The United Kingdom (United Kingdom) is located in the
Northwest of Europe. The United Kingdom comprises of four countries England,
Northern Ireland, Wales, and Scotland.
London is the United Kingdom's biggest city and also the
most expensive to live in.
English is the official language of the UK.
The United Kingdom follows a parliamentary democracy,
with a constitutional monarchy. Since 1952, the reigning Monarch of the
United Kingdom is Queen Elizabeth the second world's longest-reigning head
of state.
The United Kingdom's Stonehenge is one of the world's
seven wonders and oldest monuments, believed to have been built more than
3,000 years BC.
The oldest Education Institute in the United Kingdom is
the University of Oxford.
Geography
The total land area of the United Kingdom is 244,820
square kilometers and lies between the North Atlantic Ocean and the North
Sea, and its South-Eastern coast within 35 km of the Coast of Northern
France, separated by the English Channel.
England is located in the Southeast part of the British
Isles and separated from Scotland by the Cheviot Hills.
To the west of United Kingdom, along the Wales border,
the landscape comprises of steep hills and valleys, including the Cambrian
Mountains. The collection of hills in Gloucestershire, called the Cotswold
extends into the surrounding shires.
The British Coastline is 11,083 miles long. It is
connected to Europe by the Channel Tunnel, which is around 50 km long and is
the longest underwater tunnel in the world.
The main rivers and inlets are the River Thames, Severn,
Humber, Tees, Tyne, and Severn.
The highest mountain in England is Scafell Pike, at 978
meters, located in the Lake District.
The highest point in the United Kingdom is the Ben Nevis
Mountains at 1,345 meters above sea level.
Climate
The United Kingdom has a relatively temperate climate,
with mostly cool temperatures and abundant rain the whole year-round.
The weather in the United Kingdom can be quite
unpredictable and is rarely extreme.
In summer, i.e. from January to August, the average
temperatures range from 9-19 degrees Celsius. During extreme heat waves, the
temperatures can reach as high as 30 degrees Celsius.
During winter, i.e. from December to February, the
average temperatures in the United Kingdom are around 2-7 degrees Celsius.
Occasionally, temperatures drop below 0 degrees Celsius.
Natural Resources
The United Kingdom is rich in several natural resources
including coal, petroleum, natural gas, tin, limestone, iron ore, salt,
clay, chalk, gypsum, lead, silica and arable land.
Economy
The United Kingdom has the world's 6th largest economy by
nominal GDP and the 9th biggest economy in terms of purchasing power parity.
It is regarded as one of the high-income economies and ranks 14th globally
on the Human Development Index.
United Kingdom currency, the Sterling Pound is the
third-largest reserve currency in the world, following the US Dollar and the
Euro.
Tourism is a significant element of the British Economy,
with over 27 million tourists arriving each year, and is ranked the 6th most
popular tourist destination in the world, with London getting the most
significant number of international visitors of any city in the world.
The United Kingdom is a significant hub for engine
manufacturing.
The aerospace industry is the biggest in the United
Kingdom, and the third biggest national aerospace industry in the world,
with engines and wings for the Airbus A380 manufactured in the United
Kingdom.
Agriculture is intensive in the United Kingdom. It is
highly mechanized, producing about 60% of food needs with less than 1.6% of
the labour force.
Demography
The total population of the United Kingdom in 2020 is 67.8
million, making it the world's 21st largest country by population.
The majority (almost 84%) of the United Kingdom
population is centered in England, with its capital London having total
inhabitant of 8,136,000 whilst Glasgow has a population of 598,830.
Meanwhile the country's population is divided in cities like Scotland has
a population of 8.4%, Wales at 4.8%, and Northern Ireland at
2.9% or the total population.
The most spoken languages in the country are
English, Polish, and Welsh.
95% of the total population of the United Kingdom
only speak English, while the balance 5% speak a diverse mix of
languages brought into the country through widespread immigration.