Capital cities

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

Area

Land and water: 152,033 square miles

Population

The UK – approximately 60.6 million 
(England 50,714,000; Wales 2,977,000; Scotland 5,108,000; Northern Ireland 1,733,000).

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 British people 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 –  is the head of government. There are two major parties: Conservative party and Labour party (Liberal Democratic party is the third)

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 Britain pound (GBP) is £.