be rounded off by a mini-eisteddfod and traditional Gymanfa Ganu singing session on Monday.