United Kingdom
The UK is made up of Great Britain (England, Scotland and Wales) and Northern Ireland, and is one of the 25 member states of the European Union (EU).

Capital cities
London – EnglandEdinburgh – ScotlandCardiff – WalesBelfast – Northern Irelandback to top

Area
Land and water: 152,033 square miles

Population
The UK – approximately 60.6 million
(England 50,714,000; Wales 2,977,000; Scotland 5,108,000; Northern Ireland 1,733,000).

Languages
The two official languages in Britain are English and Welsh, English being the most widely spoken. Scottish Gaelic is also spoken in some parts of Scotland.

People
The majority of the population is English, Scottish, Welsh and Irish. However, Britain is an extremely diverse nation with a strong culture of racial integration and unity.

Government
The UK is a constitutional monarchy that is a representative democracy, where Queen Elizabeth II is recognised as the head of state, and the elected Prime Minister – Gordon Brown – is the head of government.

Economic profile
The UK is a leading trading power and a financial centre. Agriculture is an important industry and highly efficient. Primary energy, like coal and oil, are major contributors to the economy, but services like banking and insurance are the greatest contributors.

Currency
Britain uses the pound sterling. The sign for the Great British Pound (GBP) is £.

Climate
Britain has a fairly temperate climate and is sometimes overcast. The weather can vary greatly from day to day, but generally summer (June-August) is a warm 14-25 °C, and winter (December-February) is a cool 1-4 °C.