United Kingdom
Parliamentary constitutional monarchy
Official:
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
Local name:
United Kingdom
Region:
Northern Europe
Surface area:
243,610 km²
Capital:
London
Geography
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is an island state in the west of Europe. It is separated from the mainland of continental Europe by the English Channel. The parts of England, Wales and Scotland are located on the main island of Great Britain. Northern Ireland takes up around one sixth of the island of Ireland. Ireland is also the only directly bordering neighboring country.The United Kingdom has a total area of 243,610 km² and a total coastline of 12,429 km. This land mass corresponds to approximately 68% of the size of Germany. This makes it one of the largest countries in Europe and the 80th largest country in the world. An exceptionally high proportion of the population (84%) is urban. Around one in eight inhabitants lives in London alone. Large swathes of land in the north of the UK are sparsely populated. Only just over 13% of the population live in Scotland and Wales. Northern Ireland has the lowest population share at less than 3% and England the highest at around 84%.
The United Kingdom is comparatively low lying at an average altitude of 162 meters above sea level. The highest mountain peak (Ben Nevis) is 1,345 meters above sea level. In addition to the main island, the country also includes around 1,000 other small islands, stretching from the Shetland Islands in the north to the Isles of Scilly in the English Channel.
On further pages:
Current time in the United Kingdom:
The countrywide time in the United Kingdom is Greenwich Mean Time (GMT), which is currently 5 hours ahead of New York.
As in many countries far away from the equator, there is a daylight savings time in the summer. Related to GMT, the time difference is usually 0 hours in summer and 1 hours in winter. The next time change will be on October 27 at 1:00 am (local time).
Time zones and clock changesPublic Holidays in the United KingdomSunrise + Sunset00:00
July 2024
The countrywide time in the United Kingdom is Greenwich Mean Time (GMT), which is currently 5 hours ahead of New York.
As in many countries far away from the equator, there is a daylight savings time in the summer. Related to GMT, the time difference is usually 0 hours in summer and 1 hours in winter. The next time change will be on October 27 at 1:00 am (local time).
Population
Population:67,791,000
Population per km²:278.3
Life expectancy males:Ø 80.4 years
Life expectancy females:
Ø 83.8 yearsBirth rate:
10.1 ‰Death rate:
9.1 ‰Males/Females:
49.4% : 50.6%Population pyramid
The currency in the United Kingdom is the Sterling pound (GBP).
1 Pound is divided into 100 Pence.
Status: 07/05/2024
1 Pound is divided into 100 Pence.
Status: 07/05/2024
1 US dollar = 0.78 Pounds
1 Pound = 1.28 US dollar
1 Pound = 1.28 US dollar
Climate in the United Kingdom
Probably the best-known peculiarity of the British weather is the high amount of rainfall, which is distributed throughout the year. It’s caused by the exposed location on the Atlantic Ocean with the warm waters of the Gulf Stream combining with the cold arctic air in the north. Most of the rain falls in the northwest of England. The weather changes frequently, but the temperature fluctuations between summer and winter are comparatively small. While the crisp frosty nights that are common in northern Europe are often absent, even in winter, temperatures in summer rarely exceed 30 degrees. Basically, it gets cooler in the northern parts of the country, and rainier in the western ones.Average daytime and nighttime temperatures
Languages
Official language:
English
| Mother tongue | Distribution |
|---|---|
| English | 97.3 % |
| Kymri | 0.9 % |
| Gaelic | 0.1 % |
| other | 1.7 % |
Religions
State religion:
England: Church of England (Anglican), Scotland: Church of Scotland (Calvinist)
| Religion | Distribution |
|---|---|
| Roman Catholics | 8.7% |
| Anglicans | 11.2% |
| other Christs | 15.7% |
| Hinduists | 1.3% |
| Muslims | 6.7% |
| Jews | 0.4% |
| nondenominational | 52.0% |
| Sikhs | 0.4% |
| other | 3.7% |
more...
Economy
| GDP: | 3,089.07 bn $ |
| Exportations: | 1,024.09 bn $ |
| Importations: | 1,112.02 bn $ |
| Budget deficit: | 65,320 M $ |
| › Tourism receipts: | 32.96 bn $ |
| › Debt rate: | 101.36 % |
| › Unemployment rate: | 4.36 % |
| › Inflation rate: | 7.92 % |
| › Corruption index: | 71 (good) |
| › Energy consumption: | 289.7 bn kWh |
With a Human Development Index (HDI) of 0.940, the United Kingdom counts as one of the high developed economies by UN definition. The IMF also shares this classification.
With an average annual income of 49,240 USD the United Kingdom is one of the high-income countries. Even considering purchasing power parity, it is among the 30 richest countries in the world.
Land use
| 24% Urban areas: | 58,699 km² |
| 71% Agricultural areas: | 172,573 km² |
| 13% Forest: | 32,132 km² |
| 1% Water areas: | 1,680 km² |
more...
Transport
| Roadways: | 416,461 km |
| Railways: | 16,390 km |
| Waterways: | 1,050 km |
| Reg. vehicles: | 40,800,000 |
| › Airports: |
Confusions about the country name
There is often confusion between the terms "United Kingdom," "England," and "Great Britain." The full name of the country is "United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland" and consists of the previously independent territories of England, Wales, Scotland and the territory of Northern Ireland.Great Britain is the main island on which England, Wales and Scotland are located. Ireland, the Isle of Man and the Channel Islands (Guernsey and Jersey) are neither part of Great Britain nor the United Kingdom, although they are directly under the British Crown, except for Ireland. The offshore islands of the Hebrides, Shetlands, Orkney, Scilly, Anglesey and Wight belong to the United Kingdom, but are not part of Great Britain due to their geographical insularity.
The British Isles is a collective term for all these countries and islands.
Most important cities
Population refers to the city proper, not metropolitan areas.
| City | Region | Population |
|---|---|---|
| London / Capital | England | 8,962,000 |
| Birmingham | England | 1,142,000 |
| Glasgow | Scotland | 635,000 |
| Sheffield | England | 557,000 |
| Manchester | England | 550,000 |
| Leeds | England | 536,000 |
| Edinburgh | Scotland | 507,000 |
| Liverpool | England | 486,000 |
| Bristol | England | 473,000 |
| Leicester | England | 369,000 |
| Cardiff | Wales | 360,000 |
| Belfast | Northern Ireland | 293,000 |
| Swansea | Wales | 238,000 |
| Aberdeen | Scotland | 199,000 |
The difference between the urban area and the city proper alone can be considerable. Birmingham, for example, has an urban population of 2,920,000. However, the actual proper city is much smaller with only 1,142,000 inhabitants. The difference to metropolitan regions, i.e. conurbations with several cities, is even greater.
Political indicators
(Based on the "Worldwide Governance Indicators" project of the World Bank)
| Political stability: | ◈ |
| Rule of law: | ◈ |
| Effectivity: | ◈ |
| Regulatory quality: | ◈ |
| Voice accountability: | ◈ |
| Democratic values: | ◈ |
| Death penalty: | abolished in 1998 |
Existing trade agreements
Alliances
- ADB - Asian Development Bank
- Commonwealth of Nations
- G20 - Group of Twenty
- G8 - Group of Eight
- NATO - North Atlantic Treaty Organization
- OECD
- OSZE
- PfP - Partnership for Peace
- UN - United Nations
- UNESCO
- WTO - World Trade Organization
Dependent territories
Anguilla (Caribbean)
Bermuda (North America)
British Indian Ocean Territory (Eastern Africa)
British Virgin Islands (Caribbean)
Cayman Islands (Caribbean)
Falkland Islands (South America)
Gibraltar (Southern Europe)
Guernsey (Northern Europe)
Isle of Man (Northern Europe)
Jersey (Northern Europe)
Montserrat (Caribbean)
Pitcairn Islands (Polynesia)
Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha (Western Africa)
South Georgia and South Sandwich Islands (South America)
Turks and Caicos Islands (Caribbean)
Bermuda (North America)
British Indian Ocean Territory (Eastern Africa)
British Virgin Islands (Caribbean)
Cayman Islands (Caribbean)
Falkland Islands (South America)
Gibraltar (Southern Europe)
Guernsey (Northern Europe)
Isle of Man (Northern Europe)
Jersey (Northern Europe)
Montserrat (Caribbean)
Pitcairn Islands (Polynesia)
Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha (Western Africa)
South Georgia and South Sandwich Islands (South America)
Turks and Caicos Islands (Caribbean)
Ireland: country data and statistics
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Poland: country data and statistics