United Kingdom - InfoBarrel

Full Name
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
Population
Approximately 61 million.
Location
The United Kingdom is located on the extreme Western edge of Europe. The mainland of Great
Britain includes England, Scotland and Wales. Northern Ireland occupies the North Eastern corner
of the island of Ireland. The UK's nearest neighbors are France which lies approximately 20 miles to
the west - across the English Channel - and the Republic of Ireland with which it shares a border.
Origins
Western Europe was the end point for waves of migration across Europe in the Iron Age. In the 6th
Century,the Angles and the Saxons migrated from Northern Europe and displaced the ancient
Britons from lowland Britain.

In 1066 the Normans- originally a Viking people who had settled in Northern France and absorbed

French customs- conquered Anglo-Saxon England. The merger of Norman and Anglo-Saxon culture
eventually created a politically separate England with the English Language and English Common
Law.

After centuries of warfare England, Wales, Scotland and Ireland were unified by a series of Acts of
Union and other legisaltion. In the early twentieth century, a struggle for independence saw most of
Ireland break away from the UK to leave the country with its present borders.
Modern History
From the 16th to the twentieth centuries the UK was a colonial power with possessions across the
globe. Following the Industrial Revolution (which began in the 1750's in Northern England), Britain
became the richest country in the world. Its technology allowed it to become the world's most
dominant maritime power for nearly two centuries.
At its height, the British Empire covered approximately a quarter of the globe and included at one
time India, Canada, Australia, Singapore, Malaya, South Africa and Hong Kong as well as the 13
states of America that rebelled in 1788.
Rivalry with Germany in the twentieth century resulted in 2 World Wars and weakened the country
to the point that it was nearly bankrupt. Lacking both the political desire and financial capacity to
maintain its empire, the UK gradually withdrew from its former colonies. Hong Kong, its last major
possession, was returned to China in 1984.
It is now a prosperous, highly influential medium sized nation.
Government
The United Kingdom is a constitutional monarchy. The pre-eminent legislative assemblies are the
House of Commons and the Houses of Lords, both located in London. Members of the House of
Commons are elected. Members of the House of Lords are largely appointed by the Government on
the basis of public service.
There is no written constitution; political conduct is governed by tradition, precedent and commonly
agreed practice. The Queen is the head of state with the power to form governments- though only
under the advice of the elected party with the largest number of representatives.
There two main political parties are the Conservative Party and the Labour Party. The Liberal Party
is a significant minor party.
Separate elected assemblies for Scotland and Wales also exist. They have fewer powers than the
London assemblies.The Northern Ireland Asembley is presently suspended.
Law
English common law.
Climate

Temperate. The summers are cool, wet and brief. The country is warmed by the Gulf Stream and, in
most areas, winter temperatures rarely fall far below zero.
Geography
England is mainly Hair Chalk hilly lowland with no genuine mountains. Scotland is mountainous with
a central lowland area. Wales is mountainous with lowland coastal areas. Northern Ireland is mainly
lowland.
London is the capital city of the UK with a population of approximately 8 million. Important
secondary cities are Birmingham and Manchester.
The capital of Scotland is Edingurgh. The capital of Wales is Cardiff.
Demographics
Ethnic Groups:
White 91.2% (English 83.6%, Scottish 8.6%, Welsh 4.9%, Northern Irish 2.9%)
Black 2%,
Indian 1.8%,
Pakistani 1.3%,
Mixed 1.2%,
Other 1.6%
Language
English
Religion
The Established Church is Anglican with many minority Christian faiths. Other important faiths are
Islam and Hinduism.
Britain is a largely secular country with two thirds of Britains having no connection to any church
according to recent surveys.
Culture
Following the English Reformation, the UK became hair chalk sticks almost completely protestant. It
abandoned large scale religious music and painting and made few contributions to the world of
music or visual arts until the 20th Century. The country has excelled in science, engineering and
economics, however.
Many advances made in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries in the UK laid the groundwork for
the modern world. These included the invention of the steam engine, the first extensive rail and

metalled road systems, large scale civil engineering projects such as suspension bridges, a national
postal service and the development of a police force. In the twentieth century, the UK was the first
country to introduce extensive radio and TV services.
The UK is also noted for its literature with figures such as William Shakespeare, the Bronte sisters
and D.H. Lawrence.
In the second half of the 20th century the country produced some of the most influential popular
music of the period. Noted performers included the Beatles, Pink Floyd, the Rolling Stones, Sting
and The Sex Pistols.
Sports
Many popular sports have their origins in the UK including Association Football, Rugby Football,
Cricket, Golf, Tennis, Badminton, Queensberry Rules Boxing and Hockey.
Food
English food has been viewed as some of the least appealing in the world. Migrants from the
Indian sub continent have made curries the most popular dish in the UK in the present day.