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United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland COUNTRY DESCRIPTION  The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is a highly
developed constitutional monarchy comprised of Great Britain
(England, Scotland and Wales) and Northern Ireland. Gibraltar is a
United Kingdom Overseas Territory bordering Spain and located at the
southernmost tip of Europe at the entrance to the Mediterranean Sea.
It is one of thirteen former British colonies that have elected to
continue their political links with London. Tourist facilities are
widely available.PEOPLE  The United Kingdom's population in 2004 surpassed 60 million--the
third-largest in the European Union. Its overall population density
is one of the highest in the world. Almost one-third of the
population lives in England's prosperous and fertile southeast and
is predominantly urban and suburban--with about 7.2 million in the
capital of London, which remains the largest city in Europe. The
United Kingdom's high literacy rate (99%) is attributable to
universal public education introduced for the primary level in 1870
and secondary level in 1900. Education is mandatory from ages 5
through 16. About one-fifth of British students go on to
post-secondary education. The Church of England and the Church of
Scotland are the official churches in their respective parts of the
country, but most religions found in the world are represented in
the United Kingdom. A group of islands close to continental Europe, the British Isles have been subject to many invasions and migrations, especially from Scandinavia and the continent, including Roman occupation for several centuries. Contemporary Britons are descended mainly from the varied ethnic stocks that settled there before the 11th century. The pre-Celtic, Celtic, Roman, Anglo-Saxon, and Norse influences were blended in Britain under the Normans, Scandinavian Vikings who had lived in Northern France. Although Celtic languages persist in Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland, the predominant language is English, which is primarily a blend of Anglo-Saxon and Norman French. ENTRY/EXIT REQUIREMENTS A passport is required. A visa is not required for tourist or student stays of up to six months in the United Kingdom (UK) or to enter Gibraltar. Those planning to stay in the UK for any purpose longer than six months must obtain a visa prior to entering. Students enrolled in a course of study that is longer than six months must obtain a visa prior to entering. Those who are required to obtain a visa, and fail to do so, may be denied entry and returned to their port of origin. Foreign visitors who wish to marry in the UK must obtain a visa as a fiancée or marriage visitor prior to entering, or obtain a UK Home Office certificate of approval. The marriage visa requirement applies even to persons who do not intend to remain in the UK after their marriage. Visit the website of the British Embassy in the U.S. at http://britainusa.com for the most current UK visa information, or contact UK consular offices via their premium rate telephone service at 1-900-990-8472. The service operates Monday through Friday, from 8:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. U.S. Eastern Time, excluding public holidays. There is a per-minute charge for calls to this number. QUICK FACTS Geography Area: 243,000 sq. km. (93,000 sq. mi.); slightly smaller than Oregon. Cities: Capital--London (metropolitan pop. about 7.2 million). Other cities--Birmingham, Glasgow, Leeds, Sheffield, Liverpool, Bradford, Manchester, Edinburgh, Bristol, Belfast. Terrain: 30% arable, 50% meadow and pasture, 12% waste or urban, 7% forested, 1% inland water. Land use: 25% arable, 46% meadows and pastures, 10% forests and woodland, 19% other. Climate: Generally mild and temperate; weather is subject to frequent changes but to few extremes of temperature. People Nationality: Noun--Briton(s). Adjective--British. Population (2007 est.): 60.8 million. Annual population growth rate (2007 est.): 0.275%. Major ethnic groups: British, Irish, West Indian, South Asian. Major religions: Church of England (Anglican), Roman Catholic, Church of Scotland (Presbyterian), Muslim. Major languages: English, Welsh, Irish Gaelic, Scottish Gaelic. Education: Years compulsory--12. Attendance--nearly 100%. Literacy--99%. Health: Infant mortality rate (2007 est.)--5.01/1,000. Life expectancy (2007 est.)--males 76.23 yrs.; females 81.3 yrs.; total 78.7 years Work force (2007, 31.1 million): Services--80.4%; industry--18.2%; agriculture--1.4%. Government Type: Constitutional monarchy. Constitution: Unwritten; partly statutes, partly common law and practice. Branches: Executive--monarch (head of state), prime minister (head of government), cabinet. Legislative--bicameral Parliament: House of Commons, House of Lords; Scottish Parliament, Welsh Assembly, and Northern Ireland Assembly. Judicial--magistrates' courts, county courts, high courts, appellate courts, House of Lords. Subdivisions: Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland (municipalities, counties, and parliamentary constituencies). Political parties: Great Britain--Conservative, Labour, Liberal Democrats; also, in Scotland--Scottish National Party. Wales--Plaid Cymru (Party of Wales). Northern Ireland--Ulster Unionist Party, Social Democratic and Labour Party, Democratic Unionist Party, Sinn Fein, Alliance Party, and other smaller parties. Suffrage: British subjects and citizens of other Commonwealth countries and the Irish Republic resident in the U.K., at 18. Economy GDP (at current market prices, 2007 est.): $1.93 trillion. Annual growth rate (2006 est.): 2.8%. Per capita GDP (2006 est.): $31,800. Natural resources: Coal, oil, natural gas, tin, limestone, iron ore, salt, clay, chalk, gypsum, lead, silica. Agriculture (1.1% of GDP): Products--cereals, oilseed, potatoes, vegetables, cattle, sheep, poultry, fish. Industry: Types--steel, heavy engineering and metal manufacturing, textiles, motor vehicles and aircraft, construction (5.2% of GDP), electronics, chemicals. Trade (2006 est.): Exports of goods and services--$468.8 billion: manufactured goods, fuels, chemicals; food, beverages, tobacco. Major markets--U.S., European Union. Imports of goods and services--$603 billion: manufactured goods, machinery, fuels, foodstuffs. Major suppliers--U.S., European Union, Japan. USEFUL LINKS U.S. Government
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