The UK is made up of Great Britain (England, Scotland and Wales) and Northern Ireland, and is one of the 27 member states of the European Union (EU). |
|
Capital cities |
| » |
London – England |
| » |
Edinburgh – Scotland |
| » |
Cardiff – Wales |
| » |
Belfast – Northern Ireland |
|
| |
Area |
| Land and water: 242,900Km2 |
| |
Languages |
The two official languages in Britain are English and Welsh, English being the most widely spoken. Scottish Gaelic is also spoken in some parts of Scotland. |
| |
People |
The majority of the population is English, Scottish, Welsh and Irish. However, Britain is an extremely diverse nation with a strong culture of racial integration and unity. |
| |
Religion |
Most people are Christian (71%), although all other religions including Buddhism, Hinduism, Judaism, Islam and Sikhism are freely practised. About 23% of Britain follow no particular religion. |
| |
Government |
The UK is a constitutional monarchy that is a representative democracy, where Queen Elizabeth II is recognised as the head of state, and 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’s unit of currency is the Great British Pound (sterling) – GBP. The symbol for the pound sterling is £. |
| 50 to 53 Rs= 1£ (Oct 2013) |
| |
Time Diff |
| London 4 hrs 30 min behind IST |
| |
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. |
| |
Culture & Multiculturism |
UK people like to get together and enjoy themselves. Theatres, concerts and art galleries can be found in all large towns and cities; big sports events take place every weekend; pubs and restaurants are everywhere.
The UK is an exciting combination of four distinctive countries, each with their own cultures, living traditions, breathtaking architecture and beautiful landscapes. The diverse, multi-cultural population of the UK, though soon makes you feel at home.
Transport
The UK has an extensive and regular train service which makes most UK cities and towns well linked with one another. Travel within is quite easy as the UK has an excellent public transportation system.
|
