Find out everything you wanted to know about the UK.
The UK consists of Great Britain (England, Wales and Scotland) and Northern Ireland, and is one of the 27 member states of the EU.
Capital Cities
London - England
Cardiff - Wales
Edinburgh - Scotland
Belfast - Northern Ireland
Population Size
UK citizens - approximately 61.5 million
UK pubs- approximately 61 000
The UK is incredibly famous for its drinking culture and is often said to have a
pub on every corner.
Official Languages
Britain has two official languages, namely English and Welsh with English being
the most commonly spoken. Whilst these are the official languages, the vast multiculturalism
is showcased by the daily use of over 300 languages in the UK.
Government
The UK is a constitutional monarchy that is a representative democracy, where Queen
Elizabeth II is recognised as the head of state, the monarch of the UK also acts
as head of state of fifteen other Commonwealth countries, putting the UK in a union
with those states. The Crown has sovereignty over the Isle of Man and the Bailiwicks
of Jersey and Guernsey. The elected Prime Minister, Gordon Brown is the head of
government.
Economic profile
The UK is a leading trading power and a financial centre. Agriculture is an important
industry and highly efficient. Primary energy, like coal and oil, are major contributors
to the economy, but services like banking and insurance are the greatest contributors.
Currency
Britain uses the pound sterling. The sign for the Great British Pound (GBP) is £.
Time zone
* 29 October - 26 March: Coordinated Universal Time (UTC)
* 25 March - 29 October: UTC + 1
Climate
Britain has a fairly temperate climate and is sometimes overcast. The weather can
vary greatly from day to day, but generally summer (June-August) is a warm 14-25
°C, and winter (December-February) is a cool 1-4 °C.
Major UK holidays 2010
- 1 January
- 2 January (Scotland only)
- 17 March (Northern Ireland only)
- 10 and 13 April
- 4 and 25 May
- 14 July (Northern Ireland only)
- 3 August (Scotland only)
- 31 August (England, Wales and Northern Ireland only)
- 25 and 26 December
Weights & Measures
Historically Britain used the Imperial System, but new regulations make use of the
Metric System compulsory with the exception of a few items, for example distance
and speed are measured in miles and miles per hour.
Electricity
Voltage is 240 volts AC at 50HZ. Appliances generally use standard 3-pin square
plugs and sockets.
Quick Facts
Country Full Name
England
Population
51,200,000
Currency
Name: Pound Sterling
Code: GBP
Symbol: £
Electrical Plugs
240V 50Hz
Languages Spoken
Official: English
Time Zones
GMT/UTC 0 (Greenwich Mean Time (British Summer Time during daylight savings))
Country Dialing Code
+44
Weights & Measures
Metric