Borders: Republic of Ireland (only land border), Atlantic Ocean, North Sea, English Channel, maritime (water) borders with France, the Netherlands, Belgium, Denmark, Norway, Iceland, andSpain Total Size: 244,820 square km Size Comparison: slightly smaller than Oregon Geographical Coordinates: 54 00 N, 2 00 W World Region or Continent: Europe General Terrain: mostly rugged hills and low mountains; level to rolling plains in east and southeast Geographical Low Point: The Fens -4 m Geographical High Point: Ben Nevis 1,343 m Climate: temperate; moderated by prevailing southwest winds over the North Atlantic Current; more than one-half of the days are overcast Major Cities: LONDON (capital) 8.615 million; Birmingham 2.296 million; Manchester 2.247 million; West Yorkshire 1.541 million; Glasgow 1.166 million (2009) Major Landforms: Island of Great Britain, Island of Ireland (northern fifth), Cumbrian Mountains, Pennines, Hebrides Islands, Shetland Islands, Scottish Highlands, Ben Nevis, Highland Boundary Fault, Mourne Mountains Major Bodies of Water: Thames River, Severn River, Humber River, Lough Neagh (lake), Loch Lomond, Windermere, Bala Lake, English Channel, North Sea, Irish Sea, Celtic Sea, Atlantic Ocean Famous Places: Tower of London, Buckingham Palace, Stonehenge, Westminster Palace, Big Ben, London Eye, Windsor Castle, Trafalgar Square, Cotswolds, St. Paul's Cathedral, Tower Bridge, Hyde Park, Loch Ness, Wembley Stadium, Ben Nevis, Globe Theatre, Edinburgh Castle, White Cliffs of Dover, Channel Tunnel
Economy of United Kingdom
Major Industries: machine tools, electric power equipment, automation equipment, railroad equipment, shipbuilding, aircraft, motor vehicles and parts, electronics and communications equipment, metals, chemicals, coal, petroleum, paper and paper products, food processing, textiles, clothing, other consumer goods Agricultural Products: cereals, oilseed, potatoes, vegetables; cattle, sheep, poultry; fish Natural Resources: coal, petroleum, natural gas, iron ore, lead, zinc, gold, tin, limestone, salt, clay, chalk, gypsum, potash, silica sand, slate, arable land Major Exports: manufactured goods, fuels, chemicals; food, beverages, tobacco Major Imports: manufactured goods, machinery, fuels; foodstuffs Currency: British pound (GBP) National GDP: $2,288,000,000,000
Government of United Kingdom
Type of Government: constitutional monarchy Independence: England has existed as a unified entity since the 10th century; the union between England and Wales, begun in 1284 with the Statute of Rhuddlan, was not formalized until 1536 with an Act of Union; in another Act of Union in 1707, England and Scotland agreed to permanently join as Great Britain; the legislative union of Great Britain and Ireland was implemented in 1801, with the adoption of the name the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland; the Anglo-Irish treaty of 1921 formalized a partition of Ireland; six northern Irish counties remained part of the United Kingdom as Northern Ireland and the current name of the country, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, was adopted in 1927. Divisions: The United Kingdom consists of four countries: England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland. Each country has its own way of forming administrative divisions of the government. England is divided up into nine regions, Scotland into 32 council areas, Wales into 22 authorities, and Northern Ireland into 26 districts. The nine regions of England are:
Motto - "God and my Right", "In Defense" (Scotland)
Other symbols - Unicorn (Scotland), Welsh Dragon (Wales), Britannia
Description of flag: The flag of the United Kingdom was adopted on January 1, 1801. The name of the flag is the Union Jack. It has a blue background (field) with a red cross outlined in white and a red "x" outlined in white. Other flags:
England - White with a red cross.
Scotland - Blue with a white "x".
Wales - Two horizontal stripes of white (top) and green (bottom) with a red dragon.
National Holidays: New Years' Day (January 1), Saint Patrick's Day (March 17), Easter, May Day (May 1), Bank Holiday, Christmas (December 25), Boxing Day (December 26)
Borders: Republic of Ireland (only land border), Atlantic Ocean, North Sea, English Channel, maritime (water) borders with France, the Netherlands, Belgium, Denmark, Norway, Iceland, andSpain 