United Kingdom

Established in 1801, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is made up of the countries of England, Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland. The United Kingdom (UK) is located on the islands of Great Britain and Ireland in Western Europe. The United Kingdom joined the European Union (EU) in 1973. However, in 2016, UK citizens narrowly voted for the country to leave the EU. The UK’s official exit from the EU, or “Brexit,” occurred in January 2020, but negotiations over trade and immigration continued.

General Information

• Full name of country: United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
• Region: Europe
• Nationality: Briton(s), British (collective plural) (noun), British (adjective)
• Official language: English
• Population: 68,459,055 (2024)
• Population growth: 0.45% (2024 est.)
• Currency (money): British pound sterling
• Land area: 241,930 sq km (93,410 sq miles)
• Water area: 1,680 sq km (649 sq miles)
• Time zone: UTC +0
• Capital: London
• Flag: Known as the Union Flag (or the Union Jack) the flag of the United Kingdom has a blue background with a diagonal red cross of Saint Patrick superimposed on the white diagonal cross of Saint Andrew. A white-edged, red cross of Saint George is in the foreground, placed on top of the diagonal crosses.
• Independence: April 12, 1927 (Royal and Parliamentary Titles Act establishes current name of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland); notable earlier dates: 927 (minor English kingdoms united); March 3, 1284 (enactment of the Statute of Rhuddlan uniting England and Wales); 1536 (Act of Union formally incorporates England and Wales); May 1, 1707 (Acts of Union formally unite England and Scotland as Great Britain); January 1, 1801 (Acts of Union formally unite Great Britain and Ireland as the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland); December 6, 1921 (Anglo-Irish Treaty formalizes partition of Ireland; six counties remain part of the United Kingdom and Northern Ireland)
• Government type: constitutional monarchy and Commonwealth realm
• Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal
• Legal system: common law system; has nonbinding judicial review of Acts of Parliament under the Human Rights Act of 1998
• National anthem: “God Save the Queen”, by Unknown
• National holiday: the UK does not celebrate one particular national holiday

Note: Unless otherwise indicated, statistical data in this article is sourced from the CIA World Factbook, as cited in the bibliography.

People and Culture

Population: According to 2023 estimates, about 84 percent of residents of the United Kingdom live in England, while 8 percent live in Scotland, nearly 5 percent live in Wales, and under 3 percent reside in Northern Ireland.

Most of the UK population—approximately 87.2 percent in the 2011 census—are White, including English (Anglo-Saxon), Irish, Welsh, and Scottish. Many ethnic minority groups generally come from the countries of the Commonwealth of Nations, the former colonies of the United Kingdom. Approximately 3 percent of the population are Black, including those of African, Caribbean, and British descent; 2.3 percent are of Indian descent, and 1.9 percent are of Pakistani heritage.

London, with around 9.648 million people in 2023, is one of Europe’s largest cities. The United Kingdom ranked 15th out of 193 countries and territories on the 2022 United Nations Human Development Index, which measures quality-of-life indicators.

English is spoken predominantly in the United Kingdom, though there is no official language. Officially recognized regional languages include Scots, Scottish Gaelic, Irish, Welsh, and Cornish. Other languages such as Jamaican Creole, Cantonese, Hindi, and Punjabi are often spoken by people from the Commonwealth of Nations.

Indigenous People: The Celts, Normans, Vikings, Romans, English, and Anglo-Saxons are the groups that are typically considered the original inhabitants of the British Isles, the earliest being the Celts. Most Welsh people trace their European heritage to these groups. There is very little ethnic diversity in Wales, and therefore the native population is essentially the same as the current population.

Scotland was originally settled by Celtic tribes. The country takes its name from the Scots, a tribe from Ireland, but the Picts were actually the first people to settle the country. The Anglo-Saxons arrived in the fifth century and established kingdoms in the Scottish Lowlands.

Beginning in the fifth century, Britain was settled by Germanic peoples known as the Angles, Saxons, and Jutes, who eventually combined as the Anglo-Saxons. The Vikings arrived from Scandinavia in the ninth century and established a realm in eastern England known as the Danelaw. The Norman Conquest in the eleventh century added a strong French element.

The United Kingdom is a predominantly Christian country, with many citizens practicing a Protestant faith. Among official churches are the Church of England and the Church of Scotland. The Church of England was the official church of Wales for centuries while Wales was under England’s rule, but eventually the Welsh broke away and declared their own rights of worship.

Education: The United Kingdom has two main education systems. In general, the system used in England, Northern Ireland, and Wales focuses on teaching students a more in-depth understanding of topics, while the system used in Scotland emphasizes learning a broader range of subjects.

Children in the United Kingdom must attend school from ages five through eighteen. The educational system is under the UK Department for Education and Skills (DFES), headed by the Secretary of State for Education.

Students between the ages of five and ten attend primary school, and students aged eleven to eighteen attend secondary school. State-run secondary schools include community schools, foundation schools, and religious schools. “Public schools” are actually private schools; the name refers to the fact that they are open to any member of the public who can pay the fees.

The United Kingdom has many notable institutions of higher learning. The oldest and most prestigious universities in England are the University of Oxford and the University of Cambridge, founded in the Middle Ages. Scotland boasts the University of St. Andrews, the third-oldest university in the United Kingdom.

Health Care: The United Kingdom has a nationalized health care system, the National Health Service (NHS). The NHS is responsible to the British Department of Health and has a separate organizational structure for each country within the United Kingdom. Reforms have decentralized NHS responsibilities to give more authority to local doctors and the local health authorities (Primary Care Trusts). In 2024, life expectancy at birth in the United Kingdom was an estimated 82.2 years.

Food: Much of the cuisine in the United Kingdom is based on local agriculture. Beef, potatoes, mutton, poultry, pork, and vegetables are the ingredients most used in cooking. Fish and chips, usually served with salt and vinegar, is one of the signature dishes of the United Kingdom. Beverages such as tea, whiskey, and beer are highly popular throughout the United Kingdom as well.

Traditional foods are often considered to be hearty but unexciting. However, the arrival of immigrants from other countries has added diversity to the cuisine found in the United Kingdom. Asian-influenced foods, including curry dishes from India, are popular throughout the United Kingdom.

Traditional dishes of Wales include cawl, a vegetable soup that is among the most simple, as well as rarebit and laver bread (made from seaweed).

Famous Scottish dishes include haggis, which is oatmeal, organ meats, suet, and spices stuffed into the stomach of a sheep and eaten on special occasions. Northern Ireland’s best-known dishes include corned beef and cabbage and Irish stew. Boxty, a dish consisting of flattened, fried potatoes, has now become popular worldwide. A typical Irish breakfast may include boxty and thick slices of bacon called “rashers.”

Arts & Entertainment: The United Kingdom has produced many world-famous authors, artists, actors, and other creative people. The United Kingdom also has an abundance of theaters and arts festivals, as well as numerous symphony orchestras, opera companies, and dance companies. Cultural institutions include hundreds of museums, art galleries, and libraries.

The United Kingdom has around 1,100 theaters, many of which are in London. Among the most famous is the Royal National Theatre. The United Kingdom is also known for its literary greats, among which are William Shakespeare, Robert Burns, Jane Austen, the Brontë sisters (Charlotte, Emily, and Anne), William Wordsworth, Charles Dickens, Dylan Thomas, Beatrix Potter, and many more.

Since the 1950s, the United Kingdom has made major contributions to rock and pop music, with groups such as the Beatles, the Rolling Stones, Led Zeppelin, Black Sabbath, and others.

The United Kingdom has a thriving mass media. Newspapers in England include The Times, The Guardian, and The Daily Mail. Scotland’s newspapers include The Herald of Glasgow, The Scotsman of Edinburgh, and the Daily Record. The British Broadcasting Company (BBC), the state-funded broadcaster, operates television, radio, and film divisions and runs a global news organization known as the BBC World Service, which is the largest international broadcaster in the world.

Citizens of the United Kingdom are noted sports fans and have exported their national games of cricket and football (soccer) around the world. Rugby, curling, and Gaelic football are also popular. Golf has been played since the Middle Ages; one the world’s most famous courses is at St. Andrews in Scotland.

Holidays: The countries that form the United Kingdom celebrate many of the same holidays, particularly those of Christian origin. Additionally, regional holidays are observed in each of the separate countries.

Public holidays are known as “bank holidays,” referring to the fact that on these days, banks are closed and no other business is done. Most employees have the day off, while essential public workers, such as police officers, receive additional pay. Boxing Day (or St. Stephen’s Day) is celebrated on December 26, the day after Christmas; it may derive from employers’ custom of giving Christmas presents to their servants.

Numerous regional holidays are significant in the United Kingdom. In England, November 5 marks Guy Fawkes Day, commemorating the failed Gunpowder Plot to destroy Parliament in 1605. In Scotland, New Year’s Eve is celebrated as Hogmanay and extends through January 2. The birthday of Robert Burns (January 25) is also celebrated as an unofficial holiday. On February 1, the Irish honor one of their patron saints as they celebrate Saint Brigid’s Day. The other patron saint of Ireland, Saint Patrick, is celebrated on March 17 in Northern Ireland as a day of feasting. Orangemen's Day is commemorated there in mid-July. Wales hosts festivals that are specific to the region. The Welsh also celebrate March 1 in honor of their patron saint, David.

Environment and Geography

Topography: The United Kingdom comprises the island of Great Britain and a small percentage of the island of Ireland, as well as numerous small islands. The United Kingdom is surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean and the North Sea. The geography of the nation varies greatly; Wales has many mountainous regions, while Scotland is known for its highlands and lowlands. England has fields, hills, and cliffs on its coastline.

The tallest mountain in the United Kingdom is the Ben Nevis in Scotland, at 1,344 meters (4,409 feet) above sea level. The lowest point is in the Fens of England (4 meters/13 feet below sea level). The River Severn is the longest river (354 kilometers/220 miles) and flows through both England and Wales, while the largest lake is Lough Neagh in Northern Ireland (381 square kilometers/147 square miles). The coastline of the United Kingdom is 12,429 kilometers (7,723 miles) long.

Natural Resources: There are numerous natural resources found in the United Kingdom. Among some of the most important are coal, petroleum, and natural gas. Tin, gold, silver, iron ore, lead, chalk, clay, and limestone are major geological resources. The United Kingdom also has prime farmland and pastures, which enable its agricultural industries to thrive.

Plants & Animals: Because of the mild, wet climate in the United Kingdom, plant life is lush and green, and thick moss grows extensively in areas such as Northern Ireland. Deforestation and unregulated animal activity have depleted much of the forest habitat in Wales and other areas. Forests are generally full of hardwood trees such as hawthorn and oak, in addition to a vast number of evergreens.

There is relatively little large game in the United Kingdom, due to hunting and human settlement, but there are still large populations of various wild animals. Large mammals include the native red and roe species of deer, and the fallow deer, introduced from abroad. Smaller mammals include badgers, foxes, wild goat, wildcats, squirrels, and rabbits. Common bird species include numerous kinds of birds of prey, including the osprey and the peregrine falcon, as well as migratory birds such as pink-footed geese.

Many species of fish inhabit the rivers, lakes, and coastal waters of the United Kingdom, including the gwiniad, a native salmon. Marine animals such as the basking shark, seals, the harbor porpoise, the bottlenose dolphin, and the killer whale are found in the waters surrounding the United Kingdom.

Fox hunting, long popular with the English upper class, has come under attack as being cruel to animals. Dog breeding is popular in Scotland, and has given rise to notable national varieties such as the border collie and Scottish, or “Scottie,” terriers. Cattle, horses, and sheep are abundant throughout the region.

Climate: The United Kingdom’s climate is quite mild, even though it is located far north of the equator. Much of the mildness is due to warm sea currents. England, Scotland, Northern Ireland, and Wales all have reputations for wet weather. Average rainfall ranges from 700 millimeters (28 inches) in England to 2,540 millimeters (100 inches) in Wales. Most snowfall in the United Kingdom occurs in the mountains; Cairngorms in Scotland receives the most snow in the United Kingdom. The southern coastal regions are quite sunny, while the mountains are usually cloudy.

Temperatures are relatively mild throughout the year in the southern and coastal areas, though winters can sometimes be quite cold. The average annual temperature in low-lying areas is around 10 degrees Celsius (60 degrees Fahrenheit), while in the mountains, average temperatures drop to 4 degrees Celsius (39 degrees Fahrenheit).

Economy

As a major center for international trade and finance, the United Kingdom has one of the largest economies in the world. With the passage of the Brexit referendum in June 2016, however, the economy began to slow in advance of the UK’s official departure from the EU. The economy was further harmed by the breakout of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, which caused economic slowdowns around the world. In 2023, the UK's gross domestic product (GDP, purchasing power parity) was estimated at US$3.7 trillion, with an estimated per-capita GDP of US$54,100. The unemployment rate was 4.06 percent of the workforce, per 2023 estimates.

Industry: The United Kingdom has a long history as an industrialized nation, although industry’s importance is declining in the twenty-first century. Industry accounted for an estimated 16.9 percent of the GDP in 2023. Major industries include machine tools, electric power equipment, automation equipment, vehicles and transportation equipment, electronics, communications equipment, metals, fossil fuel production, chemicals, paper products, food processing, and textiles and clothing. As the largest economy within the United Kingdom, England provides the major share of exports.

The service industry is the most important sector in the economy, accounting for an estimated 72.8 percent of GDP in 2023.

Among the United Kingdom’s largest trading partners are the United States, Germany, the Netherlands, China, and Ireland.

Agriculture: Agriculture in the United Kingdom is extremely efficient and highly mechanized. The nation can produce approximately 60 percent of its own food and agricultural needs. Important crops include potatoes, vegetables, grains, and oilseed. Livestock farming focuses on cattle, pigs, sheep, and poultry. The fishing industry thrives along the coasts; the inland pastures cover two-thirds of the country.

Tourism: Ranked as a major tourist destination in the world, the United Kingdom relies heavily upon the tourist industry as a source of economic growth. Cities such as London, Glasgow, and Edinburgh attract tourists with their combination of historic sites and modern amenities. Visitors to the United Kingdom are often attracted to its museums, nightlife, castles, nature preserves, and famous historic locations such as Stonehenge in England. In addition, many international tourists are often drawn to the United Kingdom as a source of genealogical research.

Government

The United Kingdom is a parliamentary constitutional monarchy, with the British monarch serving as head of state. Political power rests with the prime minister, who is head of government. The bicameral legislature, known as Parliament, consists of the House of Lords and the House of Commons. The country has no constitution and follows statutes and common law.

The twentieth century has seen a move toward “devolution,” or giving more power to the United Kingdom’s constituent countries. In 1999, the UK Parliament reinstituted the Scottish Parliament (which had not met since 1707) and established a National Assembly for Wales, to have authority over many local issues. There is, however, no purely “English Parliament.”

England and Wales share a legal system, based on common law, a system of precedents built up over the centuries rather than a single, systematic code. Scotland and Northern Ireland each have their own laws and courts, but the British House of Lords serves as the ultimate court of appeal in all three countries, except for criminal cases in Scotland. Local courts known as magistrates’ courts can try less serious offenses. Crown Courts handle more serious cases, such as murder, manslaughter, and robbery.

The Lord Chancellor (also titled the Secretary of State for Constitutional Affairs) heads the English judicial system, assisted by the Lord Chief Justice of England and Wales. The UK Home Secretary has day-to-day responsibility for police, prisons, and criminal law in England.

The main political parties in the United Kingdom are the Labour Party, the Conservative Party, and the Liberal Democratic Party. The official opposition to the ruling party is the largest minority party.

Interesting Facts

• Inventions such as the three-piece suit, television, radio, submarines, and lead crystal all originated in the United Kingdom.
• The famous tennis tournament, the Wimbledon Championships, is held in England each year.
• The United Kingdom was once known as the “British Isles,” but since this term includes the Republic of Ireland, it is now considered archaic by most and offensive by some.
• London hosted the Olympic Games in 1908, 1948, and 2012, making it one of only three cities (along with Los Angeles and Paris) in the world to have hosted the Olympics three times.
• The United Kingdom is a major site for dinosaur discoveries. Hundreds of dinosaur fossils have been found since William Buckland wrote the first scientific description of a dinosaur, Megalosaurus, in 1824. Sir Richard Owen coined the term dinosaur in 1842.

Bibliography

Cook, Margaret. Fifty Years of Literacy Education: A History of the United Kingdom Literacy Association. UKLA, 2014.

Dodd, Tim. "Fossils: What England's Discoveries Have Told Us about Our Past." BBC, 16 Jan. 2024, www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-67911591. Accessed 28 Oct. 2024.

Office for National Statistics, www.ons.gov.uk. Accessed 28 Oct. 2024.

“United Kingdom.” Human Development Reports, United Nations Development Programme, 13 Mar. 2024, hdr.undp.org/data-center/specific-country-data#/countries/GBR. Accessed 28 Oct. 2024.

"United Kingdom." The World Bank, data.worldbank.org/country/united-kingdom. Accessed 28 Oct. 2024.

“United Kingdom.” The World Factbook, Central Intelligence Agency, 23 Oct. 2024, www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/united-kingdom/. Accessed 28 Oct. 2024.

“United Kingdom: Overview of the Education System (EAG 2024).” OECD Education GPS, OECD, 2024, gpseducation.oecd.org/CountryProfile?primaryCountry=GBR. Accessed 28 Oct. 2024.