United Kingdom From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Jump to: navigation, search "UK" redirects here. For other uses, see UK (disambiguation). This ar

United Kingdom
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Jump to: navigation, search
"UK" redirects here. For other uses, see UK (disambiguation).
This article is about the sovereign state. For other uses, see United Kingdom (disambiguation).
This article is semi-protected.
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland

Flag Royal coat of arms
Anthem: "God Save the Queen"[1]
Location of United Kingdom (dark green)

– on the European continent (light green & dark grey)
– in the European Union (light green) — [Legend]
Capital
(and largest city) London
51°30′N 0°7′W / 51.5°N 0.117°W / 51.5; -0.117
Official languages English (de facto)[2]
Recognised regional languages Irish, Ulster Scots, Scottish Gaelic , Scots, Welsh, Cornish[3]
Ethnic groups (2001
See: UK ethnic groups list[4]) 92.1% White (mainly of British Isles descent, with minorities of other descent)
4.0% South Asian
2.0% Black
1.2% Mixed
0.4% Chinese
0.4% Other
Demonym British, Briton
Government Parliamentary democracy and constitutional monarchy
- Monarch Queen Elizabeth II
- Prime Minister Gordon Brown MP
Legislature Parliament
- Upper House House of Lords
- Lower House House of Commons
Formation
- Acts of Union 1707 1 May 1707
- Act of Union 1800 1 January 1801
- Anglo-Irish Treaty 12 April 1922
EU accession 1 January 1973
Area
- Total 244,820 km2 (79th)
94,526 sq mi
- Water (%) 1.34
Population
- 2009 estimate 61,113,205[5] (22nd)
- 2001 census 58,789,194[6]
- Density 246/km2 (48th)
637/sq mi
GDP (PPP) 2008 estimate
- Total $2.228 trillion[7] (7th)
- Per capita $36,357[7] (18th)
GDP (nominal) 2008 estimate
- Total $2.680 trillion[7] (6th)
- Per capita $43,733[7] (20th)
Gini (2005) 34[8]
HDI (2007) 0.947[9] (very high) (21st)
Currency Pound sterling[10] (GBP)
Time zone GMT (UTC+0)
- Summer (DST) BST (UTC+1)
Drives on the left[11]
Internet TLD .uk[12]
Calling code 44

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland[13] (commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK, or as Britain) is a sovereign state located off the northwestern coast of continental Europe. It is an island country,[14][15] spanning an archipelago including Great Britain, the northeastern part of Ireland, and many small islands. Northern Ireland is the only part of the UK with a land border, sharing it with the Republic of Ireland.[16][17] Apart from this land border, the UK is surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean, the North Sea, the English Channel and the Irish Sea. The largest island, Great Britain, is linked to France by the Channel Tunnel.

The United Kingdom is a constitutional monarchy and unitary state consisting of four countries: England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales.[18] It is governed by a parliamentary system with its seat of government in London, the capital, but with three devolved national administrations in Belfast, Cardiff and Edinburgh, the capitals of Northern Ireland, Wales and Scotland respectively. The Channel Island bailiwicks of Jersey and Guernsey, and the Isle of Man are Crown Dependencies and are often not considered part of the UK,[19] though they are treated as part of it for many purposes including nationality.[20] The UK has fourteen overseas territories,[21] all remnants of the British Empire, which at its height in 1922 encompassed almost a quarter of the world's land surface, the largest empire in history. British influence can continue to be observed in the language, culture and legal systems of many of its former colonies.

The UK is a developed country, with the world's sixth largest economy by nominal GDP and the seventh largest by purchasing power parity.[7] It was the world's first industrialised country[22] and the world's foremost power during the 19th and early 20th centuries,[23] but the economic cost of two world wars and the decline of its empire in the latter half of the 20th century diminished its leading role in global affairs. The UK nevertheless remains a major power with strong economic, cultural, military, scientific and political influence. It is a nuclear weapons state and has the third highest defence spending in the world. It is a Member State of the European Union, a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council, and is a member of the Commonwealth of Nations, G8, G20, OECD, NATO, and the World Trade Organization.