Independence Year : 1066
Population : 59623400
Life Expectancy : 77.7
Capital : 456
GNP : 1378330.00
GNP Old : 1296830.00
Local Name : United Kingdom
Government Form : Constitutional Monarchy
Location : Western Europe, islands including the northern one-sixth of the island of Ireland between the North Atlantic Ocean and the North Sea, northwest of France
Terrain : 30% arable, 50% meadow and pasture, 12% waste or urban, 7% forested, 1% inland water.
Climate : Very British: more than one-half of the days are overcast; generally mild and temperate; moderated by prevailing southwest winds over the North Atlantic Current
Ethnic Group : British, Irish, West Indian, South Asian.
Religions : Church of England (Anglican), Roman Catholic, Church of Scotland (Presbyterian), Muslim.
Official Website :
www.royal.gov.uk/
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General Information - United Kingdom
Background
Four constituent nations form the United Kingdom (England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland). Great Britain, the dominant industrial and maritime power of the 19th century, played a leading role in developing parliamentary democracy and in advancing literature and science. At its zenith, the British Empire stretched over one-fourth of the earth's surface.
The first half of the 20th century saw the UK's strength seriously depleted in two World Wars. The second half witnessed the dismantling of the Empire and the UK rebuilding itself into a modern and prosperous European nation. As one of five permanent members of the UN Security Council, a founding member of NATO, and of the Commonwealth, the UK pursues a global approach to foreign policy; it currently is weighing the degree of its integration with continental Europe.
A member of the EU, it chose to remain outside of the European Monetary Union for the time being. Constitutional reform is also a significant issue in the UK. Regional assemblies with varying degrees of power opened in Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland in 1999.
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