Official Name: Wales

Area: Europe

Size: 20,779 km²

Coastline: 1,200 km

Independence: text

Form of Govt.: Constitutional monarchy

Head of Govt.: First Minister

Capital: Cardiff

Largest City: Cardiff

Demographics (2005): 2,958,600.   140 /km² 

British: 95.99%, Irish: 0.61%, other: 1.28%

GDP per Capita (2005): $23,741 

Languages: Welsh, English

Geography: n the south, flat coastal plains gives way to valleys, then to ranges of hills and mountains in mid and north Wales. There are three national parks and five areas of outstanding natural beauty, which cover a quarter of the land mass of Wales. 80% of the land is dedicated to agriculture, ranging from crops to livestock. The largest mountains in the north are part of the Snowdonia range, with the largest mountain being Snowdon at 1,085 metres.

Climate: Wales has a maritime climate dominated by highly unpredictable shifts in Atlantic air masses, which, combined with the diverse range of elevations, often cause local conditions to vary considerably from day to day. Precipitation is frequent and often more than adequate, with annual totals averaging 1,385 mm for the country as a whole. There is no markedly wet or dry season. Winter snowfall can be significant in the uplands, where snow or sleet falls some 10 days of each year. The mean diurnal temperature is 10 degrees, ranging from 4 degrees in January to 16 degrees in July and August.