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landmarks and attractions.
Here are some interesting UK Facts which were choosen and researched by kids especially for kids.
The United Kingdom includes four countries. First let's start with explaining the distinctions between
United Kingdom, Great Britain and Britain.
UK: United Kingdom is an European country that includes four separate countries on the British isles:
England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales.
Great Britain is the name for three nations on the main isle: England, Scotland and Wales
Britain is used only for including the mainland countries England and Wales
Language: English
National Holiday: none, however, the Queen's official birthday is a celebrated public holiday on the
second Saturday in June.
National Symbol: Lion (national animal), Union Jack (national flag) and the national colours: blue, white
and red
History: In 1707, the first political union of the Kingdom of England which then included Wales and
Scotland was formed. In 1922 Northern Ireland joined this Union. From 1835 until 1925 the city of
London was the largest city in the world. In 1927 the UK was officially proclaimed. From 1973 - 2020, the
UK was part of the European Union.
The UK consists of four countries: England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
No location in the UK is further away from the sea than 125 km/ 77 miles!
The only land border to a non-UK country is in Northern Ireland the border with Ireland.
The United Kingdom is slightly smaller than the state of Oregon/USA and slightly bigger than Ghana.
The UK lies on the prime meridian which marks the Greenwich meridian timezone (GMT).
The UK has 13 British overseas territories, among them are Cayman Islands and British Virgin Islands in
the Caribbean, Gibraltar on the Iberian Peninsula and Saint Helena in the South Atlantic Ocean.
The United Kingdom was part of the European Union from 1973 and left the EU on 31 January 2020. A
transition period until 31 December 2020 is currently taking place until new arrangements between the
EU and the UK are in place. Read more about the European Union here.
Geo Superlatives
The UK has the longest coastline in Europe with 12 430 km/ 7 723 miles.
The United Kingdom's highest mountain is Ben Nevis in Scotland with 1 345 m/4 412 ft.
Loch Ness is the largest fresh water lake (by volume) in the UK.
The longest river in the UK is the river Severn with 354 km/ 220 miles.
The largest country of the UK is England. The smallest country is Northern Ireland.
Bishop Rock off the Scilly Isles in southern England is the smallest of the UK islands.
UK Facts | UK Landmarks
London: The capital city has many attractions. London’s Shard skyscraper is the tallest building on the
European continent with 310 m/1,015 ft. in height.
Edinburgh: The capital city of Scotland is known for its castle and the Royal mile. The International Fringe
Festival in the city attracts more than 250 000 visitors every year!
Edinburgh Castle
Edinburgh Castle
Windsor: This quaint town in Southern England is also known for its castle, which is a royal residence
built in the 11th century. Windsor castle is the largest inhabited castle in the world.
Windsor Castle
Windsor Castle
Stonehenge is known as the oldest monument in the world dating back over 3 000 years and thus these
huge rocks are older than the Pyramids.
Stonehenge
Stonehenge
Loch Ness: Scotland might be know as the country of the Loch Ness monster, however, no proof could
ever be obtained about Nessie. The Loch Ness monster is commonly known as Nessie. Did you know that
'loch' is Scottish and means 'lake'?
Cardiff: The capital city of Wales is often referred to as the 'City of Arcades'. Cardiff has the most indoor
shopping centres in the UK. However, the Welsh city also has many historic houses and castles that are
worth a visit.
Cardiff in Wales
Cardiff in Wales
Belfast: Northern Irelands main business center is located on the banks of the Lagan River. The city has
one of the biggest ports of the UK. Shipbuilding was a major sector for the city in the last century and
once had the biggest shipyard in the world where the RMS Titanic was built in 1912. At the Titanic
Belfast you can learn about the story of the fateful ship and its voyage.
UK People
The UK is a country with a diverse and multiethnic population. People from all over the world have made
this country their home.
Most of the population of the UK (83%) live in urban areas only about 20% live in rural areas. The
majority of Britons live in and around the main centres of London, Manchester, Birmingham, Glasgow
and Edinburgh, Cardiff and Belfast.
Birmingham, Manchester and Glasgow are also cities with more than 1 million inhabitants.
The most popular sports are soccer, rugby, cricket and golf. All these sports are said to have been
invented in the UK. Golf is said to have been invented already in 1457. The old golf course in St
Andrews/Scotland is the oldest golf course in the world.
St Andrews in Scotland
The UK has over 130 universities among them the most prestigious universities Oxford and Cambridge.
Queen Elizabeth II is the longest reigning monarch in the world. She reigns in the UK for 60 years + on
the throne. In 1953 Queen Elizabeth II ascended the throne when her father died. Queen Elizabeth II is
the longest reigning royal in the world and still head of state of 16 Commonwealth countries.
William Shakespeare
William Shakespeare (1564 - 1616): nicknamed 'The Bard', Shakespeare is the world's biggest playwright.
His works 'Romeo and Juliet', 'Macbeth' and 'Hamlet' are known by people from all over the world.
Shakespeare's Globe theatre in London is a great place to experience a play or learn about his famous
plays.
Florence Nightingale
Florence Nightingale (1820 - 1910): the English social reformer opened the first school for professional
nursing in 1860 and helped spreading medical knowledge. She travelled widely in Egypt and Greece
before she worked and trained nurses in the Crimean War. She was nicknamed the 'lady with a lamp'.
J.K. Rowling: author of 'Harry Potter' book series who became the first author who earn one billion US
dollar in her career as a writer in 2014. The seven fantasy novels tell about the adventures of the young
wizard Harry Potter and his friends.
The main language spoken in the UK is British English. Scots, Welsh and Irish are also spoken. There are
also four Celtic languages spoken: Scottish Gaelic, Irish Gaelic, Welch and Cornish.
In Wales, Welsh names are given on road signs together with English names which makes traveling much
easier for many.
The ancient languages Scottisch Gaelic, Irish Gaelic, Welsh and Breton are still spoken in England but only
by groups of people.
Did you know that French was actually the official language in the UK for about three hundred years,
from 1066-1362! The Breton language is nowadays mostly spoken by the people in Brittany in
northwestern France.
UK pound notes
The UK is the world’s sixth largest economy after USA, China, Japan, Germany and India.
The United Kingdom is the third largest economy after Germany and France on the European continent.
The USA, Germany, France and China are the UK's biggest trading parters.
UK symbols: Minicooper and telephone booth - image by 1000Words/shutterstock.com
BP (British Petroleum)
AstraZeneca (Pharmaceuticals)
GlaxoSmithKline (health products and pharmaceuticals such as Dr Best oral health care, Horlicks malted
drinks)
Unilever (food, household and health care products such as Omo or Skip washing powder, Axe
deodorant, Lipton tea or Magnum icecream.
Major natural resources are coal, petroleum, natural gas, iron-ore, limestone and zinc.
UK Facts | UK Food
Food and soft drinks are among the main manufactured goods in the UK, still almost half of its food stuff
consumed on the British isles is imported to meet the populations needs.
Typical English Breakfast with fried egg, sausages, bacon, black pudding, baked beans, tomatoes and
toast
Fish and Chips: deep fried fish or fish fingers with french fries that have been soaked with vinegar
Black Pudding: sausage or sliced meatloaf of pigs blood and fat that has been mixed with pepper or
spices and cooked or fried.
Yorkshire Pudding: similar to a flat round roll, eaten usually with the main meal and vegetables, not a
dessert
Yorkshire Pudding
Yorkshire Pudding with roast beef, peas, potato mash and turnip mash is a typical Sunday meal
Toad-In-The-Hole: Similar to a Yorkshire pudding, the dough is baked with sausages and mixed
vegetables
Haggis: Traditional Scottish dish made with lamb's offal (liver, lungs, heart) minced with onions and
spices. The minced meats is cooked in a casing, formerly they used an animal's stomach. This dish tastes
much better than it sounds! This dish is often served with mashed potatoes and mashed turnips.
Baked Beans on Toast: Baked beans in tomato sauce are especially popular among children.
Shepherd's Pie: meat pie filled with lamb mince and vegetables.
And Britons like curries, albeit mild ones. Chicken Korma and Chicken Tikka have been voted among most
popular dishes in the UK.
Chicken Tikka
And as many of you might have guessed already: the British are big tea drinkers and are among the
world’s biggest tea consumers.
Afternoon tea is actually a light meal of tea and sandwiches or toast, scones or pastry served in between
lunch and tea. Afternoon tea is taken around 16h and 17h in many families when children come home
from school. Tea time!
UK Facts | UK animals
The largest mammal in the UK is the red deer. Various species of deer and rabbits are common in the UK.
Red Deer in Scotland
Badgers, foxes and hedgehogs live in the woodlands and forests of the isles.
The UK was the first to use postage stamps: In 1840 the first stamps show a portrait of Queen Victoria.
The first postage stamp called 'Penny Black' as it was worth one penny and was black.
And last but not least: The UK is one of only five countries that do not have a written constitution but
follows a common law system.
Popular Pages
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UK Government. "The UK has left the EU - The Transition Period." gov.uk. Last accessed 10 February 2020
Central Intelligence Agency. “United Kingdom”. CIA World Fact Book. Last updated 27 January 2020. Last
accessed 30 January 2020
Immediate Media. "What is Haggis?". BBC Good Food. Last accessed 10 February 2020