Wales is part of Britain and the United Kingdom. It's situated to the west of England and is around 170 miles (256 km) long and 60 miles (96 km) wide. It covers just over 8,000 square miles (20,720 km²). Wales has a moderate climate, very similar to the rest of the UK, but it can also be slightly unpredictable! The mountainous nature of thelandscape and the shape of the coast mean that the weather can differ quite dramatically within a very short distance. Weather also changes quite quickly here- it could be raining in the morning and gloriously sunny by the afternoon. The temperature in winter months averages around 6°C with summer months climbing up to 20°C. However, conditions in the upland areas can be changeable throughout the entire year. They all speak English in Wales but the Welsh language is thriving. It’s spoken fluently by around half a million people in Wales, that’s about 19% of the population. It’s called Cymraeg, and is a language with entirely regular and phonetic spelling. The place names may look complicated but once you know the rules, you can learn to read and pronounce Welsh fairly easily. Few things can inspire more Welsh pride than a full house at the Millennium Stadium. Singing the National anthem at the rugby has even been said to be characteristically Welsh.