United Kingdom

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United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
Flag Royal coat of arms
Motto "Dieu et mon droit" 2  (French) "God and my right"
Anthem God Save the Queen 3
Location of the  United Kingdom  (dark green) – on the European continent  (light green & dark grey) – in the European Union  (light green)
Capital		London 51°30′N, 0°7′W
Largest conurbation (population)		Greater London Urban Area
Official languages		English (de facto)4
Government		constitutional monarchy (Parliamentary democracy)
-	Monarch	Queen Elizabeth II
-	Prime Minister	Tony Blair
Formation
-	Acts of Union	1 May 1707
-	Act of Union	1 January 1801
-	Anglo-Irish Treaty	12 April 1922
Accession to the European Union		1 January 1973
Area
-	Total	244,820 km² (79th) 94,526 sq mi
-	Water (%)	1.34
Population
-	2007 estimate	61,100,835 (22nd)
-	2001 census	58,789,1945
-	Density	243 /km² (48th) 629 /sq mi
GDP (PPP)		2006 estimate
-	Total	$1.903 trillion (6th)
-	Per capita	$31,400 (21st)
GDP (nominal)		2006 estimate
-	Total	$2.198 trillion6 (5th)
-	Per capita	$38,624 (13th)
Gini? (1999)		36.8 (medium)
HDI (2006)		0.940 (high) (18th)
Currency		British Pound (£) (GBP)
Time zone		GMT (UTC+0)
-	Summer (DST)	BST (UTC+1)
Internet TLD		.uk7
Calling code		+44
1	In the UK and Dependencies, some other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous (regional) languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, the UK's official name is as follows: Cornish: An Rywvaneth Unys a Vreten Veur hag Iwerdhon Glédh; Irish: Ríocht Aontaithe na Breataine Móire agus Thuaisceart Éireann; Scots: Unitit Kinrick o Graet Breetain an Northren Irland; Scottish Gaelic: An Rìoghachd Aonaichte na Breatainn Mhòr agus Eirinn a Tuath; Welsh: Teyrnas Gyfunol Prydain Fawr a Gogledd Iwerddon.
2	This is the royal motto. In Scotland, the royal motto is the Latin phrase Nemo Me Impune Lacessit ("No-one provokes me with impunity"). There is also a variant form of the coat-of-arms for use in Scotland; see Royal coat of arms of the United Kingdom.
3	See #Symbols below. It also serves as the Royal anthem.
4	In addition to English (use established by precedent), Welsh is recognised in Wales as a "language of equal standing".[1][2] Since 2005, Scottish Gaelic has enjoyed the status of "an official language of Scotland commanding equal respect to the English language".[3] See also Languages in the United Kingdom.
5	From the 2001 Census
6	CIA Factbook. Official estimate provided by the UK Office for National Statistics.[4]
7	ISO 3166-1 alpha-2 is GB, but .gb is practically unused. The .eu domain is also shared with other European Union member states.

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland (usually shortened to the United Kingdom, the UK, or Britain)^[5] is a sovereign state to the northwest of mainland Europe. It includes the island of Great Britain and the north-east part of the island of Ireland, together with many small local islands. Northern Ireland is the only part of the UK with a land border, sharing it with the Republic of Ireland.^[6][7][8]

The United Kingdom is bounded by the Atlantic Ocean and its ancillary bodies of water, the North Sea, the English Channel, the Celtic Sea, St George's Channel and the Irish Sea. It is linked to France by the Channel Tunnel.

The United Kingdom is a constitutional monarchy comprising four constituent countries: England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. The current monarch is Queen Elizabeth II who is also Queen and Head of State of fifteen other Commonwealth Realms including Canada, Australia, New Zealand and Jamaica. The Crown Dependencies of the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man, formally possessions of the Crown, form a federacy with the United Kingdom. The UK has fourteen overseas territories,^[9] all remnants of the British Empire, which at its height encompassed almost a quarter of the world's surface.

The UK was a great power during the 19th century but the cost of two world wars and the decline of its empire during the latter half of the 20th century diminished its status in global affairs. The UK remains an important political, economic and nuclear military power. It holds a permanent seat on the United Nations Security Council and is a member of the G8, the European Union and the Commonwealth of Nations.

Contents 1 History 2 Government and politics 3 Law 4 Geography 4.1 Topography 4.2 Climate 4.3 Cities and urban areas 4.3.1 Largest cities 4.3.2 Urban areas 5 Demography 5.1 Population 5.2 Migration and ethnicity 5.3 Language 5.4 Religion 5.4.1 Christianity 5.4.2 Islam 5.4.3 Dharmic Religions 5.4.4 Irreligion 6 Economy 7 Currency 8 Transport 9 Administrative subdivisions 10 Foreign relations 11 Armed Forces 12 Culture 12.1 Cinema 12.2 Education 12.3 Engineering and innovation 12.4 Literature 12.5 Media 12.5.1 Broadcasting 12.5.2 Print 12.6 Music 12.7 Philosophy 12.8 Science 12.9 Sport 12.10 Visual art 13 Symbols 14 See also 15 Miscellaneous data 16 References 17 External links

[edit] History

Main article: History of the United Kingdom

The Kingdom of England and the Kingdom of Scotland had existed as separate sovereign and independent states with their own monarchs and political structures since the 9th century. The once independent Principality of Wales fell under the control of English monarchs from the Statute of Rhuddlan in 1284. Under the Acts of Union 1707, England (including Wales) and Scotland, which had been in personal union since the Union of the Crowns in 1603, agreed to a political union in the form of a unified Kingdom of Great Britain.^[10] The Act of Union 1800 united the Kingdom of Great Britain with the Kingdom of Ireland, which had been gradually brought under English control between 1541 and 1691, to form the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland in 1801.^[11] Independence for the Republic of Ireland in 1922 followed the partition of the island of Ireland two years previously, with six of the nine counties of the province of Ulster remaining within the UK, which then changed to the current name in 1927 of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.^[12] (The term Great Britain in a political sense still refers to the three of the four constituent countries, namely England, Scotland and Wales, on the island of Great Britain. The United Kingdom however always formally includes Northern Ireland).

Great Britain was an important part of the Age of Enlightenment with philosophical and scientific input and a literary and theatrical tradition.Over the next century the United Kingdom played an important role in developing Western ideas of parliamentary democracy with significant contributions to literature, the arts and science.^[13] The wealth of the British Empire, like other Great Powers, was also partly generated by colonial exploitation, including the industrialisation after 1750 of the slave trade, with Britain's 18th century shipping fleet, the largest in the world, taking African slaves to the Americas as part of the infamous triangular trade. At the beginning of the 19th however, Britain passed the Slave Trade Act and became the first nation to permanently prohibit trade in slaves.

After the Industrial Revolution and the defeat of Napoleon in the Napoleonic Wars, Britain became the principal naval power of the 19th century. At its peak, the British Empire, which is considered to be both the United Kingdom and areas that are legally separate entities from, but controlled by, the UK, composed of large territories in Asia, Africa and America.

Over the 19th century the country played an important role in the development of parliamentary democracy, partly via the emergence of a multi-party system. Developments of science and the arts, building on an 18th century inheritance of figures such as Isaac Newton, and particularly its earlier tradition of literature, were influential.

At the end of the Victorian era, however, the United Kingdom lost its industrial leadership, particularly to the United States, which surpassed the UK in industrial production and trade in the 1890s, as well as to the German Empire. Britain remained an eminent power, and its empire expanded to its maximum size by 1921, gaining the League of Nations mandate over former German and Ottoman colonies after World War I.

After emergence from the war, the world's first large-scale international broadcasting network, the BBC, was created. The country's Labour movement had been in expansion since the late 19th century, and in 1924 the first Labour government came to power. Britain fought Nazi Germany in World War II, with its Commonwealth allies including Canada, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa and India, later to be joined by further allies. Wartime leader Winston Churchill and his successor Clement Atlee helped plan the post-war world as part of the "Big Three". World War II, however, left the United Kingdom financially and physically damaged. Economically costly wartime loans, loans taken in 1945 from the United States and from Canada, combined with post-war Marshall Plan aid from the United States started the United Kingdom on the road to recovery.

1945 saw the emergence of the British Welfare State and one of the world's first and most comprehensive Health Services, while the demands of a recovering economy brought people from all over the Commonwealth to create a multiethnic Britain. Although the new postwar limits of Britain's political role were confirmed by the Suez Crisis of 1956, the international currency of the language meant the continuing impact of its literature and culture, while at the same time from the 1960s its popular culture found an influence abroad. Following a period of economic stagnation and industrial strife in the 1970s after a global economic downturn, the 1980s saw the premiership of Margaret Thatcher, under whom a marked break with the post-war political and economic consensus saw, for her supporters, economic recovery, and, for her critics, greater social division. From the mid-1990s onward these trends have largely continued under the leadership of Tony Blair.

The United Kingdom has been a member of the European Union since 1973. The attitude of the present Labour government towards further integration with this organisation is mixed,^[14] with the Conservative Party favouring a return of some powers and competencies to the state,^[15] and the Liberal Democrats supportive of current engagement.

[edit] Government and politics

Main article: Politics of the United Kingdom

The United Kingdom is a Constitutional Monarchy, with executive power exercised on behalf of the monarch by the Prime Minister and other cabinet ministers. Following the Act of Settlement 1701 only the descendants of Sophia of Hanover who were Anglican or Protestant, and had not married a Roman Catholic could succeed the throne. The monarch technically holds all executive power and must nominate a head of government (Prime Minister) that the Parliament agrees upon. The Prime Minister is now, by convention, a member of the House of Commons; Lord Home (pronounced "Hume") renounced his title to become prime minister (as Sir Alec Douglas-Home) in 1963-64.

The cabinet, including the Prime Minister, and other senior ministers collectively make up Her Majesty's Government. These ministers are drawn from, and are responsible to, Parliament. The British system of government has been emulated around the world – a legacy of the British Empire's colonial past, most notably in the other Commonwealth Realms – however the United Kingdom is one of the three countries in the world today that does not have a codified constitution (the other two being New Zealand and Israel), relying instead on traditional customs and separate pieces of constitutional law.^[16]

The Prime Minister appoints ministers to government posts, usually from senior members of their own party. Most ministers are members of, and answerable to, the House of Commons (particularly at their Department's "Question Time"). The remaining ministers are usually from the House of Lords, Ministers do not legally have to come from Parliament, but that is the modern day custom, and a Prime Minister who wants to bring someone into the government from outside Parliament will usually first create them a Life Peer, i.e. give them a non-hereditary seat in the House of Lords. The chief advantage put forward for the Parliamentary system of Government is this direct accountability of cabinet members to Parliament. The counter-argument is that the majority of legislators (elected to hold government to account) are (because they are in the PM's party) actually looking to the Prime Minister for personal advancement — and that most politicians (at least in the early stages of their career) appear to view their being an MP not as an honourable and status-awarding end in itself but as the route to office.

In the United Kingdom, the monarch has extensive theoretical powers, but his/her role is mainly, though not exclusively, ceremonial.^[17] The monarch is an integral part of Parliament (as the "Crown-in-Parliament"), and theoretically gives Parliament the power to meet and create legislation. An Act of Parliament does not become law until it has been signed by the monarch (known as Royal Assent), although not one has refused assent to a bill that has been approved by Parliament since Queen Anne in 1708.^[18] Although the abolition of the monarchy has been suggested, the popularity of the monarchy remains strong in the United Kingdom. Support for a British republic usually fluctuates between 15% and 25% of the population, with roughly 10% undecided or indifferent.^[19] The present monarch is HM Queen Elizabeth II who acceded to the throne in 1952 and was crowned in 1953.

The current Prime Minister is Tony Blair of the Labour Party, who has been in office since 1997 and will be stepping down in June, 2007, along with the Deputy Prime Minister, John Prescott. Blair will be replaced by Gordon Brown, the present Chancellor of the Exchequer. At the 2005 general election, the Labour Party had a majority of 66 seats. However, it is now a 64 seat majority due to a by-election loss to the Liberal Democrats in Scotland.

Parliament is the national legislature of the United Kingdom. It is the ultimate legislative authority in the United Kingdom, according to the doctrine of parliamentary sovereignty (however, questions over sovereignty have been brought forward because of the UK's membership of the European Union).^[20] It is bicameral, composed of the elected House of Commons and the unelected House of Lords, whose members are mostly appointed. The House of Commons is the more powerful of the two houses. The House of Commons houses 646 members who are directly elected from single-member constituencies based on population. The House of Lords has around 700 members (though the number is not fixed), constituted of life peers, hereditary peers, and bishops of the Church of England. (Note: the House of Lords Act 1999 removed the automatic inheritance of seats in the Lords and permitted 92 hereditary peers to remain.) The Church of England is the established church of the state in England only.^[21]

There are also three unicameral legislatures devolved from the United Kingdom Parliament which relate specifically to three of the four constituent countries of the United Kingdom. The Scottish Parliament, National Assembly for Wales and Northern Ireland Assembly each have their own Executive, (Government), led by a First Minister, which control separate law making and constitutional powers devolved from Westminster. However, despite being the largest of the United Kingdom's four constituent countries, England, (with the exception of the Greater London Authority), has no devolved executive.

[edit] Law

Main article: Law of the United Kingdom

The United Kingdom has three distinct systems of law. English law, which applies in England and Wales, and Northern Ireland law, which applies in Northern Ireland, are based on common-law principles. Scots law, which applies in Scotland, is a hybrid system based on both common-law and civil-law principles. The Act of Union 1707 guarantees the continued existence of a separate law system for Scotland.

The Appellate Committee of the House of Lords (usually just referred to, as "The House of Lords") is the highest court in the land for all criminal and civil cases in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland, and for all civil cases in Scots law. Recent constitutional changes will see the powers of the House of Lords transfer to a new Supreme Court of the United Kingdom.^[22]

In England and Wales, the court system is headed by the Supreme Court of Judicature of England and Wales, consisting of the Court of Appeal, the High Court of Justice (for civil cases) and the Crown Court (for criminal cases). In Scotland the chief courts are the Court of Session, for civil cases, and the High Court of Justiciary, for criminal cases, while the sheriff court is the Scottish equivalent of the county court.

The Judicial Committee of the Privy Council, comprising the same members as the Appellate Committee of the House of Lords, is the highest court of appeal for several independent Commonwealth countries, the UK overseas territories, and the British crown dependencies.

[edit] Geography

Main article: Geography of the United Kingdom

[edit] Topography

Most of England consists of lowland terrain, with some mountainous terrain in the north-west (Cumbrian Mountains of the Lake District), north (the upland moors of the Pennines and limestone hills of the Peak District) and south-west (Exmoor and Dartmoor) by the Tees-Exe line. Lower ranges include the limestone hills of the Isle of Purbeck, Cotswolds and Lincolnshire Wolds, and the chalk downs of the Southern England Chalk Formation. The main rivers and estuaries are the Thames, Severn and the Humber Estuary. The largest urban area is Greater London. England's highest mountain is Scafell Pike, which is in the Lake District 978 m (3,208 ft).

Scotland's geography is varied, with lowlands in the south and east and highlands in the north and west, including Ben Nevis, the highest mountain in the British Isles at 1,344 m (4,406 ft). There are many long and deep sea arms, firths, and lochs. There are nearly eight hundred islands in Scotland, mainly west and north of the mainland, notably the Hebrides, Orkney Islands and Shetland Islands. In total, it is estimated that the UK includes around one thousand islands.^[23]

Wales is mostly mountainous, the highest peak being Snowdon (Yr Wyddfa) at 1,085 m or 3,560 ft above sea level. North of the mainland is the island of Anglesey (Ynys Môn).

Northern Ireland, making up the north-eastern part of Ireland, is mostly hilly. The province is home to one of the UK's World Heritage Sites, the Giant's Causeway, which consists of more than 40,000 six-sided basalt columns up to 12 m (40 ft) high. Lough Neagh, the largest body of water in Ireland, by surface area (388 km² / 150 mi²), can be found in Northern Ireland ^[24]. The highest peak is Slieve Donard at 849 metres (2,786 ft) in the province's Mourne Mountains.

The greatest distance between two points on the UK mainland of Great Britain is 1,350 km (839 miles) between Land's End in Cornwall (near Penzance) and John O'Groats in Caithness (near Thurso), a two day journey by car. When measured directly north-south it is a little over 1,100 km in length and is a fraction under 500 km at its widest.

As a comparison, countries of very similar surface area include Romania, Ecuador, Ghana, Guinea, Uganda and Laos.

[edit] Climate

Main article: Climate of the United Kingdom

England has a temperate climate, with plentiful rainfall all year round, though the seasons are quite variable in temperature. However, temperatures rarely fall below −4 °C and will only rise above 32 °C in the height of the summer. The prevailing wind is from the southwest, bringing mild and wet weather to England regularly, from the Atlantic Ocean. It is driest in the east, warmest in the southwest in winter (closest to Atlantic currents), and warmest in the southeast in summer (closest to the European mainland). Snowfall can occur in winter and early spring, though it is not very common away from high ground.

The highest temperature recorded in England is 38.5 °C on 10 August 2003 at Brogdale, near Faversham, Kent. The lowest temperature ever recorded in England is −26.1 °C on 10 January 1982 at Edgmond, near Newport, Shropshire.

Wales's climate is similar to that of England, with the highest maximum temperature recorded at 35.2 °C in Hawarden Bridge, Flintshire on 2 August 1990 and the lowest minimum temperature at -23.3 °C in Rhayader, Radnorshire on 21 January 1940.

The climate of Scotland is temperate and oceanic, and tends to be very changeable. It is warmed by the Gulf Stream from the Atlantic, and as such is much warmer than areas on similar latitudes, for example Oslo, Norway. However, temperatures are generally lower than in the rest of the UK, with the coldest ever UK temperature of -27.2 °C recorded at Braemar, Aberdeenshire, on 11 February 1895 and 10 January 1982 and also at Altnaharra, Sutherland, on 30 December 1995. Winter maximums average 6 °C in the lowlands, with summer maximums averaging 18 °C. The highest temperature recorded was 32.9 °C at Greycrook, Scottish Borders on 9 August 2003.

Generally, western Scotland is warmer than the east because of the influence of the Atlantic Ocean currents (the Gulf Stream) and the colder surface temperatures of the North Sea. Tiree, in the Inner Hebrides, is the sunniest place in Scotland. Rainfall varies widely across Scotland. The western highlands of Scotland are the wettest place, with annual rainfall often exceeding 2,000 mm, and exceeding 3,000 mm (120 inches) over some mountain summits. In comparison, much of lowland Scotland receives less than 800 mm (31 inches) annually. Heavy snowfall is not common in the lowlands, but becomes more common with altitude. Braemar experiences an average of fifty-nine snow days per year, while coastal areas have an average of less than ten days.

The whole of Northern Ireland has a temperate maritime climate, rather wetter in the west than the east, although cloud cover is persistent across the region. The weather is comparatively unpredictable at all times of the year, and although the seasons are distinct, they are considerably less pronounced than in interior Europe or the eastern seaboard of North America. Average daytime maximums in Belfast are 6.5 °C in January and 17.5 °C in July. The damp climate and extensive deforestation in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries resulted in much of the region being covered in rich green grassland. The highest maximum temperature was set at 30.8 °C at Knockarevan, near Belleek, County Fermanagh on 30 June 1976 and at Belfast on 12 July 1983, whilst the lowest minimum temperature recorded at -17.5 °C at Magherally, near Banbridge, County Down on 1 January 1979.

The United Kingdom can sometimes be affected by blocking highs during summer, and along with the rest of Europe, has been hit by severe heat waves in recent years.

[edit] Cities and urban areas

Main article: City status in the United Kingdom

The four capitals of the United Kingdom's constituent parts are London (United Kingdom) & (England), Edinburgh (Scotland), Cardiff (Wales) and Belfast (Northern Ireland).

[edit] Largest cities

Main article: List of United Kingdom cities by population

• London - 7,172,091 (though the City of London proper is one of the smallest cities in England)
• Birmingham - 970,892

Other major cities with urban sub-area populations in excess of 250,000 inhabitants are Belfast, Bradford, Bristol, Cardiff, Coventry, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Kingston Upon Hull, Leeds, Leicester, Liverpool, Manchester, Nottingham, Sheffield, Stoke on Trent and Wolverhampton.

There is considerable dispute over which is the second city.

[edit] Urban areas

Main article: List of conurbations in the United Kingdom

• Greater London Urban Area (8.3 million)
• West Midlands conurbation (2.28 million)
• Greater Manchester Urban Area (2.24 million)

[edit] Demography

Main article: Demography of the United Kingdom

[edit] Population

At the April 2001 UK Census, the United Kingdom's population was 58,789,194, the third largest in the European Union (behind Germany and France) and the twenty-first largest in the world. This had been estimated up to 59,834,300 by the Office for National Statistics in 2004.^[25] Two years later it had increased to 60.2 million, largely from net immigration, but also because of a rising birth rate and increasing life expectancy.^[26]

The UK's overall population density is one of the highest in the world. About a quarter of the population lives in England's prosperous southeast and is predominantly urban and suburban,^[27] with an estimated 7,517,700 in the capital of London.^[28] The United Kingdom's high literacy rate (99%) is attributable to universal state education introduced for the primary level in 1870 and secondary level in 1900 (except in Scotland where it was introduced in 1696, see Education in Scotland).^[29] Education is mandatory from ages five to sixteen (15 if born in late July or August).

[edit] Migration and ethnicity

Main article: Ethnic groups of the United Kingdom

Located as they are on a group of islands close to Continental Europe, the lands now constituting the United Kingdom have historically been subject to many invasions and migrations, especially from Scandinavia and the continent - including Roman occupation for several centuries. Present day Britons are descended mainly from the varied ethnic stocks that settled there before the eleventh century. The pre-Celtic, Celtic, Roman, Anglo-Saxon, and Norse influences were blended on Great Britain under the Normans, Scandinavian Vikings who had lived in northern France (Normandy).

Ethnic group	Population	% of total*
White British	&&&&&&&050366497.&&&&0050,366,497	85.67%
White (other)	&&&&&&&&03096169.&&&&003,096,169	5.27%
Indian	&&&&&&&&01053411.&&&&001,053,411	1.8%
Pakistani	&&&&&&&&&0747285.&&&&00747,285	1.3%
White Irish	&&&&&&&&&0691232.&&&&00691,232	1.2%
Mixed race	&&&&&&&&&0677117.&&&&00677,117	1.2%
Black Caribbean	&&&&&&&&&0565876.&&&&00565,876	1.0%
Black African	&&&&&&&&&0485277.&&&&00485,277	0.8%
Bangladeshi	&&&&&&&&&0283063.&&&&00283,063	0.5%
Asian (non-Chinese)	&&&&&&&&&0247644.&&&&00247,644	0.4%
Chinese (Oriental)	&&&&&&&&&0247403.&&&&00247,403	0.4%
Other	&&&&&&&&&0230615.&&&&00230,615	0.4%
Black (others)	&&&&&&&&&&097585.&&&&0097,585	0.2%
* Percentage of total UK population

More recent immigration has come through interaction with continental Europe and international ties forged by the British Empire. Since World War Two the UK has absorbed substantial immigration, with Europe, Africa and South Asia being the biggest areas from where people currently emigrate. As of 2001, 13.1% of the UK's population identified themselves as an ethnic minority (including non-British white groups).^[30] 7.9% were from a non-white ethnic group.^[31]

Along with Italy and Spain, the United Kingdom has one of the highest immigration rates in Europe.^[32] In some UK cities the percentage of 'minority groups' is large but is still less than half; for example, London (40.1%),^[33] Birmingham (34.4%),^[34] and Leicester (39.5%).^[35] The latest official figures (2005) show net immigration to the UK of 185,000 (down from a record high of 223,000 in 2004).^[36][37] A study by a city forecaster, however, contends that these figures are unreliable and that net immigration for 2005 was circa 400,000.^[38] Nonetheless, the proportion of foreign-born people in the UK population remains below that of some other European countries.^[39]

The most recent pattern of immigration to the UK began in May 2004 when the European Union was expanded. Figures published in May 2007 indicate that 630,000 people applied to the scheme between 1 May 2004 and 31 March 2007, of whom 605,375 were accepted.^[40] This figure is for arrivals only and does not take account of people leaving, hence net migration is likely to be lower.^[41] 55 per cent of people arriving from the new EU member states to work in 2006 stated that they planned to stay in the UK for less than three months. In 2005 net migration from the new EU states stood at 64,000.^[36]

The UK also has a high rate of emigration with at least 5.5 million British-born people living abroad.^[42][43] Another half a million now live or work abroad for part of the year, with Australia and Spain as the main locations.^[44][45]

[edit] Language

Main article: Languages in the United Kingdom

Though the UK does not have a de jure official language, the predominant spoken language is English, a West Germanic language descended from Old English, featuring a large number of borrowings from Old Norse and Norman. The other indigenous languages are Scots (which is closely related to English) and the Insular Celtic languages (which are not). The latter fall into two groups: the P-Celtic languages (Welsh and the Cornish language); and the Q-Celtic languages (Irish and Scottish Gaelic and Manx). Celtic dialectal influences from Cumbric persisted in Northern England for many centuries, most famously in a unique set of numbers used for counting sheep.

The English language has spread to all corners of the world (largely due to the British Empire) and has thus become the business language of the world. Worldwide, it is taught as a second language more than any other.^[46] The United Kingdom's Celtic languages are also spoken by small groups around the globe, mainly Gaelic in Nova Scotia, Canada, and Welsh in Patagonia, Argentina.

Recent immigrants, especially from the Commonwealth, speak many other languages. The United Kingdom has the largest number of Gujarati, Hindi, Bengali, Urdu, and Punjabi speakers outside of Asia.^{[citation needed]}It has recently acquired many speakers of Eastern European languages, notably Polish.

[edit] Religion

Main article: Religion in the United Kingdom

The UK is today a predominantly secular state with only 38%^[47] of the population believing in a God. People identify themselves with religion in the UK for both cultural and religious reasons and this is reflected by the disparity between the figures for those believing in a god and those identifying themselves with a particular religion.

[edit] Christianity

The UK is traditionally a Christian state. Of the four constituent countries that make up the United Kingdom, only England has a state faith in the form of an established church. Christianity is the majority religion, and a wide variety of Christian churches, denominations, and sects exists.

Christianity in the UK, however, is on the decline. The Tearfund Survey^[48] in 2007 revealed 53% identifying themselves as Christian compared to 71.6% in the 2001 UK Census^[49]. Only 7% of people in the UK are actually practising Christians. Christianity was first introduced to Britannia (modern England and Wales) by the Romans.^{[citation needed]} Each of the four countries of the United Kingdom has distinctive churches.

Scotland and northern England were evangelised first, by Celtic missionaries from Ireland, such as Ninian, Columba and Aidan. Augustine was subsequently sent to southern England by Pope Gregory I in 597.

The English Church split from Rome in 1534, during the reign of Henry VIII of England (see English Reformation). Today, the Church of England is the officially established Christian church in England, and acts as the 'mother' and senior branch of the worldwide Anglican Communion. The British monarch is required to be a member of the Church of England under the Act of Settlement 1701 and is the Supreme Governor. The senior bishop of Church of England is the Archbishop of Canterbury.

The Church of Scotland (known informally as the Kirk) broke with the Roman Catholic Church in 1560 (see Calvinism and Scottish Reformation). Today it is a Presbyterian church, recognised as the national church of Scotland, and not subject to state control. The British monarch is an ordinary member, and is required to swear an oath to "defend the security" of the Church at the coronation. The Scottish Episcopal Church, which is part of the Anglican Communion, dates from the final establishment of Presbyterianism in Scotland in 1690. Although it is in full communion with the Church of England, it is not a 'daughter church' of the Church of England, and is proud of its own independent origins and history. Further splits in the Church of Scotland, especially in the nineteenth century, led to the creation of various other Presbyterian churches in Scotland, including the Free Church of Scotland.

In the 1920s, the Church in Wales was separated from the Church of England and became disestablished, i.e. lost its "official" status as the state religion. However the Church in Wales remains in the Anglican Communion. Methodism and other independent churches are traditionally strong in Wales.

The Anglican Church of Ireland was disestablished in the nineteenth century. It covers the entire island of Ireland, ie. both Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. In Northern Ireland the Catholic Church in Ireland is the largest single denomination, although Protestants are in the majority overall. The Presbyterian Church in Ireland is the largest Protestant denomination and is in terms of theology and history closely linked to the Church of Scotland

The Roman Catholic Church is the second largest denomination of Christianity in the UK. After the Protestant Reformation, strict laws were passed against Catholics; these were removed by the Catholic Emancipation laws in 1829. There are separate Catholic hierarchies for England and Wales, Scotland and Ireland.

Other large Christian groups include the Methodists (founded by John Wesley in London) and the Baptists. There are also growing Evangelical or Pentecostal churches, many of which have flourished with immigration from around the Commonwealth and beyond.

[edit] Islam

Muslims are believed to number over 1.8 million.^[50] Mosques are quite common sights in some parts of modern day Britain. The biggest groups are of Pakistani and Bangladeshi origin. More recently, refugees from Somalia, Northern Cyprus, the Balkans and Arab countries have increased Britain's Muslim population. The 2006 controversy over the burqa, brought up in comments by politician Jack Straw, reflects a split between some Britons questioning the extent to which traditionalist forms of Islam are compatible with British society, and others who believe that wearing the veil is not incompatible with Muslim integration in Britain.^[51]

[edit] Dharmic Religions

Religions of Indian origin, such as Hinduism and Sikhism, also enjoy an increased following in Britain. As of the 2001 census, there are about 560,000 Hindus and 340,000 Sikhs.^[52] It is likely that these figures have increased since 2001. One non-governmental organisation estimates the Hindu population is about 800,000.^[53] Leicester houses one of the world's few Jain temples that are outside of India.

[edit] Irreligion

Although the 2001 UK Census revealed 14.6% of the population identified themselves as having no religious beliefs, the 2005 Eurobarometer report showed that 62%^[47] did not believe in a god.

The 2007 Tearfund Survey^[48] (page5) reports that 66% of UK adults, 32.3 million people, have no connection with church. Most of them, it says, are "unreceptive and closed to attending church".

[edit] Economy

Main article: Economy of the United Kingdom

London is a major centre for international business and commerce and is the leader of the three "command centres" for the global economy (along with New York City and Tokyo).^[55] For over twenty-five years, the British economy has corresponded with what has been described by some since the 1980s as the Anglo-Saxon model, focusing on the principles of liberalisation, the free market, and low taxation and regulation. Based on market exchange rates, the United Kingdom is the fifth largest economy in the world,^[56] and the second largest in Europe after Germany.

The British were the first in the world to enter the Industrial Revolution, and, like most industrialising countries at the time, initially concentrated on heavy industries such as shipbuilding, coal mining, steel production, and textiles. The empire created an overseas market for British products, allowing the United Kingdom to dominate international trade in the 19th century. However, as other nations industrialised and surplus labour from agriculture began to dry up couple with economic decline after two world wars, the United Kingdom began to lose its economic advantage. As a result, heavy industry declined, by degrees, throughout the 20th century. The British service sector, however, has grown substantially, and now makes up about 73% of GDP.^[57]

The service sector of the United Kingdom is dominated by financial services, especially in banking and insurance. London is the world's largest financial centre with the London Stock Exchange, the London International Financial Futures and Options Exchange, and the Lloyd's of London insurance market all based in The City. It also has the largest concentration of foreign bank branches in the world. In the past decade, a rival financial centre in London has grown in the Docklands area, with HSBC and Barclays Bank relocating their head offices there. Many multinational companies that are not primarily UK-based have chosen to site their European or rest-of-world headquarters in London: an example is the US financial services firm Citigroup. The Scottish capital, Edinburgh, also has one of the large financial centres of Europe.^[58]

Tourism is very important to the British economy. With over 27 million tourists a year, the United Kingdom is ranked as the sixth major tourist destination in the world.^[59]

The British manufacturing sector, however, has greatly diminished, relative to the economy as a whole, since World War II. It is still a significant part of the economy, but only accounted for one-sixth of national output in 2003.^[60] The British motor industry is a significant part of this sector, although it has diminished with the collapse of MG Rover and most of the industry is foreign owned. Civil and defence aircraft production is led by the United Kingdom's largest aerospace firm, BAE Systems, and the continental European firm EADS, the owners of Airbus. Rolls-Royce holds a major share of the global aerospace engines market. The chemical and pharmaceutical industry is also strong in the UK, with the world's second and sixth largest pharmaceutical firms (GlaxoSmithKline and AstraZeneca, respectively)^[61] being based in the UK.

The creative industries accounted for 7.3% GVA in 2004 and grew at an average of 5% per annum between 1997 and 2004.^[62]

The United Kingdom's agriculture sector accounts for only 0.9% of the country's GDP.^[63]

The UK has large coal, natural gas, and oil reserves, although the natural gas and oil reserves are diminishing. Primary energy production accounts for about 10% of Gross domestic product (GDP),^{[citation needed]} one of the highest shares of any industrial state.

Government involvement throughout the economy is exercised by the Chancellor of the Exchequer (currently Gordon Brown) who heads HM Treasury, but the Prime Minister (currently Tony Blair), is First Lord of the Treasury; the Chancellor of the Exchequer is the Second Lord of the Treasury. However since 1997, the Bank of England, headed by the Governor of the Bank of England, has control of interest rates and other monetary policy. The UK government has greatly increased public sector spending (i.e. government spending of taxes) since 1995, and annual spending on investment in infrastructure has grown from £5.6 billion in 1997 to £29 billion in 2006.^{[citation needed]}

[edit] Currency

The currency of the UK is the pound sterling, represented by the symbol £. The Bank of England is the central bank, responsible for issuing currency. Banks in Scotland and Northern Ireland retain the right to issue their own notes, subject to retaining enough Bank of England notes in reserve to cover the issue. The UK chose not to join the Euro at the currency's launch, although the government has pledged to hold a public referendum for deciding membership if "five economic tests" are met. More than half (55%) of the UK are against adopting the currency.^[64]

[edit] Transport

Main article: Transport in the United Kingdom

The government's Department for Transport oversees the well-developed transport system in the United Kingdom. A radial road network of 29,145 miles (46,632 km) of main roads is centred on London, Edinburgh and Belfast, whilst, in Great Britain, a motorway network of 2,173 miles (3,477 km) is centred on Birmingham and London. There are a further 213,750 miles (342,000 km) of paved roads.

The National Rail network of 10,072 route miles (16,116 route km) in Great Britain and 189 route miles (303 route km) in Northern Ireland carries over 18,000 passenger trains and 1,000 freight trains daily. Urban rail networks are also well developed in London and several other cities. There was once over 30,000 route mile of rail network in the U.K., however most of this was reduced over a time period from 1955 to 1975, much of it after a report by a government advisor Richard Beeching in the mid 1960s (known as the Beeching Axe).

Heathrow Airport is the world's busiest international airport, and being an island nation the UK has a considerable network of ports, which received over 558 million tonnes of goods in 2003-04.

[edit] Administrative subdivisions

Main article: Subdivisions of the United Kingdom

The United Kingdom is divided into four home nations or constituent countries. Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland each have a parliament or assembly and a devolved executive. England has no national parliament or government; it is ruled directly by the UK government.

Each nation is further subdivided for the purposes of local government. The Queen appoints a Lord-Lieutenant as her personal representative in lieutenancy areas across the UK; this is little more than a ceremonial role. The following table highlights the arrangements for local government, lieutenancy areas and cities across the home nations of the UK:

Flag	Country	Status	Population	Subdivisions	Cities
	England	Kingdom	50,431,700	Regions Metropolitan and non-metropolitan counties Lieutenancy areas	English cities
	Scotland	Kingdom	5,094,800	Council areas Lieutenancy areas	Scottish cities
	Wales	Principality	2,958,600	Unitary authorities Lieutenancy areas	Welsh cities
	Northern Ireland	Province	1,724,400	Districts Traditional counties	Northern Irish cities

Historically, the four nations were divided into counties as areas for local government administration. Although these are still used to some extent for this purpose and as geographical areas, they are no longer the sole basis for local government administration.

In recent years, England has, for some purposes, been divided into nine intermediate-level Government Office Regions. Each region is made up of counties and unitary authorities, apart from London, which consists of London boroughs. Although at one point it was intended that each or some of these regions would be given its own elected regional assembly, the plan's future is uncertain following a rejection, by referendum, of a proposed assembly in the North East region.

City status is governed by Royal Charter. There are sixty-six British cities: fifty in England; six in Scotland; five in Wales; and five in Northern Ireland.

The Crown has sovereignty over the Isle of Man and the Bailiwicks of Jersey and Guernsey. Collectively, these three territories are known as the Crown dependencies, lands owned by the British monarch but not part of the United Kingdom. They are also not part of the European Union. However, the Parliament of the United Kingdom has the authority to legislate for the dependencies, and the British government manages their foreign affairs and defence.

The UK also has fourteen overseas territories around the world, the last remaining territories of the British Empire. The overseas territories are also not considered part of the UK, but in most cases the local populations have British citizenship and the right to abode in the UK. This has been the case since 2002.

[edit] Foreign relations

Main article: Foreign relations of the United Kingdom

The United Kingdom is one of the permanent members of the United Nations Security Council. It is also a large member state of the European Union, and is one of the three 'big powers' along with Germany and France. Britain's close allies outside of Europe include members of the Anglosphere and Commonwealth of Nations, a legacy of the British Empire. With its membership of the G8 and NATO, British influence is high in international institutions. Britain's global presence is amplified further through its extensive trading relations and its armed forces, which maintains approximately eighty military installations and other deployments around the globe. ^[65]

[edit] Armed Forces

Main article: British Armed Forces

The Army, Navy and Air Force are collectively known as the British Armed Forces (or Her Majesty's Armed Forces) and officially the Armed Forces of the Crown. The commander-in-chief is the monarch, Queen Elizabeth II and they are managed by the Ministry of Defence. The armed forces are controlled by the Defence Council, chaired by the Chief of the Defence Staff.

The United Kingdom fields one of the most technologically advanced and best trained armed forces in the world. According to various sources, including the Ministry of Defence, the UK has the second highest military expenditure in the world,^[66][67] despite only having the 28th largest military in terms of manpower. Total defence spending currently accounts for 2.2% of total national GDP, compared to 4.4% at the end of the Cold War.^[68] It is also the second largest spender on military science, engineering and technology.^[69] The Royal Navy is considered to be the only other blue-water navy along with those of France and the United States.^[70] The British Armed Forces are equipped with many advanced weapons systems, including the Challenger 2 tank and the Eurofighter Typhoon jet fighter.

The United Kingdom is one of the five recognised countries possessing nuclear weapons, utilising the Vanguard class submarine-based Trident II ballistic missile system.

The British Armed Forces are charged with protecting the United Kingdom and its overseas territories, promoting the United Kingdom's global security interests, and supporting international peacekeeping efforts. They are active and regular participants in NATO, including the Allied Rapid Reaction Corps, as well as the Five Power Defence Arrangements and other worldwide coalition operations. Overseas garrisons and facilities are maintained at Ascension Island, Belize, Brunei, Canada, Diego Garcia, the Falkland Islands, Germany, Gibraltar, Kenya, and Cyprus. ^[71][72]

The British Army had a reported strength of 102,440 in 2005^[73], the Royal Air Force a strength of 49,210 and the 36,320-strong Royal Navy, which includes the Royal Marines, who provide commando units specialising in amphibious warfare.

The United Kingdom Special Forces, provide troops trained for quick, mobile, military responses in counter-terrorism, land, maritime and amphibious operations, often where secrecy or covert tactics are required.

There are also reserve forces supporting the regular military. These include the Territorial Army, the Royal Naval Reserve, Royal Marines Reserve and the Royal Auxiliary Air Force. This puts total active and reserve duty military personnel at approximately 429,500, deployed in over eighty countries.

Despite the United Kingdom's comprehensive military capabilities, recent pragmatic defence policy has a stated assumption that "the most demanding operations" would be undertaken as part of a coalition.^[74] Apart from Operation Palliser, Bosnia, Kosovo, Afghanistan, and Iraq may all be taken as precedent. Indeed the last war in which the British military fought alone was the Falklands War of 1982.

[edit] Culture

Main article: Culture of the United Kingdom

[edit] Cinema

Main article: Cinema of the United Kingdom

The United Kingdom has been influential in the development of cinema, with the Ealing Studios claiming to be the oldest studios in the world. Despite a history of important and successful productions, the industry is characterised by an ongoing debate about its identity, and the influences of American and European cinema. Famous films include the Harry Potter, Star Wars, Indiana Jones, and James Bond series which, although made by American studios, used British source materials, locations, actors and filming crew.

[edit] Education

Further information: Education in the United Kingdom

The United Kingdom contains some of the world's leading seats of higher education, such as the universities of Oxford and Cambridge, along with Imperial College, the London School of Economics, King's College London (KCL) University College (UCL) of the University of London, University of Edinburgh, St Andrews University. ^[75]

In 2007 there are 112 universities/university colleges in the UK. This amounts to 138 university-level institutions if the distinct constituent colleges of the University of London and University of Wales are defined as separate universities. Most of the UK's major cities are home to two or more universities.

Parts of the United Kingdom use a segregation system in their state-sector schooling. In these areas parents may choose to enter their children into the Eleven Plus, an entrance test to a specific group of elite state Grammar schools. However some Grammar Schools have an additional test named an Entrance Exam, as well as the Eleven Plus. But those who do not take the test, or do not reach the mark necessary for entrance to these schools, are usually allocated a place at a comprehensive school, where children are not selected on the basis of academic aptitude. This is a controversial system as it gives greater opportunities to high-achieving students possibly at the expense of other students.^{[citation needed]} This has lead some to accuse the grammar school system of promoting elitism.^{[citation needed]}

The United Kingdom also has an extensive private education system, with some of these independent schools confusingly known as Public Schools.

[edit] Engineering and innovation

See also: Category:British inventors and Category:British inventions

As birthplace of the Industrial Revolution, the UK was home to many significant inventors during the late eighteenth and early nineteenth century. Famous British engineers include Isambard Kingdom Brunel, who was best known for the creation of the Great Western Railway, a series of famous steamships, and numerous important bridges. As well as Richard Trevithick and George Stephenson who were both pioneers of locomotives.

Recent British inventors include James Dyson, inventor of the Dual Cyclone bagless vacuum cleaner.

As above, notable engineering firsts include the steam locomotive and the modern railway, television, electric lighting, the electric motor, the screw propeller, the internal combustion engine, the jet engine and the first programmable computer (Colossus). Two notable innovations are the vaccination and antibiotics. Other notable British figures in the fields of engineering and innovation include:

• Tim Berners-Lee (inventor of the world wide web)
• James Blundell (performed the first blood transfusion)
• Frank Whittle (inventor of the jet engine)
• E. Purnell Hooley (Inventor of tarmac)
• Edwin Beard Budding (Inventor of the lawnmower)
• Stephen Perry (inventor of the rubber band)
• Thomas Fowler (inventor of the thermosiphon)
• Richard Trevithick (builder of the earliest steam locomotive)
• Joseph Swan (developer of the light bulb)
• George Cayley (inventor of the seat belt)

[edit] Literature

Main article: British literature

The countries that make up the United Kingdom have provided some of the world's most notable and popular authors, poets and literary figures. The English playwright and poet William Shakespeare is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language.^[76][77][78]

In the history of the novel England is particularly well represented. Early English writers included Geoffrey Chaucer, Thomas Malory and Geoffrey of Monmouth. In the 17th century, Samuel Richardson (often credited with inventing the modern novel), and subsequently Henry Fielding, Laurence Sterne, Walter Scott, and Jane Austen all innovated in the novel form, followed by Thackeray, the Brontë sisters, Charles Dickens, Thomas Hardy, Arthur Conan Doyle and Anthony Trollope. In the twentieth century, H. G. Wells, D. H. Lawrence, the Modernists Virginia Woolf and Henry Green, E. M. Forster, George Orwell and Graham Greene were prominent. More recently, Ian McEwan, Martin Amis, Alan Hollinghurst, Ben Okri, Will Self, Monica Ali, and Zadie Smith were among those gaining recognition, while children's author J. K. Rowling has seen immense popularity, recalling that of J.R.R. Tolkien.

Wales and Scotland have also contributed many notable writers to the UK’s literary tradition, particularly in poetry. In the early medieval period, Welsh writers composed the Mabinogion. In modern times, the poets R.S. Thomas and Dylan Thomas have brought Welsh culture to an international audience. In Romantic literature, Scotland saw Sir Walter Scott and Robert Louis Stevenson's epic adventures and the leading poet of his day, Robert Burns. Modern Scottish writers like Hugh MacDiarmid and Neil M. Gunn helped develop a distinct modernist and nationalist Scottish voice, sometimes termed the Scottish Renaissance. A more grim outlook is found in Ian Rankin's stories and the psychological horror-comedy of Iain Banks. Other notable authors from Scotland include Muriel Spark, Alasdair Gray, Alan Warner, and Irvine Welsh.

Many authors from other nationalities, particularly from Ireland, or from Commonwealth countries, have also lived and worked in the UK. Significant examples through the centuries include Jonathon Swift, Oscar Wilde, Bram Stoker, George Bernard Shaw and Joseph Conrad, and more recently British authors of overseas origin such as Kazuo Ishiguro and Salman Rushdie.

Significant British poets include Geoffrey Chaucer, John Milton, John Donne, George Herbert, Andrew Marvell, Alexander Pope, William Blake, William Wordsworth, Samuel Taylor Coleridge, Lord Byron, Percy Bysshe Shelley, John Keats, Robert Browning, Lord Tennyson, T. S. Eliot, Wilfred Owen, John Betjeman, Philip Larkin, W. H. Auden and Ted Hughes.

The history of the theatre in the United Kingdom is particularly vivid. Shakespeare's contemporaries Christopher Marlowe and Ben Jonson add depth to the early theatre. More recently Alan Ayckbourn, Harold Pinter, Michael Frayn, Tom Stoppard and David Edgar have combined elements of surrealism, realism and radicalism; with successful recent playwrights also including John Osborne, Arnold Wesker, Alan Bennett and David Hare.

Further information: English literature, Scottish literature and Welsh literature

[edit] Media

Main article: Media of the United Kingdom

The UK has a virtually unrivalled number of media outlets, and the prominence of the English language gives it a widespread international dimension.

[edit] Broadcasting

The BBC is the UK's publicly-funded radio and television broadcasting corporation, and is the oldest and largest broadcaster in the world. Funded by the television licence, a legal requirement for any British household with a television receiver - even if they do not watch BBC channels, the BBC operates several television channels and radio stations both in the UK and abroad. The BBC's international television news service, BBC World, is broadcast throughout the world and the BBC World Service radio network is broadcast in thirty-three languages globally. It should be pointed out that the international broadcasts by the BBC are not paid for by the television licence fee. BBC World Service Radio is funded by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and the television stations are operated by BBC Worldwide on a commercial subscription basis over cable and satellite services. It is also this commercial arm of the BBC that forms half of UKTV along with Virgin Media. In the UK, the TV licence is free for people over 75 and owning a radio does not need a licence.

There are five major nationwide television channels in the UK: BBC One, BBC Two, ITV1, Channel 4 and Five - all currently transmitted by analogue terrestrial, free-to-air signals with the latter three channels funded by commercial advertising.

The UK now also has a large number of digital terrestrial channels including a further six from the BBC, five from ITV and three from Channel 4 among a variety of others.

The vast majority of digital cable services are provided by Virgin Media with satellite being provided by BSkyB and free-to-air digital terrestrial television by Freeview. The entire country will switch to digital by 2012.

Radio in the UK is dominated by BBC Radio, which operates ten national networks and over forty local radio stations. The most popular radio station, by number of listeners, is BBC Radio 2, closely followed by BBC Radio 1. There are also many hundreds of mainly local commercial radio stations across the country offering a variety of music or talk formats.

[edit] Print

Traditionally, British newspapers could be split into quality, serious-minded newspaper (usually referred to as "broadsheets" due to their large size) and the more populist, tabloid varieties. For convenience of reading, many traditional broadsheets have switched to a more compact-sized format, traditionally used by tabloids. The Sun has the highest circulation of any daily newspaper in the UK, with approximately a quarter of the market; its sister paper, The News of The World similarly leads the Sunday newspaper market,^[79] and traditionally focuses on celebrity-led stories. The Daily Telegraph, a right-of-centre paper, has overtaken The Times as the highest-selling of the "quality" newspapers (former broadsheets).^[80] The Guardian is a more liberal (centre to left-wing) "quality". The Financial Times is the main business paper, printed on distinctive salmon-pink broadsheet paper. Scotland has a distinct tradition of newspaper readership (see List of newspapers in Scotland). First printed in 1737, the Belfast News Letter is the oldest known English-speaking daily newspaper still in publication today. One of its fellow Northern Irish competitors, The Irish News, has been twice ranked (2006, 2007) as the best regional newspaper in the United Kingdom.^[81]

[edit] Music

Main article: British Music

Notable composers from the United Kingdom have included William Byrd, Henry Purcell, Sir Edward Elgar, Sir Arthur Sullivan (most famous for working with librettist Sir W. S. Gilbert), Ralph Vaughan Williams, and Benjamin Britten, pioneer of modern British opera. London remains one of the major classical music capitals of the world.

The UK was, with the US, one of the two main contributors to the development of rock music, and the UK has provided some of the world's most famous rock bands including The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, Led Zeppelin, Queen, Pink Floyd, Black Sabbath, The Kinks, The Who, The Smiths, Depeche Mode and Radiohead.

The UK has also been at the forefront of a succession of developments of rock, such as punk rock (produced by bands such as The Sex Pistols and The Clash), Goth, Techno and house music, folk rock, heavy metal, and progressive rock. The late-1970s and early-1980s saw the rise of Post-Punk and New Wave. The so-called 'Second British Invasion' into the US popular music scene took place from 1981 to 1984 when UK bands such as Duran Duran, Culture Club and Human League flooded the US Billboard charts. In the mid to late-1990s, the Britpop phenomenon saw bands such as Oasis, Blur and Suede attain considerable national and international success. The 1990s also saw the rise of successful Welsh bands such as the Manic Street Preachers, The Stereophonics, Catatonia and Super Furry Animals.

The UK has also played a large part in promoting electronica in popular music, with British artists such as Underworld, The Prodigy, The Chemical Brothers and Faithless helping this mainly underground genre to cross over into the mainstream, having first reached a wider audience in the late-1980's and early-1990s with bands such as 808 State, Orbital, The Orb, Happy Mondays and The KLF.

During the 1990s and 2000s artists in urban music in Britain spawned first drum and bass, trip-hop and towards the end of the first decade UK garage, through acts such as the Artful Dodger. The popularity of "stadium rock" bands such as Coldplay, Snow Patrol, Travis, Embrace, Muse, and Keane increased, whilst indie music has grown in profile, with bands including The Libertines, Arctic Monkeys, Bloc Party, Franz Ferdinand, Kaiser Chiefs and Hard-Fi enjoying chart success. UK urban music has grown more popular with acts such as Jamelia.

[edit] Philosophy

The United Kingdom has produced many of the world's most eminent philosophers. Among them are such figures as William of Ockham, Thomas Hobbes, John Locke, David Hume, Bertrand Russell, and Alfred Ayer. The United Kingdom has, moreover, been home to many influential and leading philosophers born in other countries, such as Isaiah Berlin, Ludwig Wittgenstein and Karl Marx.

[edit] Science

The United Kingdom has played a significant role in the development of science. Ideas on the scientific method were discussed by Francis Bacon in the early seventeenth century. In the late seventeenth century, Sir Isaac Newton was a major contributor to classical physics, notably illuminating gravity. Other later notable physicists from the UK include James Clerk Maxwell who unified electromagnetism, Lord Kelvin of the Kelvin scale, Michael Faraday another investigator of electromagnetism, and Joseph Thomson who showed that the electron was a subatomic particle. In chemistry, Henry Cavendish discovered hydrogen. In biology, Charles Darwin and Wallace proposed evolution by natural selection providing an overarching theory of biology. Later Francis Crick was involved in understanding the structure of DNA. Major scientific journals are produced in the UK including Nature, the British Medical Journal and The Lancet. In 2006, it was reported that the UK was the most productive source of research after the United States; producing 9% of the world's scientific research papers with a 12% share of citations.^[82] It has produced innumerable scholars, scientists and engineers including Sir Isaac Newton, Bertrand Russell, Adam Smith, James Clerk Maxwell, Lord Kelvin, Sir Humphry Davy, Joseph John Thomson, Sir Ronald Aylmer Fisher, Michael Faraday, Charles Darwin, Alexander Fleming, Francis Crick and Isambard Kingdom Brunel; the nation is credited with numerous scientific discoveries including hydrogen, oxygen, gravity, the electron, the structure of DNA, human evolution and natural selection and inventions including the marine chronometer, television, the jet engine, the modern bicycle, the electronic computer and the later development of the World Wide Web, largely attributed to Tim Berners-Lee. The UK was also the world's first country to introduce regular public radio and television services, and introduced the world's first fully-functioning civil and military radar network and public railway transport system.

[edit] Sport

Main article: Sport in the United Kingdom

A number of major sports originated in the United Kingdom, including football, rugby, cricket, baseball and golf.

The most popular sport in the UK is football. The UK does not compete as a nation in any major football tournament. Instead, the home nations compete individually as England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. This is due to historical reasons and a level of disassociation with the other nations by fans^{[citation needed]}. It is because of this four-team arrangement that the UK does not compete in football events at the Olympic Games. However, there are proposals for a united team taking part in the 2012 Summer Olympic Games, which are to be held in London. The English and Northern Irish football associations have confirmed participation in this team while the Scottish FA and the Welsh FA have declined to participate, fearing that it would undermine their independent status.

The UK is home to many world-renowned football clubs, such as Manchester United, Arsenal and Liverpool in England; together with Celtic and Rangers in Scotland. Clubs compete in national leagues and competitions and some go on to compete in European competitions. British teams have been relatively successful in European Competitions and several have become European Cup/UEFA Champions League winners: Liverpool (five times), Manchester United (twice), Nottingham Forest (twice), Aston Villa, and Celtic. The European Cup competition itself was brought about due to the success of another UK club, Wolverhampton Wanderers, against top European sides^[83] in the 1950s. The English Premier League is also the most-watched football league in the world and is particularly popular in Asia: in the People's Republic of China, matches attract television audiences between 100 million and 360 million, more than any other foreign sport.^[84][85]. Also notable are Hibernian FC of Edinburgh, Scotland who were the first British club to participate in European Football.

The 90,000 capacity Wembley Stadium is the main sporting stadium of the UK. Between the demolition of the former 'twin towers' stadium and construction of the new one (completed in March 2007), Cardiff's 73,000 seater Millennium Stadium served in this role. However, Wembley may yet be surpassed as the nation's largest stadium if Manchester United's Old Trafford stadium undergoes further redevelopment to a possible 91,500 capacity.

The early reference to the separate national identities in the UK is perhaps best illustrated by the game of cricket. Cricket was invented in England. There are league championships but the English national team dominates the game in Britain. There is no UK team. Some Welsh and Scottish players have played for England because neither Scotland nor Ireland have Test status and only play in One Day Internationals.

The UK has proved successful in the international sporting arena in rowing. It is widely considered that the sport's most successful rower is Steven Redgrave who won five gold medals and one bronze medal at five consecutive Olympic Games as well as numerous wins at the World Rowing Championships and Henley Royal Regatta.

Both forms of rugby are national sports. Rugby league originates from and is generally played in the North of England, whilst Rugby Union is played predominantly in Wales, Ireland, Scotland, and Southern England. Having supposedly originated from the actions of William Webb Ellis at the School at Rugby, it is considered the national sport of Wales. In rugby league the UK plays as one nation – Great Britain – though in union it is represented by four nations: England, Scotland, Wales and Ireland (which consists of players from the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland). England is the holder of the Rugby World Cup. Every four years the British and Irish Lions tour either Australia, New Zealand or South Africa. Here, rugby football differs internationally to association football, as the England, Scotland, Wales, and Ireland (including the Republic of Ireland) teams combine to form the British and Irish Lions although they compete separately in all other international competitions.

The Wimbledon Championships are international tennis events held in Wimbledon in south London every summer and are regarded as the most prestigious of the tennis calendar.

Thoroughbred racing is also very popular throughout the UK. It originated under Charles II of England as the "Sport of Kings" and is a royal pastime to this day. World-famous horse races include the Grand National, the Epsom Derby and Royal Ascot.

Golf is one of the most popular participation sports played in the UK, with St Andrews in Scotland being the sport's home course. Cricket is also popular, although the popularity of the game is dramatically greater in England than in other parts of the UK, all four constituent nations as of 2006 compete at the One-Day International level – Scotland independently, Wales as part of the English team, and Northern Ireland as part of all-Ireland.

Shinty (or camanachd) (a sport derived from the same root as the Irish hurling and similar to bandy) is popular in the Scottish Highlands, sometimes attracting crowds numbering thousands in the most sparsely populated region of the UK.

The country is closely associated with motorsport. Many teams and drivers in Formula One (F1) are based in the UK and drivers from Britain have won more world titles than any other country. The country also hosts legs of the F1 and World Rally Championship and has its own Touring Car Racing championship, the BTCC. The British Grand Prix takes place at Silverstone each July.

[edit] Visual art

The Royal Academy is located in London. Other major schools of art include the Slade School of Art; the six-school University of the Arts, London, which includes the Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design and Chelsea College of Art and Design; the Glasgow School of Art, and Goldsmiths, University of London. This commercial venture is one of Britain's foremost visual arts organisations. Major British artists include Sir Joshua Reynolds, Thomas Gainsborough, John Constable, William Blake, J. M. W. Turner, William Morris, Francis Bacon, Lucian Freud, David Hockney, Gilbert and George, Richard Hamilton, Peter Blake, Howard Hodgkin, Antony Gormley, and Anish Kapoor. During the late 1980s and 1990s, the Saatchi Gallery in London brought to public attention a group of multigenre artists who would become known as the Young British Artists. Damian Hirst, Chris Ofili, Rachel Whiteread, Tracy Emin, Mark Wallinger, Steve McQueen, Sam Taylor-Wood, and the Chapman Brothers are among the better known members of this loosely affiliated movement.

Main article: Art of the United Kingdom

[edit] Symbols

• The flag of the United Kingdom is the Union Flag commonly known as the "Union Jack", though this is technically only correct when flown from a Jack Mast at sea. Some people dispute this and claim that the name originated from King James VI who designed the first Union Flag, hence the name "Union Jack" or Jac's Union, Jac being short for Jacobean, a Latinised name commonly used when speaking of the King. Created from the superimposition of the flags of England (St George's Cross) and Scotland (Saint Andrew's Cross), with the Saint Patrick's cross, representing Ireland, being added to this in 1801.

• The national anthem of the United Kingdom is God Save the King, with "King" replaced with "Queen" whenever the Monarch is female. The anthem's name, however, remains God Save the King.^[86]

• Britannia is a personification of the United Kingdom, originating from the Roman occupation of southern and central Great Britain.^[87] Britannia is symbolised as a young woman with brown or golden hair, wearing a Corinthian helmet and white robes. She holds Poseidon's three-pronged trident and a shield, bearing the Union Flag. Sometimes she is depicted as riding the back of a lion. At and since the height of the British Empire, Britannia has often associated with maritime dominance, as in the patriotic song Rule Britannia.

• The lion has also been used as a symbol of the United Kingdom; one is depicted behind Britannia on the 50 pence piece and one is shown crowned on the back of the 10 pence piece. It is also used as a symbol on the non-ceremonial flag of the British Army. Lions have been used as heraldic devices many times, including in the royal arms of both the kingdoms of England, Scotland and Kingdom of Gwynedd in Wales. The lion is featured on the emblem of the England national football team, giving rise to the popular football anthem Three Lions, and the England national cricket team.

• The bulldog is sometimes used as a symbol of Great Britain, and is often associated with Winston Churchill's defiance of Nazi Germany.

• Britain (especially England) is also personified as the character John Bull.

• The ancient British landscape, and especially some of its distinctive fauna such as the oak tree and the rose, have long been a widely used proxy for the visual representation of British identity. The red rose is the emblem of the Labour Party, the England national rugby union team and the RFU.

[edit] See also

v • d • e Topics on United Kingdom
Subdivisions	England · Northern Ireland · Scotland · Wales · Crown dependencies · Overseas territories · British Isles (terminology)
History	Timeline · England · Scotland · Wales · Ireland · British Empire · Social History · Foreign relations
Law	Courts of the United Kingdom · Nationality law · Legislation
Politics	Parliament · House of Commons · House of Lords · The Crown · Prime Minister · Cabinet · Government departments · Constitution · Local government · Elections · Political parties
Geography	Geology · Mountains · Lakes · Rivers · Transport
Economy	Economic History · Stock Exchange · Pound Sterling · Banks · Bank of England · Taxation
Military	Military history · Royal Navy · British Army · Royal Air Force · Nuclear weapons
Demographics	Languages · Religion · Subdivision · Cities · Towns
Culture	Art · Cinema · Identity · Literature · Media · Music · Sport · Television  ·Holiday
WikiProject · Portal

[edit] Miscellaneous data

• Cellular frequency: GSM 900, GSM 1800, UMTS 2100
• Cellular technology: GSM/GPRS/EDGE/UMTS/HSDPA
• Date format: DD/MM/YY (example: 22/12/05) or 22 December 2005 (22nd December 2005 widely used also if date is written in words)
• Time format: Generally 12-hour format when spoken or in writing (example: 5:15 pm), 24-hour format is used in some official documentation, timetables and by the military (example: 17:15 or 1715). A full stop may also be used instead of the colon when writing the time; for instance, 5.15 pm.
• Decimal separator is a full stop: 123.45
• Thousands are separated (formal) by a comma: 10,000. (To avoid confusion with continental countries which use the comma as the decimal separator, a space may be used, e.g. 10 000.)
• In Britain, A Billion is traditionally represented as 1,000,000,000,000 (or One million million). This has fallen into disuse recently, and a Billion is now commonly seen as 1,000,000,000 (or a thousand million).
• Voltage: 230V (+10% / -6%), 50 Hz; British 3-pin power plugs and sockets
• Postal code: UK postcodes
• Driving is on the left with the driver's seat on the right-hand side of the car.

[edit] References

[edit] External links

Find more information on United Kingdom by searching Wikipedia's sister projects
	Dictionary definitions from Wiktionary
	Textbooks from Wikibooks
	Quotations from Wikiquote
	Source texts from Wikisource
	Images and media from Commons
	News stories from Wikinews
	Learning resources from Wikiversity

• Wikimedia Atlas of United Kingdom, holding maps related to United Kingdom.
• Official website of the British Monarchy
• Official website of the United Kingdom Government
• Official tourist guide to Britain
• Official Yearbook of the United Kingdom
• Economic & Social Data Ranking/ United Kingdom
• United Kingdom travel guide from Wikitravel

Geographic locale

v • d • e Constituent countries and affiliations of the United Kingdom Constituent countries  England ·  Scotland ·  Wales · Northern Ireland Overseas territories Akrotiri and Dhekelia · Anguilla · Bermuda · British Antarctic Territory · British Indian Ocean Territory · British Virgin Islands · Cayman Islands · Falkland Islands · Gibraltar · Montserrat · Pitcairn Islands · St. Helena (including Ascension Island and Tristan da Cunha) · South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands · Turks and Caicos Islands Crown dependencies Guernsey · Isle of Man · Jersey v • d • e Sovereign states of Europe Albania · Andorra · Armenia2 · Austria · Azerbaijan1 · Belarus · Belgium · Bosnia and Herzegovina · Bulgaria · Croatia · Cyprus2 · Czech Republic · Denmark3 · Estonia · Finland · France3 · Georgia1 · Germany · Greece · Hungary · Iceland · Ireland · Italy3 · Kazakhstan1 · Latvia · Liechtenstein · Lithuania · Luxembourg · Malta · Moldova · Monaco · Montenegro · Netherlands3 · Norway3 · Poland · Portugal3 · Republic of Macedonia (FYROM) · Romania · Russia1 · San Marino · Serbia · Slovakia · Slovenia · Spain3 · Sweden · Switzerland · Turkey1 · Ukraine · United Kingdom3 · Vatican City 1 Has majority of its territory in Asia.  2 Entirely in Asia but having socio-political connections with Europe.  3 Has dependencies or similar territories outside Europe. v • d • e The British Isles Terminology (Dispute)  · IONA Sovereign states Ireland United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland Dependencies of the British Crown Guernsey · Isle of Man · Jersey Semi-autonomous countries in the UK Northern Ireland  · Scotland  · Wales  · England Islands Channel Islands · Great Britain · Ireland · Isle of Man List of islands of England · Ireland · Isle of Man · Scotland · Wales History Britain · England · Ireland · Isle of Man · Jersey · Scotland · United Kingdom · Wales Historic states Kingdom of Scotland  · Kingdom of England  · Principality of Wales  · Kingdom of Ireland  · Kingdom of Great Britain · United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland · Irish Free State Modern Languages BSL · Cornish · English · French · Guernésiais · Irish · ISL · Jèrriais · NISL · Manx · (Ulster) Scots · Scottish Gaelic · Welsh Peoples British · Celts (List of tribes) · Cornish · English · Irish · Irish Traveller · Manx · Scottish · Ulster-Scots · Welsh

International organisations

v • d • e Commonwealth of Nations Sovereign states Antigua and Barbuda · Australia · Bahamas · Bangladesh · Barbados · Belize · Botswana · Brunei · Cameroon · Canada · Cyprus · Dominica · Fiji · The Gambia · Ghana · Grenada · Guyana · India · Jamaica · Kenya · Kiribati · Lesotho · Malawi · Malaysia · Maldives · Malta · Mauritius · Mozambique · Namibia · Nauru · New Zealand · Nigeria · Pakistan · Papua New Guinea · St. Kitts and Nevis · St. Lucia · St. Vincent and the Grenadines · Samoa · Seychelles · Sierra Leone · Singapore · Solomon Islands · South Africa · Sri Lanka · Swaziland · Tanzania · Tonga · Trinidad and Tobago · Tuvalu · Uganda · United Kingdom · Vanuatu · Zambia Dependencies Australia:  Ashmore and Cartier Islands · Australian Antarctic Territory · Christmas Island · Cocos (Keeling) Islands · Coral Sea Islands · Heard Island and McDonald Islands · Norfolk Island      India:  Andaman and Nicobar Islands · Lakshadweep      New Zealand:  Cook Islands · Niue · Ross Dependency · Tokelau      United Kingdom:  Akrotiri and Dhekelia · Anguilla · Bermuda · British Antarctic Territory · British Indian Ocean Territory · British Virgin Islands · Cayman Islands · Falkland Islands · Gibraltar · Guernsey · Isle of Man · Jersey · Montserrat · Pitcairn Islands · St. Helena (including Ascension Island and Tristan da Cunha) · South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands · Turks and Caicos Islands v • d • e Commonwealth Realms Antigua and Barbuda · Australia · Bahamas · Barbados · Belize · Canada · Grenada · Jamaica · New Zealand · Papua New Guinea · St. Kitts and Nevis · St. Lucia · St. Vincent and the Grenadines · Solomon Islands · Tuvalu · United Kingdom v • d • e Monarchies Absolute monarchy  ·  † Semi-constitutional monarchy  ·  Elective monarchy African Lesotho · †Morocco · Swaziland Asian †Bahrain · Bhutan · Brunei · Cambodia · Japan · †Jordan · †Kuwait · Malaysia · Nepal · Oman · Qatar · Saudi Arabia · Thailand · Tonga · United Arab Emirates Commonwealth Realms Antigua and Barbuda · Australia · Bahamas · Barbados · Belize · Canada · Grenada · Jamaica · New Zealand · Papua New Guinea · St. Kitts and Nevis · St. Lucia · St. Vincent and the Grenadines · Solomon Islands · Tuvalu · United Kingdom European Andorra · Belgium · Denmark · †Liechtenstein · Luxembourg · †Monaco · Netherlands · Norway · Spain · Sweden · Vatican City (Holy See) v • d • e Members of the European Union (EU) Austria · Belgium · Bulgaria · Cyprus · Czech Republic · Denmark · Estonia · Finland · France · Germany · Greece · Hungary · Ireland · Italy · Latvia · Lithuania · Luxembourg · Malta · Netherlands · Poland · Portugal · Romania · Slovakia · Slovenia · Spain · Sweden · United Kingdom v • d • e Council of Europe Albania · Andorra · Armenia · Austria · Azerbaijan · Belgium · Bosnia and Herzegovina · Bulgaria · Croatia · Cyprus · Czech Republic · Denmark · Estonia · Finland · France · Georgia · Germany · Greece · Hungary · Iceland · Ireland · Italy · Latvia · Liechtenstein · Lithuania · Luxembourg · Malta · Moldova · Monaco · Montenegro · Netherlands · Norway · Poland · Portugal · Romania · Russia · San Marino · Serbia · Slovakia · Slovenia · Spain · Sweden · Switzerland · The former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia  · Turkey  · Ukraine  · United Kingdom v • d • e Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) Australia · Austria · Belgium · Canada · Czech Republic · Denmark · Finland · France · Germany · Greece · Hungary · Iceland · Ireland · Italy · Japan · South Korea · Luxembourg · Mexico · Netherlands · New Zealand · Norway · Poland · Portugal · Slovakia · Spain · Sweden · Switzerland · Turkey · United Kingdom · United States v • d • e North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) Members Belgium · Bulgaria · Canada · Czech Republic · Denmark · Estonia · France · Germany · Greece · Hungary · Iceland · Italy · Latvia · Lithuania · Luxembourg · Netherlands · Norway · Poland · Portugal · Romania · Slovakia · Slovenia · Spain · Turkey · United Kingdom · United States Candidates Albania · Croatia · Georgia · Republic of Macedonia (as the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM)) v • d • e Members of the World Trade Organization (WTO) Albania · Angola · Antigua and Barbuda · Argentina · Armenia · Australia · Bahrain · Bangladesh · Barbados · Belize · Benin · Bolivia · Botswana · Brazil · Brunei (Brunei Darussalam) · Burkina Faso · Burundi · Cambodia · Cameroon · Canada · Central African Republic · Chad · Chile · China (PRC) · Colombia · Democratic Republic of the Congo · Republic of the Congo · Costa Rica · Cote d'Ivoire · Croatia · Cuba · Djibouti · Dominica · Dominican Republic · Ecuador · Egypt · El Salvador · European Union1 · Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM) · Fiji · Gabon · The Gambia · Georgia · Ghana · Grenada · Guatemala · Guinea · Guinea-Bissau · Guyana · Haiti · Honduras · Hong Kong2 · Iceland · India · Indonesia · Israel · Jamaica · Japan · Jordan · Kenya · South Korea · Kuwait · Kyrgyzstan · Lesotho · Liechtenstein · Macau2 · Madagascar · Malawi · Malaysia · Maldives · Mali · Mauritania · Mauritius · Mexico · Moldova · Mongolia · Morocco · Mozambique · Myanmar · Namibia · Nepal · New Zealand · Nicaragua · Niger · Nigeria · Norway · Oman · Pakistan · Panama · Papua New Guinea · Paraguay · Peru · Philippines · Qatar · Rwanda · St. Kitts and Nevis · St. Lucia · St. Vincent and the Grenadines · Saudi Arabia · Senegal · Sierra Leone · Singapore · Solomon Islands · South Africa · Sri Lanka · Suriname · Swaziland · Switzerland · Separate Customs Territory of Taiwan, Penghu, Kinmen, and Matsu · Tanzania · Thailand · Togo · Trinidad and Tobago · Tunisia · Turkey · Uganda · United Arab Emirates · United States · Uruguay · Venezuela · Vietnam · Zambia · Zimbabwe 1 All twenty-seven member states of the European Union are also members of the WTO in their own right: Austria • Belgium • Bulgaria • Cyprus • Czech Republic • Denmark • Estonia • Finland • France • Germany • Greece • Hungary • Ireland • Italy • Latvia • Lithuania • Luxembourg • Malta • Netherlands and Netherlands Antilles • Poland • Portugal • Romania • Slovakia • Slovenia • Spain • Sweden • United Kingdom 2 Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China. v • d • e Group of Eight (G8) Permanent members Canada · France · Germany · Italy · Japan · Russia · United Kingdom · United States Additional representations European Union v • d • e Members of the United Nations Security Council Permanent members People's Republic of China · France · Russia · United Kingdom · United States Term ends December 31, 2007 Republic of the Congo (Congo-Brazzaville) · Ghana · Peru · Qatar · Slovakia Term ends December 31, 2008 Belgium · Indonesia · Italy · Panama · South Africa Coordinates: 52° N 1° W