The UK Summary

Updated: 27.10.2020

The UK Summary

Location: off the north-western coast of the European mainland
Capital city: London
Historical territories: England (London), Scotland (Edinburgh), Wales (Cardiff) and Northern Ireland (Belfast)
Population: 67,8 million
Currency: pound sterling £ (GBP) and penny/pence p
Universities: Oxford, Cambridge
State system: constitutional monarchy since 1215
Head of state: officially the monarch
Power: executive - the government with the Prime Minister, judicial - the Supreme Court, legislative - the Parliament (the House of Lords and the House of Commons)
Flag: the Union Jack
Anthem: God Save the Queen
Geography: English Channel, Lake District, Pennies, Scottish Highlands
Climate: temperate maritime
Highest mountain: Ben Nevis 1345m
Rivers: Thames, Avon, Severn, Tyne
Fact: Queen Elizabeth II rules since 1952, she is the longest reigning monarch ever
          the monarch has official, ceremonial, diplomatic and representational duties
Sights: Stratford-upon-Avon, Stonehenge, Hadrian's Wall, Loch Ness, Windsor
Note: Northern Ireland is part of the UK, the Republic of Ireland is and independent state since 1922, its capital is Dublin, the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland are both situated on the island called Ireland share a land border

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is situated in the north-west of Europe and on land, it borders with the Republic of Ireland. It consists of four historical territories, England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland and has the population of about 67,8 million people. The UK is a constitutional monarchy and a unitary parliamentary democracy, the current head of state is Queen Elizabeth II. The currency is the pound sterling, symbolized as £.
          The capital and most populous city is London with more than 8,9 million inhabitants. Other famous cities include Edinburgh, Cardiff, Belfast and Stratford-upon-Avon. There are two famous university cities, Cambridge and Oxford. To get to the UK, you have to cross the English Channel, typically by a ferry from French Calais to Dover or through the Channel Tunnel.
          Politically, the UK is a very traditional country and a lot of its main governing system is not even codified. There is no official constitution and the monarch still officially posesses executive authority. But de facto the monarch only has various official, ceremonial, diplomatic and representational duties. The Government is lead by the Prime Minister, who selects 21 ministers into the Cabinet and directs both the executive and the legislature. The Parliament of the UK resides at the Palace of Westminster and it is the supreme legislative body of the UK. It is a bicameral institution, constituted of the House of Lords and the elected House of Commons. The Sovereign, called the Crown-in-Parliament, is the legislative role of the Crown which gives Royal Assent to make bills into laws.
          The climate is temperate, with mild winters. The weather is changeable and it rains often. Important rivers are Thames, Tyne, Severn and Avon. There are many lakes in the Lake District of England and in Scotland, a lake is called a loch, the most famous is Loch Ness. The highest mountain is Ben Nevis with 1345 metres, it is situated in the Scottish Highlands.
          Typical British holidays include St Patrick's Day, Poppy Day and Guy Fawkes Night. In Britain, presents are brought by Father Christmas and opened on Christmas Day, in the morning. Easter is a bank holiday and is celebrated by egg rolling and Morris dancing.
          The economy of the UK is developed and market-oriented. It was the first industrialized country in the world. Today, service sector dominates it and the financial industry is also very important. Its pharmaceutical industry is the tenth largest in the world. Natural resources include coal, petroleum and natural gas. Agriculture uses almost 70% on the land and produces 60% of the food needed for the UK. It is focused on livestock and crops, the main products are fruits and vegetables, the most common animal is sheep.

          Education is compulsory in the UK until the age of 16 and somewhere even 18. The school system is quite complicated, because it is very old. Primary education includes firs 6 years of school and is finished with a SATS exam, which divides children into comprehensive and selective schools. Secondary schools are upto Year 11 and end with the GCSE exam. Grammar schools also start in Year 7, but are upto Year 13, this is called Sixth form and it ends with A-Leveles exam required for university entrance. There are also special schools called public schools, which are very selective and fee-charging. Traditionally, they are only for boys and the most famous are Eton College, Westminster School, Rugby School and Winchester College. Higher education includes colleges and universities, the most famous are Oxford and Cambridge.
          Typical British things are drinking tea and fish and chips are the best known food. The Brits are very polite and they like to queue, to stand in an orderly line. A red phone booth is typical for the UK. Famous British people include Stephen Hawking, Princess Diana, William Shakespeare, John Lennon, David Beckham and Sean Connery.