Reference : Fact File of the UK
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland (the United
Kingdom or the UK), member state of the European [Link]
type: constitutional [Link] holiday: birthday of Queen Elizabeth II,
celebrated on the second Saturday in June,Capital: London. Flag: known as the
Union Flag, or Union Jack .Currency: pound sterling, consists of 100 pence;
coins with the value of one penny, 2, 5, 10, 20, and 50 pence, and one pound,
and two pounds. 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. Geographic coordinates: 54 00 N, 2 00 W .Area total:
244,820 square km (94,248 square miles) ,Land boundaries: 360 km ,Border
countries: Ireland 360 km ,Coastline: 12,429 km, 1000 km from North to South
coast, and 800 km across the widest [Link]: Great Britain as the largest
island. The next largest comprises Northern Ireland. Elevation extremes: the
lowest point — Fenland, 4 m; the highest mountains in Scotland and Wales:
Ben Nevis - 1,343 m and Snowdon - 1,085 m .Longest rivers: the Severn (354
km); the River Thames (346 km) Climate: mild and temperate. Temperature
rarely above 32 °C or low -10 °[Link] resources: coal, petroleum, natural
gas, tin, limestone, iron ore, salt, clay, chalk, gypsum, lead, silica, arable land.
Population: 62,262,000 (2010 estimates). Nationality: noun: Briton(s), British
(collective plural); adjective: British Ethnic groups: English 81.5%, Scottish
9.6%, Irish 2.4%, Welsh 1.9%, Ulster 1.8%, West Indian, Indian, Pakistani, and
other 2.8% .Languages: English, Welsh (about 26% of the population of Wales),
Scottish form of Gaelic (about 60,000 in Scotland). Religions: Anglican, Roman
Catholic, Muslim, Presbyterian, Methodist, Sikh, Hindu, Jewish. Suffrage: 18
years of age; universal .Executive branch: Chief of state: Queen Elizabeth II
(since 6 February 1952); Heir Apparent Prince Charles, son of the Queen Head
of government: Prime Minister Cabinet: Cabinet of Ministers appointed by the
Prime Minister; Judicial branch: House of Lords (highest court of appeal;
several Lords of Appeal in Ordinary are appointed by the monarch for life).
Supreme Courts of England, Wales, and Northern [Link] parties and
leaders: Conservative and Unionist Party, Democratic Unionist Party (Northern
Ireland); Labour Party; Liberal Democrats; Party of Wales; Scottish National
Party or SNP; Sinn Fein (Northern Ireland); Social Democratic and Labour
Party or SDLP (Northern Ireland); Ulster Unionist Party (Northern Ireland).
