United Kingdom
Geography - People - Economy - Government - Communications - Transportation - Military - Transnational IssuesCountry name - conventional long form : United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland; note - Great Britain includes England, Scotland, and Wales
Country name - conventional short form : United Kingdom
Government type : constitutional monarchy
Capital - name : London
Capital - time difference : UTC 0 (5 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)
National holiday : the UK does not celebrate one particular national holiday
Population : 60,943,912 (July 2008 est.)
Nationality - noun : Briton(s), British (collective plural)
Nationality - adjective : British
Languages : English, Welsh (about 26% of the population of Wales), Scottish form of Gaelic (about 60,000 in Scotland)
Currency (code) : British pound (GBP)
Currency code : GBP
United Kingdom is located 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. The climate is temperate; moderated by prevailing southwest winds over the North Atlantic Current; more than one-half of the days are overcast. The terrain is mostly rugged hills and low mountains; level to rolling plains in east and southeast.
Background
This entry usually highlights major historic events and current issues and may include a statement about one or two key future trends.Background : As the dominant industrial and maritime power of the 19th century, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland 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 and the Irish republic withdraw from the union. 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 was suspended until May 2007 due to wrangling over the peace process.
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