About the UK

The UK consists of Great Britain (England, Wales and Scotland) and Northern Ireland, and is a one of the 25 member states of the EU.

Capital cities

London – England
Cardiff – Wales
Edinburgh – Scotland
Belfast – Northern Ireland

UK Population Size

The UK – approximately 60.5 million

Official Languages

Britain has two official languages, which are English and Welsh - English being the most commonly spoken. Scottish Gaelic is also spoken in some parts of Scotland.

Government

The UK is a constitutional monarchy that is a representative democracy, where Queen Elizabeth II is recognized as the head of state, the monarch of the UK also acts as head of state of fifteen other Commonwealth countries, putting the UK in a union with those states. The Crown has sovereignty over the Isle of Man and the Bailiwicks of Jersey and Guernsey. 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 £.

Time zone

* 29 October – 26 March: Coordinated Universal Time (UTC)
* 25 March – 29 October: UTC + 1

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.

Major UK holidays 2009

1 January
2 January (Scotland only)
17 March (Northern Ireland only)
10 and 24 March
4 and 25 May
14 July (Northern Ireland only)
3 August (Scotland only)
31 August (England, Wales and Northern Ireland only)
30 November (Scotland only)
25 and 26 December

Weights & Measures

Historically Britain used the Imperial System, but new regulations make use of the compulsory Metric System, with the exception of a few items, for example distance and speed are measured in miles and miles per hour.

Electricity
Voltage is 240 volts AC at 50HZ. Appliances generally use standard 3-pin square plugs and sockets.

Quick Facts

Country Full Name : England

Population : 51,000,000

Currency Name : Pound Sterling
Code: GBP
Symbo l: £

Electrical Plugs:

240V 50Hz

Official Languages Spoken : English

Time Zones : GMT/UTC 0 (Greenwich Mean Time (British Summer Time during daylight savings))

Country Dialing Code : +44

Weights & Measures : Metric