United Kingdom

Capital (and largest city) London
Recognised regional languages Irish, Ulster Scots, Scottish Gaelic , Scots, Welsh, Cornish
Ethnic groups (2001) 92.1% White, 4.0% South Asian, 2.0% Black, 1.2% Mixed, 0.4% Chinese, 0.4% Other
Government Parliamentary democracy and constitutional monarchy
- Monarch Queen Elizabeth II
- Prime Minister Gordon Brown MP
Legislature Parliament
- Upper House House of Lords
- Lower House House of Commons
Formation
- Acts of Union 1707 1 May 1707
- Act of Union 1800 1 January 1801
- Anglo-Irish Treaty 12 April 1922
EU accession 1 January 1973
Area
- Total 244,820 km2 (79th) 94,526 sq mi
- Water (%) 1.34
Population
- 2009 estimate 61,612,300 (22nd)
- 2001 census 58,789,194
- Density 246/km2 (48th) 637/sq mi

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland (commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK, or Britain) is a sovereign state located off the northwestern coast of continental Europe. It is an island country, spanning an archipelago including Great Britain, the northeastern part of Ireland, and many small islands. Northern Ireland is the only part of the UK with a land border, sharing it with the Republic of Ireland. Apart from this land border, the UK is surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean, the North Sea, the English Channel and the Irish Sea. The largest island, Great Britain, is linked to France by the Channel Tunnel.

The United Kingdom is a constitutional monarchy and unitary state consisting of four countries: England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales. It is governed by a parliamentary system with its seat of government in London, the capital, but with three devolved national administrations in Belfast, Cardiff and Edinburgh, the capitals of Northern Ireland, Wales and Scotland respectively. The Channel Island bailiwicks of Jersey and Guernsey, and the Isle of Man are Crown Dependencies and not part of the UK. The UK has fourteen overseas territories, all remnants of the British Empire, which at its height in 1922 occupied almost a quarter of the world’s land surface, the largest empire in history. British influence can continue to be observed in the language, culture and legal systems of many of its former colonies.

Northern Ireland was for many years the site of a violent and bitter ethno-political conflict (“The Troubles”) between those claiming to represent Nationalists, who are predominantly Roman Catholic, and those claiming to represent Unionists, who are predominantly Protestant. Unionists want Northern Ireland to remain part of the United Kingdom, while nationalists wish it to be politically united with the rest of Ireland. In general, Unionists consider themselves British (or “Ulstermen”) and Nationalists see themselves as Irish, though these identities are not necessarily mutually exclusive. Since the signing of the “Good Friday Agreement” in 1998, most of the paramilitary groups involved in the Troubles have ceased their armed campaigns.

The UK is a developed country, with the world’s sixth largest economy by nominal GDP and the seventh largest by purchasing power parity. It was the world’s first industrialised country and the world’s foremost power during the 19th and early 20th centuries, but the economic cost of two world wars and the decline of its empire in the latter half of the 20th century diminished its leading role in global affairs. The UK nevertheless remains a major power with strong economic, cultural, military, scientific and political influence. It is a nuclear power and has the fourth highest defence spending in the world. It is a Member State of the European Union, holds a permanent seat on the United Nations Security Council, and is a member of the Commonwealth of Nations, G8, OECD, NATO, and the World Trade Organization.

Please read this message if you want to add your pictures, photos, etc. to this country. Thanks!

Our store related products: