Destination United Kingdom

Background

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 the Economic and Monetary Union for the time being. Constitutional reform is also a significant issue in the UK. The Scottish Parliament, the National Assembly for Wales, and the Northern Ireland Assembly were established in 1999, but the latter is suspended due to wrangling over the peace process.

Area

• Total: 244,820 sq km
• Land: 241,590 sq km
• Water: 3,230 sq km
• Note: includes Rockall and Shetland Islands

Area - comparative

• Slightly smaller than Oregon

Coastline

• 12,429 km

Climate

• Temperate; moderated by prevailing southwest winds over the North Atlantic Current; more than one-half of the days are overcast

Terrain

• Mostly rugged hills and low mountains; level to rolling plains in east and southeast

Population

• 60,609,153 (July 2006 est.)

Capital

• London

Nationality

• noun: Briton(s), British (collective plural)
• adjective: British

Languages

• English, Welsh (about 26% of the population of Wales), Scottish form of Gaelic (about 60,000 in Scotland)

Local Weather

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