Capital: London.
Official language: English.
Official name: United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
National anthem: "God Save the Queen" (or "King").
Largest cities: (1991 census) London (6,378,600); Birmingham
(934,900); Leeds (674,400); Glasgow (654,542); Sheffield (500,500);
Liverpool (448,300).
Land and climate
Land: The United Kingdom lies in northwestern Europe. It includes
the island of Great Britain and the northeastern part of the island
of Ireland. France lies south across the English Channel; the
Republic of Ireland west across the Irish Sea; Belgium, the
Netherlands, Germany, Denmark, and Norway east across the North
Sea. Most of the land is flat or rolling. There are rugged
sections in northern Scotland, in Wales, and in northern, central,
and far southwestern England.
Area: 94,248 sq. mi. (244,101 sq. km). Greatest
distances--north-south, about 600 mi. (970 km); east-west, about
300 mi. (480 km). Coastline--2,521 mi. (4,057 km).
Elevation: Highest--Ben Nevis, 4,406 ft. (1,343 m) above sea level.
Lowest--Great Holme Fen, near the River Ouse in Cambridgeshire, 9
ft. (2.7 m) below sea level.
Climate: Summers mild--daytime highs about 73 degrees F (23 degrees
C) in the south, about 65 degrees F (18 degrees C) in Scotland.
Cool winters--nighttime temperatures drop nearly to freezing, but
rarely much below, except in the Scottish Highlands. Precipitation
moderate, generally higher in the west.
Government
Form of government: Constitutional monarchy. In practice, a
parliamentary democracy.
Head of state: Monarch (queen or king). The monarch is the head of
the executive and judicial branches of the government and is a part
of the legislative branch.
Head of government: Prime minister, usually the head of the majority
party in the House of Commons.
Legislature: Parliament of two houses: House of Commons has 651
members, elected by the people; House of Lords has about 1,200
members. House of Commons is much more powerful than House of
Lords.
Executive: Prime minister and Cabinet.
Political divisions: England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland,
united under one government. Each division has units of local
government.
People
Population: 1998 estimate--59,056,000. 1991 census--56,467,000.
2003 estimate--59,685,000.
Population density: 627 persons per sq. mi. (242 per sq. km).
Distribution: 90 percent urban, 10 percent rural.
Major ethnic/national groups: 95 percent of mostly British or Irish
descent. About 5 percent recent immigrants or their descendants.
Immigrants mostly from former British colonies.
Major religions: About 50 percent Church of England, 10 percent Roman
Catholic, 4 percent Church of Scotland; also several other
Protestant denominations, Muslims, Hindus, Jews.
Economy
Chief products: Agriculture--barley, beef and dairy cattle, chickens
and eggs, hogs, milk, potatoes, rapeseed, sheep, sugar beets,
wheat. Manufacturing--aerospace equipment, chemicals and
pharmaceuticals, electrical and electronic products, foods and
beverages, iron and steel, machinery, metal goods, motor vehicles,
printed materials, rubber and plastic goods, ships, textiles and
clothing. Mining--coal, natural gas, petroleum. Fishing
industry--cod, haddock, herring, mackerel, whiting.
Money: Basic unit--pound. For value in U.S. dollars, see MONEY
(Table: Exchange Rates).
Foreign trade: Major exports--aerospace equipment, chemicals and
pharmaceuticals, foods and beverages, machinery, motor vehicles,
petroleum. Major imports--chemicals, clothing, foods (especially
fish, fruit, vegetables, meat, coffee, tea), machinery, metals,
motor vehicles, paper andnewsprint, petroleum products, textiles.
Major trading partners--France, Germany, Netherlands, United
States.
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