WALES FACT FILE

Wales is part of Britain and the United Kingdom. It is bordered by England to the east, the Irish Sea to the north and west, and the Bristol Channel to the south. It had a population in 2011 of 3,063,456 and has a total area of 20,779 km2, that's about the same size as Massachusetts in the USA or half the size of Switzerland.. Wales has over 1,680 miles (2,700 km) of coastline and is largely mountainous, with its higher peaks in the north and central areas, including Snowdon (Yr Wyddfa), its highest summit. The country lies within the north temperate zone and has a changeable, maritime climate.

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Although the majority of people living in Wales can speak English, the Welsh language continues to thrive. Half a million people in Wales can speak Welsh; that’s around 19% of the population.

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Welsh is a Celtic language closely related to Cornish and Breton and it is one of Europe’s oldest living languages; the Welsh spoken today is directly descended from the language of the sixth century.

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