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The following outline is provided as an overview of and topical guide to the United Kingdom:
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland – sovereign country in Europe, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK), or Britain.[1][2][3] Lying off the north-western coast of the European mainland, it includes the island of Great Britain—a term also applied loosely to refer to the whole country—the north-eastern part of the island of Ireland and many smaller islands.
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is made up of four countries – England, Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales, with Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales each having their own devolved government and national parliament.
General reference
- The United Kingdom is...
- both a country and a country made up of countries
- both a nation state and a state made up of nations
- an island country
- a Commonwealth realm (1931–)
- a member state of NATO (1949–)
- Pronunciation: /juːˌnaɪtɪd ˈkɪŋdəm/ ⓘ
- Abbreviations: UK
- Common English country names: The United Kingdom, The UK, or Britain
- Official English country name: The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
- Common endonyms: United Kingdom, UK, Britain
- Official endonyms: United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
- Adjectivals: British, United Kingdom
- Demonyms: Briton, British, Brit
- Etymology: Name of Britain, Name of the United Kingdom
- International rankings of the United Kingdom
- Official languages : English
- Terminology of the British Isles
- United Kingdom-related topics
- ISO country codes: GB, GBR, 826
- ISO region codes: See ISO 3166-2:GB
- Internet country code top-level domain: .uk, .gb (not used)
Countries of the United Kingdom, Dependencies, Territories and Commonwealth
Countries of the UK and their subdivisions
Crown Dependencies
British Overseas Territories
- Anguilla
- Bermuda
- British Antarctic Territory
- British Indian Ocean Territory
- British Virgin Islands
- Cayman Islands
- Falkland Islands
- Gibraltar
- Montserrat
- Pitcairn Islands
- Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha
- South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands
- Sovereign Base Areas of Akrotiri and Dhekelia in Cyprus
- Turks and Caicos Islands
Commonwealth of Nations
The United Kingdom is a member state of the Commonwealth of Nations
Geography, resources and demography
Geography of the United Kingdom
- Location:
- Northern Hemisphere, on the Prime meridian
- Atlantic Ocean
- Eurasia (but not on the mainland)
- Europe
- Northern Europe and Western Europe
- British Isles
- Great Britain (entire island and adjacent isles)
- Ireland (northeastern sixth of the island)
- British Isles
- Northern Europe and Western Europe
- Europe
- Time zone: Greenwich Mean Time = Western European Time (UTC+00), British Summer Time = Western European Summer Time (UTC+01)
- Area of the United Kingdom: 244,820 km2 (94,530 sq mi) – 79th most extensive country
- Extreme points of the United Kingdom:
- North: Out Stack, Shetland Islands 60°51′N 0°52′W / 60.850°N 0.867°W
- South: Western Rocks, Isles of Scilly 49°51′N 6°24′W / 49.850°N 6.400°W
- East: Lowestoft Ness, Suffolk 52°28.87′N 1°45.77′E / 52.48117°N 1.76283°E
- West: Rockall1 57°35′N 13°41′W / 57.583°N 13.683°W
- High: Ben Nevis, Lochaber at 1,343 m (4,406 ft) 56°47′49.150″N 5°0′17.22″W / 56.79698611°N 5.0047833°W
- Low: The Fens at −4 m (−13 ft) 52°29′18″N 0°13′52″W / 52.48838°N 0.23118°W
- Land boundaries:
Republic of Ireland 360 km - Land boundary:
France undersea in Channel Tunnel - Coastline: 12,429 km
- Atlas of the United Kingdom
Ecoregions
List of ecoregions in the United Kingdom
Environment
- Climate of the United Kingdom
- Environmental issues in the United Kingdom
- Conservation in the United Kingdom
- Energy in the United Kingdom
- Green building in the United Kingdom
- Ecoregions in the United Kingdom
- Renewable energy in the United Kingdom
- Geology of the United Kingdom
- National parks of the United Kingdom
- Protected areas of the United Kingdom
- Environmentally sensitive area (ESA)
- Heritage coast
- Scenic areas
- Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) – England, Wales, Northern Ireland
- National scenic area – Scotland
- Scheduled monument
- Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI)
- Special Area of Conservation (SAC) (European Union)
- Special Protection Area (SPA) (European Union)
- Wetlands designated under the Ramsar Convention (International)
- Wildlife of the United Kingdom
- Climate of the United Kingdom
- Conservation in the United Kingdom
- Environmentally sensitive area
- List of waterfalls of the United Kingdom
- List of natural disasters in the United Kingdom
Geographic features
Regions
Municipalities
Natural Resources
- Energy in the United Kingdom inc. Renewable energy in the United Kingdom
- Biodiesel in the United Kingdom
- Coal mining in the United Kingdom
- Geothermal power in the United Kingdom
- Hydraulic fracturing in the United Kingdom
- Hydroelectricity in the United Kingdom
- Marine energy in the United Kingdom
- North Sea oil
- Solar power in the United Kingdom
- Wind power in the United Kingdom
- Food
- Materials
- List of renewable resources produced and traded by the United Kingdom
Demography
Demographics of the United Kingdom
- Population of the United Kingdom: 64,105,700 (2013 estimate) making it the 22nd most populous country and, with a population density of 259/km2 (679/sq.mile), ranking it 51st on the List of sovereign states and dependent territories by population density. This is largely due to the particularly high population density of England which measures 406/km2.
Ethnicity
Ethnic groups in the United Kingdom
- Commission for Racial Equality
- British
- White British
- White Irish
- Other White Ethnic Groups
- British Asian
- Oriental British
- British Arabs
- Black British
- Latin American migration to the United Kingdom
Government, monarchy, politics and honours
- Form of government: parliamentary multi-party representative democratic constitutional monarchy
- Censorship in the United Kingdom
- Elections in the United Kingdom
- British elections (specific elections)
- Gun politics in the United Kingdom
- Political parties in the United Kingdom
- Political scandals of the United Kingdom
- Taxation in the United Kingdom
Monarchy
- Air transport of the Royal Family and government of the United Kingdom
- British Royal Family
- British monarchs' family tree
- Monarchy of the United Kingdom
- Coronation of the British monarch
- Household Cavalry
- Household Division
- HMY Britannia
- King's Guard and King's Life Guard
- Line of succession to the British throne
- List of British royal residences
- List of British monarchs
- List of Royal Yachts of the United Kingdom
- List of UK place names with royal patronage
- List of organisations in the United Kingdom with a royal charter
- Royal Assent
- Royal Charter
- Royal Christmas Message
- Royal Collection Management Committee
- Royal Collection Trust
- Royal Collection
- Royal Household
- Royal Librarian
- Royal Library, Windsor
- Royal Peculiar
- Royal Philatelic Collection
- Royal Prerogative
- Royal Standard
- Royal Style and Titles Act
- Royal Train
- Royal Warrant of Appointment (United Kingdom)
- Royal coat of arms of the United Kingdom
- Royal forest
- Style of the British sovereign
- Succession to the British Throne
Branches of the government
Executive branch
- Head of state: Monarch of the United Kingdom, King Charles III
- Head of government: Prime Minister of the United Kingdom (list), Rishi Sunak
- Cabinet of the United Kingdom
- Departments of the United Kingdom Government
Legislative branch
Judicial branch
- Courts of England and Wales
- Courts of Northern Ireland
- Courts of Scotland
- Supreme Court of the United Kingdom
Foreign relations
Foreign relations of the United Kingdom
- History
- Timeline of British diplomatic history
- United Kingdom and the United Nations
- Special Relationship
- Diplomatic missions in the United Kingdom
- Diplomatic missions of the United Kingdom
International organisation membership
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is a member of:[1]
Local government
Politics of England
Politics of Northern Ireland
Politics of Scotland
- Scottish Government
- First Minister of Scotland, and Keeper of the Great Seal of Scotland, Humza Yousaf
- Deputy First Minister of Scotland, Shona Robison
- International relations of Scotland
- Scottish Cabinet
- Dewar government (1999–2000)
- McLeish government (2000–01)
- First McConnell government (2001–03)
- Second McConnell government (2003–07)
- First Salmond government (2007–11)
- Second Salmond government (2011–14)
- First Sturgeon government (2014–16)
- Second Sturgeon government (2016–21)
- Third Sturgeon government (2021–23)
- Yousaf government (2023–present)
- History of Scottish devolution
- Local government in Scotland
- Pressure Groups in Scotland
- Scottish Parliament
Politics of Wales
- Local government in Wales
- Senedd (Welsh Parliament)
Honours
Military and Defence
Command
- Commander-in-chief: The Sovereign – King Charles III
- Chief of the Defence Staff: Admiral Sir Tony Radakin
- First Sea Lord: Admiral Sir Ben Key
- Chief of the General Staff: General Sir Patrick Sanders
- Chief of the Air Staff: Air Chief Marshal Sir Michael Wigston
- Chief of the Defence Staff: Admiral Sir Tony Radakin
- Ministry of Defence (United Kingdom)
Forces
History
See § History
Related topics
Law and order
- 9-9-9 emergency telephone number
- British citizenship, British nationality law
- Cannabis in the United Kingdom
- Capital punishment in the United Kingdom
- Common law
- Constitution of the United Kingdom
- Courts of the United Kingdom
- Crime in the United Kingdom
- Law of the European Union
- Human rights in the United Kingdom
- High treason in the United Kingdom
- Law enforcement in the United Kingdom
- List of prisons in the United Kingdom
- United Kingdom prison population
Law of England and Wales
Law of Northern Ireland
Law of Scotland
Infrastructure
Regulatory bodies
- Advertising Standards Authority
- Financial Services Authority or FSA
- Housing Corporation
- Office of Communications (Ofcom)
- Office of the Water Regulator (Ofwat)
- Press Complaints Commission
- Office of the Immigration Services Commissioner (OISC)
Trade Union Federations
Transport
Transport in the United Kingdom
- British Rail
- Airports in the United Kingdom
- Bus transport in the United Kingdom
- Coach transport in the United Kingdom
- List of long-distance footpaths in the United Kingdom
- Railway system
- Trams and Light Rail Trams and light rail systems
- Roads in the United Kingdom
- Waterways in the United Kingdom
- Tunnels in the United Kingdom
- Cycleways in the United Kingdom
- Common Travel Area
- Transport Scotland
Economy
- Economic rank, by nominal GDP (2008): 6th (sixth)
- Economic history of the United Kingdom
- Financial services industry of the United Kingdom
- Communications in the United Kingdom
- Companies of the United Kingdom
- Manufacturing in the United Kingdom
- Construction industry of the United Kingdom
- Mining in the United Kingdom
- Energy in the United Kingdom
- Legal services in the United Kingdom
- Real estate in the United Kingdom
- Tourism in the United Kingdom
- Transport in the United Kingdom
- Economy of London
History
- History of the United Kingdom
- History of England
- History of Scotland
- History of Wales
- History of Northern Ireland
- History of the formation of the United Kingdom
- British Empire and the Commonwealth
- UK underground
History by period
- Georgian era
- Victorian era
- Edwardian era
- First World War
- Interwar
- Second World War
- Postwar
- Since 1979
Historical states of the British Isles
- Ancient Britain
- Avalon
- Roman Britain
- Caledonia
- Hibernia
- Kingdom of the Picts
- Kingdom of the Scots
- Heptarchy
- States in Medieval Britain
- Commonwealth of England
- Kingdom of England
- Kingdom of Ireland
- Kingdom of Scotland (when Picts and Scots merged in 843)
- Kingdom of Great Britain (when England & Scotland merged in 1707);
- United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland (when Great Britain and Ireland merged in 1801)
By subject
- Economic history of the United Kingdom
- Maritime history of the United Kingdom
- Military history of the United Kingdom
- History of agriculture in Scotland
- History of Bangladeshis in the United Kingdom
- History of Christianity in Scotland
- History of company law in the United Kingdom
- History of education in England
- History of education in Scotland
- History of electroconvulsive therapy in the United Kingdom
- History of fire brigades in the United Kingdom
- History of fire safety legislation in the United Kingdom
- History of football in England
- History of football in Scotland
- History of labour law in the United Kingdom
- History of law enforcement in the United Kingdom
- History of lidos in the United Kingdom
- History of local government in the United Kingdom
- History of medical regulation in the United Kingdom
- History of Megabus routes in the United Kingdom
- History of metrication in the United Kingdom
- History of psychosurgery in the United Kingdom
- History of rail transport in the United Kingdom
- History of rugby union in Scotland
- History of taxation in the United Kingdom
- History of the Church of England
- History of the Constitution of the United Kingdom
- History of the formation of the United Kingdom
- History of the Green Party of England and Wales
- History of the Jews in the United Kingdom
- History of the Marranos in England
- History of rail transport in Great Britain
- History of rail transport in Ireland
- History of the Reformation in Scotland
- History of the socialist movement in the United Kingdom
- History of the trust movement in Scotland
- History of trial by jury in England
- History of violence against LGBT people in the United Kingdom
Culture
- British cuisine
- Festivals in the United Kingdom
- Gambling in the United Kingdom
- British humour
- Marriage in the United Kingdom
- Media of the United Kingdom
- Symbols of the United Kingdom, the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man
- Prostitution in the United Kingdom
- Public holidays in the United Kingdom
- Religion in the United Kingdom
- World Heritage Sites in the United Kingdom
Architecture
Architecture of the United Kingdom
- Cathedrals in the United Kingdom
- Council houses
- Energy efficiency in British housing
- Housing associations
- List of bridges in the United Kingdom
- National House Building Council
- New towns
- Piers (England and Wales)
- Reservoirs and dams in the United Kingdom
- Town and Country Planning in the United Kingdom
Architecture of England
- Abbeys and priories in England
- Crossing the Thames, including tunnels
- Historic houses in England
- Housing Corporation
Architecture of Scotland
Architecture of Wales
Architecture of Northern Ireland
Gardens
The arts
Museums
Music
Popular music
Classical music
- BBC Symphony Orchestra
- BBC National Orchestra of Wales
- BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra
- BBC Philharmonic Orchestra
- City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra (CBSO)
- Hallé Orchestra
- Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra
- Royal Philharmonic Orchestra
- Royal Scottish National Orchestra
- Philharmonia
- London Symphony Orchestra
- London Philharmonic Orchestra
- Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra
- Scottish Chamber Orchestra
- The Proms
- British opera
- Ulster Orchestra
Folk music
Theatre
Film
Cultural icons
United Kingdom icons
- AEC Routemaster red double-decker bus
- Baked beans
- Basil Fawlty
- The Beano
- The Beatles
- Big Ben chimes
- Black Cab (hackney cab)
- Boudica
- Bowler hat
- Britannia
- British Monarchy
- Britpop
- British Rail
- British Bulldog
- Cap of Maintenance
- A Clockwork Orange
- Cool Britannia
- Concorde
- Coronation Street
- Crossroads
- Crown Jewels of the United Kingdom
- Cutty Sark
- Dad's Army
- Doctor Who
- Dig for Victory
- EastEnders
- England expects that every man will do his duty
- Excalibur
- Excalibur (comics)
- Fawlty Towers
- The Few, "..so much owed by so many to so few"
- Fish and chips
- Football (soccer)
- Frank Spencer
- Full breakfast: Full English, Ulster fry, Scottish, Welsh
- Gentleman's Relish
- God Save the King
- The Great Escape
- Hackney carriage
- Harry Potter
- HP sauce
- Hyacinth Bucket
- The Italian Job
- Jaffa Cakes
- James Bond
- John Bull
- King Arthur
- Land of Hope and Glory
- Land Rover Defender
- Last Night of the Proms
- The Lion and the Unicorn
- Lonsdale Belt
- The Lord of the Rings
- Marks & Spencer
- Marmite
- Mini
- Miniskirt
- Miss Marple
- Mod
- Monty Python
- Morrissey
- Page Three girl
- Pantomime
- Pint glass
- Police box
- Pub
- Punk
- King's Guard
- RMS Queen Mary
- Red Arrows
- Red post boxes
- Red telephone boxes
- Robin
- Rolls-Royce Motor Cars
- Royal Warrant
- Rule Britannia
- Rugby
- The Sex Pistols
- Sherlock Holmes
- Skinhead
- Special Air Service (SAS)
- Sten
- Suffragettes
- Supermarine Spitfire
- Swinging Sixties
- Tea (cup of)
- Tea (meal)
- Test Card F
- Thunderbirds
- Tommy Atkins (generic name for a British soldier)
- Brodie helmet (helmet worn by the above)
- Trooping the Colour
- Twiglets
- Umbrella
- Union Flag
- Weather
- We shall never surrender, ..fight them on the beaches speech
- Wallace and Gromit
- Wellington boot
- Winston Churchill
- Woolworths Group plc
English icons
- 1966 World cup squad
- And did those feet in ancient time
- Angel of the North
- Bangers and mash
- The Boat Race
- Clapham Junction
- Cricket
- Del Boy
- Dixon of Dock Green
- EastEnders
- English rose
- Full English breakfast
- Jack the Ripper
- King Arthur
- London Bridge
- London Eye
- M25 motorway
- Morris dance
- Only Fools and Horses
- Oxbridge
- Premier League
- Robin Hood
- Saint George's Cross
- Soho
- Spaghetti Junction
- Status Quo
- Stilton cheese
- Stonehenge
- There'll Always Be an England
- Three Lions
- Tower Bridge
- Tube map
- Tudor rose
- Yeoman
- Yeomen Warders
- White Cliffs of Dover
Northern Irish icons
Scottish icons
- Alex Ferguson
- Auld Lang Syne
- Bagpipes
- Ben Nevis
- Billy Connolly
- Common riding
- Dundee cake
- Edinburgh Castle
- Eilean Donan Castle
- Flower of Scotland
- Forth Bridge
- Full Scottish breakfast
- Great Highland bagpipe
- Hackle
- Haggis (with neeps and tatties)
- Highland games
- Kilt
- Loch Lomond
- Loch Ness
- Old Firm
- Oatcake
- Porridge
- Robert the Bruce
- Robert Burns
- St Andrew's Cross
- Scotch whisky
- Scotland the Brave
- Scottish Premier League
- Scots Wha Hae
- Sgian-dubh
- Shinty
- Shortbread
- Stirling Castle
- Tam o' shanter
- Tartan
- Thistle
- Trews
- Tweed (cloth)
- Unicorn
- Up Helly Aa
Welsh icons
Languages
Languages of the United Kingdom
- English Language
- Celtic languages
- Scots in Scotland and Ulster
- British Sign Language (BSL)
- Romany
- Indian, Pakistani and Bangladeshi languages
People
Demographics of the United Kingdom
Interest groups and societies
Religion
Religion in the United Kingdom
- Christianity
- Assemblies of God in Great Britain
- Church of England (the established church in England)
- Church of Scotland (the national church of Scotland)
- Church of Ireland
- Church in Wales
- Episcopal Church of Scotland
- Free Church of Scotland (post 1900)
- Free Church of Scotland (Continuing)
- Free Presbyterian Church of Ulster
- Reformed Presbyterian Church of Ireland
- Reformed Presbyterian Church of Scotland
- Presbyterian Church of Ireland
- Presbyterian Church of Wales
- General Assembly of Unitarian and Free Christian Churches
- Methodism
- Open Brethren
- Non-subscribing Presbyterian Church of Ireland
- Roman Catholic Church in England and Wales
- Roman Catholic Church in Scotland
- Coptic Orthodox Church in Britain and Ireland
- United Reformed Church
- Religious Society of Friends (Quakers)
- The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
- Hinduism in the United Kingdom
- Islam in the United Kingdom
- Judaism
- Sikhism in the United Kingdom
- Buddhism in the United Kingdom
- Druidism
- Other
Sports, games, and pastimes
Sport in the United Kingdom The following are the major sports; local groups may well play many others.
Angling
Chess
Cricket
Hiking
Association football
- England
- Scotland
- Scottish Football Association
- Scotland national football team
- List of Scottish Football Clubs
- Scottish Football League
- Scottish Premier League
- Highland Football League
- East of Scotland Football League
- South of Scotland Football League
- Scottish Junior Football Association
- North Caledonian Football League
- Scottish Cup
- Northern Ireland
- Irish Football Association (not to be confused with the Football Association of Ireland)
- Northern Ireland national football team
- Irish Football League (not to be confused with the League of Ireland)
- Wales
Polo
Rugby
Sport rowing
- Boat Race (Oxford vs Cambridge)
- Henley Royal Regatta
Skiing
Other sports, games, and pastimes
Education
- Education in the United Kingdom
- Schools in the United Kingdom
- Universities in the United Kingdom
Education in England
Education in Northern Ireland
Education in Scotland
Education in Wales
See also
References
- ^ a b "United Kingdom". The World Factbook. United States Central Intelligence Agency. 2 July 2009. Retrieved 23 July 2009.
- ^ "Encyclopædia Britannica". Retrieved 25 September 2007.
Island country located off the north-western coast of mainland Europe
- ^ "Countries within a country". number-10.gov.uk. Archived from the original on 9 September 2008. Retrieved 13 June 2007.
Countries within a country
External links
Wikimedia Atlas of the United Kingdom
United Kingdom travel guide from Wikivoyage- Official website of the British Monarchy
- Official website of the United Kingdom Government
- Official website of the national tourism agency (VisitBritain)
