Country Profile [CIA World Factbook]
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.
Disputes
in 2002, Gibraltar residents voted overwhelmingly by referendum to reject any "shared sovereignty" arrangement between the UK and Spain; the Government of Gibraltar insists on equal participation in talks between the two countries; Spain disapproves of UK plans to grant Gibraltar greater autonomy; Mauritius and Seychelles claim the Chagos Archipelago (British Indian Ocean Territory), and its former inhabitants since their eviction in 1965; most Chagossians reside in Mauritius, and in 2001 were granted UK citizenship, where some have since resettled; in May 2006, the High Court of London reversed the UK Government's 2004 orders of council that banned habitation on the islands; UK rejects sovereignty talks requested by Argentina, which still claims the Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas) and South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands; territorial claim in Antarctica (British Antarctic Territory) overlaps Argentine claim and partially overlaps Chilean claim; Iceland, the UK, and Ireland dispute Denmark's claim that the Faroe Islands' continental shelf extends beyond 200 nm
| Location |
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 |
| Coordinates |
52° 31.002' N 3° 30' W |
| Capital
| Cardiff |
| Main Cities |
Newport, Swansea, Wrexham |
| Area |
20761 km2 |
| Boundaries (km) |
England |
| Coastline (km) |
1,176 |
| Timezone (GMT) |
0 |
| Population |
61,113,205 (July 2009 est.) (Demographics) |
| Public Holidays |
Official Birthday of Queen ELIZABETH II, celebrated on the second Saturday in June. As this falls on the weekend it is not considered a national holiday per se (1926) |
| Currency |
Pound Sterling |
| GDP |
$2.147 trillion (2007 est.) (Economic data) |
| Main Exports |
manufactured goods, fuels, chemicals; food, beverages, tobacco |
| Climate |
temperate; moderated by prevailing southwest winds over the North Atlantic Current; more than one-half of the days are overcast |
| Natural Hazards |
winter windstorms; floods |
| Physical Features |
Several mountain groups including Snowdonia (Snowdon, 1,085 m), Cambrian Mountains, Brecon Beacons. Severn, Clyde, Dee, Taff, Wye, Usk rivers |
| Environmental Agreements |
party to: Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Air Pollution-Sulfur 94, Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds, Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic-Marine Living Resources, Antarctic Seals, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands, Whaling signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements |
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