Capital cities
• London – England
• Edinburgh – Scotland
• Cardiff – Wales
• Belfast – Northern Ireland
Area
Land and water: 152,033 square miles
Population
The UK – approximately 60.6 million
(England 50,714,000; Wales 2,977,000; Scotland 5,108,000; Northern Ireland 1,733,000).
Languages
The two official languages in Britain are English and Welsh, English being the most widely spoken. Scottish Gaelic is also spoken in some parts of Scotland.
People
The majority of the population is English, Scottish, Welsh and Irish. However, Britain is an extremely diverse nation with a strong culture of racial integration and unity.
Religion
Most people are Christian (71%), although all other religions including Buddhism, Hinduism, Judaism, Islam and Sikhism are freely practised. About 23% of Britain follow no particular religion.
Government
The UK is a constitutional monarchy that is a representative democracy, where Queen Elizabeth II is recognised as the head of state, and 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 2009
• New Year's Day (All UK) - 1 January
• Extra New Year's Bank holiday (Scotland only) - 2 January
• St Patrick's Day (N. Ireland only) - 17 March
• Good Friday (All UK) - 10 April
• Easter Monday (England, Wales and N. Ireland) - 13 April
• Early May Bank Holiday (All UK) - 4 May
• Spring Bank Holiday (All UK) - 25 May
• Battle of the Boyne (Northern Ireland only) - 13 July
• Summer Bank Holiday (Scotland only) - 3 August
• Summer Bank Holiday (England, Wales and N. Ireland) - 31 August
• Christmas Day (All UK) - 25 December
• Boxing Day (All UK) - 28 December
>> Time zones & holidays
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.
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