United Kingdom

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United Kingdom's Information


Capital	London
Languages	English
Ethnic Groups	White 87.2%, black/African/Caribbean/black British 3%, Asian/Asian British: Indian 2.3%, Asian/Asian British: Pakistani 1.9%, mixed 2%, other 3.7% (2011 est.)
Religion	Christian (includes Anglican, Roman Catholic, Presbyterian, Methodist) 59.5%, Muslim 4.4%, Hindu 1.3%, other 2%, unspecified 7.2%, none 25.7% (2011 est.)
Government	Parliamentary constitutional monarchy; a Commonwealth realm
Independance	12 April 1927 (Royal and Parliamentary Titles Act establishes current name of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland); notable earlier dates: 927 (minor English kingdoms united); 3 March 1284 (enactment of the Statute of Rhuddlan uniting England and Wales); 1536 (Act of Union formally incorporates England and Wales); 1 May 1707 (Acts of Union formally unite England and Scotland as Great Britain); 1 January 1801 (Acts of Union formally unite Great Britain and Ireland as the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland); 6 December 1921 (Anglo-Irish Treaty formalizes partition of Ireland; six counties remain part of the United Kingdom and Northern Ireland)
Area	243,610.00 km²
Water Area	1,680.00 km²
Land Area	241,930.00 km²
Population	64,430,428.00 The core of the population lies in and around London, with significant clusters found in central Britain around Manchester and Liverpool, in the Scotish lowlands between Endinburgh and Glasgow, southern Wales in and around Cardiff, and far eastern Northern Ireland centered on Belfast
Location	Western Europe, islands - including the northern one-sixth of the island of Ireland - between the North Atlantic Ocean and the North Sea; northwest of France
No. Bordering Countries	1
Bordering Countries	Ireland 443 km
GDP(PPP)	$2,790,000,000,000.00 (USD)
GDP (Per Capita)	$42,500.00 (USD)
Export Partners	Its major export partners are the United States, Germany, and Switzerland.
Export Commodities	Its main exports are manufactured goods, fuels, chemicals, and food.
Import Partners	Its major import partners are Germany, China, and the United States.
Import Commodities	Its major imports include manufactured goods, machinery, fuels, and foodstuffs.
Climate	Baker, Howland, and Jarvis Islands:?equatorial; scant rainfall, constant wind, burning sun
Terrain	Mostly rugged hills and low mountains; level to rolling plains in east and southeast

Where is United Kingdom?

Located in Western Europe, the United Kingdom has a 443.00 km border with Ireland. It has a 12,429.00 km coastline. The UK is involved in territory disputes with Gibraltar and Argentina.

London is the capital city of the United Kingdom. It lies on the south-east of the island of Great Britain having been first established as a town in 50 AD by Romans. London became a capital city of England and later the United Kingdom in the thirteenth century when the English capital relocated to London after the Palace of Westminster became the official residence of the monarch and thus the political capital of the nation. This city has a population of approximately 8,787,892 while the extended area of Metropolitan Region has a population of 13,709,000. London has numerous tourist draws including four UNESCO World Heritage Sites. The climate is temperate oceanic which is characterized by warm summers, cool winters, and an annual temperature range that shows little variation. Average summertime day temperatures in London range between 68 °F and 78.8 °F. Winters in London are generally cold, cloudy and damp with little temperature variation and occasional snowfall.

The United Kingdom is a European country covering 243,610.00 km² of which 0.69% is water and 241,930.00 km² is land. The area includes Rockall and Shetland Islands. This makes it the 78th largest country in the world and twice the size of Pennsylvania; slightly smaller than Oregon. Its geographic coordinates are 54 00 N, 2 00 W and London is the capital city.

The term "Great Britian" dates back to medieval times, and was used to distinguish it from Brittany, in France.

Its ISO code is GB.

Geography

The United Kingdom has a mean elevation of 162 m above sea level.

The islands have subtropical and tropical climates. The terrain is mostly made up of rugged hills and low mountains, which turn into plains in the east and southeast.

Population

United Kingdom has a population of 64,430,428 making it the 22nd largest in the world. The majority of the population lives within reasonable distance to London.

English is the most commonly spoken language. The most commong ethnic group reported is white. The majority of the population identifies with Protestant Christianity, with a significant amount identifying as non-religious.

English is the de facto official language of the United Kingdom. The English used in the United Kingdom is referred to as British English. This distinction is made because the language differs with other countries that use English like American English in both written and spoken form. The pronunciation also differs in other commonwealth states who use British English. There are 6 official minority languages in the UK, namely Welsh, Scots, Scottish Gaelic, Irish, Ulster Scots, and Cornish. British English, however, has in itself disparities amongst the four constituent countries of the UK, as well as within the countries themselves.

The dialing code for the country is 44.

Government

United Kingdom is an independent country. The Royal and Parliamentary Titles Act established the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland in 1927. The United Kingdom does not have a specific document named as the constitution.

The United Kingdom has a central government called Her Majesty’s Government. The Cabinet under the Prime Minister forms the executive wing of government. The government also has a bicameral Parliament and a Judiciary. The Palace of Westminster, in central London, houses the British Parliament and has been in existence since the thirteenth century, although it has undergone many readjustments. 10 Downing Street is the headquarters of government and official residence of the Prime Minister. Buckingham Palace is the official London residence and administrative headquarters of the reigning monarch. General elections happen after every five years for six elective seats. The Prime Minister can remain in office as long as he/she wins the House of Commons seat and maintain popularity in the majority party.

Economy

Factoring in Purchasing Power Parity, United Kingdom's GDP is $2,790,000,000,000.00 (USD) with $42,500.00 (USD) per capita. This makes it the 9th largest economy and its citizens the 37th richest in the world. The currency of United Kingdom is the Pound (GBP).

Its major export partners are the United States, Germany, and Switzerland. Its main exports are manufactured goods, fuels, chemicals, and food. Its major import partners are Germany, China, and the United States. Its major imports include manufactured goods, machinery, fuels, and foodstuffs.

Flag

The flag of the UK, also known as the Union Jack, brings together symbols of the four constituent countries that make up the UK: Wales, England, Scotland, and Northern Ireland. The regions used their flags for military purposes until the monarchy saw the need for a union flag, leading to the adoption of the Union Jack in 1801. As of 2007, and mainly because of Scotland’s quest for secession, there have been calls for additional redesigns.