Rundown:
The easy answer is that html is the language of web pages.
In Depth:
HTML (Hypertext Markup Language) is a programming language used on the WWW (World Wide Web) in
order to create web pages. Web browsers than interpret the HTML and display it so that users are able to
view it. HTML is actually a very simple language once the basic concepts are understood. Just remember HTML is a
client-side language which means the data is interpreted locally on your computer, not from the server.
W3Schools HTML Tutorial,
HTML Goodies
What is CSS?
Rundown:
They define how to display HTML elements.
In Depth:
CSS (Cascading Style Sheets) define how to display HTML elements. They are normally stored in Style Sheets (.css), they
were added to HTML 4.0 to solve a problem. CSS is a breakthrough in Web design because it allows developers to control the
style and layout of multiple Web pages all at once!
W3Schools CSS Tutorial