United Kingdom
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- "UK" redirects here. For other uses, see UK (disambiguation) and United Kingdom (disambiguation).
| United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland1 | |||||
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| Motto: Dieu et mon droit (the Royal motto3) (French for "God and my right") | |||||
| Anthem: "God Save the Queen" 4 | |||||
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| Capital | London | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Most populous conurbation | Greater London Urban Area | ||||
| Official languages | English (de facto5) | ||||
| Government | Constitutional monarchy | ||||
| - Queen | Queen Elizabeth II | ||||
| - Prime Minister | Tony Blair | ||||
| Formation | |||||
| - Union of the Crowns | 24 March 1603 | ||||
| - Acts of Union | 1 May 1707 | ||||
| - Act of Union | 1 January 1801 | ||||
| - Anglo-Irish Treaty | 12 April 1922 | ||||
| Accession to EU | 1 January 1973 | ||||
| Area | |||||
| - Total | 244,820 km² (79th) 94,526 sq mi | ||||
| - Water (%) | 1.34 | ||||
| Population | |||||
| - 2005 estimate | 60,209,5006 (21st) | ||||
| - 2001 census | 58,789,194 | ||||
| - Density | 243/km² (48th) 629/sq mi | ||||
| GDP (PPP) | 2005 estimate | ||||
| - Total | $1.833 trillion (6th) | ||||
| - Per capita | $30,436 (18th) | ||||
| GDP (nominal) | 2005 estimate | ||||
| - Total | $2.201 trillion (5th) | ||||
| - Per capita | $37,023 (13th) | ||||
| HDI (2004) | 0.940 (high) (18th) | ||||
| Currency | Pound sterling (£) (GBP)
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| Time zone | GMT (UTC+0) | ||||
| - Summer (DST) | BST (UTC+1) | ||||
| Internet TLD | .uk7 | ||||
| Calling code | +44 | ||||
| 1 In the UK, 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: Welsh: Teyrnas Unedig Prydain Fawr a Gogledd Iwerddon Scottish Gaelic: An Rìoghachd Aonaichte na Breatainn Mhòr agus Eirinn a Tuath Irish: Ríocht Aontaithe na Breataine Móire agus Thuaisceart Éireann Scots: Unitit Kinrick o Great Breetain an Northren Ireland Cornish: An Rywvaneth Unys a Vreten Veur hag Iwerdhon Glédh 2 There is also a variant for use in Scotland; see Royal coat of arms of the United Kingdom. 3 The Royal motto used in Scotland is Nemo Me Impune Lacessit (Latin: "No-one provokes me with impunity"). 4 See #Symbols below. It also serves as the Royal anthem. 5 In addition to English (use established by precedent), Welsh is recognised in Wales as a "language of equal standing"[citation needed]. Since 2005, Scottish Gaelic in Scotland has the status of "an official language of Scotland commanding equal respect to the English language" [1]. See also Languages in the United Kingdom. 6 Official estimate provided by the UK Office for National Statistics [2]. 7 ISO 3166-1 alpha-2 is GB, but .gb is 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<ref>See British Isles (terminology) for further explanation of the usage of the term "Britain" in geographical and political contexts.</ref>) is a country<ref> Countries within a country, Number 10. Accessed May 29 2006 </ref> and sovereign state that is situated in north west Europe. Its territory and population are primarily situated on the island of Great Britain and in Northern Ireland on the island of Ireland, as well as numerous smaller islands in the surrounding seas. The United Kingdom is bounded by the Atlantic Ocean, and its ancillary bodies of water, including the North Sea, the English Channel, the Celtic Sea, and the Irish Sea. The mainland is linked to France by the Channel Tunnel and Northern Ireland shares a land border with the Republic of Ireland, while both countries are part of the Common Travel Area.
The United Kingdom is a political union made up of four constituent countries: England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. The United Kingdom also has several overseas territories, including Bermuda, Gibraltar, Montserrat and Saint Helena among others. The dependencies of the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man, formally possessions of the Crown, form a federacy with the United Kingdom collectively known as the British Islands. A constitutional monarchy, the United Kingdom is a Commonwealth Realm, sharing the same person — Queen Elizabeth II — with the fifteen other Realms as monarch and head of state, forming a personal union with each.
A member of the G8, the United Kingdom is a highly developed country with the fifth largest economy in the world and second largest in Europe, estimated at US$2.2 trillion. It is the third most populous state in the European Union with a population of 60.2 million<ref> European Union population figures, Eurostat/US Bureau of the Census. Retrieved 15 May 2006.</ref> and is a founding member of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) and the United Nations (UN), where it holds a permanent seat on the Security Council. The UK is also one of the world's major nuclear powers.
After the end of the British Empire, the UK retains influence throughout the world because of the extensive use of the English language as well as through the world-spanning Commonwealth of Nations, headed by Queen Elizabeth II.
Contents |
[edit] History
Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the latest of several unions formed over the last 300 years. The Kingdom of Scotland and the Kingdom of England had existed as separate 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, becoming itself part of the Kingdom of England by the Laws in Wales Act 1535. <ref> "The Act of Union with Wales", SchoolsHistory.org.uk, 7 November 2004. Retrieved 15 May 2006.</ref> With the Act of Union 1707, the independent states of England and Scotland, having been in personal union since 1603, agreed to a political union as the Kingdom of Great Britain. <ref> "The Treaty (or Act) of Union, 1707". Retrieved 15 May 2006.</ref>
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. <ref>"The Act of Union", Act of Union Virtual Library. Retrieved 15 May 2006.</ref> Independence for the now 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. <ref> "The Anglo-Irish Treaty, 6 December 1921", CAIN. Retrieved 15 May 2006.</ref>
The dominant industrial and maritime power of the 19th century, the United Kingdom is often credited with being the nation that "created the modern world", <ref> Ferguson, Niall (2003). Empire: The Rise and Demise of the British World Order. Basic Books. ISBN 0-465-02328-2.</ref> by playing a leading role in developing Western ideas of property, capitalism, and parliamentary democracy as well as making significant contributions to literature, the arts, and science and technology. At its zenith, the British Empire stretched over one-quarter of the Earth's surface and encompassed a third of its population, making it the largest empire in history. The first half of the 20th century, however, saw the Empire's strength seriously depleted from the effects of World War I and World War II. The second half witnessed the dismantling of the Empire and the United Kingdom rebuilding itself into the modern, prosperous, and technologically advanced nation it is today.
The United Kingdom has been a member of the European Union since 1973. The attitude of the present government towards further integration with this organisation is mixed <ref>"Modest progress but always on back foot", Times Online, 21 December 2005. Retrieved 16 May 2006.</ref>, with the Conservative Party favouring a return of some powers and competencies to the state <ref> "European Constitution: bad for Britain, bad for Europe", Conservative Party. Retrieved 23 May 2006.</ref>. Plans are to hold a referendum on the issue if and when five economic tests indicate that entry into the Eurozone would be beneficial. <ref name="fivetests"> "The UK's five tests", BBC News, 21 November 2002. Retrieved 16 May 2006.</ref>
- See also: List of monarchs in the British Isles, History of Britain, History of England, History of Ireland, History of Northern Ireland, History of Scotland, History of Wales, UK local history terms, and British Empire
[edit] Government and politics
- Main articles on politics and government of the United Kingdom can be found at the Politics and government of the United Kingdom series.
The United Kingdom is a constitutional monarchy, with executive power exercised on behalf of the monarch by the prime minister and other cabinet ministers who head departments. The cabinet, including the prime minister, and other ministers collectively make up Her Majesty's Government. These ministers are drawn from and are responsible to Parliament, the legislative body, which is traditionally considered to be "supreme" (that is, able to legislate on any matter and not bound by decisions of its predecessors). The United Kingdom is one of the few countries in the world today that does not have a codified constitution, relying instead on traditional customs and separate pieces of constitutional law<ref> "A Guide To the UK Legal System" Carter, Sarah (University of Kent at Canterbury), retrieved May 16 2006</ref>.
While the monarch is head of state and technically holds all executive power, it is the prime minister who is the head of government. The government is answerable chiefly to the House of Commons, from which constitutional convention requires that the prime minister be drawn. The majority of cabinet members are from the House of Commons, the rest from the House of Lords. Ministers do not, however, legally have to come from Parliament, though that is the modern day custom. 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. The Member of Parliament (MP) who commands a majority in the House of Commons is normally appointed prime minister - usually the leader of the largest party or, if there is no majority party, the largest coalition. The current prime minister is Tony Blair of the Labour Party, who has been in office since 1997.
In the United Kingdom, the monarch has extensive theoretical powers, but his/her role is mainly, though not exclusively, ceremonial <ref>Extract (Hansard, 23 July 1999, Col.1545) ("As the Queen's consent has not been obtained, this cannot be dealt with.") also see Military Action Against Iraq (Parliamentary Approval) Bill Retrieved 17 May 2006</ref>. 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 <ref>Royal Assent. Retrieved on 2006-05-17.</ref>. 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. <ref>"Polls Apart? The Public and the Monarchy", Market & Opinion Research International, 16 June 2000, Retrieved 14 May 2006.</ref> The current monarch is HM Queen Elizabeth II who acceded to the throne in 1952 and was crowned in 1953.
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 entry in to the European Union <ref> Europe Wins The Power To Jail British Citizens The Times, September 14, 2005 </ref>). 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 just 92 hereditary peers to remain. The Church of England is the established church of the state in England <ref>The History of the Church of England. The Archbishops' Council of the Church of England. Retrieved on 2006-05-24.</ref>.)
Since the 1920s, the two largest political parties in British politics have been the Labour Party and Conservative Party. Though coalition and minority governments have been an occasional feature of Parliamentary politics, the first-past-the-post electoral system used for general elections tends to maintain the dominance of these two parties, though each has in the past century relied upon a third party to deliver a working majority in Parliament <ref> General Election results through time, 1945-2001 BBC News, Accessed May 19, 2006</ref>. The Liberal Democrats are the third largest party in the British parliament and actively seek a reform of the electoral system to address the dominance of the two-party system <ref> Constitutional Reform Liberal Democrats election change proposals, Accessed May 19, 2006 </ref>.
Though many in the United Kingdom consider themselves 'British' as well as 'English', 'Scottish', 'Welsh', or 'Irish' (and increasingly also 'Afro-Caribbean', 'Indian', or 'Pakistani'), there has long been a widespread sense of separate national identities in the nations of Scotland and Wales and amongst the Catholic and Protestant community in Northern Ireland <ref>National Identity in Wales. Office for National Statistics (2004-01-08). Retrieved on 2006-05-16.</ref><ref>Scottish Independence Party website Retrieved on 16-05-2006</ref><ref>Dimensions of social identity in Northern Ireland. Queen's University of Belfast (1999-06-28). Retrieved on 2006-05-16.</ref>. Independence for the Republic of Ireland in 1922 provided only a partial solution to what had been termed in the 19th Century the 'Irish Question', and competing demands for a united Ireland or continued union with Great Britain have brought civil strife and political instability up to the present day.
Though 'nationalist' (as opposed to 'unionist') tendencies have shifted over time in Scotland and Wales, with the Scottish National Party founded in 1934 and Plaid Cymru (the Party of Wales) in 1925, a serious political crisis threatening the integrity of the United Kingdom as a state has not occurred since the 1970s. Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland each possess a legislature and government alongside that of the United Kingdom. However, this increased autonomy and devolution of executive and legislative powers has not contributed to a reduction in support for independence from the United Kingdom, with the rise of new pro-independence parties. For example, the Scottish Green Party and the Scottish Socialist Party have gained popularity in recent years but have not significantly dented the parliamentary dominance on the three main parties.
Image:Stormont Parliamentary Building 01.JPG
Tendencies to devolution with the wider United Kingdom have had only little resonance in England. There is currently little appetite for a devolved English parliament, although senior Conservatives and Liberal Democrats have voiced concerns in regard to the West Lothian Question <ref>Jones, George (2006-01-17). Baker seeks end to West Lothian question. The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved on 2006-05-16.</ref><ref>No English parliament - Falconer. BBC (2006-03-10). Retrieved on 2006-05-16.</ref>, which is raised where certain policies for England are set by MPs from all four constituent nations whereas similar policies for Scotland or Wales might be decided in the devolved assemblies by legislators from those countries alone. Alternative proposals for English regional government have stalled, following a poorly received referendum on devolved government for the North East of England, which had hitherto been considered the region most in favour of the idea. England is therefore governed according to the balance of parties across the whole of the United Kingdom.
The resurgence in Celtic language and identity, as well as 'regional' politics and development, has contributed to forces pulling against the unity of the state <ref> Celtic League Homepage The Celtic League, Accessed May 20 2006 </ref>. However, there is at present little sign of any imminent 'crisis' (at the last General Election, both the Scottish National Party and Plaid Cymru saw their percentage of the overall vote drop, though the SNP did gain two more seats and are the second largest party in the Scottish Parliament as well as official opposition). Nevertheless many in Scotland would like independence <ref>YOUGOV/SNP Survey results (PDF) pp. 7. Yougov (2006-04-03). Retrieved on 2006-08-01.</ref> and most of the English too<ref>http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2006/11/26/nunion26.xml</ref>. In Northern Ireland, there has been a significant decrease in violence over the last twenty years, though the situation remains tense, with the more hardline parties, such as Sinn Féin and the Democratic Unionists, now holding the most parliamentary seats (see Demographics and politics of Northern Ireland).
[edit] Law
Image:Parliament House, Edinburgh.JPG
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 Appelate Committee of the House of Lords (usually just referred to, confusingly, 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. <ref> "Constitutional reform: A Supreme Court for the United Kingdom", Department for Constitutional Affairs, Accessed May 22, 2006. PDF </ref>
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 is the highest court of appeal for several independent Commonwealth countries, the UK overseas territories, and the British crown dependencies.
[edit] Geography
[edit] Topography
Most of England consists of rolling lowland terrain, divided east from west by more mountainous terrain in the Northwest (Cumbrian Mountains of the Lake District) and north (the upland moors of the Pennines) and limestone hills of the Peak District by the Tees-Exe line. The lower limestone hills of the Isle of Purbeck, Cotswolds, Lincolnshire Wolds and 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. Near Dover, the Channel Tunnel links the United Kingdom with France. <ref> Geography of the United Kingdom CIA, Accessed May 22 2006 </ref> There is no peak in England that is 1,000 metres (3,300 ft) or greater, the highest mountain being Scafell Pike in England's Lake District, at some 978 metres (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 1,343 metres (4,406 ft). There are many long and deep-sea arms, firths, and lochs. Scotland has nearly 800 islands, mainly west and north of the mainland, notably the Hebrides, Orkney Islands and Shetland Islands. The capital city is Edinburgh, the centre of which is a World Heritage Site. The largest city is Glasgow <ref> Geography of Scotland Heritage of Scotland, Accessed May 22 2006 </ref>. In total it is estimated that the UK includes around 1,000 islands, with 700 in Scotland alone <ref> Dialysis Scotland Accessed May 22, 2006 </ref>.
Wales (Cymru in Welsh) is mostly mountainous, the highest peak being Snowdon (Yr Wyddfa) at 1,085 metres (3,560 ft) above sea level. North of the mainland is the island of Anglesey (Ynys Môn). The largest and capital city is Cardiff (Caerdydd); it has been the Welsh Capital city since 1955, located in South Wales. <ref> Geography of Wales BBC Wales, Accessed May 22 2006 </ref> The greatest concentration of people live in the south, in the cities of Swansea and Newport, as well as Cardiff, and the South Wales Valleys. The largest town in North Wales is Wrexham.
Northern Ireland, making up the north-eastern part of Ireland, is mostly hilly. The capital is Belfast ('Béal Feirste' in Irish), with other major cities being Derry ('Doire' in Irish) and Newry ('Iúr Cinn Trá' in Irish). 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 40 feet (12 m) high. Lough Neagh, the largest body of water in the British Isles, by surface area (388 km² / 150 mi²), can be found in Northern Ireland. <ref> Geography of Northern Ireland University of Ulster Accessed May 22 2006 </ref>. The highest peak is Slieve Donard at 849 metres (2,786 ft) in the province's Mourne Mountains.
[edit] Climate
England has a temperate climate, with plentiful rainfall all year round, though the seasons are quite variable in temperature. However, temperatures rarely fall below −5 °C (23 °F) or rise above 32 °C (90 °F). 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 and warmest in the southeast, which is closest to the European mainland. Snowfall can occur in Winter and early Spring, though it is not that common away from high ground.
The highest temperature recorded in England is 38.5 °C (101.3 °F) on 10 August 2003 at Brogdale, near Faversham, Kent. [1]. The lowest temperature ever recorded in England is −26.1 °C (−15.0 °F) on 10 January 1982 at Edgmond, near Newport, Shropshire. [2]
Wales' climate is much like that of England with the highest maximum temperature recorded at 35.2 °C (95.4 °F) in Hawarden Bridge, Flintshire on 2 August 1990, and the lowest minimum temperature at -23.3 °C (-10 °F) in Rhayader, Radnorshire on 21 January 1940. [1]
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 (-17.0 °F) recorded at Braemar in the Grampian Mountains, on 11 February 1895 and 10 January 1982 and also at Altnaharra, Highland, on 30 December 1995. Winter maximums average 6 °C (42.8 °F) in the lowlands, with summer maximums averaging 18 °C (64.4 °F). The highest temperature recorded was 32.9 °C (91.2 °F) 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 and the colder surface temperatures of the North Sea. Tiree, in the Inner Hebrides, is the sunniest place in Scotland: it had 300 days with sunshine in 1975. Rainfall varies widely across Scotland. The western highlands of Scotland are the wettest place, with annual rainfall exceeding 120 inches (3,000 mm). In comparison, much of lowland Scotland receives less than 31 inches (800 mm) annually. Heavy snowfall is not common in the lowlands, but becomes more common with altitude. Braemar experiences an average of 59 snow days per year, while coastal areas have an average of less than 10 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 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 (43.7 °F) in January and 17.5 °C (63.5 °F) in July. The damp climate and extensive deforestation in the 16th and 17th centuries resulted in much of the region being covered in rich green grassland. The highest maximum temperature was set at 30.8 °C (87.4 °F) 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 (0.5 °F) in Magherally, near Banbridge, County Down on 1 January 1979. [16]
The United Kingdom, along with the rest of Europe, has been hit by heatwaves during the summer in recent years. The heatwaves have been the reason for many deaths in the past years, with temperatures nearing the 40 °C (104 °F) mark.
[edit] Cities
There are many different statistics and debates on which cities are the UK's largest, due to differences between the administrative boundaries and metropolitan areas of cities, and because of merging of settlements into conurbations. The four capitals of the United Kingdom's constituent countries are London (England), Edinburgh (Scotland), Cardiff (Wales) and Belfast (Northern Ireland). London is by far the UK's largest city. After that, the definition of largest is dependent upon the criteria used, but no one city stands out as larger than the others.
[edit] Demographics
[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 <ref>"UK population approaches 60 million", Office for National Statistics, 25 August 2005; Retrieved 14 May 2006.</ref> by the Office for National Statistics in 2004. 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. <ref>Rising birth rate, longevity and migrants push population to more than 60 million. The Guardian. Retrieved on 2006-08-25.</ref>
Its overall population density is one of the highest in the world. About a quarter of the population lives in England's prosperous south-east <ref>Census 2001: South East, Office for National Statistics. Retrieved 14 May 2006.</ref> and is predominantly urban and suburban, with an estimated 7,517,700 in the capital of London. <ref>All people population: City of London. Office for National Statistics. Retrieved on 2006-08-31.</ref> The United Kingdom's high literacy rate (99%) <ref>United Kingdom. Humana. Retrieved on 2006-05-18.</ref> is attributable to universal public 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). Education is mandatory from ages five to sixteen.
[edit] Immigration
Located as they are on a group of islands close to Continental Europe, the lands now constituting the United Kingdom have 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. Between the various constituent countries, there has been sufficient internal migration to mix the population.
Immigration has come through interaction with continental Europe and international ties forged by the British Empire. Constant waves of immigration hit the UK, with Europe, Africa and South-East Asia being the biggest areas from where people emigrate. As of 2001, 7.9% of the UK's population identified themselves as an 'ethnic minority'.<ref> Ethnicity National Statistics Online, Accessed June 3 2006 </ref> The United Kingdom has amongst the highest immigration rates in Europe, along with Italy and Spain <ref>Immigration fails to stem European population loss. The Guardian (2006-08-17). Retrieved on 2006-08-20.</ref> it is now believed that the percentage of 'ethnic minorities' is some 9% <ref name="ethnic britain">A picture of ethnic Britain. BBC (2003-02-13). Retrieved on 2006-05-21.</ref>of the total UK population. In some UK cities the percentage of 'minority groups' is large but is still less than half, for example; Birmingham (UK's 2nd largest city) has 29.6% <ref> Race Equality in the City of Birmingham (PDF) pp. 23. University of Oxford (2005). Retrieved on 2006-05-21.</ref>, Leicester 36% <ref name="ethnic britain"/>. The latest figures (for 2005) show net imigration to the UK of 185,000, down from a record high of 223,000 in 2004.<ref name="ONS">Office for National Statistics, International migration: Net inflow rose in 2004, 15 December 2005, accessed 22 November 2006</ref><ref>Office for National Statistics, International migration 2005: Net inflow 185,000, 2 November 2006, accessed 22 November 2006</ref>
The latest wave of immigration to the UK began in May 2004 when the European Union was expanded. From May 2004 to September 2006, around 500,000 people from Central and Eastern Europe immigrated to the UK to work.<ref>Home Office, Department for Work and Pensions, HM Revenue & Customs and Department for Communities and Local Government, Accession Monitoring Report: May 2004-September 2006, 21 November 2006, accessed 22 November 2006.</ref> This figure is for arrivals only and does not take account of people leaving, hence net migration is likely to be lower.<ref>'Nearly 600,000' new EU migrants, BBC, 22 August 2006. Retrieved 22 August 2006.</ref> In 2005 net migration from the new EU states stood at 64,000.<ref name="ONS"/>
In addition, there are a large number of Indians, mainly from northern India, who make up about 2.0% of the population.<ref>[3]CIA, 9 September 2006, Retrieved 9 September 2006 </ref>
[edit] Language
Whilst the UK does not have an official language, the predominant tongue is English. This is a West Germanic language, descended from Old English, which features a large number of borrowings from Norman French. The other main indigenous languages are the Insular Celtic languages, i.e. the Celtic languages of the British Isles. These fall into two groups: the P-Celtic languages (Welsh and the Cornish language); and the Q-Celtic languages (Irish and Scottish Gaelic).
The English language has spread to all corners of the world (primarily because of the British Empire) and is referred to as a "global language". Worldwide, it is taught as a second language more than any other. <ref> English-Language Dominance, Literature and Welfare Melitz, Jacques; Center for Economic Policy Research; 1999; Accessed May 26 2006 </ref> 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.
Additional indigenous languages are Scots (which is closely related to English); Romany [citation needed]; and British Sign Language (Northern Ireland Sign Language is also used in Northern Ireland). Celtic dialectal influences from Cumbric persisted in Northern England for many centuries, most famously in a unique set of numbers used for counting sheep.
Recent immigrants, especially from the Commonwealth, speak many other languages, including Gujarati, Hindi, Punjabi, Urdu, Bengali, Cantonese, Turkish and Polish. The United Kingdom has the largest number of Hindi and Punjabi speakers outside Asia.
[edit] Religion
Unlike many countries today, which are officially secular, the UK is an officially Christian country. This is reflected throughout British public life, for instance, there are established state churches in England and Scotland and the Head of State is a Christian monarch crowned by an Arch-bishop in a church. British society is said to belong to the Judaeo-Christian tradition.
A majority of Britons, 72%, identify themselves as Christian.<ref name="Christians">"Census shows 72% identify as Christians", Office for National Statistics, Retrieved 14 May 2006</ref> Christianity was first introduced to Britain by the Romans.
Despite this, a relatively small proportion of the population attends public worship on a weekly basis. The United Kingdom has one of the lowest levels of public worship attendance in the world, with less than 8% of people attending any form of worship on a regular basis (of whom the majority are of middle-aged and older generations). <ref>"God and the secular society", Telegraph YouGov Poll, retrieved 14 May 2006.</ref>
Each home nation has its own church hierarchy.
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. Originally established as part of the Roman Catholic Church in 597AD by Augustine of Canterbury on behalf of Pope Gregory I, the Church split from Rome in 1534 during the reign of Henry VIII of England. The Church of England is a state church, and some of her bishops sit in the House of Lords. 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. Roman Catholics are expressly forbidden from becoming monarch, stemming from conflict over the crown and whether Britain was in the past, Catholic or Protestant. The Church of England is based at Canterbury Cathedral and the Archbishop of Canterbury is the senior clergyman.
The Church of Scotland (known informally as The Kirk) is the national church of Scotland. It is a Presbyterian church and is not subject to state control. The British monarch is an ordinary member, although the monarch is required to swear an oath to "defend the security" of the Church at their coronation. Splits in the Church since the reformation have led to the creation of various other Presbyterian churches in Scotland including the Free Church of Scotland and the Free Presbyterian Church of Scotland.
The Church of England was established in Wales until the 1920s, when the Church in Wales was separated from the Church of England and disestablished. The Church in Wales remains in the Anglican Communion. The Church of Ireland was disestablished in the 19th century.
The Roman Catholic Church is the second largest denomination of Christianity in the UK. After the Reformation, strict laws were passed against Catholics; these were removed by the Catholic Emancipation laws in the 1850s. The Catholic hierarchy is separate in England and Wales, Scotland.
In Northern Ireland the Catholic Church in Ireland is the largest single denomination. The Presbyterian Church in Ireland is the largest Protestant denomination and is in terms of theology and history very closely linked to the Church of Scotland. Other large Christian groups are the Methodists and the Baptists.
Modern day Britain is much more diverse in terms of religion. As well as Christianity, Islam and Hinduism have many followers in the UK. Sikhism, Judaism and other religions have smaller numbers.
Muslims are believed to number over 1.8 million, with many of them living in towns and cities including London, Birmingham, Bradford and Oldham.<ref> We need imams who can speak to young Muslims in their own words. The Times (2006-08-05). Retrieved on 2006-08-09. </ref> Mosques are a common sight in some parts of modern day Britain. The biggest groups of British Muslims are of Pakistani, Indian and Bangladeshi origin. More recently, the wave of Somali and Middle-Eastern asylum seekers has increased Britain's Muslim population. The 2006 controversy over the burqa, brought up IN comments by Jack Straw, reflects a split between some Britons who are questioning the extent to which Islam is compatible with British society, and others who are happy with the widespread presence of Islam in Britain.<ref> Veil: British papers back Straw. CNN (2006-07-10). Retrieved on 2006-05-11. </ref>
The religions of Indian origin, like Hinduism and Sikhism in Britain are also increasing in number, with over 500,000 Hindus and 320,000 Sikhs in the country. <ref> Hindus in Britain Stage Rare Open-Air Cremation. Washington post (2006-07-15). Retrieved on 2006-08-09.</ref> However, these figures are likely to have increased, as they are based on the 2001 census. The city of Leicester houses the world's only Jain temple outside India.
[edit] Economy
The British economy is the home of the Anglo-Saxon model, focusing on the principles of liberalisation, the free market, 'common law' relating to property, and low taxation and regulation. Based on market exchange rates, the United Kingdom is the fifth largest economy in the world; <ref>"Report for Selected Countries and Subjects", International Monetary Fund, 2005. Retrieved 15 May 2006.</ref>, the second largest in Europe after Germany, and the sixth-largest overall by purchasing power parity (PPP) exchange rates.
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, the United Kingdom started to lose its economic advantage. As a result, heavy industry declined throughout the 20th century. The British service sector, however, has grown substantially, and now makes up about 73% of GDP. <ref>Index of Services (experimental). Office for National Statistics (2006-04-26). Retrieved on 2006-05-24.</ref>
The service sector of the United Kingdom is dominated by financial services, especially in banking and insurance. London is one of the world's largest financial centres 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, Citigroup, and Barclays Bank all relocating their head offices there. The Scottish capital, Edinburgh also has one of the large financial centres of Europe <ref>"Debate on Scottish financial services industry", Mark Lazarowicz Labour MP, 30 April 2003. Retrieved 16 May 2006.</ref>.
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. <ref>International Tourism Receipts (PDF). UNWTO Tourism Highlights, Edition 2005 pp. 12. World Tourism Organization. Retrieved on 2006-05-24.</ref>
The British manufacturing sector, however, has greatly diminished since World War II. It is still a significant part of the economy, but only accounted for one-sixth of national output in 2003.<ref>TUC Manufacturing Conference, Patricia Hewitt speech, Department for Trade and Industry, 15 July. Retrieved 16 May 2006.</ref>. The British motor industry is a significant part of this sector, although all large-volume producers are now foreign-owned. Civil and defence aircraft production is led by the United Kingdom's largest aerospace firm, BAE Systems, and the pan-European consortium known as 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 third largest pharmaceutical firms (GlaxoSmithKline and AstraZeneca, respectively) being based in the UK. [citation needed]
The United Kingdom's agriculture sector is small by European standards, accounting for only 0.9% of GDP. [citation needed]
The UK has large coal, natural gas, and oil reserves, although the natural gas and oil reserves are starting to run down. Primary energy production accounts for about 10% of Gross domestic product (GDP), [citation needed] one of the highest shares of any industrial state.
The currency of the UK is pound sterling, represented by the symbol £. The Bank of England is the central bank and is responsible for issuing currency, although 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 on the currency's launch, although the government has pledged to hold a public referendum for deciding membership if "five economic tests" are met. <ref name="fivetests" /> Currently UK public opinion is against the notion. <ref>EMU Entry And EU Constitution. MORI (2005-02-28). Retrieved on 2006-05-17.</ref>
Government involvement over 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 being 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 £5.6bn in 1997 to £29bn in 2006.
[edit] Administrative subdivisions
The United Kingdom is divided into four parts, commonly referred to as the home nations or constituent countries. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Image:Flag of England (bordered).svg | England | Kingdom | 50,431,700 | Regions Metropolitan and non-metropolitan counties Lieutenancy areas | English Cities |
| Image:Flag of Scotland.svg | Scotland | Kingdom | 5,094,800 | Council areas Lieutenancy areas | Scottish Cities |
| Image:Flag of Wales (bordered).svg | Wales | Principality | 2,958,600 | Unitary authorities Lieutenancy areas | Welsh Cities |
| Image:Flag of Northern Ireland (bordered).svg | 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, as of 2004, after the North East region rejected its proposed assembly in a referendum.
City status is governed by Royal Charter. There are currently 66 British cities (50 in England; 6 in Scotland; 5 in Wales; and 5 in Northern Ireland).
The Crown has sovereignty over the Bailiwicks of Jersey and Guernsey, and the Isle of Man, known collectively as the crown dependencies. These are lands historically owned by the British monarch, but are not part of the United Kingdom itself. They are also not in 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] Military
The armed forces of the United Kingdom are known as the British Armed Forces or Her Majesty's Armed Forces, but officially Armed Forces of the Crown. Their Commander-in-Chief is the British monarch, HM The Queen and they are managed by the Ministry of Defence. The armed forces are controlled by the Defence Council currently headed by Air Chief Marshal Sir Jock Stirrup.
The United Kingdom fields one of the most powerful and comprehensive armed forces in the world. Its global power projection capabilities are deemed second only to the United States military, and its navy is the world's second strongest. <ref>