United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland | ||||||
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| Motto: "Dieu et mon droit" (French) "God and my right" | ||||||
| Anthem: "God Save the Queen" | ||||||
 Location of the United Kingdom (dark orange) – on the European continent (light orange & white) | ||||||
| Capital (and largest city) | London | |||||
| Official languages | English | |||||
| Recognised regional languages | Welsh, Irish, Ulster Scots, Scots, Scottish Gaelic, Cornish | |||||
| Ethnic groups (2001) | 85. The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland uses as its national flag the royal banner locally known as the Union Flag or popularly Union Jack The Royal Coat of Arms of the United Kingdom is the official Coat of arms of the British monarch, currently Queen Elizabeth II. A motto (from the Italian word motto, meaning witticism sentence is a phrase meant to formally describe the general motivation or intention of a social group Dieu et mon droit has generally been used as the Motto of English, and later British, monarchs since being adopted by Henry V (1413–1422 French ( français,) is a Romance language spoken around the world by 118 million people as a native language and by about 180 to 260 million people A national anthem is a generally patriotic musical composition that evokes and eulogizes the history traditions and struggles of its people recognized either by a nation's "God Save the Queen", or "God Save the King", is an anthem used in a number of Commonwealth realms It is the National The European Union ( EU) is a political and economic union of twenty-seven member states, located primarily in According to the 2001 census the total population of the United Kingdom was 58789194 - the third-largest in the European Union (behind Germany and metropolitan London ( ˈlʌndən is the capital and largest urban area in the United Kingdom. An official language is a Language that is given a special legal status in a particular Country, State, or other territory English is a West Germanic language originating in England and is the First language for most people in the United Kingdom, the United States A regional language is a Language spoken in an area of a Nation state, whether it be a small area a federal State or Province, or Welsh ( cy Cymraeg or cy y Gymraeg, kəmˈrɑːɨɡ and {{IPA|[ə ɡəmˈrɑːɨɡ]}}, is a member of the Brythonic branch of Celtic Irish (ga ''Gaeilge'' is a Goidelic language of the Indo-European language family originating in Ireland and historically spoken by the Irish. Scots ( The Scots leid) refers to Anglic varieties derived from early northern Middle English spoken in parts of Scotland and Northern Scottish Gaelic ( Gàidhlig) is a member of the Goidelic branch of Celtic languages. For the Cornish-English dialect see West Country dialects and List of Cornish dialect words. A nationwide Census, commonly known as Census 2001, was conducted in the United Kingdom on Sunday 29 April 2001 67% White British, 6. " White British " was a racially -based classification used by the 2001 census. 47% White Other, 4. " White Other " is a term used in the UK census to describe white persons of non- British and non- Irish descent in 00% South Asian, 2. British Asians are British citizens who are immigrants or descendants of immigrants from India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka 00% Black, 1. See also British African-Caribbean community, Caribbean British Black British is a term which has had different meanings and uses as a racial and political 20% Mixed Race, 0. Mixed Race was included as an ethnic classification on the UK Census from 2001. 80% East Asian and Other | |||||
| Demonym | British, Briton | |||||
| Government | Parliamentary system and Constitutional monarchy | |||||
| - | Monarch | HM Queen Elizabeth II | ||||
| - | Prime Minister | Gordon Brown MP | ||||
| Formation | ||||||
| - | Acts of Union | 1 May 1707 | ||||
| - | Act of Union | 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. Since the 17th century there have been East Asian people in Britain. The 2001 UK Census ethnic groups include White British, White Other, Mixed Race, Asian British, Black British and Chinese A demonym or gentilic is a word that denotes the members of a People or the inhabitants of a place British people, or Britons, are the native inhabitants of Great Britain and their descendants or citizens of the United Kingdom, of the British people, or Britons, are the native inhabitants of Great Britain and their descendants or citizens of the United Kingdom, of the For the government of parliamentary systems see Executive (government. A parliamentary system, also known as parliamentarianism (and parliamentarism in American English) is a System of government in which A constitutional monarchy, or a limited monarchy, is a form of Constitutional Government, wherein either an elected or hereditary Monarch is TalkCommonewalth realm.--> The monarchy For the ship see RMS Queen Elizabeth 2 Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary Context States headed by Elizabeth II The Prime Minister of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the political leader of the United Kingdom WikipediaManual of Style (biographies#Academic titles --> James Gordon Brown (born 20 February 1951 is Composition Graphical representation of the House of Commons This is a comparison of the party strengths in the British House of Commons The history of the United Kingdom — British history — as an unified Sovereign state begins with the legistlative union between the kingdoms of England The Acts of Union were a pair of Parliamentary Acts passed during 1706 and 1707 by the Parliament of England and the Parliament of Scotland to put into Events 305 - Diocletian and Maximian retire from the office of Roman Emperor. Year 1707 ( MDCCVII) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a The phrase Act of Union 1800 (or sometimes Act of Union 1801) (Acht an Aontais 1800 is used to describe two complementary Acts whose official United Kingdom titles are New Year See also New Year The Ancient Romans began their consular year on January 1st since 153 BC Year 1801 ( MDCCCI) was a Common year starting on Thursday (see link for calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year starting on Tuesday The Anglo-Irish Treaty (An Conradh Angla-Éireannach officially called the Articles of Agreement for a Treaty Between Great Britain and Ireland, was a Treaty Events 467 - Anthemius is elevated to Emperor of the Western Roman Empire. Year 1922 ( MCMXXII) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. The European Union ( EU) is a political and economic union of twenty-seven member states, located primarily in A Member State of the European Union is any one of the twenty-seven sovereign Nation states that have acceded the European Union (EU since its De facto New Year See also New Year The Ancient Romans began their consular year on January 1st since 153 BC Year 1973 ( MCMLXXIII) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display full calendar of the 1973 Gregorian calendar. Area is a Quantity expressing the two- Dimensional size of a defined part of a Surface, typically a region bounded by a closed Curve. To help compare Orders of magnitude of different geographical regions we list here Surface areas between 100000 km² and 1000000 km² This is a list of the countries of the world sorted by total area. The square mile is an imperial and US unit of Area equal the area of a square of one statute mile. Water is a common Chemical substance that is essential for the survival of all known forms of Life. In Mathematics, a percentage is a way of expressing a number as a Fraction of 100 ( per cent meaning "per hundred" 34 | ||||
| Population | ||||||
| - | mid-2006 estimate | 60,587,300[1] (22nd) | ||||
| - | 2001 census | 58,789,194[6] | ||||
| - | Density | 246/km² (48th) 637/sq mi | ||||
| GDP (PPP) | 2006 estimate | |||||
| - | Total | US$2. In Biology a population is the collection of inter-breeding organisms of a particular Species; in Sociology List of countries by population in 2005|List of countries by population in 1907This is a list of countries ordered according to Population. Population density (in agriculture standing stock and Standing crop) is a measurement of Population per unit area or unit volume List of countries and dependencies by Population density in inhabitants/km² The purchasing power parity ( PPP) theory uses the long-term equilibrium Exchange rate of two currencies to equalize their Purchasing power. 270 trillion (6th) | ||||
| - | Per capita | US$37,328 (13th) | ||||
| GDP (nominal) | 2007 estimate | |||||
| - | Total | $2. There are three lists of Countries of the world sorted by their Gross domestic product (GDP (the value of all final goods and services produced within a nation Per capita is a Latin phrase meaning for each head with Per meaning 'through' or 'by' This article includes three lists of Countries of the world sorted by their Gross domestic product (GDP at Purchasing power parity (PPP Per capita 772 trillion (5th) | ||||
| - | Per capita | US$45,845 (9th) | ||||
| Gini (2005) | 34[2] | |||||
| HDI (2005) | ▲ 0. PLEASE NO RANDOM FIGURES THERE ARE NO FIGURES BASED ON NATIONAL STATISTICS IN THIS ARTICLE Per capita is a Latin phrase meaning for each head with Per meaning 'through' or 'by' This article includes three lists of Countries of the world sorted by their Gross domestic product Per capita at Nominal values, the The Gini coefficient is a measure of statistical dispersion most prominently used as a measure of inequality of income distribution or inequality of wealth The Human Development Index ( HDI) is an index combining normalized measures of Life expectancy, Literacy, Educational attainment, and GDP 946 (high) (16th) | |||||
| Currency | Pound sterling (£) (GBP) | |||||
| Time zone | GMT (UTC+0) | |||||
| - | Summer (DST) | BST (UTC+1) | ||||
| Internet TLD | .uk | |||||
| Calling code | +44 | |||||
| Footnotes | ||||||
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK, or Britain,[3] is a sovereign island country[4][5] located off the northwestern coast of mainland Europe. This is a list of countries by Human Development Index as included in the United Nations Development Program 's Human Development Report 2007 A currency is a unit of exchange, facilitating the transfer of Goods and/or services It is one form of Money, where money is The Pound Sterling ( symbol £; ISO code: GBP) subdivided into 100 pence (singular penny) is the Currency ISO 4217 is the International standard describing three-letter codes (also known as the currency code) to define the names of currencies established Greenwich Mean Time ( GMT) is a term originally referring to mean solar time at the Royal Observatory in Greenwich, London Daylight saving time ( DST Western European Summer Time ( WEST) is a summer Daylight saving time scheme 1 hour ahead of Coordinated Universal Time. A country This is a list of country calling codes defined by ITU-T recommendation E The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located Sovereignty is the exclusive Right to control a Government, a country, a people or oneself An island country is a Country that is wholly confined to an Island, several islands an Island group or several island groups and has no territory on Continental Europe, also referred to as mainland Europe or simply the Continent, is the Continent of Europe, explicitly excluding European The UK includes the island of Great Britain, the northeast part of the island of Ireland and many small islands. See also Kingdom of Great Britain Great Britain (Breatainn Mhòr Prydain Fawr Breten Veur Graet Breetain is the larger of the two main islands Ireland (pronounced /ˈaɾlənd/ Éire) is the third largest island in Europe, and the twentieth-largest island in the world Northern Ireland is the only part of the UK with a land border, sharing it with the Republic of Ireland. Northern Ireland (Tuaisceart Éireann Ulster Scots: Norlin Airlann) is a Country within the United Kingdom, lying in the northeast of Ireland ( Irish: Éire, ˈeːrʲə is a country in north-western Europe. [6] Apart from this land border, the UK is surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean, the North Sea, the English Channel and the Irish Sea. The North Sea is a marginal, Epeiric sea of the Atlantic Ocean on the European Continental shelf. The Irish Sea ( Irish: Muir Éireann or Muir Meann; Scottish Gaelic: Muir Eireann Welsh: Môr Iwerddon, The largest island, Great Britain, is linked to France by the Channel Tunnel. This article is about the country For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic France topics. The Channel Tunnel (Le tunnel sous la Manche also known as the Chunnel, is a undersea rail tunnel linking Folkestone, Kent in England with
The United Kingdom is a union[7][8] of four constituent countries: England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales. A political union is a type of state which is composed of or created out of smaller States Unlike a Personal union, the individual states share a common government Constituent country is a phrase used often by official institutions in contexts in which a country makes up a part of a larger entity or grouping England is a Country which is part of the United Kingdom. Its inhabitants account for more than 83% of the total UK population whilst its mainland Northern Ireland (Tuaisceart Éireann Ulster Scots: Norlin Airlann) is a Country within the United Kingdom, lying in the northeast of Scotland ( Gaelic: Alba) is a Country in northwest Europethat occupies the northern third of the island of Great Britain. The United Kingdom is governed by a Parliamentary System with its seat of government in London, the capital, and a constitutional monarchy with Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II as the head of state. A parliamentary system, also known as parliamentarianism (and parliamentarism in American English) is a System of government in which The seat of government is the location of the government for a political entity. London ( ˈlʌndən is the capital and largest urban area in the United Kingdom. A constitutional monarchy, or a limited monarchy, is a form of Constitutional Government, wherein either an elected or hereditary Monarch is For the ship see RMS Queen Elizabeth 2 Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary Context States headed by Elizabeth II Head of state is the generic term for the individual or collective office that serves as the chief public representative of a Monarchic or Republican Nation-state The Crown Dependencies of the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man, formally possessions of the Crown, are not part of the UK but form a federacy with it. The Crown Dependencies are possessions of The Crown in Right of the United Kingdom, as opposed to overseas territories or colonies of the United The Channel Islands ( Norman: Îles d'la Manche, French: Îles Anglo-Normandes or Îles de la Manche) are a group of Islands The Isle of Man (Ellan Vannin ˈɛlʲən ˈvanɪn or Mann (Mannin) is a self-governing Crown dependency, located in the Irish Sea at the geographical Throughout the Commonwealth realms The Crown is an abstract metonymic concept which represents the legal authority for the existence of any government A federacy is a Form of government where one or several substate units enjoy considerably more independence than the majority of the substate units [9] The UK has fourteen overseas territories,[10] all remnants of the British Empire, which at its height encompassed almost a quarter of the world's land surface, making it the largest empire in history. The British Overseas Territories are fourteen territories that are under the Sovereignty of the United Kingdom, but which do not form part of the United Kingdom The British Empire was the largest empire in history and for over a century was the foremost global power. This article provides a list of the largest Empires in world history. As a direct result of the empire, British influence can be observed in the language and culture of states such as Canada, Australia, New Zealand, India, Pakistan, South Africa, Singapore, Sri Lanka and the United States of America, and other less globally influential independent states. Country to "Dominion of Canada" or "Canadian Federation" or anything else please read the Talk Page For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Australia topics. New Zealand is an Island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses (the North Island and the South Island India, officially the Republic of India (भारत गणराज्य inc-Latn Bhārat Gaṇarājya; see also other Indian languages) is a country Pakistan () officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, is a country located in South Asia, Southwest Asia, Middle East and The Republic of South Africa (also known by other official names) is a country located at the southern tip of the continent of Africa Singapore Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka ( Sinhalese:, இலங்கை known as Ceylon before 1972 is an Island The United States of America —commonly referred to as the HM Queen Elizabeth II remains the head of the Commonwealth of Nations and head of state of each of the Commonwealth realms. A Commonwealth realm is any one of 16 sovereign states within the Commonwealth of Nations that each have Elizabeth II as their respective Monarch
The UK is a developed country, with the fifth (nominal GDP) or sixth (PPP) largest economy in the world. The term developed country, or advanced country, is used to categorize countries with developed Economies in which the tertiary and quaternary sectors PLEASE NO RANDOM FIGURES THERE ARE NO FIGURES BASED ON NATIONAL STATISTICS IN THIS ARTICLE There are three lists of Countries of the world sorted by their Gross domestic product (GDP (the value of all final goods and services produced within a nation The economy of the United Kingdom is the fifth largest in the world in terms of market Exchange rates and the sixth largest by Purchasing power parity It was the world's foremost power during the 19th and early 20th century,[11] 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. Power in international relations is defined in several different ways The UK nevertheless retains strong economic, cultural, military and political influence and is a nuclear power, with the second or third (depending on method of calculation) highest defence spending in the world. Nations that are known or believed to possess Nuclear weapons are sometimes referred to as the nuclear club. This is a list of countries by military expenditures using the latest information available It holds a permanent seat on the United Nations Security Council, and is a member of the G8, NATO, WTO, the European Union and the Commonwealth of Nations. The North Atlantic Treaty The European Union ( EU) is a political and economic union of twenty-seven member states, located primarily in
Contents |
History
The Treaty of Union, put into effect by the Acts of Union passed by the Parliaments of England and Scotland in 1707, created a political union in the form of a united Kingdom of Great Britain. The Treaty of Union is the name given to the agreement that led to the creation of the United Kingdom of Great Britain, the Political union of England (including The Acts of Union were a pair of Parliamentary Acts passed during 1706 and 1707 by the Parliament of England and the Parliament of Scotland to put into The Kingdom of England was a State (927-1707 located in Western Europe dating from the ninth or tenth century to the early eighteenth century when it was legally The Kingdom of Scotland ( Gaelic: Rìoghachd na h-Alba, Scots: Kinrick o Scotland) was a State in northwest Europe A political union is a type of state which is composed of or created out of smaller States Unlike a Personal union, the individual states share a common government The Kingdom of Great Britain, also known as the United Kingdom of Great Britain, was a State in northwest Europe, in existence from 1707 to 1800 [12] Almost a century later, the Act of Union 1800 united the Kingdom of Ireland with the Kingdom of Great Britain. The phrase Act of Union 1800 (or sometimes Act of Union 1801) (Acht an Aontais 1800 is used to describe two complementary Acts whose official United Kingdom titles are The Kingdom of Ireland (Ríocht na hÉireann was the name given to the Irish state from 1541 by the Crown of Ireland Act 1542 of the Parliament of Ireland. [13] Prior to 1707, England and Scotland had existed as separate sovereign and independent states with their own monarchs and political structures from the 9th century. Though the Scottish King, James VI, became King of England as well in 1603, creating a personal union between the kingdoms, the countries had remained separate. James VI and I (19 June 1566 – 27 March 1625 was King of Scotland as James VI, and King of England and King of Ireland as James A personal union is the combination by which two different States are governed by the same Monarch, while their boundaries their laws and their interests remain distinct On the other hand' the once independent Principality of Wales had fallen under the control of English monarchs from the Statute of Rhuddlan in 1284 and thereafter annexed to England under the Laws in Wales Acts of 1535 and 1542. The Principality of Wales (Tywysogaeth Cymru covered the lands ruled by the Prince of Wales directly and was formally founded in 1216 at the Council of Aberdyfi, The Statute of Rhuddlan was enacted on 3 March 1284 after the military conquest in 1282-83 of the Principality of Wales — which had been established by Llywelyn ap Gruffudd The Laws in Wales Acts 1535–1542 (Y Deddfau Uno 1535 a 1542 were a series of parliamentary measures by which the legal system of Wales was annexed to England and Ireland had also been brought under English control between 1541 and 1691, but only joined to form the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland in 1801. The Treaty of Limerick ended the Williamite war in Ireland between the Jacobites and the supporters of William of Orange. The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland was the formal name of the United Kingdom from 1 January 1801 until 12 April 1927
In its first century, the United Kingdom played an important role in developing Western ideas of the Parliamentary System as well as making significant contributions to literature, the arts and science. This article provides a list of the largest Empires in world history. The term Western world, the West or the Occident ( Latin: occidens -sunset -west as distinct from the Orient) can have multiple meanings A parliamentary system, also known as parliamentarianism (and parliamentarism in American English) is a System of government in which Literature is the Art of written works Literally translated the word means "acquaintance with letters" (from Latin littera letter The arts is a broad subdivision of Culture, composed of many expressive disciplines. Science (from the Latin scientia, meaning " Knowledge " or "knowing" is the effort to discover, and increase human understanding [14] The UK-led Industrial Revolution transformed the country and fuelled the British Empire. The Industrial Revolution was a period in the late 18th and early 19th centuries when major changes in agriculture manufacturing and transportation had a profound effect on the The British Empire was the largest empire in history and for over a century was the foremost global power. During this time, like other Great Powers, the UK was involved in colonial exploitation, including the slave trade, though the passing of the 1807 Slave Trade Act made the UK the first country to prohibit trade in slaves. A great power is a Nation or State that has the ability to exert its influence on a global scale The Atlantic Slave trade, also known as the transatlantic slave trade, was the trade of African people supplied to the Colonies of the New World See also Atlantic slave trade, Abolitionism The Slave Trade Act (citation 47 Geo III Sess
After the defeat of Napoleon in the Napoleonic Wars, the UK became the principal naval power of the 19th century. Napoleon Bonaparte (15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821 was a French military and political leader who had a significant impact on the History of Europe. The Napoleonic Wars (1803-1815 involved Napoleon's French Empire and a shifting set of European allies and opposing coalitions Though it lost its industrial leadership towards the end of the Victorian era, the United Kingdom remained an eminent power and its empire expanded to its maximum size by 1921, gaining the League of Nations mandate over former German and Ottoman colonies after World War I. Culture The Victorian fascination with novelty resulted in a deep interest in the relationship between modernity and cultural continuities The League of Nations was an International organization founded as a result of the Treaty of Versailles in 1919–1920 World War I (abbreviated WWI; also known as the First World War, the Great War, and the War to End All
Long simmering tensions in Ireland led to the partition of the island in 1920, followed by independence for the Irish Free State in 1922. An Act to Provide for the Better Government of Ireland, more usually the Government of Ireland Act 1920, (and sometimes called the Fourth Home Rule Act) was an Act The Irish Free State (Saorstát Éireann (1922&ndash1937 was the state established as a Dominion on 6 December 1922 under the Anglo-Irish Treaty, signed by Six of the nine counties of the province of Ulster remained within the UK, which then changed to the current name in 1927 of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. Since the late 16th century the Island of Ireland has been divided into 32 counties ( Irish language contae or condae Poetic description This dinnseanchas poem named Ard Ruide (Ruide Headland poetically describes the kingdoms of Ireland Ulster ( Ulaidh ˈkwɪɟɪ ˈʌlˠu / ˈʌlˠi is one of the four provinces of Ireland, in addition to Connacht, Munster and Leinster Passed on April 12, 1927, the Royal and Parliamentary Titles Act 1927 ( 17 Geo 5 c [15]
After World War I, the world's first large-scale international broadcasting network, the BBC, was created. World War I (abbreviated WWI; also known as the First World War, the Great War, and the War to End All Britain fought Nazi Germany in World War II, with its Commonwealth allies including Canada, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa and India, later to be joined by further allies such as the United States. Nazi Germany and the Third Reich are the common English names for Germany under the regime of Adolf Hitler and the National Socialist German Workers World War II, or the Second World War, (often abbreviated WWII) was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including Country to "Dominion of Canada" or "Canadian Federation" or anything else please read the Talk Page For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Australia topics. New Zealand is an Island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses (the North Island and the South Island The Republic of South Africa (also known by other official names) is a country located at the southern tip of the continent of Africa India, officially the Republic of India (भारत गणराज्य inc-Latn Bhārat Gaṇarājya; see also other Indian languages) is a country The Allies of World War II were the countries officially opposed to the Axis powers during the Second World War. Wartime leader Winston Churchill and his peacetime successor Clement Atlee helped plan the post-war world as part of the "Big Three". Sir Winston Leonard Spencer-Churchill, KG, OM, CH, TD, FRS, PC, PC (Can ( 30 November 1874 Clement Richard Attlee 1st Earl Attlee, KG, OM, CH, PC ( 3 January 1883 &ndash 8 October 1967 World War II left the United Kingdom financially damaged. Loans taken out during and after World War II from both Canada and the United States were economically costly but, along with post-war Marshall aid, the UK began the road to recovery. A loan is a type of Debt. This article focuses exclusively on monetary loans although in practice any material object might be lent The Marshall Plan (from its enactment officially the European Recovery Program, ERP) was the primary plan of the United States for rebuilding and creating a stronger
The immediate post-war years saw the establishment of the British Welfare State, including one of the world's first and most comprehensive public health services, while the demands of a recovering economy brought people from all over the Commonwealth to create a multiethnic Britain. This article refers specifically to the Welfare state of the United Kingdom. The National Health Service is the name commonly used to refer to the four Publicly-funded healthcare systems of the United Kingdom collectively or individually (although Multi-ethnic societies, in contrast to single ethnic societies integrate different Ethnic groups irrespective of differences in culture race and history under a common Although the new post-war limits of Britain's political role were confirmed by the Suez Crisis of 1956, the international spread of the language meant the continuing impact of its literature and culture, while at the same time from the 1960s its popular culture found influence abroad. Politics Politics is the process by which groups of people make decisions The Suez Crisis, also referred to as the Tripartite Aggression, (أزمة السويس - العدوان الثلاثي Crise du canal de Suez מבצע קדש Kadesh English is a West Germanic language originating in England and is the First language for most people in the United Kingdom, the United States Culture (from the Latin cultura stemming from colere, meaning "to cultivate" generally refers to patterns of human activity and the symbolic Popular culture (or pop culture) is the Culture — patterns of human activity and the symbolic structures that give such activities significance and importance — Following a period of global economic slowdown and industrial strife in the 1970s, the 1980s saw the inflow of substantial oil revenues and economic growth. North Sea oil refers to oil and Natural gas ( Hydrocarbons produced from Oil reservoirs beneath the North Sea. The premiership of Margaret Thatcher marked a significant change of direction from the post-war political and economic consensus; a path that was not reversed by the New Labour government of Tony Blair in 1997. Margaret Hilda Thatcher Baroness Thatcher LG, OM, PC, FRS (born 13 October 1925 The Labour Party is a Political party in the United Kingdom. Founded at the start of the 20th century it has been since the 1920s the principal party of the Anthony Charles Lynton "Tony" Blair (born 6 May 1953 is a British Politician who was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 2 May 1997 to
The United Kingdom was one of the 12 founding members of the European Union at its launch in 1992 with the signing of the Treaty on European Union. The European Union ( EU) is a political and economic union of twenty-seven member states, located primarily in The Maastricht Treaty (formally the Treaty on European Union, TEU) was signed on 7 February 1992 in Maastricht, the Netherlands after final Prior to that, it had been a member of the EU's forerunner, the European Economic Community (EEC), from 1973. The European Community (EC is one of the Three pillars of the European Union (EU created under the Maastricht Treaty (1992 The attitude of the present Labour government towards further integration with this organisation is mixed,[16] with the Conservative Party favouring a return of some powers and competencies to the state,[17] and the Liberal Democrats supportive of current engagement. The Labour Party is a Political party in the United Kingdom. Founded at the start of the 20th century it has been since the 1920s the principal party of the The Conservative Party (officially the Conservative and Unionist Party) is a Political party in the United Kingdom. The Liberal Democrats, often shortened to Lib Dems, are a liberal Political party in the United Kingdom, formed in 1988 by merging the
The end of the 20th century saw a major change to the government of the United Kingdom with the creation of a devolved Scottish parliament and Welsh Assembly. Devolution is the statutory granting of powers from the central government of a State to government at subnational level The Scottish Parliament ( Scottish Gaelic: Pàrlamaid na h-Alba; Scots: Scottish Pairlament) is the devlolved national unicameral The National Assembly for Wales (Cynulliad Cenedlaethol Cymru is a devolved assembly with power to make legislation in Wales. This produced the prospect of a legislative path to independence for Scotland when in 2007 the Scottish National Party formed a minority government in Scotland, with a mandate to hold a referendum on independance by 2011. The Scottish National Party (SNP (Pàrtaidh Nàiseanta na h-Alba Scottis Naitional Pairtie is a Centre-left political party which campaigns for Scottish A minority government or a minority cabinet is a Cabinet of a Parliamentary system formed when the governing Political party or A referendum (plural referendums or referenda) ballot question, or plebiscite (from Latin plebiscita
Government and politics
The United Kingdom is a constitutional monarchy with Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, as head of state; the monarch of the UK serves as head of state of fifteen other Commonwealth countries, putting the UK in a personal union with those other states. The politics of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland takes place in the framework of a Constitutional monarchy, in which the Monarch is Head TalkCommonewalth realm.--> The monarchy For the ship see RMS Queen Elizabeth 2 Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary Context States headed by Elizabeth II A constitutional monarchy, or a limited monarchy, is a form of Constitutional Government, wherein either an elected or hereditary Monarch is For the ship see RMS Queen Elizabeth 2 Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary Context States headed by Elizabeth II TalkCommonewalth realm.--> The monarchy A Commonwealth realm is any one of 16 sovereign states within the Commonwealth of Nations that each have Elizabeth II as their respective Monarch A personal union is the combination by which two different States are governed by the same Monarch, while their boundaries their laws and their interests remain distinct The Crown has sovereignty over the Isle of Man and the Bailiwicks of Jersey and Guernsey. TalkCommonewalth realm.--> The monarchy The Isle of Man (Ellan Vannin ˈɛlʲən ˈvanɪn or Mann (Mannin) is a self-governing Crown dependency, located in the Irish Sea at the geographical A bailiwick is the area of jurisdiction of a Bailiff. The term was also applied to a territory in which the Sheriff 's functions were exercised by a privately appointed The Bailiwick of Jersey ( Jèrriais: Jèrri) is a British Crown dependency off the coast of Normandy, France. The Bailiwick of Guernsey (Bailliage de Guernesey is a British Crown dependency in the English Channel off the coast of Normandy. Collectively, these three territories are known as the Crown dependencies, lands owned by the British monarch but not part of the United Kingdom. The Crown Dependencies are possessions of The Crown in Right of the United Kingdom, as opposed to overseas territories or colonies of the United TalkCommonewalth realm.--> The monarchy They are not part of the European Union. The European Union ( EU) is a political and economic union of twenty-seven member states, located primarily in However, the Parliament of the United Kingdom has the authority to legislate for the dependencies, and the British government manages their foreign affairs and defence.
The UK has fourteen overseas territories around the world, the last remaining territories of the British Empire. The British Overseas Territories are fourteen territories that are under the Sovereignty of the United Kingdom, but which do not form part of the United Kingdom The British Empire was the largest empire in history and for over a century was the foremost global power. The overseas territories are not considered part of the UK, but in most cases, the local populations have British citizenship and the right of abode in the UK. This has been the case since 2002.
The UK has a parliamentary government based on strong traditions: the Westminster system has been emulated around the world — a legacy of the British Empire. A parliamentary system, also known as parliamentarianism (and parliamentarism in American English) is a System of government in which The Westminster system is a democratic Parliamentary system of Government modelled after the British government (the Parliament of the United The British Empire was the largest empire in history and for over a century was the foremost global power.
The UK's constitution governs the legal framework of the country and consists mostly of written sources, including statutes, judge made case law, and international treaties. The constitution of the United Kingdom is the set of laws and principles under which the United Kingdom is governed A statute is a formal written enactment of a Legislative authority that governs a Country, State, City, or County. Case law' (also known as decisional law or judicial precedent) is that body of reported Judicial opinions in countries that have Common law As there is no technical difference between ordinary statutes and law considered to be "constitutional law," the British Parliament can perform "constitutional reform" simply by passing Acts of Parliament and thus has the power to change or abolish almost any written or unwritten element of the constitution. Law is a system of rules enforced through a set of Institutions used as an instrument to underpin civil obedience politics economics and society The Parliament of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the supreme legislative body in the United Kingdom and British overseas territories An Act of Parliament is a Law enacted as Primary legislation by a national or sub-national Parliament. Political power ( Imperium in Latin is a type of power held by a group in a Society which allows administration of some or all of However, no Parliament can pass laws that future Parliaments cannot change. [18] The United Kingdom is one of the three countries in the world today that does not have a codified constitution (the other two being New Zealand and Israel). A constitution is a system for government often Codified as a written document that establishes the rules and principles of an autonomous political entity New Zealand is an Island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses (the North Island and the South Island For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Israel topics. [19]
The position of Prime Minister, the UK's head of government, belongs to the current leader of the political party that can obtain the confidence of a plurality in the House of Commons. The Prime Minister of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the political leader of the United Kingdom This article focuses on the cases where the Head of Government is a separate office from the Head of State Wikipedia talkFeatured lists for an explanation of this and other inclusion tags below -->This is a list of Prime Ministers of the United Kingdom, and The House of Commons' is the Lower house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, which also comprises the Sovereign and the House of Lords The Prime Minister and Cabinet are formally appointed by the Monarch to form Her Majesty's Government. Her Majesty's Government, or when the monarch is male His Majesty's Government, is the title used by the Government of the United Kingdom, based at However, the Prime Minister chooses the Cabinet, and by convention, HM The Queen respects the Prime Minister's choices. The Cabinet is traditionally drawn from members of the Prime Minister's party in both legislative houses, and mostly from the House of Commons, to which they are responsible. In the Politics of the United Kingdom, the Cabinet is a formal body composed of the most senior government ministers chosen by the Prime Minister Responsible government is a conception of a System of government that embodies the principle of parliamentary accountability which is the foundation of the Westminster Executive power is exercised by the Prime Minister and Cabinet, all of whom are sworn into Her Majesty's Most Honourable Privy Council, and become Ministers of the Crown. Her Majesty's Most Honourable Privy Council is a body of advisors to the British Sovereign. Minister of the Crown is the formal constitutional term used in the Commonwealth realms to describe a minister to the reigning sovereign The Rt Hon Gordon Brown MP, leader of the Labour Party, has been Prime Minister, First Lord of the Treasury and Minister for the Civil Service since 27 June 2007. WikipediaManual of Style (biographies#Academic titles --> James Gordon Brown (born 20 February 1951 is The Labour Party is a Political party in the United Kingdom. Founded at the start of the 20th century it has been since the 1920s the principal party of the The First Lord of the Treasury is the head of the commission exercising the ancient office of Lord High Treasurer in the United Kingdom, usually but not In British government, the Minister for the Civil Service is the head of the Her Majesty's Civil Service, the role of which is to assist the governments of the Events 1358 - Republic of Dubrovnik is founded 1709 - Peter the Great defeats Charles XII of Sweden Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century.
The Parliament of the United Kingdom that meets in the Palace of Westminster, is the ultimate legislative authority in the United Kingdom. The Parliament of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the supreme legislative body in the United Kingdom and British overseas territories A devolved parliament in Scotland and devolved assemblies in Northern Ireland, and Wales were established following public approval as expressed in referenda, but these are not sovereign bodies and could be abolished by the UK parliament. The Scottish Parliament ( Scottish Gaelic: Pàrlamaid na h-Alba; Scots: Scottish Pairlament) is the devlolved national unicameral The Northern Ireland Assembly ( Irish: Tionól Thuaisceart Éireann, Ulster Scots: Norlin Airlann Semmlie) is the devolved The National Assembly for Wales (Cynulliad Cenedlaethol Cymru is a devolved assembly with power to make legislation in Wales. A referendum (plural referendums or referenda) ballot question, or plebiscite (from Latin plebiscita The UK parliament is made up of two houses: an elected House of Commons and an appointed House of Lords, and any Bill passed requires the assent of HM The Queen to become law. The House of Commons' is the Lower house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, which also comprises the Sovereign and the House of Lords The House of Lords is the second house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom and is also commonly referred to as "the Lords" The granting of Royal Assent is the formal method by which a constitutional monarch completes the legislative process of Lawmaking by formally assenting to an For elections to the House of Commons, the UK is divided into 646 constituencies, with 529 in England, 18 in Northern Ireland, 59 in Scotland and 40 in Wales. This is a list of the 646 constituencies currently represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, as at the 2005 general election As a result of the Fifth Periodical Review of the Boundary Commission for Scotland, Scotland is covered by 59 constituencies of the House of Commons Each constituency elects one Member of Parliament by simple plurality. The plurality voting system is a Single-winner voting system often used to elect executive officers or to elect members of a legislative assembly which is based on single-member General Elections are called by the Monarch when the Prime Minister so advises. Though there is no minimum term for a Parliament, a new election must be called within five years of the previous general election.
Questions over sovereignty have been brought forward due to the UK's membership of the European Union. The European Union ( EU) is a political and economic union of twenty-seven member states, located primarily in [20]
The UK's three major political parties are the Labour Party, the Conservative Party, and the Liberal Democrats, winning between them 616 out of the 646 seats available in the House of Commons at the 2005 General Election. This is a list of political parties in the United Kingdom. Brief history and overview Prior to the mid-19th century Politics in the United Kingdom The Labour Party is a Political party in the United Kingdom. Founded at the start of the 20th century it has been since the 1920s the principal party of the The Conservative Party (officially the Conservative and Unionist Party) is a Political party in the United Kingdom. The Liberal Democrats, often shortened to Lib Dems, are a liberal Political party in the United Kingdom, formed in 1988 by merging the Results Overview For events leading up to the date of the election see article Pre-election day events of the United Kingdom general Most of the remaining seats were won by parties that only contest elections in one part of the UK such as the Scottish National Party (Scotland only), Plaid Cymru (Wales only), and the Democratic Unionist Party, Social Democratic and Labour Party, Ulster Unionist Party, and Sinn Féin (Northern Ireland only, though Sinn Féin also contests elections in Ireland). The Scottish National Party (SNP (Pàrtaidh Nàiseanta na h-Alba Scottis Naitional Pairtie is a Centre-left political party which campaigns for Scottish Plaid Cymru (plaɪd ˈkəmri The Party of Wales often referred to simply as Plaid) is a Political party in Wales. The Democratic Unionist Party ( DUP) is the larger of the two main unionist political parties in Northern Ireland. The Social Democratic and Labour Party ( SDLP; Páirtí Sóisialta Daonlathach an Lucht Oibre is one of the two major nationalist parties in Northern Ireland The Ulster Unionist Party ( UUP, sometimes referred to as the Official Unionist Party or OUP or in a historic sense simply the Unionist Party Sinn Féin () is a political party in Ireland. The current party led by Gerry Adams was formed following a split in January 1970 Ireland ( Irish: Éire, ˈeːrʲə is a country in north-western Europe. In accordance with party policy, no elected Sinn Féin Member of Parliament has ever attended the House of Commons to speak in the House on behalf of their constituents as Members of Parliament are required to take an oath of allegiance to the Monarch. However, the current five Sinn Féin MPs have since 2002 made use of the offices and other facilities available at Westminster. Sinn Féin () is a political party in Ireland. The current party led by Gerry Adams was formed following a split in January 1970 [21]
Devolved national administrations
Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales each has a devolved, unicameral legislature and its own government or Executive, led by a First Minister. The Northern Ireland Assembly ( Irish: Tionól Thuaisceart Éireann, Ulster Scots: Norlin Airlann Semmlie) is the devolved The Scottish Parliament ( Scottish Gaelic: Pàrlamaid na h-Alba; Scots: Scottish Pairlament) is the devlolved national unicameral The National Assembly for Wales (Cynulliad Cenedlaethol Cymru is a devolved assembly with power to make legislation in Wales. The Scottish Parliament ( Scottish Gaelic: Pàrlamaid na h-Alba; Scots: Scottish Pairlament) is the devlolved national unicameral Northern Ireland (Tuaisceart Éireann Ulster Scots: Norlin Airlann) is a Country within the United Kingdom, lying in the northeast of Scotland ( Gaelic: Alba) is a Country in northwest Europethat occupies the northern third of the island of Great Britain. Devolution is the statutory granting of powers from the central government of a State to government at subnational level Unicameralism is the practice of having only one legislative or Parliamentary chamber In Political science and Constitutional law, the executive is the branch of government responsible for the day-to-day management of the State. The term First Minister refers to the leader of a Cabinet. Canada In Canada, "First Ministers" is a collective term that refers to all Canadian England, despite being the largest country of the United Kingdom, has no devolved executive or legislature and is ruled and legislated for directly by the UK government and parliament. This situation has given rise to the so-called West Lothian question which concerns the fact that MPs from Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales help decide the laws that apply to England alone. The West Lothian Question was first posed on 14 November 1977 by Tam Dalyell, Labour Member of Parliament (MP for the Scottish constituency
The Scottish Parliament has wide ranging legislative powers over any matter that has not been specifically 'reserved' to the UK parliament, including education, healthcare, Scots law and local government. The Scottish Parliament ( Scottish Gaelic: Pàrlamaid na h-Alba; Scots: Scottish Pairlament) is the devlolved national unicameral For other meanings see Reserved powers disambiguation page In the United Kingdom reserved matters, also referred to as reserved Scotland has a long history of universal provision of Public education, and the Scottish education system is distinctly different from other parts of the United NHS Scotland (sometimes NHSScotland) ( Gaelic: SNN Alba or Bòrd slàinte na Alba) is the publicly funded healthcare system of Scots law is a unique legal system with an ancient basis in Roman law. Local government in Scotland is organised through 32 unitary authorities consisting of Councillors elected every four years by registered voters in each of the Following their victory at the 2007 elections, the pro-independence SNP formed a minority government with its leader, Alex Salmond, becoming First Minister of Scotland. The 2007 Scottish Parliament election was held on Thursday 3 May 2007 to elect members to the Scottish Parliament The Scottish National Party (SNP (Pàrtaidh Nàiseanta na h-Alba Scottis Naitional Pairtie is a Centre-left political party which campaigns for Scottish Salmond government The Salmond government ( 16 May, 2007 &ndash) is a Scottish National Party Minority government. Alexander Elliot Anderson "Alex" Salmond, (ˈsamənd is the First Minister of Scotland, heading a minority Scottish Government. The First Minister of Scotland (Prìomh Mhinistear na h-Alba First Meinister o Scotland is the head of the devolved Scottish The pro-union parties responded to the electoral success of the SNP by creating a Commission to examine the case for devolving additional powers while excluding Scottish independence as an option,[22] though the leader of the Scottish Labour Party, Wendy Alexander, has now indicated that Labour will support calls for independence to be placed before the people in a referendum in the hope that a vote to reject independence would settle the constitutional debate for a generation. The Scottish Constitutional Commission is an independent and non-partisan Think-tank founded in 2005 by John Drummond and Kenyon Wright formerly of the Scottish Constitutional Convention [23]Most opinion polls do show minority support for independence though support varies depending on the nature of the question. However, a poll in April 2008 that used the proposed referendum wording found support for independence had reached 41% with just 40% supporting retention of the Union. [24]
The National Assembly for Wales has more limited devolved powers than those devolved to Scotland[25] though it can increase its powers on a case by case basis through Legislative Competency Orders. The National Assembly for Wales (Cynulliad Cenedlaethol Cymru is a devolved assembly with power to make legislation in Wales. In Wales, a Legislative Competency Order or LCO (pronounced 'elco') is a piece of constitutional legislation in the form of an Order In Council [26] The Northern Ireland Assembly has powers closer to those already devolved to Scotland. The Northern Ireland Assembly ( Irish: Tionól Thuaisceart Éireann, Ulster Scots: Norlin Airlann Semmlie) is the devolved
Local government
Each country of the United Kingdom has its own system of local government, with power over local government in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland being devolved. For more ceremonial purposes, HM The Queen appoints a Lord-Lieutenant as her personal representative in lieutenancy areas across the UK. The title Lord Lieutenant is given to the British Monarch 's personal representatives in the United Kingdom, usually in a county or similar circumscription with varying City status, which is governed by Royal Charter, can also be conferred separate from local government arrangements. A Royal Charter is a Charter granted by the Sovereign on the advice of the Privy council to legitimize an incorporated body such as a city company Though there are sixty-six cities in the UK - fifty in England; six in Scotland; five in Wales; and five in Northern Ireland - a number of these do not form separate local government units.
The upper-tier subdivisions of England are the nine Regions also known as European Union government office regions. The subdivisions of England consists of as many as four levels of subnational division and at some levels there are a variety of types of administrative entity The region, also known as the government office region, is currently the highest tier of local government sub-national entity of England, with only one Each region is made up of counties and unitary authority areas, apart from London, which consists of 32 London boroughs. Metropolitan and non-metropolitan counties are one of the four levels of Subdivisions of England used for the purposes of Local government outside Greater London See also Independent city A unitary authority is a type of Local authority that has a single tier and is responsible for all Local government functions London ( ˈlʌndən is the capital and largest urban area in the United Kingdom. The administrative area of Greater London contains thirty-two London boroughs. London voted in favour of having a directly elected assembly in 1998 and it was intended that other regions would also be given their own elected regional assemblies, but a rejection by a referendum in 2004 of a proposed assembly in the North East region stopped this idea in its tracks. " Regional Assembly " is the name which has been adopted by the English bodies established as regional chambers under the Regional Development Agencies The Northern England devolution referendums were Referendums starting with the North East region of England, in the United Kingdom, North-East England is one of the nine official Regions of England and comprises the combined area of Northumberland, County Durham, Tyne and Wear [27] Below the region level and excluding London, England either has county councils and district councils or unitary authorities. A County council is the elected administrative body governing an area known as a County. See also Independent city A unitary authority is a type of Local authority that has a single tier and is responsible for all Local government functions
Northern Ireland is presently divided into 26 districts for local government purposes though these councils do not carry out the same range of functions as would be the case in the rest of the United Kingdom. Northern Ireland is divided into 26 districts for local government purposes However, on 13 March 2008, the Executive agreed on proposals to create 11 new councils to replace the present system. [28]
Scotland is divided into 32 council areas with wide variation in both size and population. For local government purposes Scotland is divided into 32 areas designated as "council areas" which are all governed by unitary authorities designated as The cities of Glasgow, Edinburgh, Aberdeen and Dundee are separate council areas as also is Highland Council which includes a third of Scotland's area but just over 200,000 people. Glasgow (ˈglæzgoʊ is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom Edinburgh ( ˈɛdɪnb(ərə Dùn Èideann) is the Capital of Scotland and is its second largest city after Glasgow. Aberdeen ( pronounced; Aiberdeen Obar Dheathain is Scotland 's third most populous city and one of Scotland's 32 local government council Dundee (Dùn Dèagh is the fourth-largest city in Scotland and fully named as Dundee City, one of Scotland's 32 local government council Highland Council Management areas 1996 to 2007 For lists of wards see Highland Council wards 1995 to 1999 and Highland Council The power invested in local authorities is administered by elected councillors, of which there are currently 1,222 who are each paid a part-time salary. Elections are conducted by Single Transferable Vote in multi-member wards that elect either three or four councillors. Single transferable vote (STV is a preferential Voting system designed to minimize Wasted votes and provide Proportional representation Each council elects a Provost or Convenor to chair meetings of the council and to act as a figurehead for the area. A provost (introduced into Scots from French) is the ceremonial head of many Scottish local authorities.
Local government in Wales consists of 22 unitary authorities, including the cities of Cardiff, Swansea and Newport which are separate unitary authorities in their own right. For Local government purposes Wales is divided into 22 Unitary authorities, which are responsible for the provision of all local government services including education Cardiff ( 'kɑːdɪf) is the Capital and the largest city and county in Wales. Swansea ( Abertawe "mouth of the Tawe " is a city and county in Wales. Newport (Casnewydd is a city and principal area in Wales, in the United Kingdom.
Foreign relations and armed forces
The United Kingdom is a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council, a member of the G8 and NATO, and a member state of the European Union. The North Atlantic Treaty The European Union ( EU) is a political and economic union of twenty-seven member states, located primarily in The UK has a "Special Relationship" with the United States. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the Apart from the US and Europe, Britain's close allies include Commonwealth nations, Ireland and other English speaking countries. Ireland ( Irish: Éire, ˈeːrʲə is a country in north-western Europe. The word Anglosphere describes a concept of a group of Anglophone ( English -speaking nations which share historical political and cultural characteristics rooted Britain's global presence and influence is further amplified through its trading relations and its armed forces, which maintain approximately eighty military installations and other deployments around the globe. [29]
The Army, Navy and Air Force are collectively known as the British Armed Forces (or Her Majesty's Armed Forces) and officially the Armed Forces of the Crown. The British Army is the land armed forces branch of the British Armed Forces. The Naval Service is the Naval branch of the British Armed Forces, which includes civilian agencies under the control of the Navy Board. The commander-in-chief is the monarch, HM Queen Elizabeth II and they are managed by the Ministry of Defence. A commander-in-chief is the Commander of a nation's Military forces or significant element of those forces For the ship see RMS Queen Elizabeth 2 Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary Context States headed by Elizabeth II The Ministry of Defence ( MoD) is the United Kingdom government department responsible for implementation of government defence policy and is the headquarters The armed forces are controlled by the Defence Council, chaired by the Chief of the Defence Staff. The Defence Council of the United Kingdom is the body legally entrusted with the defence of the United Kingdom and its overseas territories and with control over the The Chief of the Defence Staff ( CDS) is the professional head of the British Armed Forces.
The United Kingdom fields one of the most technologically advanced and best trained armed forces in the world. According to various sources, including the Ministry of Defence, the UK has the second highest military expenditure in the world,[30][31] despite only having the 27th largest military in terms of manpower. The Ministry of Defence ( MoD) is the United Kingdom government department responsible for implementation of government defence policy and is the headquarters This is a list of countries by military expenditures using the latest information available This is a list of countries sorted by the total number of active troops where the military manpower of a country is measured by the total amount of active troops within the command Total defence spending currently accounts for 2. 2% of total national GDP, compared to 4. 4% at the end of the Cold War. Cold War is the state of conflict tension and competition that existed between the United States and the Soviet Union (USSR and their respective allies from the [32] It is the second largest spender on military science, engineering and technology. [33] The Royal Navy is considered to be the only other blue-water navy along with those of France and the United States. The term blue-water navy is a Colloquialism used to describe a maritime force capable of operating across the deep waters of open oceans The French Navy, officially the Marine nationale ( National Navy) and often called La Royale ( The Royal Navy) is the maritime arm [34] The British Armed Forces are equipped with advanced weapons systems, including the Challenger 2 tank and the Eurofighter Typhoon jet fighter. FV4034 Challenger 2 is a Main battle tank (MBT currently in service with the armies of the United Kingdom and Oman. WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout The Ministry of Defence confirmed the acquisition of two new super carrier sized aircraft carriers on 25 July 2007. This is about the warships For the television program see Supercarrier (TV series. History Requirement The 22000 tonne Invincible class aircraft carriers ''Invincible'', ''Illustrious'' and ''Ark Royal'' Events 285 - Diocletian appoints Maximian as Caesar, co-ruler Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century.
The United Kingdom is one of the five recognised countries possessing nuclear weapons, utilising the Vanguard class submarine-based Trident II ballistic missile system. Nations that are known or believed to possess Nuclear weapons are sometimes referred to as the nuclear club. Design The Vanguard s were designed from the outset as an unlimited-range nuclear powered ballistic missile submarine unlike the previous ''Resolution'' class This article contains technical information about the Trident ballistic missile
The British Armed Forces are charged with protecting the United Kingdom and its overseas territories, promoting the United Kingdom's global security interests, and supporting international peacekeeping efforts. The British Overseas Territories are fourteen territories that are under the Sovereignty of the United Kingdom, but which do not form part of the United Kingdom They are active and regular participants in NATO, including the Allied Rapid Reaction Corps, as well as the Five Power Defence Arrangements and other worldwide coalition operations. The North Atlantic Treaty The Headquarters Allied Rapid Reaction Corps, ( HQ ARRC or ARRC) was created in 1992 in Bielefeld based on the former British I Corps Five Power Defence Arrangements ( FPDA) are a series of defence relationships established by bilateral agreements between the United Kingdom, Australia, Overseas garrisons and facilities are maintained at Ascension Island, Belize, Brunei, Canada, Diego Garcia, the Falkland Islands, Germany, Gibraltar, Kenya, and Cyprus. Ascension Island is an island in the South Atlantic Ocean, around from the coast of Africa The Belize Defence Force (BDF is the military of Belize, and is responsible for protecting the sovereignty of the former British colony The Royal Brunei Armed Forces is the military of the nation of Brunei. The British Army Training Unit Suffield (BATUS is a unit located at the vast training area of Canadian Forces Base Suffield in Alberta, Canada. Diego Garcia is the largest Atoll, in terms of land area in Chagos Archipelago, part of the British Indian Ocean Territory. The Falkland Islands are an overseas territory of the United Kingdom and as such rely on the UK for guarantee of their security British Forces Germany (BFG is the name for British service personnel and civilians based in Germany British Forces Gibraltar is the name given to the British Armed Forces stationed in the British Overseas Territory of Gibraltar. The Republic of Kenya is a country in East Africa. It is bordered by Ethiopia to the north Somalia to the northeast Tanzania to the south The Sovereign Base Areas are military bases located on territory in which the United Kingdom is sovereign but which are separated from the ordinary British territory [35][36]
The British Army had a reported strength of 102,440 in 2005,[37] the Royal Air Force a strength of 49,210 and the 36,320-strong Royal Navy, which includes the Royal Marines, who provide commando units specialising in amphibious warfare. The British Army is the land armed forces branch of the British Armed Forces. The Royal Navy of the United Kingdom is the oldest of the British armed services (and is therefore known as the Senior Service) The Royal Marines ( RM) are the marine corps and amphibious Infantry of the United Kingdom and along with the Royal Navy In Military science, the term commando can refer to an individual a Military unit, or a raiding style of military operation.
The United Kingdom Special Forces, provide troops trained for quick, mobile, military responses in counter-terrorism, land, maritime and amphibious operations, often where secrecy or covert tactics are required. The United Kingdom Special Forces ( UKSF) is a UK Ministry of Defence Directorate which also has the capability to provide a Joint Special Operations Counter-terrorism or counterterrorism refers to the practices tactics, techniques and strategies that Governments militaries, Police departments
There are reserve forces supporting the regular military. These include the Territorial Army, the Royal Naval Reserve, Royal Marines Reserve and the Royal Auxiliary Air Force. The Territorial Army ( TA) is the principal and Volunteer reserve force of the British Army, the land armed forces branch of the United Kingdom The role of the Royal Marines Reserve ( RMR) of the United Kingdom is to support the regular Royal Marines[http //www The Royal Auxiliary Air Force ( RAuxAF) is the volunteer reserve part of the Royal Air Force. This puts total active and reserve duty military personnel at approximately 429,500, deployed in over eighty countries.
Despite the United Kingdom's military capabilities, recent pragmatic defence policy has a stated assumption that "the most demanding operations" would be undertaken as part of a coalition. [38] Setting aside the intervention in Sierra Leone, operations in Bosnia, Kosovo, Afghanistan and Iraq may all be taken as precedent. Operation Palliser was a British Armed forces operation in Sierra Leone in 2000 under the command of Brigadier David Richards. The War in Bosnia and Herzegovina, commonly known as the Bosnian War, was an international armed conflict that took place between March 1992 and November 1995 The term Kosovo War or Kosovo Conflict is often used to describe two sequential and at times parallel armed conflicts in Kosovo: 1996–1999 Afghanistan /æfˈgænɪstæn/ officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan ( Pashto: د افغانستان اسلامي جمهوریت, Operation (or Op TELIC is the codename under which all British operations of the 2003 Invasion of Iraq and after are being conducted Indeed the last war in which the British military fought alone was the Falklands War of 1982, in which they were victorious. The Falklands War (Guerra de las Malvinas/Guerra del Atlántico Sur also called the Falklands Conflict/Crisis, was fought in 1982 between Argentina and the
Law
The United Kingdom does not have a single legal system due to it being created by the political union of previously independent countries and the terms of the Treaty of Union guaranteeing the continued existence of Scotland's separate legal system. The United Kingdom has three Legal systems. English law, which applies in England and Wales, and Northern Ireland law, which applies in English law is the legal system of England and Wales, and is the basis of Common law legal systems used in most Commonwealth countriesand the Scots law is a unique legal system with an ancient basis in Roman law. Northern Ireland law concerns the Legal system of Northern Ireland. The Treaty of Union is the name given to the agreement that led to the creation of the United Kingdom of Great Britain, the Political union of England (including Today the UK has three distinct systems of law: English law and Northern Ireland law are based on common-law principles whereas Scots law is a hybrid system based on both common-law and civil-law principles. The three major legal systems of the world today consist of civil law, Common law and Religious law. English law is the legal system of England and Wales, and is the basis of Common law legal systems used in most Commonwealth countriesand the The courts of Northern Ireland are the civil and criminal Courts responsible for the administration of Justice in Northern Ireland: Common law refers to law and the corresponding legal system developed through decisions of courts and similar tribunals rather than through legislative statutes or executive Scots law is a unique legal system with an ancient basis in Roman law. Civil law or Romano-Germanic law or Continental law is the predominant system of law in the world. The Appellate Committee of the House of Lords (usually just referred to as "The House of Lords") is presently the highest court for both criminal and civil cases in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland, and for civil cases under Scots law. The House of Lords is the second house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom and is also commonly referred to as "the Lords" England is a Country which is part of the United Kingdom. Its inhabitants account for more than 83% of the total UK population whilst its mainland Northern Ireland (Tuaisceart Éireann Ulster Scots: Norlin Airlann) is a Country within the United Kingdom, lying in the northeast of Recent constitutional changes will see the powers of the House of Lords transfer to a new Supreme Court of the United Kingdom. The Supreme Court of the United Kingdom was established in law by Part III of the Constitutional Reform Act 2005. [39] The Judicial Committee of the Privy Council, (comprising the same members as the Appellate Committee of the House of Lords), is the highest court of appeal for several independent Commonwealth countries, the UK overseas territories, and the British crown dependencies. The Judicial Committee of the Privy Council is one of the highest courts in the United Kingdom, established by the Judicial Committee Act 1833 The House of Lords is the second house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom and is also commonly referred to as "the Lords"
English law applies in England and Wales. English law is the legal system of England and Wales, and is the basis of Common law legal systems used in most Commonwealth countriesand the History The Roman occupation of Britain was the first period in which the area of present-day England and Wales was administered as a single unit (with the exception The essence of English common law is that it is made by judges sitting in courts, applying their common sense and knowledge of legal precedent (stare decisis) to the facts before them. A judge, or justice, is an Official who presides over a Court of law A court is a forum used by a power base to adjudicate disputes and dispense civil, labour administrative and criminal Justice under its In Common law legal systems, a precedent or authority is a Legal case establishing a principle or rule that a Court or other judicial Stare decisis is a common law doctrine under which judges are obligated to follow the precedents established in prior decisions The court system is headed by the Supreme Court of Judicature of England and Wales, consisting of the Court of Appeal, the High Court of Justice (for civil cases) and the Crown Court (for criminal cases). Her Majesty's Courts of Justice of England and Wales are the civil and criminal Courts responsible for the administration of Justice in England The Court of Appeal of England and Wales is the second most senior court in the English legal system, with only the Appellate Committee of the House of Lords above For the Cameroonian court by this name see High Court of Justice (Cameroon, for the Israeli court of this name see Supreme Court of Israel. For the TV programme see Crown Court (TV series. The Crown Court of England and Wales is together with the High Court of Justice The Appellate Committee of the House of Lords (usually just referred to, as "The House of Lords") is presently the highest court in the land for both criminal and civil cases in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland. The House of Lords is the second house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom and is also commonly referred to as "the Lords" England is a Country which is part of the United Kingdom. Its inhabitants account for more than 83% of the total UK population whilst its mainland Northern Ireland (Tuaisceart Éireann Ulster Scots: Norlin Airlann) is a Country within the United Kingdom, lying in the northeast of A decision of the highest appeal court in England and Wales, the House of Lords, is binding on every other court in the hierarchy, and they will follow its directions. Court of Appeal, Court of Appeals, and Appellate Division redirect here for a list of specific courts using those titles see Court of Appeal The House of Lords, in addition to having a legislative function has a judicial function as a Court of last resort within the United Kingdom. Her Majesty's Courts of Justice of England and Wales are the civil and criminal Courts responsible for the administration of Justice in England
Crime in England and Wales increased in the period between 1981 and 1995 though, since that peak, there has been an overall fall of 42% in crime from 1995 to 2006/7. [40]Despite the fall in crime rates, the prison population of England and Wales has almost doubled over the same period, to over 80,000, giving England and Wales the highest rate of incarcaration in Western Europe at 147 per 100,000. [41]Her Majesty's Prison Service, which reports to the Ministry of Justice, manages most of the prisons within England and Wales. "HM Prison" redirects here For prisons in Australia see List of Australian prisons. The Ministry of Justice has been a department of the government of the United Kingdom since 2007 A prison, penitentiary, or correctional facility is a place in which individuals are physically confined or interned and usually deprived of a range of
Scots law applies in Scotland. Scots law is a unique legal system with an ancient basis in Roman law. Scotland ( Gaelic: Alba) is a Country in northwest Europethat occupies the northern third of the island of Great Britain. The chief courts are the Court of Session, for civil cases, and the High Court of Justiciary, for criminal cases, while the sheriff court undertakes almost all the functions of the English County Court but also conducts criminal trials with a jury (Sheriff solemn Court) or with a Sheriff and no jury (Sheriff summary Court). The Court of Session is the supreme civil court of Scotland. It is both a Court of first instance and a court of Appeal and sits exclusively The High Court of Justiciary is the supreme criminal court of Scotland. Sheriff courts provide the local Court service in Scotland, with each court serving a sheriff court district within a Sheriffdom. The Appellate Committee of the House of Lords (usually just referred to as "The House of Lords") presently serves as the highest court of appeal for civil cases under Scots law. The House of Lords is the second house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom and is also commonly referred to as "the Lords" The Scots legal system is unique in having three possible verdicts for a criminal trial: "guilty", "not guilty" and "not proven". In Law, a verdict is the formal finding of fact made by a Jury on matters or questions submitted to the jury by a judge In Criminal law, guilt is entirely externally defined by the State, or more generally a “court of law In Criminal law, an acquittal is a verdict of not guilty, or some similar end of the proceeding that terminates it with prejudice without a verdict Not proven is a Verdict available to a court in Scotland. Under Scots law, a criminal trial may end in one of three verdicts Both "not guilty" and "not proven" result in an acquittal with no possibility of retrial. In Criminal law, an acquittal is a verdict of not guilty, or some similar end of the proceeding that terminates it with prejudice without a verdict The Scottish Prison Service (SPS) manages Scotland's prisons with the Cabinet Secretary for Justice responsible for the Scottish Prison Service within the Scottish Government. The Scottish Prison Service (SPS ( Scottish Gaelic: Seirbheisean nam prìosan Albanach) an executive agency of the Scottish Government tasked The Cabinet Secretary for Justice, commonly referred to as the Justice Secretary, is a Cabinet position in the Scottish Government.
Geography
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland comprises the island of Great Britain (most of England, Scotland and Wales) and the northeastern one-sixth of the island of Ireland (Northern Ireland), together with smaller islands. The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, or UK, is in Western Europe. The Climate of the United Kingdom is classified as a mid-latitude Oceanic climate ( Koppen climate classification Cfb) with warm summers The mainland lies between latitudes 49° and 59° N (the Shetland Islands reach to nearly 61° N), and longitudes 8° W to 2° E. The Royal Greenwich Observatory, near London, is the defining point of the Prime Meridian. The Prime Meridian is the meridian (line of Longitude) at which longitude is defined to be 0° The UK lies between the North Atlantic Ocean and the North Sea, and comes within 35 kilometres (22 mi) of the northwest coast of France, from which it is separated by the English Channel. Northern Ireland shares a 360-kilometre (224 mi) land boundary with Ireland. Ireland ( Irish: Éire, ˈeːrʲə is a country in north-western Europe. The Channel Tunnel ("Chunnel") now links the UK with France beneath the English Channel. The greatest distance between two points on the UK mainland of Great Britain is 1,350 kilometres (840 mi) between Land's End in Cornwall (near Penzance) and John O'Groats in Caithness (near Thurso), a two day journey by car. Land's End ( Cornish name Penn an Wlas) is a headland on the Penwith Peninsula, located near Penzance in Cornwall Cornwall ( Kernow ˈkɛɹnɔʊ is the most southwesterly county of England, on the Peninsula that lies to the west of the River Tamar Penzance (Pensans also Penzans, IPA: /pɛnˈzæns/ is a town Civil parish, and Port in the Penwith district of Cornwall John o' Groats ( Taigh Iain Ghròt in Scottish Gaelic) ( is a village in the Highland council area of Scotland Geography Caithness extends about 40 Miles (64 Kilometres) north-south and about 30 miles (50 km east-west This article refers to the town in Scotland For the city in Canada see Thurso Quebec. When measured directly north-south it is a little over 1,100 kilometres (700 mi) in length and is a fraction under 500 kilometres (300 mi) at its widest. The total area of the United Kingdom is approximately 245,000 square kilometres (94,600 sq mi).
The United Kingdom has a temperate climate, with plentiful rainfall all year round. Climate encompasses the temperatures humidity rainfall atmospheric particle count and numerous other meteorogical factors in a given region over long periods of The temperature varies with the seasons but seldom drops below −10 °C (14. The Celsius Temperature scale was previously known as the centigrade scale. 0 °F) or rises above 35 °C (95 °F). Fahrenheit is a temperature scale named after Daniel Gabriel Fahrenheit (1686–1736 a German Physicist who proposed it in 1724 The prevailing wind is from the southwest, bearing frequent spells of mild and wet weather from the Atlantic Ocean. Eastern parts are most sheltered from this wind and are therefore the driest. Atlantic currents, warmed by the Gulf Stream, bring mild winters, especially in the west, where winters are wet, especially over high ground. The Gulf Stream, together with its northern extension towards Europe the North Atlantic Drift, is a powerful warm and swift Atlantic Ocean current that Summers are warmest in the south east of England, being closest to the European mainland, and coolest in the north. Snowfall can occur in winter and early spring, though it rarely settles to great depth away from high ground.
England accounts for just over half of the total area of the UK, covering 130,410 square kilometres (50,350 sq mi). Most of the country consists of lowland terrain, and mountainous terrain north-west of the Tees-Exe line. The Tees-Exe line is an imaginary line that can be drawn on a map of Great Britain which roughly divides the lowland and upland regions of the country Mountain chains are found in the north-west (Cumbrian Mountains of the Lake District), north (the upland moors of the Pennines and limestone hills of the Peak District) and south-west (Exmoor and Dartmoor). The Lake District, also known as The Lakes or Lakeland, is a rural area in North West England. The Pennines are a low-rising Mountain range in Northern England and southern Scotland. Limestone is a Sedimentary rock composed largely of the Mineral Calcite ( Calcium carbonate: CaCO3 The Peak District is an upland area in central and northern England, lying mainly in northern Derbyshire, but also covering parts of Cheshire, Greater Exmoor is a National Park situated on the Bristol Channel coast of south west England Dartmoor is an area of Moorland in the centre of Devon, England. Lower ranges include the limestone hills of the Isle of Purbeck, Cotswolds and Lincolnshire Wolds, and the chalk downs of the Southern England Chalk Formation. Limestone is a Sedimentary rock composed largely of the Mineral Calcite ( Calcium carbonate: CaCO3 The Isle of Purbeck, not a true island but a Peninsula, is in the county of Dorset, England. See also Cotswold The Cotswolds is a range of Hills in west-central England, sometimes called the "Heart of England" The Lincolnshire Wolds are a range of hills in the County of Lincolnshire, England. Chalk (ʧɔːk is a soft white porous Sedimentary rock, a form of Limestone composed of the Mineral Calcite. KentGeologyWealdenDomeSimplesvg|thumb|The Wealden Anticline]] The Chalk Formation of Southern England is a system of Chalk Downland in The main rivers and estuaries are the Thames, Severn and the Humber Estuary. The Thames ( is a major River flowing through southern England. For other rivers named "Severn" see Severn River. The River Severn ( Welsh: Afon Hafren, Latin The Humber is a large tidal Estuary on the east coast of northern England England's highest mountain is Scafell Pike, which is in the Lake District 978 metres (3,209 ft). |} At 978 metres (3209 feet Scafell Pike is the highest mountain in England. The Lake District, also known as The Lakes or Lakeland, is a rural area in North West England. England has a number of large towns and cities and, in terms of Larger Urban Zones, has six of the top 50 Zones in the European Union.
Scotland accounts for about a third of the total area of the UK, covering 78,789 square kilometres (30,420 sq mi). Ben Nevis ( Gaelic: Beinn Nibheis, peˈɲivəʃ is the highest mountain in the British Isles. This article is about a mountain range in Scotland for other uses see Grampians. The British Isles (Irish variously Na hOileáin Bhriotanacha, Oileáin Iarthair Eorpa, Éire agus an Bhreatain Mhór; Ellanyn Goaldagh Eileanan The topography of Scotland is distinguished by the Highland Boundary Fault – a geological rock fracture – which traverses the Scottish mainland from Helensburgh to Stonehaven. The Highland Boundary Fault is a Geologic fault that traverses Scotland from Arran and Helensburgh on the west coast to Stonehaven In Geology a fault, or fault line, is a planar rock fracture which shows evidence of relative movement Helensburgh ( Baile Eilidh in Gaelic) is a Burgh in Argyll and Bute, Scotland. Stonehaven ( Steenhive in the Doric dialect of Scots) and Cala na Creige in Gaelic is a town with around fourteen thousand inhabitants The faultline separates two distinctively different regions; namely the Highlands to the north and west and the lowlands to the south and east. The Scottish Highlands ( Scottish Gaelic: A' Ghàidhealtachd, Scots: Hielans) include the rugged and Mountainous The Scottish Lowlands ( a' Ghalldachd, meaning roughly 'the non-Gaelic region' in Gaelic, and called Lawlands or Lallans in Scots The more rugged Highland region contains the majority of Scotland's mountainous terrain, including the highest peak, Ben Nevis, at 1,344 metres (4,409 ft). Ben Nevis ( Gaelic: Beinn Nibheis, peˈɲivəʃ is the highest mountain in the British Isles. Lowland areas, in the southern part of Scotland, are flatter and home to most of the population, especially the narrow waist of land between the Firth of Clyde and the Firth of Forth known as the Central Belt. The Firth of Clyde forms a large area of coastal water sheltered from the Atlantic ocean by the Kintyre peninsula which encloses the outer Firth in The Firth of Forth ( Scottish Gaelic: Linne Foirthe) is the Estuary or Firth of Scotland's River Forth, where it flows The Central Lowlands or Midland Valley is a geologically defined area of relatively low-lying land in southern Scotland. Glasgow is the largest city in Scotland, although Edinburgh is the capital and political centre of the country. Glasgow (ˈglæzgoʊ is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom Edinburgh ( ˈɛdɪnb(ərə Dùn Èideann) is the Capital of Scotland and is its second largest city after Glasgow. Scotland also has nearly eight hundred islands, mainly west and north of the mainland, notably the Hebrides, Orkney Islands and Shetland Islands. This is a list of the Islands of Scotland, the mainland of which is part of the island of Great Britain. See also Hebrides (disambiguation The Hebrides (ˈhɛbrɨˌdiːz "HEB-ri-deez" Gaelic: Innse Gall) comprise a widespread and diverse Orkney (also known as the Orkney Islands or incorrectly the Orkneys) is an Archipelago in northern Scotland, situated 10 miles (16 km north Shetland (formerly spelled Zetland, from etland; Old Norse non Hjaltland; Sealtainn is an Archipelago off the northeast coast of
Wales accounts for less than a tenth of the total area of the UK, covering just 20,758 square kilometres (8,010 sq mi). Wales is mostly mountainous though South Wales is less mountainous than North and Mid Wales. South Wales (De Cymru is an area of Wales bordered by England and the Bristol Channel to the east and south and Mid Wales and West Wales The main population and industrial areas are in South Wales, consisting of the cities of Cardiff, Swansea and Newport and surrounding South Wales Valleys. South Wales (De Cymru is an area of Wales bordered by England and the Bristol Channel to the east and south and Mid Wales and West Wales Cardiff ( 'kɑːdɪf) is the Capital and the largest city and county in Wales. Swansea ( Abertawe "mouth of the Tawe " is a city and county in Wales. Newport (Casnewydd is a city and principal area in Wales, in the United Kingdom. The South Wales Valleys (Cymoedd De Cymru are a number of industrialised valleys in South Wales, stretching from eastern Carmarthenshire in the west to western The highest mountains in Wales are in Snowdonia, and include Snowdon (Yr Wyddfa in Welsh), which, at 1,085 m (3,560 ft) is the highest peak in Wales. Snowdonia (Eryri is a region of North Wales and a National park of in area For other meanings see Snowdon (disambiguation. Snowdon (Yr Wyddfa is the highest Mountain in Wales and the third The 14 (or possibly 15) Welsh mountains over 3,000 feet (914 m) high are known collectively as the Welsh 3000s. This is a list of what is known as the Welsh 3000s, ie those 15 mountains which have a height of 3000 ft (914 Wales borders England to the east and the sea in the other three directions: the Bristol Channel to the south, St George's Channel to the west, and the Irish Sea to the north. The Bristol Channel ( Môr Hafren) is a major inlet in the island of Great Britain, separating South Wales from Devon and Somerset St George's Channel ( Welsh: Sianel San Siôr, Irish Muir Bhreatan) is a channel The Irish Sea ( Irish: Muir Éireann or Muir Meann; Scottish Gaelic: Muir Eireann Welsh: Môr Iwerddon, Wales has over 1,200 km (750 miles) of coastline. There are several islands off the Welsh mainland, the largest being Anglesey (Ynys Môn) in the northwest. An island (ˈaɪlənd or isle (/ˈaɪl/ is any piece of land that is completely surrounded by water in two dimensions above high tide and isolated from other significant History There are numerous Megalithic monuments and Menhirs present on Anglesey testifying to the presence of mankind in prehistory
Northern Ireland accounts for just 14,160 square kilometres (5,470 sq mi) and is mostly hilly. It includes Lough Neagh, at 388 square kilometres (150 sq mi), the largest body of water in the UK and Ireland. Lough Neagh (ˌlɒx ˈneɪ, ɫ̪ɔx ˈn̠ʲahax is a freshwater Lake in Northern Ireland. Ireland (pronounced /ˈaɾlənd/ Éire) is the third largest island in Europe, and the twentieth-largest island in the world [42] The highest peak is Slieve Donard at 849 metres (2,785 ft) in the province's Mourne Mountains. Slieve Donard ( Sliabh Domangard or Sliabh Dónairt in Irish) is the highest Mountain in Northern Ireland, and in the province The Mourne Mountains or Mournes (Na Beanna Boirche a granite mountain range located in County Down in the south-east of Northern Ireland, are among the
Cities and conurbations
The capitals of the individual countries of the UK are: Belfast (Northern Ireland), Cardiff (Wales), Edinburgh (Scotland) and London (England), which is also the capital of the UK as a whole. For a list of the largest contiguous urban areas or Conurbations in the UK see here. A Conurbation is formed when towns expand sufficiently that their urban areas join up with each other Belfast ( is the capital city of Northern Ireland and the seat of government in Northern Ireland. Cardiff ( 'kɑːdɪf) is the Capital and the largest city and county in Wales. Edinburgh ( ˈɛdɪnb(ərə Dùn Èideann) is the Capital of Scotland and is its second largest city after Glasgow. London ( ˈlʌndən is the capital and largest urban area in the United Kingdom.
| Rank | City | Constituent country | Pop. | Rank | City | Constituent country | Pop. | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | London | England | 7,172,091 | 11 | Coventry | England | 303,475 | |||
| 2 | Birmingham | England | 970,892 | 12 | Kingston upon Hull | England | 301,416 | |||
| 3 | Glasgow | Scotland | 629,501 | 13 | Bradford | England | 293,717 | |||
| 4 | Liverpool | England | 469,017 | 14 | Cardiff | Wales | 292,150 | |||
| 5 | Leeds | England | 443,247 | 15 | Belfast | Northern Ireland | 276,459 | |||
| 6 | Sheffield | England | 439,866 | 16 | Stoke-on-Trent | England | 259,252 | |||
| 7 | Edinburgh | Scotland | 430,082 | 17 | Wolverhampton | England | 251,462 | |||
| 8 | Bristol | England | 420,556 | 18 | Nottingham | England | 249,584 | |||
| 9 | Manchester | England | 394,269 | 19 | Plymouth | England | 243,795 | |||
| 10 | Leicester | England | 330,574 | 20 | Southampton | England | 234,224 | |||
| 2001 Census | ||||||||||
The largest conurbations are as follows:
- Greater London Urban Area - 8. For a list of the largest contiguous urban areas or Conurbations in the UK see here. Constituent country is a phrase used often by official institutions in contexts in which a country makes up a part of a larger entity or grouping For a list of the largest contiguous urban areas or Conurbations in the UK see here. For a list of the largest contiguous urban areas or Conurbations in the UK see here. Constituent country is a phrase used often by official institutions in contexts in which a country makes up a part of a larger entity or grouping For a list of the largest contiguous urban areas or Conurbations in the UK see here. London ( ˈlʌndən is the capital and largest urban area in the United Kingdom. England is a Country which is part of the United Kingdom. Its inhabitants account for more than 83% of the total UK population whilst its mainland Coventry ( is a city and Metropolitan borough in the County of West Midlands in England. England is a Country which is part of the United Kingdom. Its inhabitants account for more than 83% of the total UK population whilst its mainland Birmingham ( ˈbɜːmɪŋəm Ber -ming-um England is a Country which is part of the United Kingdom. Its inhabitants account for more than 83% of the total UK population whilst its mainland Kingston upon Hull ( almost invariably referred England is a Country which is part of the United Kingdom. Its inhabitants account for more than 83% of the total UK population whilst its mainland Glasgow (ˈglæzgoʊ is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom Scotland ( Gaelic: Alba) is a Country in northwest Europethat occupies the northern third of the island of Great Britain. Bradford ( lies at the heart of the City of Bradford, a Metropolitan borough of West Yorkshire, England. England is a Country which is part of the United Kingdom. Its inhabitants account for more than 83% of the total UK population whilst its mainland Liverpool ( is a City and Metropolitan borough of Merseyside, England along the eastern side of the Mersey Estuary England is a Country which is part of the United Kingdom. Its inhabitants account for more than 83% of the total UK population whilst its mainland Cardiff ( 'kɑːdɪf) is the Capital and the largest city and county in Wales. Leeds ( is located on the River Aire in West Yorkshire, England England is a Country which is part of the United Kingdom. Its inhabitants account for more than 83% of the total UK population whilst its mainland Belfast ( is the capital city of Northern Ireland and the seat of government in Northern Ireland. Northern Ireland (Tuaisceart Éireann Ulster Scots: Norlin Airlann) is a Country within the United Kingdom, lying in the northeast of Sheffield ( is a city and Metropolitan borough in South Yorkshire, England England is a Country which is part of the United Kingdom. Its inhabitants account for more than 83% of the total UK population whilst its mainland Stoke-on-Trent ( often abbreviated to Stoke) is a city in Staffordshire, England which forms a linear Conurbation almost 12 miles (19 England is a Country which is part of the United Kingdom. Its inhabitants account for more than 83% of the total UK population whilst its mainland Edinburgh ( ˈɛdɪnb(ərə Dùn Èideann) is the Capital of Scotland and is its second largest city after Glasgow. Scotland ( Gaelic: Alba) is a Country in northwest Europethat occupies the northern third of the island of Great Britain. England is a Country which is part of the United Kingdom. Its inhabitants account for more than 83% of the total UK population whilst its mainland Bristol ( ˈbrɪstəl is a city, Unitary authority and ceremonial county in South West England, west of London England is a Country which is part of the United Kingdom. Its inhabitants account for more than 83% of the total UK population whilst its mainland Nottingham ( is a city in the Ceremonial county of Nottinghamshire, England. England is a Country which is part of the United Kingdom. Its inhabitants account for more than 83% of the total UK population whilst its mainland England is a Country which is part of the United Kingdom. Its inhabitants account for more than 83% of the total UK population whilst its mainland Plymouth ( is a city and unitary authority area on the coast of Devon, England about south west of London. England is a Country which is part of the United Kingdom. Its inhabitants account for more than 83% of the total UK population whilst its mainland Leicester (ˈlɛstə is the largest city and Unitary authority area in the East Midlands of England, and is the traditional England is a Country which is part of the United Kingdom. Its inhabitants account for more than 83% of the total UK population whilst its mainland Southampton ( IPA /ˌsaʊθˈhæmptən/ is the largest city in the county of Hampshire, on the south coast of England England is a Country which is part of the United Kingdom. Its inhabitants account for more than 83% of the total UK population whilst its mainland A nationwide Census, commonly known as Census 2001, was conducted in the United Kingdom on Sunday 29 April 2001 The Greater London Urban Area is the Conurbation or continuous urban area based around London, in south east England with an estimated population of 8505000 28 million
- West Midlands conurbation - 2. The West Midlands conurbation is the name given to the large Conurbation that includes the cities of Birmingham and Wolverhampton and the large towns of 28 million
- Greater Manchester Urban Area - 2. The Greater Manchester Urban Area is an area of land defined by the Office for National Statistics consisting of the large Conurbation surrounding and including the 24 million
- West Yorkshire Urban Area - 1. The West Yorkshire Urban Area is a term used by the Office for National Statistics (ONS to refer to a conurbation in West Yorkshire, England, based mainly 50 million
- Greater Glasgow - 1. Greater Glasgow is the Conurbation that includes and surrounds the city of Glasgow in the west of Scotland. 17 million
Demography
Population, migration and ethnicity
At the April 2001 UK Census, the total population of the United Kingdom was 58,789,194, the third largest in the European Union (behind Germany and France), the fifth largest in the Commonwealth and the twenty-first largest in the world. A nationwide Census, commonly known as Census 2001, was conducted in the United Kingdom on Sunday 29 April 2001 The European Union ( EU) is a political and economic union of twenty-seven member states, located primarily in Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany ( ˈbʊndəsʁepuˌbliːk ˈdɔʏtʃlant is a Country in Central Europe. This article is about the country For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic France topics. By mid-2006, this had been estimated to have increased to 60,587,300. [43] Much of this increase was due to net immigration but was also due to a rising birth rate and increasing life expectancy. Immigration refers to the movement of people among countries While the movement of people has existed throughout human history at various levels modern immigration implies long-term This page consists of two tables Table 1 is sourced from the CIA World Factbook''' [44]
England's population by mid-2006 was estimated to be 50,762,900 making it one of the most densely populated countries in the world with 383 people resident per square kilometre. [45] About a quarter of the UK population lives in England's prosperous south-east and is predominantly urban and suburban,[46] with an estimated 7,517,700 in the capital of London. [47]
The mid-2006 estimates put Scotland's population at 5,116,900, Wales at 2,965,900 and Northern Ireland at 1,741,600[48] with much lower population densities than England. Compared to England's 383 people resident per square kilometre, the corresponding figures were 142 for Wales, 125 for Northern Ireland and just 65 for Scotland.
In 2006, the average total fertility rate (TFR) across the UK was 1. The total fertility rate ( TFR, sometimes also called the fertility rate, period total fertility rate (PTFR or total 84 children per woman,[49] below the replacement rate of 2. 1 but higher than the 2001 record low of 1. 63. Within the UK, England and Wales, at 1. 86, were both close to the UK average, but Scotland was lower at only 1. 67. The UK's TFR was considerably higher during the 1960s 'baby boom', peaking at 2. 95 children per woman in 1964. [50]
The present day population of the UK is descended from varied ethnic stocks though mainly: pre-Celtic, Celtic, Roman, Anglo-Saxon, and the Normans. Celts (ˈkɛlts or /ˈsɛlts/, see Names of the Celts For their language see Anglo-Saxon language. Anglo-Saxon is the term usually used to describe the invading Tribes in the south The Normans were the people who gave their names to Normandy, a region in northern France. Since 1945, international ties forged by the British Empire have contributed to substantial immigration, especially from Africa, Caribbean and South Asia. The British Empire was the largest empire in history and for over a century was the foremost global power. The Caribbean (ˌkærəˡbiən kæ'rəbiən Cariben|Caraïben or Caraïben; Caraïbe or more commonly Antilles; Caribe is a Region consisting Since EU citizens are free to live and work in other EU member states, the accession of new to the EU of new member states from Central and Eastern Europe in 2004 has resulted in rising immigration from these countries. Central Europe is the Region lying between the variously and vaguely defined areas of Eastern and Eastern Europe is a general term that refers to the Geopolitical region encompassing the easternmost part of the European continent. As of 2001, 92. A nationwide Census, commonly known as Census 2001, was conducted in the United Kingdom on Sunday 29 April 2001 1% of the population identified themselves as White, leaving 7. 9%[51] of the UK population identifying themselves as mixed race or ethnic minority.
| Ethnic group | Population | % of total* |
|---|---|---|
| White British | 50,366,497 | 85. 7% |
| White Irish | 691,232 | 1. 2% |
| White (other) | 3,096,169 | 5. 3% |
| Mixed race | 677,117 | 1. 2% |
| Indian | 1,053,411 | 1. 8% |
| Pakistani | 747,285 | 1. 3% |
| Bangladeshi | 283,063 | 0. 5% |
| Other Asian (non-Chinese) | 247,644 | 0. 4% |
| Black Caribbean | 565,876 | 1. 0% |
| Black African | 485,277 | 0. 8% |
| Black (others) | 97,585 | 0. 2% |
| Chinese | 247,403 | 0. 4% |
| Other | 230,615 | 0. 4% |
| * Percentage of total UK population | ||
Ethnic diversity varies significantly across the UK. 30. 4 per cent of London's population[52] and 37. 4 per cent of Leicester's[53] was estimated to be non-white as of June 2005, whereas less than 5 per cent of the populations of North East England, Wales and the South West were from ethnic minorities according to the 2001 census. Leicester (ˈlɛstə is the largest city and Unitary authority area in the East Midlands of England, and is the traditional North-East England is one of the nine official Regions of England and comprises the combined area of Northumberland, County Durham, Tyne and Wear South West England is one of the Regions of England. It is the largest such region in terms of area and extends from Gloucestershire and Wiltshire to [54]As of 2007, 22% of primary school children and 17. 7% of children at secondary school in England were from ethnic minority families. [55]
In contrast with some other European countries, high foreign-born immigration is contributing to a rising population,[56] accounting for about half of the population increase between 1991 and 2001. In 2005 the Institute for Public Policy Research published an analysis of data from the 2001 UK Census, revealing the number of people included in the census who were born outside The latest official figures (2006) show net immigration to the UK of 191,000 (591,000 immigrants and 400,000 emigrants) up from 185,000 in 2005 (overall, there was a loss of 126,000 Britons and a gain of 316,000 foreign citizens). [57][58][59] One in six were from Eastern European countries, with larger numbers coming from New Commonwealth countries. Eastern Europe is a general term that refers to the Geopolitical region encompassing the easternmost part of the European continent. The term New Commonwealth was commonly used in the 1960s and 1970s to refer to members of the Commonwealth of Nations that had joined in recent years [60] Immigration from the Indian subcontinent, mainly fuelled by family reunion, accounted for two-thirds of net immigration. This article deals with the geophysical region in Asia For geopolitical treatments see South Asia. [61] By contrast, at least 5. 5 million British-born people are living abroad. [62][63][64] The most popular emigrant destinations were Australia, Spain, France, New Zealand and the U.S.[65][66][67]
A study by a city forecaster, however, contends that the above immigration figures are unreliable and that net immigration for 2005 was circa 400,000. For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Australia topics. Spain () or the Kingdom of Spain (Reino de España is a country located mostly in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. This article is about the country For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic France topics. New Zealand is an Island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses (the North Island and the South Island The United States of America —commonly referred to as the Circa (often abbreviated c, ca, ca or cca and sometimes Italicized to show it is Latin) means "about" [68] Nonetheless, the proportion of foreign-born people in the UK population remains slightly below that of some other European countries. [69]
In 2004, the number of people who became British citizens rose to a record 140,795 - a rise of 12% on the previous year. This number had risen dramatically since 2000. The overwhelming majority of new citizens come from Africa (32%) and Asia (40%), the largest three groups being people from Pakistan, India and Somalia. Pakistan () officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, is a country located in South Asia, Southwest Asia, Middle East and India, officially the Republic of India (भारत गणराज्य inc-Latn Bhārat Gaṇarājya; see also other Indian languages) is a country Somalia ( Soomaaliya; الصومال) officially the Somali Republic ( Jamhuuriyadda Soomaaliya, جمهورية الصومال) and formerly known [70] In 2006, there were 149,035 applications for British citizenship, 32% fewer than in 2005. The number of people granted citizenship during 2006 was 154,095, 5% fewer than in 2005. The largest groups of people granted British citizenship were from India, Pakistan, Somalia and the Philippines. [71] 21. 9% of babies born in England and Wales in 2006 were born to mothers who were born outside the UK, (146,956 out of 669,601), according to official statistics released in 2007 that also show the highest birth rates for 26 years. This page consists of two tables Table 1 is sourced from the CIA World Factbook''' [72] As in the rest of the European Union, however, the birth rate remains below the replacement rate. Sub-replacement fertility is a Total fertility rate that is not high enough to replace an area's population [73][74]
When the EU enlarged further east in 2004 and again in 2007, this gave the right for nationals from countries like Poland, Slovakia, Lithuania, and more recently Romania and Bulgaria to live in the UK. Poland (Polska officially the Republic of Poland Slovakia (long form Slovak Republic; Slovak:, long form, is a Landlocked country in Central Europe with a population of over five million Lithuania, officially the Republic of Lithuania (Lietuvos Respublika is a Country in Eastern often referred to as Northern Europe or in the Romania ( dated: Rumania, Roumania The state of Bulgaria (България transliterated bg-Latn ''Balgaria'' The country preserves the traditions (in ethnic name language and alphabet of the First Bulgarian Figures published in August 2007 indicated that 682,940 people applied to the Worker Registration Scheme (for nationals of the central and eastern European states that joined the EU in May 2004) between 1 May 2004 and 30 June 2007, of whom 656,395 were accepted. The Worker Registration Scheme was set up in 2004 to allow workers from the "A8 Countries" to work in the UK. Events 305 - Diocletian and Maximian retire from the office of Roman Emperor. "MMIV" redirects here For the Modest Mouse album see " Baron von Bullshit Rides Again " Events 350 - Roman usurper Nepotianus, of the Constantinian dynasty, is defeated and killed by troops of the Usurper Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. [75] Self-employed workers and people who are not working (including students) are not required to register under the scheme so this figure represents a lower limit on immigration inflow. These figures do not indicate the number of immigrants who have since returned home, but 56% of applicants in the 12 months ending 30 June 2007 reported planning to stay for a maximum of three months, with net migration in 2005 from the new EU states standing at 64,000. [58] Research suggests that a total of around 1 million people had moved from the new EU member states to the UK by April 2008, but that half this number have since returned home or moved on to a third country. [76][77]
National Insurance Number data suggests that 2. National Insurance (NI is a system of taxes and related Social security benefits in the United Kingdom. 5 million foreign workers moved to the UK to work (including those moving for short periods), the majority from EU countries, between 2002 and 2007. [78]
The UK government is currently introducing a new points-based immigration system to replace the existing schemes for immigration from outside of the European Economic Area. The points-based immigration system is currently being phased in as the means of regulating Immigration to the United Kingdom from outside the European Economic The European Economic Area ( EEA) came into being on 1 January 1994 following an agreement between member states of European Free Trade Association (EFTAthe
Languages
Though the UK does not de jure have an official language, the predominant spoken language is English, a West Germanic language descended from Old English featuring a large number of borrowings from Old Norse, Norman French and Latin. A spoken language is a human Natural language in which the Words are uttered through the Mouth. English is a West Germanic language originating in England and is the First language for most people in the United Kingdom, the United States The West Germanic languages constitute the largest of the three traditional branches of the Germanic family of Languages and include languages such as English Old Norse is the North Germanic language that was spoken by inhabitants of Scandinavia and inhabitants of their overseas settlements during the Viking Age Norman is a Romance language and one of the Oïl languages. The northern Norman can be classified in the septentrional Oil languages with Picard and French ( français,) is a Romance language spoken around the world by 118 million people as a native language and by about 180 to 260 million people Latin ( lingua Latīna, laˈtiːna is an Italic language, historically spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. The English language has spread across the world (largely due to the British Empire) and has thus become the business language of the world. International English is the concept of the English language as a global means of communication in numerous dialects and also the movement towards an international standard Worldwide, it is taught as a second language more than any other. [79]
The other indigenous languages of the UK are Scots (which is closely related to English) and four Celtic languages. Scots ( The Scots leid) refers to Anglic varieties derived from early northern Middle English spoken in parts of Scotland and Northern The Celtic languages are descended from Proto-Celtic, or "Common Celtic" a branch of the greater Indo-European Language family. The latter fall into two groups: two P-Celtic languages (Welsh and Cornish); and two Q-Celtic languages (Irish and Scottish Gaelic). Welsh ( cy Cymraeg or cy y Gymraeg, kəmˈrɑːɨɡ and {{IPA|[ə ɡəmˈrɑːɨɡ]}}, is a member of the Brythonic branch of Celtic For the Cornish-English dialect see West Country dialects and List of Cornish dialect words. Irish (ga ''Gaeilge'' is a Goidelic language of the Indo-European language family originating in Ireland and historically spoken by the Irish. Scottish Gaelic ( Gàidhlig) is a member of the Goidelic branch of Celtic languages. Celtic dialectal influences from Cumbric persisted in Northern England for centuries, most famously in a unique set of numbers used for counting sheep (see Yan Tan Tethera). Cumbric was the Brythonic Celtic language, often considered to be a Dialect of Welsh, spoken in Northern England and southern Yan Tan Tethera was a traditional numeric Jargon used by Shepherds to count Sheep in northern England and southern Scotland According to the 2001 census, just above 20% of the population of Wales claim to be able to speak Welsh which represents a slight increase on 1991. In addition, it is estimated that about 200,000 Welsh speakers live in England. [80] Welsh and Scottish Gaelic are also spoken by small groups around the globe with some Gaelic still spoken in Nova Scotia, Canada, and Welsh in Patagonia, Argentina. Canadian Gaelic (Gaelic gd ''Gàidhlig Chanaideanach'' locally just Gaelic or The Gaelic) is the dialect of Scots Gaelic that has been spoken continuously Nova Scotia (ˌnəʊvəˈskəʊʃə ( Latin for New Scotland; Alba Nuadh Nouvelle-Écosse is a Canadian province located on Canada 's Country to "Dominion of Canada" or "Canadian Federation" or anything else please read the Talk Page Llao LLaojpg|thumb|250px| Lake Nahuel Huapi, near Bariloche, Argentina For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Argentina topics.
Immigrant languages constitute for up to 10% of the UK's population, French is spoken by 2. French ( français,) is a Romance language spoken around the world by 118 million people as a native language and by about 180 to 260 million people 3% of the country's population, 1. 0% of Britons speak Polish reflecting the recent mass migration to the UK. Polish ( język polski, polszczyzna) is the Official language of Poland. 0. 9% of the UK's population speak German and 0. The German language (de ''Deutsch'') is a West Germanic language and one of the world's major languages. 8% Spanish. The majority of other foreign languages spoken in the UK originate from Europe, Asia and Africa. A large percentage of the immigrants to the UK come from Anglophone countries (such as Nigeria, Jamaica, Hong Kong and the Philippines), which is why there is not a great deal of diversity between some of the country's ethnic minority communities. An Anglophone (or anglophone) is someone who speaks the English language. Nigeria, officially named the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a federal Constitutional republic comprising thirty-six states and one Federal Jamaica (ˈdʒəˈmeɪkə} is an Island nation of the Greater Antilles, in length and as much as in width situated in the Caribbean Sea. Hong Kong ( officially the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, is a territory located on China 's south coast on the Pearl River Delta, and borders The Philippines ( Filipino: Pilipinas, officially known as the Republic of the Philippines (fil ''Republika ng Pilipinas'' RP
Religion
While the United Kingdom has a long tradition of Christianity and a link between church and state still remains in England, in practice the UK is a predominantly secular society with only 38%[81] proclaiming a belief in a God. This article is about the development of religion in the United Kingdom (UK since its formation in 1707 Christianity ( Greek Χριστιανισμός from the word Xριστός ( Christ)is a monotheistic Religion centered on the life and teachings Separation of church and state is a Political and Legal Doctrine that Government and religious institutions are to be kept separate Secularity ( adjective form secular) is the state of being separate from Religion. God is the principal or sole Deity in Religions and other belief systems that worship one deity. People identify themselves with religion in the UK for both cultural and religious reasons and this is reflected by the disparity between the figures for those proclaiming a belief in a God and those identifying themselves with a particular religion. A religion is a set of Tenets and practices often centered upon specific Supernatural and moral claims about Reality, the Cosmos God is the principal or sole Deity in Religions and other belief systems that worship one deity. Christianity has the largest number of adherents followed by Islam, Hinduism, Sikhism and Judaism.
Christianity
Christianity is the major religion with many Christian churches, denominations, and groups. Christianity ( Greek Χριστιανισμός from the word Xριστός ( Christ)is a monotheistic Religion centered on the life and teachings A church building is a Building or Structure whose primary purpose is to facilitate the meeting of a church. The Tearfund Survey[82] in 2007 revealed 53% identified themselves as Christian. Tearfund is a UK Christian relief and development agency working with a global network of local churches to help eradicate poverty transform lives and bring justice The report compared this to the 2004 British Social Attitudes Survey in which the results were very similar,[83] and to the 2001 UK Census in which 71. 6% said that Christianity was their religion,[84] although noting that the latter used "a softer question".
The Church of England, which split from Rome in 1534 (see English Reformation) is, today, the 'established' Church in England and the senior branch of the worldwide Anglican Communion. The English Reformation was the series of events in 16th century England by which the Church of England first broke away from the authority of the Pope An established church is a church officially sanctioned and supported by the government of a country e See also Anglicanism The Anglican Communion is an international association of national Anglican churches The British monarch is required to be a member of the Church of England under the Act of Settlement 1701 and is its Supreme Governor. TalkCommonewalth realm.--> The monarchy The Act of Settlement is an act of the Parliament of England, originally filed in 1700 and passed in 1701 to settle the succession to the English throne The Supreme Governor of the Church of England is a title held by the British Monarchs which signifies their titular leadership over the Church of England. The Archbishop of Canterbury is the senior bishop of the Church. The Archbishop of Canterbury is the chief bishop and principal leader of the Church of England, the symbolic head of the worldwide Anglican Communion and the The direct influence of the Church of England has been on the decline for years, but the church retains a representation in the UK Parliament and the right to draft legislative measures (usually related to religious administration), through the General Synod, that can be passed into law, but not amended by Parliament. The Church of England is the officially established Christian church in England, the Mother Church of the worldwide Anglican The Lords Spiritual of the United Kingdom, also called Spiritual Peers, are the 26 Clergymen of the established Church of England The Parliament of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the supreme legislative body in the United Kingdom and British overseas territories The General Synod is the title of the governing body of some church organizations
The Church of Scotland (known informally as the Kirk), which broke with Rome in 1560 (see Calvinism and Scottish Reformation) is a Presbyterian church, recognised as the national church of Scotland, and not subject to state control. The Church of Scotland (Eaglais na h-Alba known informally by its Scots language name The Kirk, is the National church of Scotland. Kirk can mean " church " in general or the Church of Scotland in particular Calvinism (sometimes called the Reformed tradition, the Reformed faith, or Reformed theology) is a theological system and an approach to the The Scottish Reformation was Scotland 's formal break with the Roman Catholic Church in 1560 and the events surrounding this Presbyterianism is a family of Christian denominations within the Reformed branch of Protestant Western Christianity The term national church is usually a reference to a church organization in Christianity that claims pastoral jurisdiction over a Nation. The British monarch is an ordinary member, and is required to swear an oath to "defend the security" of the Church at the coronation. The Scottish Episcopal Church, which is now part of the Anglican Communion, dates from the final establishment of Presbyterianism in Scotland in 1690, when it split from the Church of Scotland, and is not a 'daughter church' of the Church of England. The Scottish Episcopal Church (Eaglais Easbaigeach na h-Alba is a Christian denomination in Scotland and a member of the Anglican Communion, although it Further splits in the Church of Scotland, especially in the nineteenth century, led to the creation of various other Presbyterian churches in Scotland, including the Free Church of Scotland.
In the 1920s, the Church in Wales was separated from the Church of England and became 'disestablished'. The Church in Wales (Yr Eglwys yng Nghymru is a member Church of the Anglican Communion, consisting of six Dioceses in Wales. Disestablishmentarianism refers to the withdrawal of state support of an established church that was formerly part of the state establishment The Church in Wales remains in the Anglican Communion. See also Anglicanism The Anglican Communion is an international association of national Anglican churches Methodism and other independent churches are traditionally strong in Wales. Methodism is a movement within Protestant Christianity represented by a number of denominations and organizations
The Anglican Church of Ireland was disestablished in the nineteenth century. The Church of Ireland (Eaglais na hÉireann is an autonomous province of the Anglican Communion, operating across the island of Ireland. It covers the entire island of Ireland (both Northern Ireland and Ireland). Ireland (pronounced /ˈaɾlənd/ Éire) is the third largest island in Europe, and the twentieth-largest island in the world Northern Ireland (Tuaisceart Éireann Ulster Scots: Norlin Airlann) is a Country within the United Kingdom, lying in the northeast of Ireland ( Irish: Éire, ˈeːrʲə is a country in north-western Europe. In Northern Ireland the Catholic Church in Ireland is the largest single denomination, although Protestants are in the majority overall. The Catholic Church in Ireland, part of the world-wide Catholic Church, is under the spiritual leadership of the Pope, the curia in Rome, and Protestantism refers to the forms of Christian faith and practice that originated in the 16th century Protestant Reformation. The Presbyterian Church in Ireland is the largest Protestant denomination and is in terms of theology and history closely linked to the Church of Scotland
The Roman Catholic Church is the second largest denomination of Christianity in the UK. The Presbyterian Church in Ireland (or PCI (Eaglais Phreispitéireach in Éirinn, operating seamlessly across the border between the Republic of Ireland and Northern After the Protestant Reformation, strict laws were passed against Catholics; these were removed by the Catholic Emancipation laws in 1829. The Protestant Reformation was a reform movement in Europe that began in 1517 though its roots lie further back in time Catholic Emancipation (Fuascailt na gCaitliceach or Catholic Relief, was a process in Great Britain and Ireland in the late 18th century and early 19th There are separate Catholic hierarchies for England and Wales, Scotland and Ireland. The Catholic Church in England and Wales is part of the worldwide Catholic Church, the Christian Church in full communion with the Bishop of Rome, The Catholic Church in Scotland ( Scottish Gaelic: An Eaglais Caitligeach) describes the organisation of the worldwide Roman Catholic Church in The Catholic Church in Ireland, part of the world-wide Catholic Church, is under the spiritual leadership of the Pope, the curia in Rome, and
Other large Christian groups include the Methodists (founded by John Wesley in London) and the Baptists. Methodism is a movement within Protestant Christianity represented by a number of denominations and organizations John Wesley (ˈwɛslɪ ( – March 2, 1791) was an Anglican cleric and Christian theologian who was the founder of the (Evangelical Baptist is a term describing individuals belonging to a Baptist church or a Baptist denomination. There are also growing Evangelical and Pentecostal churches, many of which have flourished with immigration from around the Commonwealth and beyond. Evangelicalism is a theological movement tradition and system of beliefs most closely associated with Protestant Christianity, which identifies with the Gospel Pentecostalism is a renewalist religious movement within Christianity that places special emphasis on the direct personal experience of God through the Baptism Since the formation of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland in 1922 there has been substantial Immigration from other parts of The world. Pentecostal churches are now third after the Church of England and the Roman Catholic Church in terms of church attendance. [85]
Other religions
Muslims in the United Kingdom are believed to number 1. Islam is the second largest religion in the United Kingdom with a total of 1591000 (or 2 8 million. [86] Mosques are present in most regions: The biggest groups are of Pakistani, Bangladeshi and Indian origin. A "mosque" in English refers to all types of buildings dedicated for Islamic worship although there is a distinction in Arabic between the smaller privately owned mosque and the larger British Bangladeshi ( Bengali: ব্রিটিশ বাংলাদেশি is a term used to describe the Bangladeshi people or community living in the British Indians (also Indian British or Indian Britons) are citizens of the United Kingdom whose ancestral roots lie in the South Asian country More recently, refugees from Somalia, Northern Cyprus, the Balkans and Arab countries have increased Britain's Muslim population. According to the 1951 Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees, a refugee is a person who owing to a well-founded fear of being persecuted for reasons of race Somalia ( Soomaaliya; الصومال) officially the Somali Republic ( Jamhuuriyadda Soomaaliya, جمهورية الصومال) and formerly known The Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus ( TRNC) (Kuzey Kıbrıs Türk Cumhuriyeti KKTC) commonly called Northern Cyprus (Kuzey Kıbrıs though its The araB gene Promoter is a bacterial promoter activated by e L-arabinose binding The 2006 controversy over the burqa, brought up in comments by politician Jack Straw, reflects a split between some Britons questioning Muslim integration with British society, and others who believe that wearing the veil is compatible with it, in Britain. A burqa (also Transliterated burkha, burka or burqua) is an enveloping outer garment worn by women in some Islamic traditions for the John Whitaker Straw (born 3 August 1946 most commonly known as Jack Straw, is a senior British Labour Party Politician. Arguments critical to religion in general or specific to monotheism such as the Existence of God, are not dealt with here [87]
Religions of Indian origin, such as Hinduism, Sikhism, Buddhism and Jainism are followed in Britain. Indian religions, also called Dharmic religions, are the related religious traditions that originated in the Indian subcontinent, namely Hinduism, Hinduism is a religious tradition that originated in the Indian subcontinent. Sikhism ( IPA: or; ਸਿੱਖੀ sikkhī, IPA:) founded on the teachings of Nanak and nine successive gurus in fifteenth century Buddhism is a family of beliefs and practices Jainism, traditionally known as Jain Dharma / Shraman Dharma (जैन धर्म is an ancient religion of India. As of the 2001 census, there are about 560,000 Hindus and 340,000 Sikhs. Buddhism is practised by about 150,000 people. Buddhism is a family of beliefs and practices [88] It is likely that these figures have increased since 2001. One non-governmental organisation estimates that there are 800,000 Hindus in the UK. [89] Leicester houses one of the world's few Jain temples that are outside of India. Leicester (ˈlɛstə is the largest city and Unitary authority area in the East Midlands of England, and is the traditional Jainism, traditionally known as Jain Dharma / Shraman Dharma (जैन धर्म is an ancient religion of India.
There are approximately 270,000 Jews in Britain, according to the 2001 census. PLEASE TAKE NOTE************ [90]
The United Kingdom has a large and growing atheist and agnostic population with 13,626,000 (23. Atheism Agnosticism ( Greek: α- a-, without + γνώσις gnōsis, knowledge after Gnosticism) is the philosophical view that the 2% of the UK population) either claiming no religion or not answering the question on religion at the 2001 census. Irreligion is a lack of religion indifference to religion or hostility to religion [91]
Economy
The UK economy is made up (in descending order of size) of the economies of England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. The Economy of England is the largest economy of the four Constituent countries of the United Kingdom. The economy of Scotland is closely linked with the rest of the United Kingdom and the wider European Economic Area, it is essentially a Mixed economy The Economy of Wales. In 2004 according to ONS provisional data headline Gross value added (GVA in Wales was £39243m making the Welsh economy the The economy of Northern Ireland is the smallest of the four Home nations ' economies of the United Kingdom. The British started the Industrial Revolution, and, like most industrialising countries at the time, initially concentrated on heavy industries such as shipbuilding, coal mining, steel production, and textiles. The Industrial Revolution was a period in the late 18th and early 19th centuries when major changes in agriculture manufacturing and transportation had a profound effect on the See also Shipbuilding (song. Shipbuilding is the construction of Ships It normally takes place in a specialized facility known as a Coal mining is the extraction or removal of Coal from the Earth by Mining. Steel is an Alloy consisting mostly of Iron, with a Carbon content between 0 A textile is a flexible material comprised of a network of natural or artificial Fibres often referred to as thread or Yarn. The empire created an overseas market for British products, allowing the United Kingdom to dominate international trade in the 19th century. However, as other nations industrialised, coupled with economic decline after two world wars, the United Kingdom began to lose its competitive advantage and heavy industry declined, by degrees, throughout the 20th century. The British service sector, however, has grown substantially, and now makes up about 73% of GDP. [93]
The service sector of the United Kingdom is dominated by financial services, especially in banking and insurance. Financial services refer to services provided by the finance industry. London is the world's largest financial centre with the London Stock Exchange, the London International Financial Futures and Options Exchange, and the Lloyd's of London insurance market all based in the City of London. The London Stock Exchange or LSE is a Stock exchange located in London, England. This article is about the LIFFE until the takeover by Euronext The London International Financial Futures and Options Exchange ( LIFFE For the film see Lloyd's of London (film. Lloyd's of London is a British Insurance market For London as a whole see the main article London. The City of London is a geographically It has the largest concentration of foreign bank branches in the world. In the past decade, a rival financial centre in London has grown in the Docklands area, with HSBC and Barclays Bank relocating their head offices there. Docklands is the semi-official name for an area in the east of London, England, comprising parts of several boroughs ( Southwark, Tower Hamlets HSBC Holdings plc ( (,,,) is a Public limited company incorporated in England and Wales, headquartered in London. Barclays PLC is a major global financial services provider operating in Europe, North America, the Middle East, Latin America, Australia Many multinational companies that are not primarily UK-based have chosen to site their European or rest-of-world headquarters in London: an example is the US financial services firm Citigroup. The Scottish capital, Edinburgh, has one of the large financial centres of Europe. Edinburgh ( ˈɛdɪnb(ərə Dùn Èideann) is the Capital of Scotland and is its second largest city after Glasgow. [94]
London is a major centre for international business and commerce and is the leader of the three "command centres" for the global economy (along with New York City and Tokyo). London ( ˈlʌndən is the capital and largest urban area in the United Kingdom. International business is a term used to collectively describe topics relating to the operations of Firms with interests in multiple countries. The rising Technology has allowed our environment to be characterized as a global one The City of New York officially, is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan and located on the eastern side of the main island Honshū. [95] In recent years, the UK economy has been managed in accordance with principles of market liberalisation and low taxation and regulation. Based on market exchange rates, the United Kingdom is the fifth largest economy in the world,[96] and the second largest in Europe after Germany. Sao Paulo Stock Exchangejpg|thumb| Virtual market arena where buyer and seller are not present and trade via intemediates and electronical information In Finance, the exchange rates (also known as the foreign-exchange rate, forex rate or FX rate) between two currencies specifies how Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany ( ˈbʊndəsʁepuˌbliːk ˈdɔʏtʃlant is a Country in Central Europe.
Tourism is very important to the British economy. The United Kingdom is the world's 6th biggest tourist destination, with 24 With over 27 million tourists a year, the United Kingdom is ranked as the sixth major tourist destination in the world. [97]
The British manufacturing sector, however, has greatly diminished, relative to the economy as a whole, since World War II. It is still a significant part of the economy, but only accounted for one-sixth of national output in 2003. [98] The British motor industry is a significant part of this sector, although it has diminished with the collapse of MG Rover and most of the industry is foreign owned. History The beginnings 1896&ndash1900 The British motor industry started when Frederick Simms became friends with Gottlieb Daimler, who had MG Rover was the last domestically owned mass-production car manufacturer in the British motor industry. Civil and defence aircraft production is led by the United Kingdom's largest aerospace firm, BAE Systems, and the continental European firm EADS, the owner of Airbus. BAE Systems plc (BAE is a British defence and aerospace company headquartered in Farnborough, England, that has global interests particularly The European Aeronautic Defence and Space Company EADS NV ( EADS) is a large European aerospace corporation formed by the merger on July 10, Airbus SAS (ˈɛərbʌs in English, Airbus2ogg|/ɛʁbys/]] in French, and /ˈɛːɐbʊs/ in German) is an aircraft manufacturing Rolls-Royce holds a major share of the global aerospace engines market. Rolls-Royce plc ( is a British Aircraft engine maker and the second-largest in the world behind GE Aviation. The chemical and pharmaceutical industry is strong in the UK, with the world's second and sixth largest pharmaceutical firms (GlaxoSmithKline and AstraZeneca, respectively)[99] being based in the UK. GlaxoSmithKline plc () is a United Kingdom -based pharmaceutical, biological and Healthcare Company. AstraZeneca PLC (,) is a large Anglo-Swedish Pharmaceutical company formed on 6 April 1999 by the remerger of Swedish Astra AB
The creative industries accounted for 7. There are many different definitions aimed at describing one of the newest media terms creative industries sometimes referred to as creative economy 3% GVA in 2004 and grew at an average of 5% per annum between 1997 and 2004. [100]
The United Kingdom's agriculture sector accounts for only 0. 9% of the country's GDP. [101]
The UK has a small coal reserve along with significant natural gas, and oil reserves. Natural gas is a Gaseous Fossil fuel consisting primarily of Methane but including significant quantities of Ethane, Propane, Oil reserves are the estimated quantities of Crude oil that are claimed to be recoverable under existing Economic and operating conditions
Government involvement throughout the economy is exercised by the Chancellor of the Exchequer (currently Alistair Darling) who heads HM Treasury, but the Prime Minister (currently The Rt Hon Gordon Brown MP), is First Lord of the Treasury; the Chancellor of the Exchequer is the Second Lord of the Treasury. The Chancellor of the Exchequer is the title held by the British Cabinet minister who is responsible for all Economic and Financial Alistair Maclean Darling (born 28 November 1953 is a British Politician and Chancellor of the Exchequer since 28 June 2007 HM Treasury, in full Her Majesty's Treasury, informally The Treasury, is the United Kingdom government department responsible for developing and executing This article is about the government position For other uses see Prime Minister (disambiguation. WikipediaManual of Style (biographies#Academic titles --> James Gordon Brown (born 20 February 1951 is The First Lord of the Treasury is the head of the commission exercising the ancient office of Lord High Treasurer in the United Kingdom, usually but not However since 1997, the Bank of England, headed by the Governor of the Bank of England, has control of interest rates and other monetary policy. The Bank of England (formally the Governor and Company of the Bank of England) is a state-owned institution and the Central bank of the United Kingdom The Governor of the Bank of England is the most senior position in the Bank of England.
As of 2007, United Kingdom's government debt rose to 43. Government debt (also known as public debt or national debt) is Money (or credit) owed by any level of government either Central government 3% of GDP. [102]
The currency of the UK is the pound sterling, represented by the symbol £. The Pound Sterling ( symbol £; ISO code: GBP) subdivided into 100 pence (singular penny) is the Currency See also Pound (currency.The pound sign (" £ " or " ₤ " is the symbol for the Pound sterling —the currency of the The Bank of England is the central bank, responsible for issuing currency. The Bank of England (formally the Governor and Company of the Bank of England) is a state-owned institution and the Central bank of the United Kingdom A central bank, reserve bank, or monetary authority is the entity responsible for the Monetary policy of a country or of a group of member states Banks in Scotland and Northern Ireland retain the right to issue their own notes, subject to retaining enough Bank of England notes in reserve to cover the issue. The UK chose not to join the euro at the currency's launch, and the British Prime Minister, The Rt Hon Gordon Brown MP, has ruled out membership for the foreseeable future, saying that the decision not to join had been right for Britain and for Europe. Please update other articles as well to avoid contradiction within Wikipedia e [103] The government of former Prime Minister Tony Blair had pledged to hold a public referendum for deciding membership should "five economic tests" be met. The five economic tests are the criteria defined by the United Kingdom Government that are to be used to assess the UK's readiness to join the Eurozone and adopt the In 2005, more than half (55%) of the UK were against adopting the currency, while 30% were in favour. [104]
Education
Each country of the United Kingdom has a separate education system, with power over education matters in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland being devolved. The UK was ranked 14th in the world in 2006 for science by the Programme for International Student Assessment which was higher than the OECD average. [8]
Scotland first legislated for universal provision of education in 1696. The proportion of children in Scotland attending private schools is just over 4% though it has been rising slowly in recent years. [105] In Scotland, the Cabinet Secretary for Education and Lifelong Learning is responsible to the Scottish Parliament for education, with day to day administration and funding of state schools being the responsibility of Local Authorities. Scotland ( Gaelic: Alba) is a Country in northwest Europethat occupies the northern third of the island of Great Britain. The Cabinet Secretary for Education and Lifelong Learning is a position in the Scottish Government cabinet responsible for the Education department. The Scottish Parliament ( Scottish Gaelic: Pàrlamaid na h-Alba; Scots: Scottish Pairlament) is the devlolved national unicameral Qualifications at the secondary school and post-secondary (further education) level are provided by the Scottish Qualifications Authority and delivered through various schools, colleges and other centres. Tertiary education, also referred to as third stage third level and' post-secondary education', is the educational level following the completion of a school providing Further education (often abbreviated "FE" is Post-secondary Education (in addition to that received at Secondary school) that is distinct from Scottish students who attend Scottish universities pay neither tuition fees nor graduate endowment charges as the fees were abolished in 2001 and the graduate endowment scheme was abolished in 2008. [106]
Education in England is the responsibility of the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families and the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills, though the day to day administration and funding of state schools is the responsibility of Local Education Authorities. Education in England is the responsibility of the Department for Children Schools and Families and the Department for Innovation Universities and Skills of the The Secretary of State for Children Schools and Families is a Cabinet minister in the United Kingdom. The Secretary of State for Innovation Universities and Skills is a Cabinet minister in the United Kingdom Universal state education in England and Wales was introduced for primary level in 1870 and secondary level in 1900. [107] Education is mandatory from ages five to sixteen (15 if born in late July or August). The majority of children are educated in state-sector schools, only a small proportion of which select on the grounds of academic ability. Despite a fall in actual numbers, the proportion of children in England attending private schools has risen to over 7%. For the film of this title see Private School (film. Private schools, or Independent schools are Schools not administered [108] Just over half of students at the leading universities of Cambridge and Oxford had attended state schools. The University of Cambridge (often Cambridge University) located in Cambridge, England, is the second-oldest university in the The University of Oxford (informally "Oxford University" or simply "Oxford" located in the city of Oxford, Oxfordshire, England is the [109] State schools which are allowed to select pupils according to intelligence and academic ability can achieve comparable results to the most selective private schools: out of the top ten performing schools in terms of GCSE results in 2006 two were state-run grammar schools. A grammar school is one of several different types of School in the history of education in the United Kingdom and other English-speaking countries England has some of the top universities in the world with Cambridge, Oxford, and London ranked amongst the top 20 in the 2007 THES - QS World University Rankings. The University of Cambridge (often Cambridge University) located in Cambridge, England, is the second-oldest university in the The University of Oxford (informally "Oxford University" or simply "Oxford" located in the city of Oxford, Oxfordshire, England is the The University of London is a university based primarily in London, England, UK. The THES - QS World University Rankings is an annual publication of university rankings around the world published by The Times Higher Education Supplement (THES [110]There are fears, however, that a decline in England in the number studying a foreign language will have a negative effect on business, and has led to calls for languages to be given greater priority. [111][112]
The Northern Ireland Assembly is responsible for education in Northern Ireland though responsibility at a local level is administered by 5 Education and Library Boards covering different geographical areas. The Northern Ireland Assembly ( Irish: Tionól Thuaisceart Éireann, Ulster Scots: Norlin Airlann Semmlie) is the devolved Education in Northern Ireland differs slightly from systems used elsewhere in the United Kingdom, though is more similar to that used in England and Wales than it
The National Assembly for Wales has responsibility for education in Wales. The National Assembly for Wales (Cynulliad Cenedlaethol Cymru is a devolved assembly with power to make legislation in Wales. Education in Wales differs in certain respects from the systems used elsewhere in the United Kingdom. A significant number of students in Wales are educated either wholly or largely through the medium of Welsh and lessons in the language are compulsory for all until the age of 16. Welsh ( cy Cymraeg or cy y Gymraeg, kəmˈrɑːɨɡ and {{IPA|[ə ɡəmˈrɑːɨɡ]}}, is a member of the Brythonic branch of Celtic There are plans to increase the provision of Welsh Medium schools as part of the policy of having a fully bi-lingual Wales.
Healthcare
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Each country of the United Kingdom has a separate public healthcare system, with power over the provision of health services in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland being devolved. Healthcare in the United Kingdom is mainly provided by four Publicly-funded health care systems to all UK permanent residents that is free at the point of need and The Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital (NNUH is a National Health Service academic Teaching hospital located on the Norwich Research Park off the A11 road The Private Finance Initiative specifies a method developed initially by the United Kingdom Government, to provide financial support for " Public-Private A much smaller private medical system also exists. Each public system provides healthcare that is free at the point of need (being funded from general taxation). Despite this similarity, considerable differences are now developing between the different systems. [113]The UK and devolved governments take on both the role of suppliers of public healthcare and assessors of the quality of its delivery through groups organised directly by government departments, such as NICE and CHI. Various regulatory bodies are organised on a UK-wide basis such as the General Medical Council, the Nursing and Midwifery Council and non-governmental-based (e. The General Medical Council (the GMC) is the regulator of the medical profession in the United Kingdom. Established in 2002 the Nursing & Midwifery Council (NMC is a statutory body set up by Parliament through the Nursing and Midwifery Order 2001 g. Royal Colleges). A Royal College in some Commonwealth countries is technically a College which has received permission to use the prefix Royal. Across the UK, there is a large number of medical schools and dental schools, and a considerable establishment for training nurses and professions allied to medicine. Medical education A medical school or faculty of medicine is a Tertiary educational institution—or part of such an institution—that teaches Medicine Dentistry' is the "evaluation diagnosis prevention and/or treatment (nonsurgical surgical or related procedures of diseases disorders and/or conditions of the oral cavity A nurse is responsible—along with other Health care Professionals —for the treatment safety and recovery of acutely or chronically
Though the public health systems are commonly referred to as the NHS across the UK, in fact the National Health Service just covers England. The National Health Service ( NHS) is the publicly funded healthcare system in England. The NHS was set up by the National Health Service Act 1946 and came into effect on July 5th 1948. The National Health Service Act 1946, along with the National Health Service (Scotland Act 1947, came into effect on 5 July 1948 and created the National The Secretary of State for Health is answerable to the UK Parliament for the running of the Department of Health and for the work of the NHS (in England). Secretary of State for Health is a UK cabinet position responsible for the Department of Health. The NHS is one of the largest cohesive organisations of any type in the world employing over 1. 3 million people. [114] Public sector healthcare delivery consists of primary (General Practice), secondary (district general hospital) and tertiary (teaching hospital) levels of service. A general practitioner, or GP is a medical practitioner who provides Primary care and specializes in Family medicine. A hospital is an institution for Health care providing treatment by specialised staff and equipment and often but not always providing for A teaching hospital is a Hospital that in addition to delivering medical care to patients also provides Clinical education and training to future and current doctors There is considerable interaction and cross-flow between the various levels.
NHS Scotland provides public healthcare in Scotland with the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Wellbeing responsible to the Scottish Parliament for the its work. NHS Scotland (sometimes NHSScotland) ( Gaelic: SNN Alba or Bòrd slàinte na Alba) is the publicly funded healthcare system of The Cabinet Secretary for Health and Wellbeing commonly referred to as the Health Secretary, is a Cabinet position in the Scottish Government. The service was founded by the National Health Service (Scotland) Act 1947 (later repealed by the National Health Service (Scotland) Act 1978) that took effect on July 5th, 1948 to coincide with the launch of the NHS in England and Wales. In 2006, the NHS in Scotland had around 158,000 staff including more than 47,500 nurses, midwives and health visitors and over 3,800 consultants. In addition, there were also more than 12,000 doctors, family practitioners and allied health professionals, including dentists, opticians and community pharmacists, who operate as independent contractors providing a range of services within the NHS in return for fees and allowances. [115]
NHS Wales was originally formed as part of the same NHS structure created by the National Health Service Act 1946 but powers over the NHS in Wales came under the Secretary of State for Wales in 1969. NHS Wales (GIG Cymru is the publicly funded healthcare system of Wales. The National Health Service Act 1946, along with the National Health Service (Scotland Act 1947, came into effect on 5 July 1948 and created the National [116] In turn, responsibility for NHS Wales was passed to the Welsh Assembly and Executive under devolution in 1999. NHS Wales provides public healthcare in Wales and employs some 90,000 staff, making it Wales’ biggest employer. [117] The Minister for Health and Social Services is the person within the Welsh Assembly Government who holds cabinet responsibilities for both health and social care in Wales.
The Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety provides healthcare in Northern Ireland. The Department of Health Social Services and Public Safety ( DHSSPS) is a Devolved Northern Ireland government department in the Northern Ireland
Transport
The transport systems in the United Kingdom are the responsibility of each individual country. The English transport network is the responsibility of the UK Department for Transport (which also has responsibility for transport matters in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland which are not devolved. Transport or transportation is the movement of people and goods from one place to another In the United Kingdom, the Department for Transport (or DfT) ( Welsh: Adran am Drafnidiaeth) is the government department Scotland ( Gaelic: Alba) is a Country in northwest Europethat occupies the northern third of the island of Great Britain. Northern Ireland (Tuaisceart Éireann Ulster Scots: Norlin Airlann) is a Country within the United Kingdom, lying in the northeast of ) In Scotland, the Scottish Government's Enterprise, Transport and Lifelong Learning Department is responsible for the Scottish transport network with Transport Scotland being the Executive Agency that is accountable to the Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Sustainable Growth. The Enterprise Transport and Lifelong Learning Department (ETLLD is the Scottish Government department responsible for economic and industrial development Transport or transportation is the movement of people and goods from one place to another Transport Scotland was created on 1 January 2006 as the national transport agency of Scotland. Executive agencies are established by Ministers as part of Scottish Government departments or as departments in their own right to carry out a discrete area of work The Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Sustainable Growth, commonly referred to as the Finance Secretary, is a member of the Cabinet in the Scottish Government [118]
A radial road network of 46,904 kilometres (29,145 mi) of main roads is centred on London, Edinburgh, Cardiff and Belfast, whilst, in Great Britain, a motorway network of 3,497 kilometres (2,173 mi) is centred on Birmingham, Manchester and London. London ( ˈlʌndən is the capital and largest urban area in the United Kingdom. Edinburgh ( ˈɛdɪnb(ərə Dùn Èideann) is the Capital of Scotland and is its second largest city after Glasgow. Cardiff ( 'kɑːdɪf) is the Capital and the largest city and county in Wales. Belfast ( is the capital city of Northern Ireland and the seat of government in Northern Ireland. See also Kingdom of Great Britain Great Britain (Breatainn Mhòr Prydain Fawr Breten Veur Graet Breetain is the larger of the two main islands Birmingham ( ˈbɜːmɪŋəm Ber -ming-um There are a further 213,750 kilometres (132,818 mi) of paved roads.
The National Rail network of 16,116 km (10,072 miles) in Great Britain and 303 route km (189 route mi) in Northern Ireland carries over 18,000 passenger trains and 1,000 freight trains daily. National Rail is a brand name of the Association of Train Operating Companies (ATOC Northern Ireland (Tuaisceart Éireann Ulster Scots: Norlin Airlann) is a Country within the United Kingdom, lying in the northeast of Urban rail networks are well developed in London and other cities. There was once over 48,000 route km (30,000 route mi) of rail network in the UK, however most of this was reduced over a time period from 1955 to 1975, much of it after a report by a government advisor Richard Beeching in the mid 1960s (known as the Beeching Axe). Richard Beeching Baron Beeching ( 21 April 1913 - 23 March 1985) commonly known as Doctor Beeching, was chairman of British The Beeching Axe is an informal name for the British Government 's attempt in the 1960s to reduce the cost of running British Railways, the nationalised railway system
Heathrow Airport is the world's busiest international airport and, being an island country, the UK has a considerable number of sea ports. An airport is a location where Aircraft such as airplanes, Helicopters and blimps take off and land
The Department for Transport states that traffic congestion is one of the most serious transport problems and that it could cost England an extra £22 billion in wasted time by 2025 if left unchecked. [119] According to the government-sponsored Eddington report of 2006, congestion is in danger of harming the economy, unless tackled by road pricing and expansion of the transport network. The Eddington Transport Study is an examination by Sir Rod Eddington, of the impact of transport decisions on the economy and the environment of the United Kingdom Road pricing is an economic concept regarding the various direct charges applied for the use of Roads The road charges includes Fuel taxes licence fees [120][121]
Sport
Major sports originated in the United Kingdom, including football, rugby, cricket, tennis and golf. Sport in the United Kingdom plays an important role in British culture, and many people make an emotional investment in their favourite spectator sports Sport is an Activity that is governed by a set of rules or Customs and often engaged in competitively Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a Team sport played between two teams of eleven players and is widely considered Rugby football (usually just " rugby " may refer to a number of sports through history descended from a common form of Football developed at Rugby School Cricket is a bat-and-ball team Sport that originated in England and is now played in more than 100 countries Tennis is a sport played between two players ( singles) or between two teams of two players each ( doubles)
Football
Like many team sports, football is organised on a separate basis for each of the countries of the United Kingdom and each has its own Football Association, national team and league system, though a few clubs play outside their country's respective systems for a variety of historical and logistical reasons. Football is the National sport of England and plays a significant role in English culture. Association football in Northern Ireland, widely known as football or sometimes as soccer (to avoid confusion with Gaelic football) is one of (Association Football is the most popular Sport in Scotland and is one of the country's National sports There is a long tradition of "football" Football in Wales (Pêl-droed is governed by the Football Association of Wales (FAW which was established in 1876. Wembley Stadium is a Stadium in Wembley, located in the London Borough of Brent in London, England. A league system is a hierarchy of leagues in a sport that usually teams can be promoted or relegated between depending on finishing positions or playoffs Football was developed in the UK and is comfortably the most popular sport. Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a Team sport played between two teams of eleven players and is widely considered
England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland compete as separate countries in international competition and, as a consequence, the UK does not compete as a single team in football events at the Olympic Games. The English national football team represents England in international football and is controlled by The Football Association, the governing body for football The Scotland national football team represents Scotland in international football and is controlled by the Scottish Football Association. The Wales national football team represents Wales in international men's football. The Northern Ireland national football team represents Northern Ireland in international football. The Olympic Games is an international Multi-sport event established for both summer and winter games Although there are proposals to have a UK team take part in the 2012 Summer Olympic Games, which are to be held in London, the Scottish, Welsh and Northern Irish football associations have declined to participate, fearing that it would undermine their independent status - a fear confirmed by FIFA president Sepp Blatter. A United Kingdom national football team would represent the United Kingdom (UK in football though no United Kingdom team currently exists as there are separate teams The Scottish Football Association (also known as the SFA and The Scottish FA or the "worst league in the world" is the governing body of The Football Association of Wales (Cymdeithas Bêl-droed Cymru is the governing body of Association football in Wales, being a member of both FIFA The Irish Football Association ( IFA) is the organising body for football in Northern Ireland, and had historically been the governing body for the whole [122] England has been the most successful of the home nations, winning the World Cup in 1966. The FIFA World Cup, occasionally called the Football World Cup, but usually referred to simply as the World Cup, is an international Association football
The English football league system includes hundreds of inter-linked leagues, consisting of thousands of divisions. Hampden Park in Glasgow is Scotland 's National stadium. Its primary use is as the home to Queen's Park F The English football league system, also known as the football pyramid, is a series of interconnected leagues for club football in England (although The FA Premier League is at the top, followed by The Football League and then the Football Conference, where the structure starts to become regional and includes the Northern Premier League, the Southern League, the Isthmian League and more besides. The Premier League, colloquially referred to as the Premiership, is an English professional league for football clubs Organisation The Football Conference stands at the top of the National League System (NLS a comprehensive structure linking together over 50 different leagues under the History The Northern Premier League (NPL was founded in 1968, as the northern equivalent of the Southern League, decades after the other two leagues at what History Professional football (and Professional sport in general developed more slowly in Southern England than in the north. History The league was founded in 1905 and was strongly dedicated to Amateurism. The Premiership is the most-watched football league in the world and is particularly popular in Asia; in the People's Republic of China, matches attract television audiences between 100 million and 360 million, more than any other foreign sport. The Premier League, colloquially referred to as the Premiership, is an English professional league for football clubs Talk People's Republic of China) PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF CHINA ARTICLE GUIDELINES [123] England is home to world-renowned football clubs such as Liverpool, Manchester United, Chelsea, and Arsenal. Liverpool Football Club are an English professional Association football club based in Liverpool England. English teams have been successful in European Competitions including some who have become European Cup/UEFA Champions League winners: Liverpool (five times), Manchester United (three times), Nottingham Forest (twice) and Aston Villa. Liverpool Football Club are an English professional Association football club based in Liverpool England. Nottingham Forest Football Club is an English professional football club based at the City Ground in West Bridgford, a suburb of Nottingham More clubs from England have won the European Cup than any other country (four compared to three from Italy, Germany and the Netherlands). Moreover, England ranks second in the all time list of European club trophies won with 35, one behind Italy's 36. The European Cup competition itself was brought about due to the success of another English club, Wolverhampton Wanderers, against top European sides[124] in the 1950s. The 90,000 capacity Wembley Stadium is the principal sporting stadium of England. Wembley Stadium is a Stadium in Wembley, located in the London Borough of Brent in London, England.
The Scottish football league system is much smaller, with just two national leagues: the Scottish Premier League (SPL) and the Scottish Football League which has three divisions. Cardiff ( 'kɑːdɪf) is the Capital and the largest city and county in Wales. The Millennium Stadium (Stadiwm y Mileniwm is the National stadium of Wales, located in the capital Cardiff. The Scottish football league system is a series of generally unconnected leagues for Scottish football clubs The Scottish Premier League, currently known as the Clydesdale Bank Premier League for sponsorship reasons and often known as the Premier League or SPL Founding members The Scottish League's first season of competition was in 1890-91. There are, however, other regional leagues that are not connected to the national system, most notably the Highland Football League. The Highland Football League (HFL is a league of football clubs operating not in just the Scottish highlands as the name may suggest but also the north east One English club, Berwick Rangers, plays in the Scottish system. Berwick Rangers Football Club are a football team based in the English Border town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, who play in the Scottish Football League Scotland is home to world-renowned football clubs such as Rangers and Celtic. Rangers Football Club are an Association football team based in Glasgow Scotland, who currently play in the Scottish Premier League. The Celtic Football Club is a Scottish football club based in the east end of Glasgow, which currently plays in the Scottish Premier League. Scottish teams that have been successful in European Competitions include Celtic (European Cup in 1967), Rangers (European Cup Winners Cup 1972) and Aberdeen (European Cup Winners Cup and European Super Cup in 1983). The Celtic Football Club is a Scottish football club based in the east end of Glasgow, which currently plays in the Scottish Premier League. Rangers Football Club are an Association football team based in Glasgow Scotland, who currently play in the Scottish Premier League. Aberdeen Football Club (also known as The Dons, The Reds and The Dandies) is a Scottish professional football club based in Aberdeen The European Super Cup ( UEFA Super Cup) is at stake in an annual football game between the reigning champions of the UEFA Cup and the Champions
The Welsh football league system includes the Welsh Premier League and regional leagues. The Welsh football league system (or pyramid) is a series of football leagues with regular promotion and relegation between them The Welsh Premier League is the national football league for Wales and is at the top of the Welsh football league system. Welsh Premiership club The New Saints play their home matches on the English side of the border in Oswestry. The New Saints FC ( TNS) is a British football club representing Llansantffraid-ym-Mechain in Powys, Wales and Oswestry (ˈɒzwəstɹɪ is a town and Civil parish in Shropshire, England, very close to the Welsh border The Welsh clubs of Cardiff City, Colwyn Bay, Merthyr Tydfil, Newport County, Swansea City and Wrexham play in the English system. Cardiff City Football Club (Clwb Pêl-droed Dinas Caerdydd is a football team based in Cardiff, Wales. Colwyn Bay FC are a Welsh football club who currently play in the Northern Premier League Division One North. Merthyr Tydfil Football Club is a Welsh football club based at the Penydarren Park ground in Merthyr Tydfil, Glamorgan. Newport County are a Welsh football team based in the city of Newport. Swansea City AFC ( Welsh: Clwb Pêl-droed Dinas Abertawe) is a Welsh football team playing in the Coca Cola Championship from Wrexham Association Football Club (Clwb Pêl-droed Wrecsam nicknamed The Red Dragons, or more traditionally The Robins, their previous nickname are a professional Cardiff's 73,000 seater Millennium Stadium is the principal sporting stadium of Wales. The Millennium Stadium (Stadiwm y Mileniwm is the National stadium of Wales, located in the capital Cardiff.
The Northern Irish football league system includes the Irish Football League. The Northern Ireland football league system is structured as two series of interconnected football leagues across Northern Ireland. One Northern Irish club, Derry City, plays their football outside of the UK in the Republic of Ireland football league system. Derry City Football Club ( Cumann Peile Chathair Dhoire, kʊmən̪ˠ pɛlʲə xahəɾʲ ɣɛɾʲə is an Irish football club based in Derry, The FAI eircom League of Ireland is the Republic of Ireland 's current national football league system created following the merging of the FAI and the League
Other sports
Both forms of rugby are national sports. Rugby League originates from and is generally played in the Northern England, whilst Rugby Union is played predominantly in Wales, Ireland, Scotland, and Southern England. History See also History of rugby league The grass roots of rugby league can be traced to early football history, through the playing of ball games Northern England, The North, The North of England or (less commonly The North Country refers to the parts of England north of an ill-defined line Overview See also Playing rugby union A rugby union match lasts for 80 minutes (plus stoppage time with a short Ireland (pronounced /ˈaɾlənd/ Éire) is the third largest island in Europe, and the twentieth-largest island in the world Scotland ( Gaelic: Alba) is a Country in northwest Europethat occupies the northern third of the island of Great Britain. Southern England is an imprecise term used to refer to the southern Counties of England. Though supposedly originating from the actions of William Webb Ellis at the School at Rugby, it is now considered the national sport of Wales. William Webb Ellis (24 November 1806 &ndash 24 January 1872 was a English Anglican Clergyman. Rugby is a Market town in Warwickshire, in the West Midlands of England, on the River Avon. In rugby league the UK has been represented by a single 'Great Britain' team but this will change for the 2008 Rugby League World Cup in which Scotland, England and Ireland will compete as separate nations. History See also History of rugby league The grass roots of rugby league can be traced to early football history, through the playing of ball games [125] This bring it into line with Rugby Union in which England, Scotland, Wales and Ireland (which consists of players from Ireland and Northern Ireland) already compete in international competition. Ireland ( Irish: Éire, ˈeːrʲə is a country in north-western Europe. However, every four years a British and Irish Lions team tours Australia, New Zealand or South Africa, composed of players selected from all the Home nations. The British and Irish Lions (until 2001 known as the British Isles Rugby Union Team or "British Lions" Rugby union side comprises a pick of the best players from
There is no UK-wide team in Cricket. Cricket is a bat-and-ball team Sport that originated in England and is now played in more than 100 countries The game was invented in England and the England Cricket Team, technically the England and Wales team, is the only national team in the UK with Test status. England is a Country which is part of the United Kingdom. Its inhabitants account for more than 83% of the total UK population whilst its mainland Irish and Scottish players have played for England because neither Scotland nor Ireland have Test status and only play in One Day Internationals. Sport on the island of Ireland is popular and widespread Levels of participation and spectating are high but as in other western regions participation Cricket has a lower profile in Scotland than it has south of the border in England. England is a Country which is part of the United Kingdom. Its inhabitants account for more than 83% of the total UK population whilst its mainland As of 2006, teams representing Scotland, England (and Wales), and Ireland (including Northern Ireland) compete at the One-Day International level. The Scotland national cricket team represents Scotland in the game of Cricket. The England cricket team is the national cricket team which represents England and Wales. The Ireland cricket team is the Cricket team representing all Ireland (i England and Wales has a professional league championship in which County teams compete. The County Championship is the domestic first class Cricket competition in England and Wales.
Snooker is also one of Great Britain's sporting exports. Snooker is a Cue sport that is played on a large Baize -covered table with pockets in each of the four corners and in the middle of each of the long A high-skill game similar to billiards, the world championships are held annually in Sheffield. Sheffield ( is a city and Metropolitan borough in South Yorkshire, England The sport continues to expand worldwide, with huge growth in China.
The game of tennis first originated from the City of Birmingham between 1859 and 1865. Tennis is a sport played between two players ( singles) or between two teams of two players each ( doubles) Birmingham ( ˈbɜːmɪŋəm Ber -ming-um The Wimbledon Championships are international tennis events held in Wimbledon in south London every summer and are regarded as the most prestigious event of the global tennis calendar. The Championships Wimbledon, or simply Wimbledon, is the oldest Tennis tournament in the world and is widely considered as the most prestigious Tennis is a sport played between two players ( singles) or between two teams of two players each ( doubles) Wimbledon is a Suburb of London, part of the London Borough of Merton and located south west of Charing Cross.
Thoroughbred racing is popular throughout the UK. Thoroughbred horse racing is a worldwide Sport and Industry involving the racing of Thoroughbred Horses It is governed by different national It originated under Charles II of England as the "Sport of Kings" and is a royal pastime to this day. Charles II (Charles Stuart 29 May 1630 – 6 February 1685 was the King of England, Scotland, and Ireland. World-famous horse races include the Grand National, the Epsom Derby and Royal Ascot. The Grand National is the most valuable National Hunt horse race in the world The Derby Stakes, known colloquially as The Derby or internationally as the Epsom Derby, is considered one of the most prestigious flat Thoroughbred horse races Ascot Racecourse is an English racecourse located in the village of Ascot, Berkshire used for Thoroughbred horse racing. The town of Newmarket is considered the centre of English racing, largely due to the famous Newmarket Racecourse. The town of Newmarket, in Suffolk, England, is the headquarters of British horseracing, home to the largest cluster of training yards in the country and
The UK has proved successful in the international sporting arena in rowing. GB coxless pair of Toby Garbett & Rick Dunn at Henley Royal Regatta 2004 It is widely considered that the sport's most successful rower is Steven Redgrave who won five gold medals and one bronze medal at five consecutive Olympic Games as well as numerous wins at the World Rowing Championships and Henley Royal Regatta. Sir Stephen Geoffrey Redgrave CBE (born on 23 March, 1962, in Marlow) is a British Rower who won gold medals at five The Olympic Games is an international Multi-sport event established for both summer and winter games The World Rowing Championships is an International rowing Regatta organized by FISA (the International Rowing Federation Henley Royal Regatta is a rowing event held every year on the River Thames by the town of Henley-on-Thames, England.
Golf is one of the most popular participation sports played in the UK, with St Andrews in Scotland being the sport's home course. St Andrews (Cill Rìmhinn is a Town and former Royal burgh on the east coast of Fife, Scotland.
Shinty (or camanachd) (A sport derived from the same root as the Irish hurling and similar to bandy) is popular in the Scottish Highlands, sometimes attracting crowds numbering thousands in the most sparsely populated region of the UK. Shinty (derived from the Scottish Gaelic sinteag although it is referred to as camanachd or iomain in modern Gaelic is a Team sport Ireland (pronounced /ˈaɾlənd/ Éire) is the third largest island in Europe, and the twentieth-largest island in the world Hurling (in Irish, iománaíocht or iomáint) is an outdoor team Sport of ancient Gaelic origin administered by the Gaelic Bandy is a Winter sport, where a ball is hit with a stick It shares a common ancestry with Ice hockey, in that it likely developed from the informal "ball and The Scottish Highlands ( Scottish Gaelic: A' Ghàidhealtachd, Scots: Hielans) include the rugged and Mountainous
The country is closely associated with motorsport. Many teams and drivers in Formula One (F1) are based in the UK and drivers from Britain have won more world titles than any other country. The country hosts legs of the F1 and World Rally Championship and has its own Touring Car Racing championship, the British Touring Car Championship (BTCC). History Early The World Rally Championship was formed from well-known international rallies nine of which were previously part of the International Championship Touring car racing is a general term for a number of distinct Auto racing competitions in heavily-modified street cars The British Touring Car Championship is a Touring car racing series held each year in the United Kingdom. The British Grand Prix takes place at Silverstone each July. The British Grand Prix is a race in the calendar of the FIA Formula One World Championship Silverstone Circuit is a Motor racing circuit in Northamptonshire and Buckinghamshire, named after the village in the former England
Dancesport or competitive Ballroom dancing has its origins in the UK when popular dancing at the time was codified by British dance schools from the 1920s onwards. DanceSport denotes Dance as a Sport activity Initially this term was applied to competitive ballroom dancing, in its International Style. For example, the Slow Waltz is still known as the English Waltz which is now as distinct from its original roots as its name, the Viennese Waltz. The UK remains a major centre for the sport and Ballroom dancing in general with the Empress Ballroom at the Winter Gardens in Blackpool being a popular venue for major competitions. Blackpool (/ˈblækˌpul is a seaside town in Lancashire, England.
Culture
The origins of the UK as a political union of formerly independent countries has resulted in the preservation of distinctive cultures in each of the home nations. The culture of the United Kingdom &mdash British culture &mdashrefers to the patterns of human activity and Symbolism associated with the British people and A political union is a type of state which is composed of or created out of smaller States Unlike a Personal union, the individual states share a common government Independence is the Self-government of a Nation, Country, or State by its residents and population or some portion thereof generally exercising "Home nation" (common noun redirects here home nation is also used to refer to the host country of Multi-sport events (eg
For details, see articles on:Culture of England, Culture of Scotland, Culture of Wales, Culture of Northern Ireland. The culture of England is sometimes difficult to separate clearly from the cultures of its neighbouring countries and to understand how these cultures intermingled and influenced The culture of Scotland refers to the peculiar cultural norms of Scotland and the Scottish people, particularly in relation to the more general British Wales has a distinctive Culture including its own language, customs Holidays and Music. The culture of Northern Ireland relates to the traditions of Northern Ireland and its resident communities
Cinema
The United Kingdom has been influential in the development of cinema, with the Ealing Studios claiming to be the oldest studios in the world. The United Kingdom has been influential in the technological, commercial and artistic development of cinema. For the film see Ealing Comedy (film. For the film comedies see Ealing Comedies. Despite a history of important and successful productions, the industry is characterised by an ongoing debate about its identity, and the influences of American and European cinema. The BFI Top 100 British films is a poll conducted by the British Film Institute which ranks what they consider to be the 100 greatest British films of all time. In 1999 the British Film Institute surveyed 1000 people from the world of UK film and television to produce the BFI 100 list of the greatest British films of the 20th The British Film Institute ( BFI) is a charitable organisation established by Royal Charter to encourage the development of the arts of film television
Literature
The English playwright and poet William Shakespeare is widely regarded as the greatest dramatist of all time. Robert Burns (25 January 1759 – 21 July 1796 (also known as Rabbie Burns, Scotland's favourite son, the Ploughman Poet, the Bard of Ayrshire William Shakespeare ( baptised [126][127][128] Among the earliest English writers are Geoffrey of Monmouth (12th century), Geoffrey Chaucer (14th century), and Thomas Malory (15th century). Geoffrey of Monmouth ( Gruffudd ap Arthur or Sieffre o Fynwy) (c Geoffrey Chaucer (c 1343 – 25 October 1400? was an English author poet Philosopher, bureaucrat, courtier and Diplomat. Sir Thomas Malory (c 1405 – 14 March 1471 was an English writer the author or compiler of Le Morte d'Arthur. In the 18th century, Samuel Richardson is often credited with inventing the modern novel. Samuel Richardson (19 August 1689 &ndash 4 July 1761 was an 18th-century English Writer and printer. In the 19th century, there followed further innovation by Jane Austen, the Brontë sisters, the social campaigner Charles Dickens, the naturalist Thomas Hardy, the visionary poet William Blake and romantic poet William Wordsworth. Jane Austen (16 The Brontë sisters (ˈbrɒnte Charlotte (21 April 1816 &ndash 31 March 1855 Emily (30 July 1818 – 19 December 1848 and Anne (17 January 1820 Naturalism is a movement in Theatre, film, and Literature that seeks to replicate a believable everyday reality, as opposed to such Thomas Hardy OM (2 June 1840 – 11 January 1928 was an English novelist Short story writer and poet of the naturalist movement though he saw William Blake (28 November 1757 – 12 August 1827 was an English poet, painter, and Printmaker. Twentieth century writers include the science fiction novelist H. G. Wells, the controversial D. H. Lawrence, the modernist Virginia Woolf, the prophetic novelist George Orwell and the poet John Betjeman. Herbert George Wells (21 September 1866 &ndash 13 August 1946 He was an outspoken socialist and a pacifist, his later works becoming increasingly political David Herbert Richards Lawrence (11 September 1885 – 2 March 1930 was an English writer of the 20th century whose prolific and diverse output included Novels short Modernism describes an array of Cultural movements rooted in the changes in Western society in the late nineteenth and early twentieth century (Adeline Virginia Woolf (née Stephen; 25 January 1882 – 28 March 1941 was an English Novelist and Essayist, regarded as one of the foremost Eric Arthur Blair (25 June 1903 – 21 January 1950 who used the Pseudonym George Orwell, was an English writer Sir John Betjeman, CBE ( 28 August 1906 &ndash 19 May 1984 was an English poet writer and broadcaster who described himself in Who's Who Most recently, the children's fantasy Harry Potter series by J. K. Rowling has recalled the popularity of J.R.R. Tolkien. Harry Potter is a series of seven Fantasy novels written by British author J Joanne "Jo" Rowling OBE (born 31 July 1965 who writes under the
Scotland's contribution includes the detective writer Arthur Conan Doyle, romantic literature by Sir Walter Scott, the epic adventures of Robert Louis Stevenson and the celebrated poet Robert Burns. Sir Arthur Ignatius Conan Doyle, DL (22 May 1859 – 7 July 1930 was an Anglo-Scottish Author most noted for his stories about the Sir Walter Scott 1st Baronet (15 August 1771 &ndash 21 September 1832 was a prolific Scottish Historical novelist and Poet popular throughout Robert Louis Balfour Stevenson (13 November 1850–3 December 1894 was a Scottish novelist poet and travel writer, and a representative of Neo-romanticism in Robert Burns (25 January 1759 – 21 July 1796 (also known as Rabbie Burns, Scotland's favourite son, the Ploughman Poet, the Bard of Ayrshire More recently, the modernist and nationalist Hugh MacDiarmid and Neil M. Gunn contributed to the Scottish Renaissance. Hugh MacDiarmid is the pen name of Christopher Murray Grieve (Crìsdean Mac a' Ghreidhir (11 August 1892 Langholm - 9 September 1978 Edinburgh Neil Miller Gunn ( November 8, 1891 - January 15, 1973) was a prolific novelist critic and dramatist who emerged as one of the leading lights The Scottish Renaissance was a mainly Literary movement of the early to mid 20th century that can be seen as the Scottish version of Modernism. A more grim outlook is found in Ian Rankin's stories and the psychological horror-comedy of Iain Banks. Ian Rankin OBE, DL, (born 28 April 1960 in Cardenden, Fife) is a Scottish Crime writer. Iain Menzies Banks (born on 16 February 1954 in Dunfermline, Fife) is a Scottish Writer. Scotland's capital, Edinburgh, is UNESCO's first worldwide city of literature. Edinburgh ( ˈɛdɪnb(ərə Dùn Èideann) is the Capital of Scotland and is its second largest city after Glasgow.
In the early medieval period, Welsh writers composed the Mabinogion. In modern times, the poets R.S. Thomas and Dylan Thomas have brought Welsh culture to an international audience. Ronald Stuart Thomas (29 March 1913 – 25 September 2000 (published as R Dylan Marlais Thomas (27 October 1914 – 9 November 1953 was a Welsh poet who wrote exclusively in English
Authors from other nationalities, particularly from Ireland, or from Commonwealth countries, have lived and worked in the UK. Significant examples through the centuries include Jonathan Swift, Oscar Wilde, Bram Stoker, George Bernard Shaw, Joseph Conrad, T. S. Eliot and Ezra Pound, and more recently British authors born abroad such as Kazuo Ishiguro and Sir Salman Rushdie. Jonathan Swift (30 November 1667 Oscar Fingal O'Flahertie Wills Wilde (16 October 1854 – 30 November 1900 was an Irish Playwright, Novelist, poet and Author of Abraham "Bram" Stoker (8 November 1847 – 20 April 1912 was an Irish writer of novels and short stories who is best known today for his 1897 horror George Bernard Shaw ( (26 July 1856 &ndash 2 November 1950 was an Irish Playwright. Joseph Conrad (born Józef Teodor Konrad Korzeniowski, 3 December 1857 – 3 August 1924 was a Polish-born English novelist Thomas Stearns Eliot, OM (September 26 1888 – January 4 1965 was a poet Dramatist, and Literary critic. Ezra Weston Loomis Pound ( Hailey, Idaho Territory, United States October 30 1885 – Venice, Italy November 1 1972 was an American Expatriate Kazuo Ishiguro (カズオ・イシグロ ( Kazuo Ishiguro) or ja 石黒 一雄 ( Ishiguro Kazuo) born November 8, 1954) is a British Sir Ahmed Salman Rushdie Kt (born 19 June 1947 is an Indian - British novelist and essayist
In theatre, Shakespeare's contemporaries Christopher Marlowe and Ben Jonson added depth. Benjamin Jonson ( c 11 June 1572 &ndash 6 August 1637) was an English Renaissance Dramatist More recently Alan Ayckbourn, Harold Pinter, Michael Frayn, Tom Stoppard and David Edgar have combined elements of surrealism, realism and radicalism. Sir Alan Ayckbourn CBE (born 12 April 1939 is a popular and prolific English playwright Michael Frayn (born 8 September 1933 is an English playwright and novelist Sir Tom Stoppard OM, CBE (born 3 July 1937 is a British Screenwriter playwright David Edgar (born 26 February 1948 is an English Playwright. He was educated at Oundle School and later read Drama at Manchester University
Media
The prominence of the English language gives the UK media a widespread international dimension. The United Kingdom has an extremely diverse media with an almost unrivalled number of outlets second only to the United States.
Broadcasting
There are five major nationwide television channels in the UK: BBC One, BBC Two, ITV1, Channel 4 and Five - currently transmitted by analogue terrestrial, free-to-air signals with the latter three channels funded by commercial advertising. This article deals with the ITV1 brand name as it is broadcast at present Channel 4 is a public-service Television and Radio broadcaster in the United Kingdom centred around a television channel of the same name which began In Wales, S4/C the Welsh Fourth Channel replaces Channel 4, carrying Welsh language programmes at peak times. S4C (Sianel Pedwar Cymru meaning Channel Four Wales) is a television channel in Wales It also transmits Channel 4 programmes at other times.
The BBC is the UK's publicly funded radio, television and internet broadcasting corporation, and is the oldest and largest broadcaster in the world. Radio is the transmission of signals by Modulation of electromagnetic waves with frequencies below those of visible Light. Television ( TV) is a widely used Telecommunication medium for sending ( Broadcasting) and receiving moving Images, either monochromatic The Internet is a global system of interconnected Computer networks It operates several television channels and radio stations in both the UK and abroad. BBC Radio is a service of the British Broadcasting Corporation which has operated in the United Kingdom under the terms of a Royal Charter since 1927 The BBC's international television news service, BBC World, is broadcast throughout the world and the BBC World Service radio network is broadcast in thirty-three languages globally, as well as services in the national language of Wales on BBC Radio Cymru and programmes in Scottish Gaelic in Scotland and Irish in Northern Ireland.
The domestic services of the BBC are funded by the television licence, a legal requirement for any British household with a television receiver that is in use to receive broadcasts, regardless of whether or not the householders watch BBC channels. Television licences around the world The Museum of Broadcast Communications in Chicago notes that two-thirds of the countries in Europe and half Households which are the principal residence of any person over 75 are exempt[129] and the requirement does not extend to radio listeners. The BBC World Service Radio is funded by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and the television stations are operated by BBC Worldwide on a commercial subscription basis over cable and satellite services. The Foreign and Commonwealth Office, commonly called the Foreign Office or the FCO, is the British government department responsible for promoting It is this commercial arm of the BBC that forms half of UKTV along with Virgin Media. UKTV is a joint venture between BBC Worldwide and Virgin Media Television. Virgin Media Inc (formerly known as ntlTelewest, after a merger of NTL Incorporated with Telewest Global Inc
The UK now has a large number of digital terrestrial channels including a further six from the BBC, five from ITV and three from Channel 4, and one from S4/C which is solely in Welsh, among a variety of others.
The vast majority of digital cable services are provided by Virgin Media with satellite being provided by BSkyB and free-to-air digital terrestrial television by Freeview. Virgin Media Inc (formerly known as ntlTelewest, after a merger of NTL Incorporated with Telewest Global Inc Satellite television is Television delivered by the means of Communications satellites as compared to conventional Terrestrial television and Cable British Sky Broadcasting ( BSkyB — Sky Television and BSB) is a company that operates Sky Digital, a subscription television service in the Free-to-air (FTA Television (TV and Radio broadcasts are sent unencrypted and may be received via any suitable receiver Free-to-view Freeview is an operator of free Digital terrestrial television in the United Kingdom, using the DVB-T standard The entire country will switch to digital by 2012. Digital terrestrial television in the United Kingdom is made up of over fifty primarily free-to-air television channels (including all the national analogue stations
Radio in the UK is dominated by BBC Radio, which operates ten national networks and over forty local radio stations. There are over 250 Radio stations in the United Kingdom. For a more comprehensive list see List of radio stations in the United Kingdom. BBC Radio is a service of the British Broadcasting Corporation which has operated in the United Kingdom under the terms of a Royal Charter since 1927 The most popular radio station, by number of listeners, is BBC Radio 2, closely followed by BBC Radio 1. There are hundreds of mainly local commercial radio stations across the country offering a variety of music or talk formats.
Traditionally, British newspapers could be split into quality, serious-minded newspaper (usually referred to as "broadsheets" due to their large size) and the more populist, tabloid varieties. This article is a list of Newspapers in the United Kingdom. UK daily newspapers Traditionally newspapers could be split into serious-minded newspapers usually referred Broadsheet is the largest of the various Newspaper formats and is characterized by long vertical pages (typically 22 inches or more A tabloid is a Newspaper industry term which refers to a smaller newspaper format per spread to a weekly or semi-weekly alternative newspaper that focuses on local-interest For convenience of reading, many traditional broadsheets have switched to a more compact-sized format, traditionally used by tabloids. A compact newspaper is a Broadsheet -quality newspaper printed in a Tabloid format especially in the United Kingdom. A tabloid is a Newspaper industry term which refers to a smaller newspaper format per spread to a weekly or semi-weekly alternative newspaper that focuses on local-interest The Sun has the highest circulation of any daily newspaper in the UK, with approximately a quarter of the market; its sister paper, The News of The World similarly leads the Sunday newspaper market,[130] and traditionally focuses on celebrity-led stories. The Sun is a Tabloid daily newspaper published in the United Kingdom and Ireland with the highest circulation of any daily English-language The News of the World is a British Tabloid Newspaper published every Sunday The Daily Telegraph, a right wing broadsheet paper, has overtaken The Times (tabloid size format) as the highest-selling of the "quality" newspapers. For "The Daily Telegraph" in Australia see The Daily Telegraph (Australia. In Politics, right-wing, the political right, and the Right are positions that uphold traditional values and/or authorities The Times is a daily national Newspaper published in the United Kingdom since 1785 when it was known as The Daily Universal Register. [131] The Guardian is a more liberal "quality" broadsheet. The Guardian (until 1959 The Manchester Guardian) is a British Newspaper owned by the Guardian Media Group. This article gives an overview of liberalism in the United Kingdom. The Financial Times is the main business paper, printed on distinctive salmon-pink broadsheet paper. The Financial Times ( FT) is a British international business Newspaper.
First printed in 1737, the Belfast News Letter is the oldest known English-speaking daily newspaper still in publication today. The News Letter is one of Northern Ireland 's main daily newspapers published Monday to Saturday One of its fellow Northern Irish competitors, The Irish News, has been twice ranked as the best regional newspaper in the United Kingdom, in 2006 and 2007. The Irish News is a compact -sized daily newspaper based in Belfast, Northern Ireland. [132] Aside from newspapers, British magazines and journals have achieved worldwide circulation including The Economist and Nature. The Economist is an English-language weekly news and International affairs publication owned by The Economist Newspaper Ltd and edited in London Nature is a prominent Scientific journal, first published on 4 November 1869
Scotland has a distinct tradition of newspaper readership (see List of newspapers in Scotland). List of newspapers in Scotland is a list of Newspapers in Scotland. The tabloid Daily Record has the highest circulation of any daily newspaper outselling the Scottish Sun by 4-1 while its sister paper, the Sunday Mail similarly leads the Sunday newspaper market. The leading "quality" daily newspaper in Scotland is The Herald, though it is the Scotsman's sister paper, the Scotland on Sunday that leads in the Sunday newspaper market. The Herald is a national Broadsheet newspaper published Monday to Saturday in Glasgow, Scotland. Scotland on Sunday is a Scottish Sunday Newspaper, published in Edinburgh by The Scotsman Publications Ltd and consequently assuming [133]
Music
Classical music: Notable composers from the United Kingdom have included William Byrd, Henry Purcell, Sir Edward Elgar, Sir Arthur Sullivan (most famous for working with librettist Sir W. S. Gilbert), Ralph Vaughan Williams, and Benjamin Britten, pioneer of modern British opera. William Byrd (c 1540 &ndash 4 July 1623 was an English Composer of the Renaissance. Henry Purcell (ˈpɜrsəl 10 September 1659 (? – 21 November 1695 was an English Baroque Composer. Sir Arthur Seymour Sullivan MVO (13 May 1842 &ndash 22 November 1900 was an English composer of Irish and Italian descent best known for his operatic Sir William Schwenck Gilbert (18 November 1836 &ndash 29 May 1911 was an English Dramatist, librettist, poet and illustrator best known for his fourteen Ralph (reɪf Vaughan Williams OM (12 October 1872 &ndash 26 August 1958 was an English Composer of symphonies, Chamber music Edward Benjamin Britten Baron Britten, OM CH (22 November 1913 – 4 December 1976 was an English Composer, conductor, Opera is an art form in which Singers and Musicians perform a Dramatic work (called an opera which combines a text (called a Libretto London remains one of the major classical music capitals of the world. Classical music is a broad term that usually refers to mainstream music produced in or rooted in the traditions of Western liturgical and Secular music
Popular music: Prominent among the UK contributors to the development of rock music in the 1960s and 1970s were The Beatles, Pink Floyd, Eric Clapton, The Rolling Stones, Led Zeppelin, The Who, Queen, and Black Sabbath. Rock music is a genre of Popular music often though not necessarily employing Electric guitar, Bass guitar, and Drums. The Beatles were a pop and rock band from Liverpool, England formed in 1960 Pink Floyd are Eric Patrick Clapton, CBE (born 30 March 1945 is an English Blues-rock Guitarist, singer Songwriter and Composer Led Zeppelin were The Who are an English rock band formed in 1964. The primary lineup consisted of guitarist Pete Townshend Queen were an English rock band formed in 1970 in London by guitarist Black Sabbath are an Heavy metal, hard rock, punk rock and New Wave were among the variations that followed. Hard rock (also referred to as heavy rock) is a variation of Rock music which has its earliest roots in mid-1960s garage and Psychedelic rock New Wave is a Rock music genre that existed during the late 1970s and the 1980s In the early 1980s, UK bands from the New Romantic scene such as Duran Duran, Depeche Mode, Spandau Ballet, Soft Cell and Ultravox were prominent. New Romantic was a short- lived Fashion and music movement that occurred primarily in the United Kingdom and Ireland during the very early 1980s Duran Duran are an English Pop rock band famous for a long series of popular singles, albums and vivid Music videos for which they've won two Depeche Mode (dəˌpɛʃˈmoʊd are an English Electronic music band formed in 1980 in Basildon, Essex. Spandau Ballet were a popular British band in the 1980s Initially inspired by a mixture of Funk and Synthpop, the group eventually mellowed into a Soft Cell are an English Synthpop duo who came to prominence in the early 1980s Ultravox (formerly Ultravox!) were a British New Wave band that rose to prominence in the late 1970s/early 1980s In the 1990s, Britpop bands and electronica music attained international success. Britpop is a subgenre of Alternative rock that originated in the United Kingdom. Electronica includes a wide range of contemporary Electronic music designed for a wide range More recent pop acts, including The Smiths, Oasis, Amy Winehouse, Coldplay, and the Spice Girls, have ensured the continuation of the UK's massive contribution to popular music. The Smiths were an English rock band formed in Manchester in 1982 Oasis are an English rock band that formed in Manchester in 1991 Coldplay TalkColdplay#Is_or_Are_dispute_again The Spice Girls are a BRIT Award -winning English pop Girl group formed in 1994
Philosophy
The United Kingdom is famous for the tradition of "British Empiricism", a branch of the philosophy of knowledge that states that only knowledge verified by experience is valid. The most famous philosophers of this tradition are John Locke, George Berkeley and David Hume. John Locke (29 August 1632 – 28 October 1704 was an English Philosopher. George Berkeley (ˈbɑrkli (12 March 1685 14 January 1753 also known as Bishop Berkeley, was a Philosopher. David Hume (26 April 1711 25 August 1776 Scottish Philosopher, Economist, and Historian is an important figure in Western philosophy Britain is notable for a theory of moral philosophy, Utilitarianism, first used by Jeremy Bentham and later by John Stuart Mill, in his short work Utilitarianism. Jeremy Bentham ( IPA: or) (15 February 1748&ndash6 June 1832 was an English Jurist, Philosopher, and legal and Social reformer John Stuart Mill (20 May 1806 &ndash 8 May 1873 British Philosopher, political economist, civil servant and Member of Parliament, was an influential John Stuart Mill 's book Utilitarianism is a philosophical defense of Utilitarianism in Ethics. Other eminent philosophers from the UK include William of Ockham, Thomas Hobbes, Bertrand Russell, Adam Smith and Alfred Ayer. William of Ockham (also Occam, Hockham, or any of several other spellings ˈɒkəm (c Thomas Hobbes (born 5 April 1588died 4 December 1679 was an English philosopher, whose famous 1651 book Leviathan established the foundation Bertrand Arthur William Russell 3rd Earl Russell, OM, FRS (18 May 1872 – 2 February 1970 was a British Philosopher, Historian Adam Smith ( baptised 16 June 1723 – 17 July 1790) was a Scottish moral philosopher and a pioneer of Political economy. Sir Alfred Jules ("Freddie" Ayer ( October 29, 1910 &ndash June 27, 1989) better known as A Foreign born philosophers who settled in the UK include Isaiah Berlin, Karl Marx, Karl Popper, and Ludwig Wittgenstein. Sir Isaiah Berlin, OM (6 June 1909 &ndash 5 November 1997 was a philosopher and historian of ideas regarded as one of the leading liberal thinkers of the twentieth century Sir Karl Raimund Popper ( July 28 1902 &ndash September 17 1994) was an Austrian and British Philosopher and a professor
Science, engineering and innovation
The modern scientific method was promoted by the English philosopher Francis Bacon in the early seventeenth century, and subsequent advances credited to British scientists and engineers include:
- The laws of motion and illumination of gravity, by Sir Isaac Newton in the late 17th century
- The unification of electromagnetism, by James Clerk Maxwell
- The discovery of hydrogen, by Henry Cavendish
- The steam locomotive, by Richard Trevithick and Andrew Vivian
- The telephone, by Alexander Graham Bell
- Evolution by natural selection, by Charles Darwin
- The Turing machine, by Alan Turing, the basis of modern computers
- The structure of DNA, by Francis Crick and others
- The development of the World Wide Web, largely attributed to Tim Berners-Lee
Notable civil engineering projects, whose pioneers included Isambard Kingdom Brunel, contributed to the world's first national railway transport system. Sir Isaac Newton, FRS (ˈnjuːtən 4 January 1643 31 March 1727) Biography Early years See also Isaac Newton's early life and achievements Charles Robert Darwin (February 12 1809 &ndash April 19 1882 was an English naturalist, who realised and demonstrated that all Species of life Francis Bacon 1st Viscount St Alban KC QC (22 January 1561 – 9 April 1626 was an English Philosopher, Statesman, and author Newton's laws of motion are three Physical laws which provide relationships between the Forces acting on a body and the motion of the Gravitation is a natural Phenomenon by which objects with Mass attract one another Sir Isaac Newton, FRS (ˈnjuːtən 4 January 1643 31 March 1727) Biography Early years See also Isaac Newton's early life and achievements James Clerk Maxwell (13 June 1831 &ndash 5 November 1879 was a Scottish mathematician and theoretical physicist. Hydrogen (ˈhaɪdrədʒən is the Chemical element with Atomic number 1 Henry Cavendish, FRS (10 October 1731 - 24 February 1810 was a British Scientist noted for his discovery of Hydrogen or what he called "inflammable A steam locomotive is a Locomotive powered by Steam. The term usually refers to its use on Railways but can also refer to a "road locomotive" Richard Trevithick ( April 13, 1771 &ndash April 22, 1833) was a British Trevithicks Dampfwagenjpg|thumb|right|The London Steam Carriage by Trevithick and Vivian demonstrated in London in 1803 Basic principle A traditional landline telephone system also known as "plain old telephone service" (POTS, commonly handles both signaling and audio information WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout Natural selection is the process by which favorable Heritable traits become more common in successive Generations of a Population of Charles Robert Darwin (February 12 1809 &ndash April 19 1882 was an English naturalist, who realised and demonstrated that all Species of life Turing machines are basic abstract symbol-manipulating devices which despite their simplicity can be adapted to simulate the logic of any Computer Algorithm Alan Mathison Turing, OBE, FRS (ˈt(jʊ(ərɪŋ (23 June 1912 &ndash 7 June 1954 was an English Mathematician Deoxyribonucleic acid ( DNA) is a Nucleic acid that contains the genetic instructions used in the development and functioning of all known Francis Harry Compton Crick OM FRS (8 June 1916 – 28 July 2004 Ph The World Wide Web (commonly shortened to the Web) is a system of interlinked Hypertext documents accessed via the Internet. Sir Timothy John Berners-Lee OM KBE FRS FREng FRSA (born 8 June 1955 is an English computer scientist who is credited Civil engineering is a professional engineering discipline that deals with the design construction and maintenance of the physical and naturally built Isambard Kingdom Brunel, FRS (9 April 1806 &ndash 15 September 1859 (ˈɪzəmbɑrd ˈkɪŋdəm brʊˈnɛl was a British Engineer. Other advances pioneered in the UK include the marine chronometer, television, the jet engine, the modern bicycle, electric lighting, the electric motor, the screw propeller, the internal combustion engine, military radar, the electronic computer, vaccination and antibiotics. A marine chronometer is a timekeeper precise enough to be used as a portable Time standard; it can therefore be used to determine Longitude by means of Celestial Television ( TV) is a widely used Telecommunication medium for sending ( Broadcasting) and receiving moving Images, either monochromatic specific --->A jet engine is a Reaction engine that discharges a fast moving jet of Fluid to The bicycle, cycle, or bike is a pedal-driven, human-powered vehicle with two wheels attached to a frame, one behind A lamp is a replaceable component such as an Incandescent light bulb, which is designed to produce Light from Electricity. An electric motor uses Electrical energy to produce Mechanical energy. A propeller is essentially a type of fan which transmits power by converting Rotational motion into Thrust for propulsion of a vehicle such as an The internal combustion engine is an engine in which the Combustion of Fuel and an Oxidizer (typically air occurs in a confined space called a Radar is a system that uses electromagnetic waves to identify the range altitude direction or speed of both moving and fixed objects such as Aircraft, ships A computer is a Machine that manipulates data according to a list of instructions. Vaccination is the administration of Antigenic material (the Vaccine) to produce immunity to a disease In modern usage an antibiotic is a Chemotherapeutic agent with activity against Microorganisms such as Bacteria, fungi or Protozoa
Scientific journals produced in the UK include Nature, the British Medical Journal and The Lancet. Nature is a prominent Scientific journal, first published on 4 November 1869 This article is about the journal For other uses of the term "lancet" see Lancet (disambiguation. In 2006, it was reported that the UK provided 9% of the world's scientific research papers and a 12% share of citations. [134]
Visual art
The Royal Academy is located in London. This article refers to an art institution in London For other meanings of Royal Academy see Royal Academy (disambiguation. Other major schools of art include the Slade School of Art; the six-school University of the Arts, London, which includes the Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design and Chelsea College of Art and Design; the Glasgow School of Art, and Goldsmiths, University of London. Slade School of Fine Art is the art school of University College London, UK The University of the Arts London, formerly known as the London Institute, is a Collegiate university comprising six Art, Design, Fashion Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design ( St) (often abbreviated as Central Saint Martins, Saint Martins or CSM) is widely regarded The Chelsea College of Art and Design, the erstwhile Chelsea School of Art, is a constituent college of the University of the Arts London and one of the world's Glasgow School of Art is one of four independent art schools in Scotland, situated in the Garnethill area of Glasgow. For the Memphis department store see Goldsmith's. For other uses of the term "Goldsmiths" see Goldsmith (disambiguation. This commercial venture is one of Britain's foremost visual arts organisations. Major British artists include Sir Joshua Reynolds, Thomas Gainsborough, John Constable, William Blake, J. M. W. Turner, William Morris, L.S. Lowry, Francis Bacon, Lucian Freud, David Hockney, Gilbert and George, Richard Hamilton, Peter Blake, Howard Hodgkin, Antony Gormley, and Anish Kapoor. Sir Joshua Reynolds RA FRS FRSA (16 July 1723 &ndash 23 February 1792 was the most important and influential of 18th century English painters Thomas Gainsborough (christened 14 May 1727 &ndash died 2 August 1788 was one of the most famous portrait and landscape painters of 18th century Britain. John Constable ( 11 June 1776 &ndash 31 March 1837 William Blake (28 November 1757 – 12 August 1827 was an English poet, painter, and Printmaker. Joseph Mallord William Turner (23 April 1775 &ndash 19 December 1851 was an English Romantic landscape painter, Watercolourist and William Morris (24 March 1834 – 3 October 1896 was an English Architect, Furniture and Textile designer artist writer and socialist associated Laurence Stephen Lowry (1 November 1887 – 23 February 1976 was an English Artist born on Barrett Street Stretford, Lancashire. Francis Bacon 1st Viscount St Alban KC QC (22 January 1561 – 9 April 1626 was an English Philosopher, Statesman, and author Lucian Michael Freud, OM, CH (born 8 December 1922 is a British painter of German Origin David Hockney, CH, RA, (born 9 July 1937 is an English Artist, based in Los Angeles California, United States Gilbert Prousch (often misspelled as Proesch) (born in San Martin (San Martino, Italy, September Richard Hamilton may refer to Richard Vesey Hamilton (1829 - 1912 British admiral and First Naval Lord Richard Hamilton (sailor (1836–1881 Peter Blake may refer to Peter Blake (artist Peter Blake (yachtsman Peter Blake (actor Peter Sir Gordon Howard Eliot Hodgkin CH, CBE (born August 6, 1932) is a British painter and Printmaker. Antony Gormley OBE RA (born 30 August 1950 is an English sculptor. Anish Kapoor (born 1954 is a Turner Prize winning sculptor. Kapoor was born in Bombay ( Mumbai) India, and attended the During the late 1980s and 1990s, the Saatchi Gallery in London brought to public attention a group of multigenre artists who would become known as the Young British Artists. The Saatchi Gallery is a London gallery for Contemporary art, opened by Charles Saatchi in 1985 in order to show his sizeable (and changing Young British Artists or YBAs (also Damien Hirst, Chris Ofili, Rachel Whiteread, Tracy Emin, Mark Wallinger, Steve McQueen, Sam Taylor-Wood, and the Chapman Brothers are among the better known members of this loosely affiliated movement. Damien Hirst (born 7 June 1965 is an English artist and the most prominent of the group that has been dubbed " Young British Artists " (or YBAs Chris Ofili (born 1968 is a British painter noted for artworks referencing aspects of his Nigerian heritage Rachel Whiteread CBE (born 1963 is a British Artist, best known for her Sculptures which typically take the form of casts and first Tracey Emin RA (born 3 July, 1963) is an English Artist of Turkish Cypriot origin one of the group known as Britartists Mark Wallinger (born 1959 is a British artist best known for his sculpture for the empty fourth plinth in Trafalgar Square, Ecce Homo (1999 and Steve McQueen (born 1969 is an English Artist. He is best known for his Films but has worked in other forms also Sam Taylor-Wood (born 4 March 1967) is a contemporary artist working in Video, Photography, and Film. Jake Chapman (born 1966 and Dinos Chapman (born 1962 are brothers and English Conceptual artists who work almost exclusively in collaboration with
Symbols
- Further information: Symbols of the United Kingdom, the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man
- The flag of the United Kingdom is the Union Flag commonly known as the "Union Jack". This is a list of the symbols of the United Kingdom, the Constituent Countries ( England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland uses as its national flag the royal banner locally known as the Union Flag or popularly Union Jack The Union Flag, also known as the Union Jack, is the national flag of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. It was created by the superimposition of the flags of England (St George's Cross) and Scotland (Saint Andrew's Cross), with the Saint Patrick's cross, to represent Ireland, being added to this in 1801. The Flag of England is the St George's Cross. The red cross appeared as an emblem of England during the Middle Ages and the Crusades and The St George's Cross (or the Cross of St George is a centred red cross on a white background The Flag of Scotland is a white Saltire, a crux decussate (X-shaped cross representing the Cross of the Christian Martyr St Andrew's Cross redirects here For the item of BDSM furniture see Saint Andrew's Cross (BDSM A saltire, Saint Andrew's Cross Saint Patrick's Flag (Cros Phádraig is a flag of Ireland that features in the Flag of the United Kingdom. Wales is not represented in the Union Flag as Wales had been conquered and annexed to England prior to the formation of the United Kingdom. However, the possibility of redesigning the Union Flag to include representation of Wales has not been completely ruled out. [135]
| Flag | Country | Patron saint | Flower |
|---|---|---|---|
 | England | St. George | Red and White Rose |
 | Scotland | St. Andrew | Thistle |
 | Wales | St. David | Leek/Daffodil |
| Northern Ireland | St. Patrick | Shamrock/Flax |
- The national anthem of the United Kingdom is "God Save the King", with "King" replaced with "Queen" in the lyrics whenever the monarch is female. The Northern Ireland flags issue is one that divides the population along sectarian lines A national anthem is a generally patriotic musical composition that evokes and eulogizes the history traditions and struggles of its people recognized either by a nation's "God Save the Queen", or "God Save the King", is an anthem used in a number of Commonwealth realms It is the National The anthem's name, however, remains "God Save the King". The constituent countries of the UK also have a number of anthems with varying degrees of popular acceptance, the most popular being Flower of Scotland, Hen Wlad Fy Nhadau in Wales, Londonderry Air in Northern Ireland and Jerusalem in England. Constituent country is a phrase used often by official institutions in contexts in which a country makes up a part of a larger entity or grouping Flower of Scotland (Flùr na h-Alba is by tradition the National anthem of Scotland, a role for which it competes against the older Scotland "Hen Wlad Fy Nhadau" (heːn ˈwlaːd vəˈn̥adaɨ usually translated as "Land of My Fathers" ( dear country of my fathers) is by tradition the National The Londonderry Air is an Anthem of Northern Ireland. It is also popular among the Irish diaspora and very well known throughout the world " And did those feet in ancient time " is a short Poem by William Blake from the preface to his epic Milton a Poem (1804 [136]
- Britannia is a personification of the United Kingdom, originating from the Roman occupation of southern and central Great Britain. Britannia was the term originally used by the Romans to refer first to the British Isles, and later to the island of Great Britain. A national personification is an anthropomorphization of a Nation; it can appear in both Editorial cartoons and Propaganda. Roman Britain refers to those parts of the island of Great Britain controlled by the Roman Empire between AD 43 and 410 [137] Britannia is symbolised as a young woman with brown or golden hair, wearing a Corinthian helmet and white robes. Originated in Ancient Greece and taking its name from the area of Corinth, the Corinthian helmet (Ancient Greek κόρυς κορινθίη She holds Poseidon's three-pronged trident and a shield, bearing the Union Flag. In Greek mythology, Poseidon ( Greek:; Latin: Neptūnus) was the god of the Sea and as "Earth-Shaker" A shield is a protective device meant to intercept attacks The term often refers to a device that is held in the hand as opposed to Armour or a Bullet proof vest Sometimes she is depicted as riding the back of a lion. At and since the height of the British Empire, Britannia has often associated with maritime dominance, as in the patriotic song Rule Britannia. Rule Britannia! is a British Patriotic song, originating from the Poem "Rule Britannia" by James Thomson and set to music
- The lion has been used as a symbol of the United Kingdom; one is depicted behind Britannia on the 50 pence piece and one is shown crowned on the back of the 10 pence piece. The lion ( Panthera leo) is a member of the family Felidae and one of four Big cats in the Genus Panthera. It is used as a symbol on the non-ceremonial flag of the British Army. The British Army is the land armed forces branch of the British Armed Forces. Lions have been used as heraldic devices, including in the royal arms of the kingdoms of England, Scotland and Kingdom of Gwynedd in Wales. Heraldry in its most general sense encompasses all matters relating to the duties and responsibilities of officers of arms. The royal coat of arms of England was the official coat of arms of the monarchs of England, and were used as the official coat of arms of the Kingdom of England The Royal Coat of Arms of Scotland was the official Coat of arms of the monarchs of Scotland, and were used as the official coat of arms of the Kingdom of Gwynedd (pr) is one of several Welsh Successor states that emerged in 5th-century post-Roman Britain. The lion is featured on the emblem of the England national football team, giving rise to the popular football anthem Three Lions, and the England national cricket team. The English national football team represents England in international football and is controlled by The Football Association, the governing body for football " Three Lions " is a song released in 1996 the official anthem of the England football team for that year's European Championships, held in England The England cricket team is the national cricket team which represents England and Wales. The "three lions" on the English coat of arms were originally two leopards. An extra leopard was added by Richard the Lionheart and with the help of his name, they became known as three lions. Richard I (8 September 1157 &ndash 6 April 1199 was King of England from 6 July 1189 until his death They are now drawn to look more like lions. Leopards are traditionally depicted lying down whereas lions were drawn standing on all fours or up on their hind legs attacking, as in the Scottish Lion Rampant. The Royal Standard of Scotland, also known as the Royal Standard of the King of Scots or more commonly the Lion Rampant was the flag used historically by the
- The bulldog is sometimes used as a symbol of Great Britain, and is often associated with Winston Churchill's defiance of Nazi Germany. The Bulldog, colloquially known as the British Bulldog or English Bulldog, is a medium-size breed of Dog that originated in England See also Kingdom of Great Britain Great Britain (Breatainn Mhòr Prydain Fawr Breten Veur Graet Breetain is the larger of the two main islands Sir Winston Leonard Spencer-Churchill, KG, OM, CH, TD, FRS, PC, PC (Can ( 30 November 1874
- Britain (especially England) has been personified as the character John Bull, although this character is rarely used in modern times. John Bull is a National personification of the United Kingdom in general and England in particular originating in the creation of Dr
- Distinctive flora such as the oak tree and the rose, have long been a widely used proxy for the visual representation of English identity. The term oak can be used as part of the common name of any of about 400 species of Trees and Shrubs in the Genus Quercus (from Latin A rose is a perennial flowering Shrub or vine of the Genus Rosa, within the family Rosaceae, that contains over 100 species The red rose is the emblem of the Labour Party, the England national rugby union team, the Rugby Football Union and Lancashire. The Labour Party is a Political party in the United Kingdom. Founded at the start of the 20th century it has been since the 1920s the principal party of the The England national rugby union team represents England in Rugby union. The Rugby Football Union (RFU is the Rugby union governing body in England Lancashire is a non-metropolitan county of historic origin in the North West of England, bounded to the west by the Irish Sea The thistle is widely used as a Scottish symbol and the daffodil or leekused as the Welsh. This article is about the plant for other uses see Thistle (disambiguation. The leek, Allium ampeloprasum var porrum (L also sometimes known as Allium porrum, is a vegetable which belongs along with the Onion and
Miscellaneous data
- Mobile frequency: GSM 900, GSM 1800, UMTS 2100
- Mobile technology: GSM/GPRS/EDGE/UMTS/HSDPA
- Date format: DD/MM/YY (example: 22/12/05) or 22 December 2005 (22nd December 2005 widely used if date is written in words)
- Time format: Generally 12-hour format when spoken or in writing (example: 5:15 pm), 24-hour format is used in some official documentation, timetables and by the military (example: 17:15 or 1715). Frequency is a measure of the number of occurrences of a repeating event per unit Time. Technology is a broad concept that deals with a Species ' usage and knowledge of Tools and Crafts and how it affects a species' ability to control and adapt GSM ( Global System for Mobile communications: originally from Groupe Spécial Mobile) is the most popular standard for Mobile phones in the General Packet Radio Service (GPRS is a Packet oriented Mobile Data Service available to users of Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM and Enhanced Data rates for Global Evolution ( EDGE) Enhanced GPRS ( EGPRS) or IMT Single Carrier ( IMT-SC) High-Speed Downlink Packet Access ( HSDPA) is a 3G (third generation Mobile telephony Communications protocol in the High-Speed Packet A date in a calendar is a reference to a particular day represented within a Calendar system For other uses see Time (disambiguation Time is a component of a measuring system used to sequence events to compare the durations of A full stop may be used instead of the colon when writing the time; for instance, 5. A full stop or period (sometimes stop, full point, decimal point, or dot) is the Punctuation mark commonly placed at the 15 pm.
- Decimal separator is a full stop: 123. The decimal ( base ten or occasionally denary) Numeral system has ten as its base. 45
- Thousands are separated by a comma - 10,000 - or with a space - 10 000.
- In Britain, a billion used to represent 1,000,000,000,000 (1012 or one million million) but this has fallen into disuse and a billion is now commonly seen as 1,000,000,000 (109 or a thousand million also formerly called a milliard). Milliard is a French -derived word meaning the number 1000000000 (109 one thousand million SI prefix Giga) See long and short scales. The long and short scales are two different numerical systems used throughout the world Short scale is the English translation of the French
- Voltage: 230V (+10% / -6%), 50 Hz; British 3-pin power plugs and sockets
- Postal code: UK postcodes
- Driving is on the left. Electrical tension (or voltage after its SI unit, the Volt) is the difference of electrical potential between two points of an electrical A postal code (known in various countries as a post code, postcode, or ZIP code) is a series of letters and/or digits appended to a UK Postal codes are known as postcodes. UK postcodes are Alphanumeric. Right-hand traffic and left-hand traffic mean regulations requiring all traffic to keep either to the left or the right side of the Road.
- Measurements: Metric; except road transportation (distances and speeds, and size restrictions are still signed in Imperial units) and beer and cider which, when sold in pubs, must be sold in quantities of 1/3 pint, 1/2 pint, or multiples of 1/2 pint. The metric system is a decimalised system of measurement. It exists in several variations with different choices of base units, though the choice of base units does Imperial units or the Imperial system is a collection of units first defined in the British Weights and Measures Act of 1824 [138]
See also
References
- ^ UK population grows to 60.6 million. Office for National Statisticsf. Retrieved on August 22, 2007. Events 392 - Arbogast has Eugenius elected Western Roman Emperor.
- ^ CIA World Factbook[Gini rankings]
- ^ See British Isles (terminology) for further explanation of the usage of the term "Britain" in geographical and political contexts. The various terms used to describe the different (and sometimes overlapping geographical and political areas of the Islands of Great Britain Ireland and surrounding islands are often
- ^ Encyclopaedia Britannica. Retrieved on 2007-09-25. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 303 - On a voyage preaching the Gospel, Saint Fermin of Pamplona is beheaded in Amiens, France “Island country located off the north-western coast of mainland Europe”
- ^ www. number-10. gov. uk. Countries within a country. Retrieved on 2007-06-13. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 1525 - Martin Luther marries Katharina von Bora, against the Celibacy rule decreed by the Roman Catholic Church for “Countries within a country”
- ^ Member States: United Kingdom. UK Presidency of the EU 2005. Retrieved on May 29, 2006. Events 363 - Roman Emperor Julian defeats the Sassanid army in the Battle of Ctesiphon, under the walls of the Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar.
- ^ The break-up of the union now appears inevitable guardian. co. uk, January 10, 2008
- ^ An Act of Disunion bbc. co. uk, January 16, 2007
- ^ UK gov explanation of names.
- ^ UK Overseas Territories. Foreign & Commonwealth Office. Retrieved on 2007-04-20. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 1303 - The University of Rome La Sapienza is instituted by Pope Boniface VIII.
- ^ Ferguson, Niall (2004). Empire, The rise and demise of the British world order and the lessons for global power. Basic Books. ISBN 0465023282.
- ^ The Treaty (or Act) of Union, 1707. Retrieved on 2006-05-15. Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. Events 1252 - Pope Innocent IV issues the Papal bull Ad exstirpanda, which authorizes but also limits the
- ^ The Act of Union. Act of Union Virtual Library. Retrieved on 2006-05-15. Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. Events 1252 - Pope Innocent IV issues the Papal bull Ad exstirpanda, which authorizes but also limits the
- ^ Ferguson, Niall (2003). Niall Ferguson (b April 18, 1964 in Glasgow, Scotland) is a British Historian. Empire: The Rise and Demise of the British World Order. Basic Books. ISBN 0-465-02328-2.
- ^ The Anglo-Irish Treaty, 6 December 1921. Events 1060 - Béla I of Hungary is crowned king of Hungary 1240 - Mongol invasion of Rus: Kiev Year 1921 ( MCMXXI) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display full 1921 calendar of the Gregorian calendar CAIN. Retrieved on 2006-05-15. Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. Events 1252 - Pope Innocent IV issues the Papal bull Ad exstirpanda, which authorizes but also limits the
- ^ Modest progress but always on back foot. Times Online (2005-12-21). Year 2005 ( MMV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Events 69 - The end of the Year of the four emperors: Following Galba, Otho and Vitellius, Vespasian Retrieved on 2006-05-16. Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. Events 1204 - Baldwin IX Count of Flanders is crowned as the first Emperor of the Latin Empire.
- ^ European Constitution: bad for Britain, bad for Europe. Conservative Party. Retrieved on 2006-05-23. Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. Events 1430 - Siege of Compiègne: Joan of Arc is captured by the Burgundians while leading an army to relieve Compiègne
- ^ Official UK Parliament web page on parliamentary sovereignty.
- ^ Sarah Carter. A Guide To the UK Legal System. University of Kent at Canterbury. The University of Kent is a plate glass campus University in Kent, England. Retrieved on 2006-05-16. Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. Events 1204 - Baldwin IX Count of Flanders is crowned as the first Emperor of the Latin Empire.
- ^ Europe Wins The Power To Jail British Citizens. The Times (2005-09-14). Year 2005 ( MMV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Events 81 - Domitian becomes Emperor of the Roman Empire upon the death of his brother Titus.
- ^ news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/1771635.stm.
- ^ Devolution review body launched BBC News, March 25, 2008
- ^ Wendy: 'Bring it on' Scotsman, May 5th, 2008
- ^ 41% of Scots back the break-up of the union Sunday Herald, April 13th, 2008
- ^ Structure and powers of the Assembly BBC News April 8th, 1999
- ^ What powers does the Welsh Assembly have? Guardian July 16th, 2007
- ^ "The Government is now expected to tear up its twelve-year-old plan to create eight or nine regional assemblies in England to mirror devolution in Scotland and Wales. "Prescott's dream in tatters as North East rejects assembly. The Times. Retrieved on 2008-02-15. 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common Events 590 - Khosrau II is crowned as king of Persia 1637 - Ferdinand III becomes Holy Roman Emperor
- ^ Foster announces the future shape of local government, NI Executive
- ^ www.globalpowereurope.eu/.
- ^ Defence Spending.
- ^ www.sipri.org/contents/milap/milex/mex_trends.html.
- ^ www.hatareview.org/ardy.html.
- ^ www.guardian.co.uk/uk_news/story/0,,1394293,00.html.
- ^ www.henryjacksonsociety.org/sections/britain_world/naval_trident.
- ^ Permanent Joint Operating Bases, northwood. mod. uk
- ^ House of Commons Hansard, publications. parliament. uk
- ^ Annual Reports and Accounts 2004-05PDF (1. 60 MiB). A mebibyte (a contraction of me ga bi nary byte) is a unit of Information or Computer storage, abbreviated MiB. Ministry of Defence. Retrieved on 14 May 2006
- ^ Office for National Statistics UK 2005: The Official Yearbook of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, p. Events 1264 - Battle of Lewes: Henry III of England is captured in France making Simon de Montfort the Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. 89
- ^ Constitutional reform: A Supreme Court for the United KingdomPDF (252 KiB), Department for Constitutional Affairs. A kibibyte (a contraction of ki lo bi nary byte) is a unit of Information or Computer storage, established by the International Retrieved on 2006-05-22
- ^ Crime over the last 25 years homeoffice. Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. Events 334 BC - The Greek army of Alexander the Great defeats Darius III of Persia in the Battle of the Granicus. gov. uk
- ^ New record high prison population BBC News, February 8, 2008
- ^ Geography of Northern Ireland. University of Ulster. Retrieved on 2006-05-22. Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. Events 334 BC - The Greek army of Alexander the Great defeats Darius III of Persia in the Battle of the Granicus.
- ^ UK population approaches 60 million. Office for National Statistics (2005-08-25). Year 2005 ( MMV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Events 1248 - The Dutch city of Ommen receives city rights and fortification rights from Otto III the Retrieved on 2006-05-14. Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. Events 1264 - Battle of Lewes: Henry III of England is captured in France making Simon de Montfort the
- ^ Rising birth rate, longevity and migrants push population to more than 60 million. The Guardian (2006-08-25). Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. Events 1248 - The Dutch city of Ommen receives city rights and fortification rights from Otto III the Retrieved on 2006-08-25. Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. Events 1248 - The Dutch city of Ommen receives city rights and fortification rights from Otto III the
- ^ Population National Statistics
- ^ Census 2001: South East. Office for National Statistics. Retrieved on 2006-05-14. Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. Events 1264 - Battle of Lewes: Henry III of England is captured in France making Simon de Montfort the
- ^ All people population: City of London. Office for National Statistics. Retrieved on 2006-08-31. Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. Events 1056 - Byzantine Empress Theodora becomes ill dying suddenly a few days later without children to succeed the Throne
- ^ UK population grows to 60.6 millionNational Statistics Online, Population estimates
- ^ UK fertility highest since 1980National Statistics Online, accessed April 26, 2008
- ^ www.statistics.gov.uk/cci/nugget.asp?id=369.
- ^ Ethnicity: 7.9% from a non-White ethnic group. Office for National Statistics (2004-06-24). "MMIV" redirects here For the Modest Mouse album see " Baron von Bullshit Rides Again " Events 972 - Battle of Cedynia, the first documented victory of Polish forces takes place Retrieved on 2007-04-02. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 68 - Galba, Governor of Hispania, names himself legatus senatus populique Romani, breaking the line of
- ^ Resident population estimates by ethnic group (percentages): London. Office for National Statistics. Retrieved on 2008-04-23. 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common Events 215 BC - A temple is built on the Capitoline Hill dedicated to Venus Erycina to commemorate the Roman defeat at
- ^ Resident population estimates by ethnic group (percentages): Leicester. Office for National Statistics. Retrieved on 2008-04-23. 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common Events 215 BC - A temple is built on the Capitoline Hill dedicated to Venus Erycina to commemorate the Roman defeat at
- ^ Census 2001 - Ethnicity and religion in England and Wales. Office for National Statistics. Retrieved on 2008-04-23. 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common Events 215 BC - A temple is built on the Capitoline Hill dedicated to Venus Erycina to commemorate the Roman defeat at
- ^ Graeme Paton (2007-10-01). Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 331 BC - Alexander the Great defeats Darius III of Persia in the Battle of Gaugamela. One fifth of children from ethnic minorities. The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved on 2008-03-28. 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common Events 37 - Roman Emperor Caligula accepts the titles of the Principate, entitled to him by the Senate.
- ^ Immigration fails to stem European population loss. The Guardian (2006-08-17). Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. Events 986 - A Byzantine army was destroyed in the pass of Trajan's Gate by the Bulgarians under the Comitopuli Retrieved on 2006-08-20. Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. Events 636 - Battle of Yarmouk: Arab forces led by Khalid ibn al-Walid take control of Syria and Palestine
- ^ Half a million migrants pour into Britain in a year.
- ^ a b International migration: Net inflow rose in 2004. Office for National Statistics (2005-12-15). Year 2005 ( MMV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Events 533 - Byzantine general Belisarius defeats the Vandals, commanded by King Gelimer, at the Battle of Retrieved on 2006-11-22. Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. Events 498 - Kofi Aseidu- After the death of Anastasius II, Symmachus is elected Pope in the Lateran
- ^ International migration 2005: Net inflow 185,000. Office for National Statistics (2006-11-02). Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. Events 1570 - A Tidal wave in the North Sea devastates the coast from Holland to Jutland, killing more than 1000 Retrieved on 2006-11-22. Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. Events 498 - Kofi Aseidu- After the death of Anastasius II, Symmachus is elected Pope in the Lateran
- ^ Emigration soars as Britons desert the UK.
- ^ 1,500 migrants enter UK a day.
- ^ Dhananjayan Sriskandarajah and Catherine Drew (2006-12-11). Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. Events 359 - Honoratus, the first known Prefect of the City of Constantinople, takes office Brits Abroad: Mapping the scale and nature of British emigration. Institute for Public Policy Research. Retrieved on 2007-01-20. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 250 - Emperor Decius begins a widespread persecution of Christians in Rome.
- ^ Brits Abroad. BBC News. Retrieved on 2007-04-20. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 1303 - The University of Rome La Sapienza is instituted by Pope Boniface VIII.
- ^ 5.5 m Britons 'opt to live abroad'. BBC News (2006-12-11). Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. Events 359 - Honoratus, the first known Prefect of the City of Constantinople, takes office Retrieved on 2007-04-20. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 1303 - The University of Rome La Sapienza is instituted by Pope Boniface VIII.
- ^ Indians largest group among new immigrants to UK.
- ^ 1500 immigrants arrive in Britain daily, report says.
- ^ Spain attracts record levels of immigrants seeking jobs and sun. The Guardian (2006-07-26). Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. Events 657 - Battle of Siffin. 811 - Battle of Pliska; Byzantine Emperor Nicephorus Retrieved on 2007-04-20. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 1303 - The University of Rome La Sapienza is instituted by Pope Boniface VIII.
- ^ Immigration 'far higher' than figures say. The Telegraph (2007-01-05). Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 1477 - Battle of Nancy: Charles the Bold is killed and Burgundy becomes part of France. Retrieved on 2007-04-20. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 1303 - The University of Rome La Sapienza is instituted by Pope Boniface VIII.
- ^ Rainer Muenz (June 2006). Europe: Population and Migration in 2005. Migration Policy Institute. Retrieved on 2007-04-02. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 68 - Galba, Governor of Hispania, names himself legatus senatus populique Romani, breaking the line of
- ^ BBC Thousands in UK citizenship queue.
- ^ John Freelove Mensah, Persons Granted British Citizenship United Kingdom, 2006, Home Office Statistical Bulletin 08/07, 22 May 2007, accessed 21 September 2007
- ^ Fertility rate highest for 26 yearsNational Statistics, accessed April 13, 2008
- ^ Clare Murphy. "The EU's baby blues", BBC News, 2006-03-27. Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. Events 196 BC - Ptolemy V ascends to the throne of Egypt. 1309 - Pope Clement V excommunicates Retrieved on 2008-04-13. 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common Events 1111 - Henry V is crowned Holy Roman Emperor. 1204 - The Fourth Crusade sacks Constantinople
- ^ Ben Leapman. "Britain's highest birth rates among migrants", Daily Telegraph, 2007-12-12. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 627 - Battle of Nineveh: A Byzantine army under Emperor Heraclius defeats Emperor Khosrau II 's Persian Retrieved on 2008-04-13. 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common Events 1111 - Henry V is crowned Holy Roman Emperor. 1204 - The Fourth Crusade sacks Constantinople
- ^ Home Office, Department for Work and Pensions, HM Revenue & Customs and Communities and Local Government, Accession Monitoring Report: A8 Countries, May 2004-June 2007, 21 August 2007, accessed 26 August 2007. Events 1192 - Minamoto Yoritomo becomes Seii Tai Shōgun and the De facto ruler of Japan. Events 1071 - Battle of Manzikert: The Seljuk Turks defeat the Byzantine Army at Manzikert.
- ^ Naomi Pollard, Maria Latorre and Dhananjayan Sriskandarajah (2008-04-30). 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common Events 313 - Roman emperor Licinius unifies the entire Eastern Roman Empire under his rule Floodgates or turnstiles? Post-EU enlargement migration flows to (and from) the UK. Institute for Public Policy Research. Retrieved on 2008-04-30. 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common Events 313 - Roman emperor Licinius unifies the entire Eastern Roman Empire under his rule
- ^ "Half EU migrants 'have left UK'", BBC News, 2008-04-30. 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common Events 313 - Roman emperor Licinius unifies the entire Eastern Roman Empire under his rule Retrieved on 2008-04-30. 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common Events 313 - Roman emperor Licinius unifies the entire Eastern Roman Empire under his rule
- ^ "UK gets 2.5m new foreign workers".
- ^ Jacques Melitz (1999). English-Language Dominance, Literature and Welfare. Centre for Economic Policy Research. Retrieved on 2006-05-26. Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. Events 451 - The Battle of Avarayr between Armenian rebels and the Sassanid Empire takes place
- ^ Welsh today by Prof. Peter Wynn Thomasbbc. co. uk
- ^ Eurobarometer poll conducted in 2005PDF (1. 64 MiB). A mebibyte (a contraction of me ga bi nary byte) is a unit of Information or Computer storage, abbreviated MiB. Page 9. European Commission. Retrieved on 7 December 2006
- ^ Tearfund Survey 2007. Events 43 BC - Marcus Tullius Cicero assassinated 1696 - Connecticut Route 108, one of the oldest highways Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. Retrieved on 2007-05-05. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 553 - The Second Council of Constantinople begins 1215 - Rebel Barons renounce their allegiance to King John
- ^ British Social Attitudes Survey, National Centre for Social Research, 2004 (published 2006-02-20), <http://www.data-archive.ac.uk/findingData/snDescription.asp?sn=5329>. Retrieved on 25 February 2008
- ^ UK Census 2001. Retrieved on 2007-04-22. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 1500 - Portuguese Navigator Pedro Álvares Cabral becomes the first European to sight Brazil.
- ^ 'Fringe' Church winning the believers Timesonline, December 19, 2006
- ^ We need imams who can speak to young Muslims in their own words. The Times (2006-08-05). Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. Events 642 - Battle of Maserfield - Penda of Mercia defeats and kills Oswald of Bernicia. Retrieved on 2006-08-09. Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. Events 48 BC - Caesar's civil war: Battle of Pharsalus - Julius Caesar decisively defeats Pompey at Pharsalus
- ^ Veil: British papers back Straw. CNN (2006-07-10). Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. Events 48 BC - Battle of Dyrrhachium, Julius Caesar barely avoids a catastrophic defeat to Pompey in Macedonia. Retrieved on 2006-05-11. Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. Events 330 - Byzantium is renamed ''Nova Roma'' during a dedication ceremony but is more popularly referred to as Constantinople
- ^ Census 2001 - Profiles. Office for National Statistics. Retrieved on 2007-01-27. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 98 - Trajan becomes Roman Emperor after the death of Nerva.
- ^ Hinduism in Britain today. International Society for Krishna Consciousness. Retrieved on 2007-04-22. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 1500 - Portuguese Navigator Pedro Álvares Cabral becomes the first European to sight Brazil.
- ^ Census 2001 - Profiles. Office for National Statistics. Retrieved on 2007-12-02. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 1409 - The University of Leipzig opens 1755 - The second Eddystone Lighthouse is destroyed by fire
- ^ Religion: 2001 Census National Statistics website.
- ^ Forbes Global 2000. Forbes (4 April 2008). Forbes is an American Publishing and media company Its flagship publication Forbes magazine is published bi-weekly Retrieved on 2008-04-09. 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common Events 193 - Septimius Severus is proclaimed Roman Emperor by the army in Illyricum (in the Balkans)
- ^ Index of Services (experimental). Office for National Statistics (2006-04-26). Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. Events 1467 - The miraculous image in Our Lady of Good Counsel appear in Genazzano, Italy. Retrieved on 2006-05-24. Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. Events 1218 - The Fifth Crusade leaves Acre for Egypt. 1276 - Magnus Ladulås is crowned
- ^ Lazarowicz (Labour MP), Mark (2003-04-30). Year 2003 ( MMIII) was a Common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. Events 313 - Roman emperor Licinius unifies the entire Eastern Roman Empire under his rule Debate on Scottish financial services industry. Retrieved on 2006-05-16. Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. Events 1204 - Baldwin IX Count of Flanders is crowned as the first Emperor of the Latin Empire.
- ^ Sassen, Saskia (2001). Saskia Sassen (born January 5, 1949) is an American sociologist and Economist noted for her analyses of Globalization and The Global City: New York, London, Tokyo, 2nd edition, Princeton University Press.
- ^ Report for Selected Countries and Subjects. International Monetary Fund (2005). Retrieved on 2006-05-15. Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. Events 1252 - Pope Innocent IV issues the Papal bull Ad exstirpanda, which authorizes but also limits the
- ^ International Tourism ReceiptsPDF (1. 10 MiB). A mebibyte (a contraction of me ga bi nary byte) is a unit of Information or Computer storage, abbreviated MiB. UNWTO Tourism Highlights, Edition 2005 Page 12. World Tourism Organisation. Retrieved on 24 May 2006
- ^ Patricia Hewitt (2004-07-15). Events 1218 - The Fifth Crusade leaves Acre for Egypt. 1276 - Magnus Ladulås is crowned Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. "MMIV" redirects here For the Modest Mouse album see " Baron von Bullshit Rides Again " Events 1099 - First Crusade: Christian soldiers take the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem after the final TUC Manufacturing Conference. Department for Trade and Industry. Retrieved on 2006-05-16. Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. Events 1204 - Baldwin IX Count of Flanders is crowned as the first Emperor of the Latin Empire.
- ^ The Pharmaceutical sector in the UK. Department of Trade and Industry. Retrieved on 2007-02-27. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 1560 - The Treaty of Berwick, which would expel the French from Scotland, is signed by England and the Congregation
- ^ Creative Industries Economic Estimates. DCMS (2007-03-09). Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 590 - Bahram Chobin is crowned as king Barham VI of Persia. Retrieved on 2007-03-09. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 590 - Bahram Chobin is crowned as king Barham VI of Persia.
- ^ CIA World Factbook - United Kingdom. CIA (2005-02-28). Year 2005 ( MMV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Events 202 BC - coronation ceremony of Liu Bang as Emperor Gaozu of Han takes place initiating four centuries of the Han Dynasty 's rule Retrieved on 2007-02-08. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 421 - Constantius III becomes co- Emperor of the Western Roman Empire.
- ^ United Kingdom - Economy CIA - The World Factbook
- ^ Puritanism comes too naturally for 'Huck' Brown. Times Online (2007-07-24). Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 1132 - Battle of Nocera between Ranulf II of Alife and Roger II of Sicily. Retrieved on 2007-07-24. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 1132 - Battle of Nocera between Ranulf II of Alife and Roger II of Sicily.
- ^ EMU Entry And EU Constitution. MORI (2005-02-28). Year 2005 ( MMV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Events 202 BC - coronation ceremony of Liu Bang as Emperor Gaozu of Han takes place initiating four centuries of the Han Dynasty 's rule Retrieved on 2006-05-17. Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. Events 1521 - Edward Stafford 3rd Duke of Buckingham, is executed for Treason.
- ^ Increase in private school intake BBC News April 17th, 2007
- ^ MSPs vote to scrap endowment fee BBC News, February 28, 2008
- ^ United Kingdom. Humana. Retrieved on 2006-05-18. Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. Events 1152 - Henry II of England marries Eleanor of Aquitaine.
- ^ Private school pupil numbers in decline guardian. co. uk November 9th, 2007
- ^ More state pupils in universities BBC News, July 19th, 2007
- ^ The top 200 world universities. Times Higher Education (2007-11-09). Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 694 - Egica, a king of the Visigoths of Hispania, accuses Jews of aiding Muslims sentencing all Retrieved on 2008-02-19. 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common Events 197 - Roman Emperor Septimius Severus defeats usurper Clodius Albinus in the Battle of Lugdunum
- ^ news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/education/4442223.stm.
- ^ news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/education/6960432.stm.
- ^ NHS now four different systems BBC January 2, 2008
- ^ NHS workforce 'falls by 11,000' BBC News, March 14, 2007
- ^ About the NHS in Scotland NHS Scotland
- ^ Introduction to NHS Wales 1960's www. Events 366 - The Alamanni cross the frozen Rhine River in large numbers invading the Roman Empire. 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common wales. nhs. uk
- ^ Introduction to NHS Wales - Staff www. wales. nhs. uk
- ^ Scottish Cabinet. Scottish Executive. Retrieved on 2007-05-26. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 451 - The Battle of Avarayr between Armenian rebels and the Sassanid Empire takes place
- ^ Tackling congestion on our roads. Department for Transport.
- ^ Delivering choice and reliability. Department for Transport.
- ^ Rod Eddington (December 2006). The Eddington Transport Study. UK Treasury.
- ^ "Blatter against British 2012 team", BBC News, 2008-03-09. 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common Events 590 - Bahram Chobin is crowned as king Barham VI of Persia. Retrieved on 2008-04-02. 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common Events 68 - Galba, Governor of Hispania, names himself legatus senatus populique Romani, breaking the line of
- ^ "Chinese phone maker's fancy footwork", BBC News, 27 October 2003. Events 312 - Constantine the Great is said to have received his famous Vision of the Cross. Year 2003 ( MMIII) was a Common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. Retrieved on 2006-08-09. Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. Events 48 BC - Caesar's civil war: Battle of Pharsalus - Julius Caesar decisively defeats Pompey at Pharsalus
- ^ http://galeb.etf.bg.ac.yu/~mirad/archive.html EuroCups Archive
- ^ Official Website of Rugby League World Cup 2008
- ^ Encyclopedia Britannica article on Shakespeare. Retrieved on 2006-02-26. Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. Events 747 BC - Epoch (origin of Ptolemy 's Nabonassar Era 364 - Valentinian I is proclaimed
- ^ MSN Encarta Encyclopedia article on Shakespeare. Retrieved on 2006-02-26. Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. Events 747 BC - Epoch (origin of Ptolemy 's Nabonassar Era 364 - Valentinian I is proclaimed
- ^ Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia article on Shakespeare. Retrieved on 2006-02-26. Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. Events 747 BC - Epoch (origin of Ptolemy 's Nabonassar Era 364 - Valentinian I is proclaimed
- ^ TV licensing: aged over 74.
- ^ ABC Newspaper Circulation Figures. The Times (2006-05-12). Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. Events 1191 - Richard I of England marries Berengaria of Navarre. Retrieved on 2006-05-16. Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. Events 1204 - Baldwin IX Count of Flanders is crowned as the first Emperor of the Latin Empire.
- ^ Audit Bureau of Circulation Interactive Analysis National Newspaper Selection - Average Net Circulation (UK) 03-Jul-2006 to 30-Jul-2006. Retrieved on 2006-09-04. Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. Events 476 - Romulus Augustus, last emperor of the Western Roman Empire, is deposed when Odoacer proclaims himself Lists the circulation of Daily Telegraph as 844,929 and The Times as 620,456.
- ^ The Newspaper Awards. Retrieved on 2007-05-19. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 1535 - French explorer Jacques Cartier sets sail on his second voyage to North America with three ships 110 men and
- ^ Scottish newspaper readership falls Business7, February 11, 2008
- ^ Britain second in world research rankings. The Guardian (2006-03-21). Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. Events 630 - Byzantine emperor Heraclius restores the True Cross to Jerusalem. Retrieved on 2006-05-14. Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. Events 1264 - Battle of Lewes: Henry III of England is captured in France making Simon de Montfort the
- ^ Welsh dragon call for Union flag BBC News, November 27, 2007
- ^ It is sometimes asserted by those used to a legislative tradition that "God Save the King/Queen" is not the actual national anthem of the United Kingdom — or sometimes that it is the de facto national anthem — because no law has ever been passed to say that that is the case. In the United Kingdom, however, such laws are unnecessary; custom, practice and proclamation are sufficient to establish it as the official national anthem.
- ^ Britannia on British Coins. Chard. Retrieved on 2006-06-25. Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. Events 524 - Battle of Vézeronce, the Franks defeat the Burgundians
- ^ Trading Standards Fact Sheet 19: The sale of drinks in public houses. Tameside Metropolitan Borough Council. Retrieved on 2008-03-07. 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common Events 161 - Roman Emperor Antoninus Pius dies and is succeeded by co-Emperors Marcus Aurelius and Lucius Verus
Footnotes
^ In the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous (regional) languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. The United Kingdom does not have a constitutionally defined Official language. An indigenous language or autochthonous language is a Language that is native to a region and spoken by Indigenous peoples but has been reduced A regional language is a Language spoken in an area of a Nation state, whether it be a small area a federal State or Province, or The European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages ( ECRML) is a European Treaty (CETS 148 adopted in 1992 under the auspices of the Council of Europe In each of these, the UK's official name is as follows:
Cornish: Rywvaneth Unys Breten Veur ha Kledhbarth Iwerdhon; Irish: Ríocht Aontaithe na Breataine Móire agus Thuaisceart Éireann; Scots: Unitit Kinrick o Graet Breetain an Northren Irland; Scottish Gaelic: Rìoghachd Aonaichte Bhreatainn Mhòir agus Èireann a Tuath; Welsh: Teyrnas Unedig Prydain Fawr a Gogledd Iwerddon. For the Cornish-English dialect see West Country dialects and List of Cornish dialect words. Irish (ga ''Gaeilge'' is a Goidelic language of the Indo-European language family originating in Ireland and historically spoken by the Irish. Scots ( The Scots leid) refers to Anglic varieties derived from early northern Middle English spoken in parts of Scotland and Northern Scottish Gaelic ( Gàidhlig) is a member of the Goidelic branch of Celtic languages. Welsh ( cy Cymraeg or cy y Gymraeg, kəmˈrɑːɨɡ and {{IPA|[ə ɡəmˈrɑːɨɡ]}}, is a member of the Brythonic branch of Celtic
^ This is the royal motto. In Scotland, the royal motto is the Scots phrase In My Defens God Me Defend (Shown in the abbreviated form "IN DEFENS"). Scots ( The Scots leid) refers to Anglic varieties derived from early northern Middle English spoken in parts of Scotland and Northern In my defens God me defend is the Motto of both the Royal coat of arms of the Kingdom of Scotland and Royal coat of arms of the United Kingdom There is a variant form of the coat-of-arms for use in Scotland; see Royal coat of arms of the United Kingdom. The Royal Coat of Arms of the United Kingdom is the official Coat of arms of the British monarch, currently Queen Elizabeth II.
^ It serves as the de facto National Anthem as well asbeing the Royal anthem for several other countries. A national anthem is a generally patriotic musical composition that evokes and eulogizes the history traditions and struggles of its people recognized either by a nation's A royal anthem is a patriotic song much like a National anthem but specifically praising or praying for a Monarch or royal dynasty
^ English is established by de facto usage. English is a West Germanic language originating in England and is the First language for most people in the United Kingdom, the United States In Wales, the Bwrdd yr Iaith Gymraeg is tasked with ensuring that, "in the conduct of public business and the administration of justice, the English and Welsh languages should be treated on a basis of equality". The Welsh Language Board ( Bwrdd yr Iaith Gymraeg) is a statutory body set up by the UK Government as part of the Welsh Language Act 1993. Welsh ( cy Cymraeg or cy y Gymraeg, kəmˈrɑːɨɡ and {{IPA|[ə ɡəmˈrɑːɨɡ]}}, is a member of the Brythonic branch of Celtic [1][2] Bòrd na Gàidhlig is tasked with "securing the status of the Gaelic language as an official language of Scotland commanding equal respect to the English language". Bòrd na Gàidhlig (b̊ɔːɾd̪̊ nə g̊aːlɪg̊ʲ is a Quango appointed by the Scottish Government with responsibility for Scottish Gaelic. Scottish Gaelic ( Gàidhlig) is a member of the Goidelic branch of Celtic languages. An official language is a Language that is given a special legal status in a particular Country, State, or other territory Scotland ( Gaelic: Alba) is a Country in northwest Europethat occupies the northern third of the island of Great Britain. [3]
^ Under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages the Welsh, Scottish Gaelic, Cornish, Irish, Ulster Scots and Scots languages are officially recognised as Regional or Minority languages by the UK Government. The European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages ( ECRML) is a European Treaty (CETS 148 adopted in 1992 under the auspices of the Council of Europe For the Cornish-English dialect see West Country dialects and List of Cornish dialect words. Irish (ga ''Gaeilge'' is a Goidelic language of the Indo-European language family originating in Ireland and historically spoken by the Irish. Ulster Scots, also known as Ullans, Hiberno-Scots, or Scots-Irish, refers to the variety of Scots (sometimes referred to as Scots ( The Scots leid) refers to Anglic varieties derived from early northern Middle English spoken in parts of Scotland and Northern A regional language is a Language spoken in an area of a Nation state, whether it be a small area a federal State or Province, or A minority language is a Language spoken by a Minority of the Population of a country Her Majesty's Government, or when the monarch is male His Majesty's Government, is the title used by the Government of the United Kingdom, based at [4] See also Languages in the United Kingdom. The United Kingdom does not have a constitutionally defined Official language.
^ CIA Factbook. Official estimate provided by the UK Office for National Statistics. The Office for National Statistics (ONS is the executive office of the UK Statistics Authority, a non-ministerial department which reports directly [5]
^ ISO 3166-1 alpha-2 is GB, but .gb is practically unused. ISO 3166-1 alpha-2 codes are two-letter Country codes in the ISO 3166-1 standard to represent countries and dependent territories. See also Kingdom of Great Britain Great Britain (Breatainn Mhòr Prydain Fawr Breten Veur Graet Breetain is the larger of the two main islands The .eu domain is shared with other European Union member states. The European Union ( EU) is a political and economic union of twenty-seven member states, located primarily in
External links
Wikimedia Atlas of United Kingdom- Official website of the British Monarchy
- Official website of the United Kingdom Government
- Official tourist guide to Britain
- Official Yearbook of the United Kingdom
- "Countries within a country" from the Official Website of the British Prime Minister
- Economic & Social Data Ranking/ United Kingdom
- United Kingdom travel guide from Wikitravel
Wikitravel is a Web -based project "to create a free, complete up-to-date and reliable worldwide travel guide.
Dictionary
United Kingdom
-proper noun
- Kingdom in Europe comprising the countries England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. Official name: United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. Abbreviation: UK.
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