15. The United Kingdom

The United Kingdom

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Together, the countries of England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland form one independent nation known as the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.

The island of Great Britain consists of the countries of Wales, England and Scotland. Northern Ireland is located in the island of Ireland. Together, these two islands are commonly known as the British Isles.

The four parts of the United Kingdom differ from one another in many respects.

The most economically and politically important part of the nation is England. It is where the capital city of the U.K., London, is located.

Scotland is located to the north of England. In recent times, there have been efforts to gain independence for the Scottish region.

Wales is located to the west of England. It is an area with two official languages; English and Welsh (Cymru).

Northern Ireland is located to the north of the independent Republic of Ireland.

The map on the right: The United Kingdom consists of England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

British geography

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The United Kingdom is located on two islands. To the south, the British Isles are separated from mainland Europe by the English Channel. In the west, the islands are bordered by the Atlantic Ocean, and in the east, they are bordered by the North Sea.

The surface area of the United Kingdom is approximately 243 000 km². However, the small island nation is home to over 64 million people.

The capital city of the United Kingdom is London. It is located in Southern England, on the banks of the river Thames.

In addition to the nation's capital, England is also home to many other large industrial cities, such as Manchester, Leeds, Liverpool and Birmingham.

The largest cities in Scotland are Edinburgh and Glasgow. Belfast is the largest city in Northern Ireland.

The official language of the United Kingdom is English. During the last few centuries, it has spread across the world, which is why it is considered as the global ligua franca or "common language".

In addition to the United Kindgom, English is the official language of nations such as Canada, India and Australia.

British population and industry

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The population of the United Kingdom is over 60 million people, of which over 50 million people live in England.

The United Kingdom is inhabited by many migrants from the nation's former colonies, as well as their descendants.

In the 19th century, the United Kingdom was one of the most significant nations in the world. During this time, the nation had colonies in countries such as India, Canada, Jamaica, Kenya and Australia.

The goods and raw materials of the colonies helped to make the United Kingdom one of the leading nations on the planet. Nowadays, the United Kingdom is not a colonial power anymore, but many remnants of the colonial era can still be seen in the nation's culture.

During the 19th and 20th centuries, the United Kingdom was one of the leading industrial nations in the world. For a long time, the nation's industrial production was largely based on coal. Nowadays, however, coal mining has largely stopped. It has been replaced by oil and natural gas drilled from the bottom of the North Sea.

Today, the United Kindgom is still an important hub of the world's economy. It also receives its fair share of tourism: it is visited by over 30 million tourists every year.

Image on the right: A Scottish bagpipe player.

Photographs from London

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: The Heathrow Airport is one of the busiest airports in the world. Where is this large airplane arriving from?
: The London Underground or "the Tube" is the oldest subway system in the world.
: Hyde Park is a well-known recreational area in Central London.
: Chinatown in London.
: The Buckingham Palace is a popular tourist attraction.
: The British Museum has the largest collection of historical items in the world.
: The British Royal Family in Madame Tussaud's wax museum.
: Football is an important part of British culture. A football match between West Ham and Liverpool.

Photographs from the United Kingdom

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: Edinburgh is the political center of Scotland.
: Queen Elisabeth II is the formal ruler of the United Kingdom and the British Commonwealth (which includes nations such as Canada and Australia).
: The Manchester United football team plays its home matches at the Old Trafford stadium. It is one of the most successful football clubs in the world.
: The Welsh landscape is full of hills.