Long Name: United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
Member of European Union: Yes, 1973
International Dialing Code: +44
Capital City: London
National Tourist Office: Visit Britain
Foreign Embassies in the U.K.: Australia | Canada | U.S.
Embassies and Visa Information: In Australia | In Canada | In the U.S.
Dependent Areas: Anguilla, Bermuda, British Indian Ocean Territory, British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, Falkland Islands, Gibraltar, Guernsey, Jersey, Isle of Man, Montserrat, Pitcairn Islands, Saint Helena, South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands, Turks and Caicos Islands
Nationality: Noun - Briton(s), British (collective plural), Adjective - British
Government Type: Constitutional monarchy
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%
Religions: Anglican and Roman Catholic 40 million, Muslim 1.5 million, Presbyterian 800,000, Methodist 760,000, Sikh 500,000, Hindu 500,000, Jewish 350,000
Languages: English, Welsh (about 26% of the population of Wales), Scottish form of Gaelic (about 60,000 in Scotland)Monetary Unit: 1 pound sterling = 100 pence
Area: 244,820 sq km – slightly smaller than Oregon
Climate: Temperate; moderated by prevailing southwest winds over the North Atlantic Current; more than one-half of the days are overcast
Population: 60,270,708 (July 2004 est.)
Sex Ratio: 0.98 male(s)/female (2004 est.)
Median Age: 38.7 years, male 37.6 years, female 39.8 years (2004 est.)
Life Expectancy: 78.27 years, male 75.84 years, female 80.83 years (2004 est.)
Population Growth Rate: 0.29% (2004 est.)
Net Migration Rate: 2.19 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.)
Population Below Poverty Line: 17% (2002 est.)
Unemployment Rate: 5% (2003 est.)
Gross National Income: US$28,350 (2003, World Bank)
Export Commodities: Manufactured goods, fuels, chemicals; food, beverages, tobacco
Export Partners: US 15.7%, Germany 10.5%, France 9.5%, Netherlands 6.9%, Ireland 6.5%, Belgium 5.6%, Spain 4.4%, Italy 4.4% (2003 est.)
Import Commodities: Manufactured goods, machinery, fuels; foodstuffs
Import Partners: Germany 13.5%, US 10.2%, France 8.1%, Netherlands 6.3%, Belgium 4.9%, Italy 4.7% (2003 est.)
Natural Resources: Coal, petroleum, natural gas, iron ore, lead, zinc, gold, tin, limestone, salt, clay, chalk, gypsum, potash, silica sand, slate, arable land
Television: BBC TV
Radio: BBC Radio
Graphics and statistics are public domain courtesy of The CIA World Factbook.
Outline map courtesy of WorldAtlas.com.
