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Europe :: United Kingdom Print
Page last updated on December 31, 2018
The World Factbook Country/Location Flag Modal
Europe :: United Kingdom Print
Flag Description
blue field with the red cross of Saint George (patron saint of England) edged in white superimposed on the diagonal red cross of Saint Patrick (patron saint of Ireland), which is superimposed on the diagonal white cross of Saint Andrew (patron saint of Scotland); properly known as the Union Flag, but commonly called the Union Jack; the design and colors (especially the Blue Ensign) have been the basis for a number of other flags including other Commonwealth countries and their constituent states or provinces, and British overseas territories
The World Factbook Country/Location Locator Map Modal
Europe :: United Kingdom Print
The World Factbook Country/Location Photo Gallery Modal
Europe :: United Kingdom
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Many of the timber-framed buildings in York have been restored and converted to restaurants, shops, or boutiques.
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Ruins of St. Mary's Abbey in the garden adjoining the Yorkshire Museum in York. The former Benedictine abbey was the richest in northern England; it was destroyed on orders of Henry VIII during the "Dissolution of the Monasteries" in the 16th century.
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Ruins in the Museum Gardens adjacent to the Yorkshire Museum in York.
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Promenade along the River Ouse in York. Lendal Bridge appears in the background.
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The Merchant Adventurers' Hall was one of the most important buildings in medieval York. The majority of the structure was built in 1357; its Great Hall was where merchants gathered to conduct business and socialize, while its Undercroft served as a hospital and almshouse for the poor. The Merchant Adventurers today no longer conduct mercantile activities but are a charitable group. The Hall is the largest timber-framed building in the UK still standing and used for its original purpose.
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The ruined keep of the medieval Norman castle in York is referred to as Clifford's Tower.
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Much of York's ancient walls still survive; they are punctuated by four main gatehouses (referred to as "bars"). Bootham Bar has some of the oldest surviving stonework - dating to the 11th century A.D. It was built almost exactly on the site of the northwestern gate of Eboracum, the Roman settlement that evolved into York. This view, taken from Exhibition Square, shows York Minster, the city's famous cathedral, in the background.
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Substantial portions of York's city walls have been preserved. Although the Romans first constructed walls around the city (which they called Eboracum), most of the current walls date to medieval (12th-14th century) times.
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Layers showing the build up of York's defenses through the ages.
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A view of the towers on the western front of York Minster. Construction on this Gothic cathedral, one of the largest in northern Europe, began in 1220; it was not completed until 1472.
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A closer view of the front facade of York Minster, whose formal title is "The Cathedral and Metropolitical Church of St. Peter in York."
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Time, weather, and pollution have all taken their toll on the carvings decorating the exterior of York Minster. Sections of the cathedral continue to undergo restoration. Replacement stonework is fashioned in a special stoneyard next to the cathedral.
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Some of York Minster's decorative roof finials show severe weathering, as well as areas where restoration has taken place.
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A view across some of the York Minster roofs.
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A close up of one of the York Minster entrances highlighting some of the replacement carvings installed as part of the restoration effort.
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A portion of the choir screen in York Minster shows carvings of many of England's early kings.
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Statue of Roman Emperor Constantine at the south transept of York Minster. This is near the spot where Constantine was proclaimed Augustus (i.e., co-emperor) in 306 A.D. by his troops. Following a six-year civil war, Constantine became sole emperor and allowed religious freedom throughout the empire. His Edict proved a turning point for the spread of the Christian Church.
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St. William's College, adjacent to York Minster, serves as a convention and meeting center for the cathedral.
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The Theatre Royal in York dates dates back to 1744; it sits on the site of the medieval St. Leonard's Hospital. Parts of the old hospital can still be seen in the archways and walls. Under the stage is a well that is believed to date back to the Roman era in York's history.
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The Shambles, formerly an open-air meat market in York, is now a popular tourist destination lined with picturesque shops.
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Wildflowers growing atop a wall in York.
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Street scene in Portsmouth, England.
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HMS Warrior, a museum ship docked in Portsmouth Harbor, England. Completed in 1861, she was the first armor-plated, iron-hulled warship built for the British Royal Navy. In its day, Warrior was the largest, fastest, most heavily armed and armored warship in the world. She was powered by sail or steam-driven propeller, or both.
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HMS Warrior docked in Portsmouth Harbor, England. The city's iconic Spinnaker Tower, opened in 2005, appears at the left. The tower's height is 170 m (560 ft); it has three viewing decks at 100-, 105-, and 110-meter levels.
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Trackways for one of the swivel guns on HMS Warrior.
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The National Museum of the Royal Navy in the historic dockyards area of Portsmouth Harbor, England.
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HMS Victory, Lord Nelson's flagship from the Battle of Trafalgar, in drydock at the historic dockyards area of Portsmouth Harbor, England. She is the world's oldest naval ship still in commission and carries 104 guns.
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Entrance gangway to HMS Victory, berthed at the historic dockyard in Portsmouth, England.
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Gundeck on HMS Victory - Britain's most famous battleship - berthed at the historic dockyard in Portsmouth, England.
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View from HMS Victory onto Portsmouth Harbor. The ship in drydock is the M33, a World War I monitor (gunboat) dating to 1915.
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The simple curving lines of the Mary Rose Museum contrast with the ornate carvings on the stern of HMS Victory in the historic dockyard area in Portsmouth, England. The Mary Rose was a 16th-century warship that sank abruptly in 1545 during an engagement with the French. She was salvaged in 1982 along with thousands of artifacts and today serves as the centerpiece of an eponymous nautical museum and maritime archeological center.
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The surprisingly spacious dining quarters aboard HMS Victory were reserved for the officers.
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Dust from North Africa mingled with other aerosols in the skies over the United Kingdom (left of center) and Ireland (farther west) on 18 April 2003. In this scene, the dust is more prominent to the north over the Atlantic, where it can be seen as a tan swirl west of Norway. West of Ireland, the haze is grayer, and is more likely pollution. In the United Kingdom, a few bright plumes of white could be associated with fires. Photo courtesy of NASA.
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This satellite photo shows Northwest Europe. Visible are the Republic of Ireland (top leftmost), the United Kingdom (top left), France (middle left), Belgium (middle), the Netherlands (top middle), Germany (right), Denmark (top right), Luxembourg (between France, Germany, and Belgium), Switzerland (bottom middle), Italy (bottom middle), and Austria (bottom right); the latter three all cloud covered. The city of Paris is the gray area in northern France. Image courtesy of NASA.
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Blenheim Palace in Oxforshire, built between 1705 and 1724, is one of the largest houses in England.
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A walk through the Secret Garden on the grounds of Blenheim Palace.
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A hidden pool in the Secret Garden at Blenheim Palace.
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A variety of low-growing plants highlight a rock garden in the Secret Garden at Blenheim Palace.
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Pink rhododendrons in the Secret Garden on the grounds of Blenheim Palace.
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One of the belvederes gracing the west end of Blenheim Palace as seen through some of the trees on the grounds of the estate.
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Wisteria-bedecked cottage in the town of Burford, the Cotswold hills district, England.
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Shops in the town of Burford, the Cotswolds district, England.
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Relaxing outside a restaurant in the town of Burford, the Cotswold hills district, England.
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Closely packed houses in the town of Burford, the Cotswold hills district, England.
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A sunny afternoon in Bournton-on-the-Water, Cotswolds district, England.
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An inviting cottage in the town of Bournton-on-the-Water, Cotswolds district, England.
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Typical Cotswolds hills cottage and dry stone walls.
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A sturdy Cotswolds house built of locally quarried, distinctive honey-colored limestone.
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The Palm House at the Royal Botanic Gardens in Kew, England is the largest Victorian glasshouse in the world. Kew Gardens is a UNESCO World Heritage site.
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Inside the Palm House at the Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew, England.
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Spiral stairs in Kew Garden's Temperate House or Palm House, the largest Victorian glasshouse in the world. A walkway at a height of 9 m (30 ft) in the 19 m- (62 ft-) high nave allows visitors to look down upon the crowns of the palms. Kew Gardens is a UNESCO World Heritage site.
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View from a raised walkway down onto a fish pond in the Palm House at the Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew, England.
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White rhododendron blossoms at the Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew, England.
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Rhododendron blossoms and buds at the Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew, England.
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Red rhododendron blossoms at the Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew, England.
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Tower Bridge over the River Thames in London gets its name from the nearby Tower of London. Officially opened in 1894, it has become an iconic symbol of the city.
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Tower Bridge in London received its name from the nearby Tower of London.
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View from out the back of one of London's famous double-decker buses crossing Tower Bridge.
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Passing under Tower Bridge as seen through the observation window of a cruise ship.
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The Houses of Parliament building in Westminster, London, with its famous Clock Tower. The nickname Big Ben is today frequently applied to the tower, the clock, and the bell, but originally it applied solely to the largest bell inside the tower. The clock holds the distinction of being the world's largest four-faced chiming clock.
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The Clock Tower of the Houses of Parliament building in Westminster, London. The nickname Big Ben is today frequently applied to the tower, the clock, and the bell, but originally it applied solely to the largest bell inside the tower. The clock is recognized as the world's largest four-faced chiming clock.
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Big Ben as seen through the gates of the Palace of Westminster, London.
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The statue of Winston Churchill on the grounds of the Houses of Parliament building (Westminster Palace) in London.
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The statue of Boudica, Queen of the Celtic Iceni tribe, near Westminster Pier and the Houses of Parliament Clock Tower. Boudica led a fearsome - but ultimately unsuccessful - Celtic revolt against the Romans in A.D. 60 or 61.
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A view of London at dusk.
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The London Eye, also known as the Millennium Wheel, is the tallest Ferris wheel in Europe (135 m). The Eye carries 32 sealed and air-conditioned egg-shaped passenger capsules, each of which can hold 25 persons.
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A capsule from the London Eye, the city's famous observation wheel.
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The London Eye at dusk.
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Looking up at the dome of St. Paul's Cathedral in London. This Anglican place of worship rests on Ludgate Hill, the highest point in the city. The present building - designed by Sir Christopher Wren - dates to the 17th century and is generally considered to be the fifth St. Paul's erected on the site.
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A vista of London from the Golden Gallery, the highest point of the outer dome of St. Paul's Cathedral in London. Some 85 m (280 ft) above the city, this view requires a climb of 530 steps. The large structure on the right is the cathedral's west end clock tower.
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A look down into Paternoster Square from the dome of St. Paul's Cathedral in London. The area is the location of the London Stock Exchange, as well as various investment banks.
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View through a circular cut opening (glass covered) down onto the crossing under the dome of St. Paul's Cathedral in London.
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The Royal Albert Hall in London, England as seen from the Albert Memorial looking across Kensington Gore.
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The Royal Albert Hall in London, England as seen from Prince Consort Road.
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A view of the Albert Memorial as seen from Kensington Gore.
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The Albert Memorial in Kensington Gardens, London is situated directly to the north of the Royal Albert Hall. It was commissioned by Queen Victoria in memory of her beloved husband, Prince Albert. Built over a period of 10 years, it opened in 1872.
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A closer view of the Albert Memorial in Kensington Gardens, London.
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The ornate, Gothic north entrance to Westminster Abbey, in London, England.
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Westminster Cathedral in London is the mother church for Roman Catholic community in England and Wales. Opened in 1903, it is renowned for its highly distinctive Byzantine architecture.
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Butler's Wharf along the River Thames, London.
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The Charing Cross Railroad Station in London. The Hungerford Bridge that leads to the station is flanked by two cable-stayed pedestrian bridges that share the railroad bridge's foundation piers and which are officially named the Golden Jubilee Bridges.
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Whitehall Court as seen from the River Thames, London. Although one contiguous building, it consists of two separate constructions. The left portion of the building is The Royal Horseguards hotel, while the remainder is residential.
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The 11 m (36 ft)-high blown glass chandelier by Dale Chihuly in the rotunda at the main entrance to the Victoria and Albert Museum in London.
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The courtyard of the Victoria and Albert Museum in London.
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The courtyard of the Victoria and Albert Museum in London.
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A cast of Trajan's Column (cut in half, upper part seen in foreground) as displayed at the Cast Court in the Victoria and Albert Museum in London. The acquisition by museums of plaster casts of important monuments and works of art was especially popular in the mid-to-late 19th century, since few people could afford to travel to the Continent to view the originals. The V&A's collection is regarded as one of the finest remaining in the world.
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Close up of the base of the cast of Trajan's Column as displayed at the Cast Court in the Victoria and Albert Museum in London.
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Cast of an elaborate Moorish entranceway at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London.
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A storage area for casts at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London.
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The tip of the distinctive 30 St Mary Axe Building (40 stories; commonly referred to as The Gherkin) as seen from the courtyard of The Tower of London fortress.
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The uniquely shaped London City Hall (on the left) is home to the Greater London Authority, which consists of the Mayor of London and a 25-member London Assembly.
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The Royal Exchange in London. This - the third exchange building on the site - dates to 1844. The Royal Exchange no longer acts as a center of commerce, but is now a luxurious shopping center.
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The impressive facades along Queen's Gate Terrace in London.
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An element from The Blues and Royals, in their distinctive blue rain capes, passing along a damp London street. The Blues and Royals are part of the Household Cavalry Regiment performing ceremonial duties on state and royal occasions as well as an armored reconnaissance unit taking part in active military operations around the world. As one of the senior regiments of the British Army, the lineage of The Blues and Royals includes The Royal Horse Guards (Blues) and The Royal Dragoons (1st Dragoons) dating back to the Restoration Period of 1660-1661.
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Horns, trumpets, bells - London, England.
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The Queen's House, Greenwich viewed from Observatory Hill. Shown are the original house (1635) and the wings linked by colonnades (1807). Beyond the House is the Old Royal Naval College, completed in 1712.
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The exquisitely carved ceiling of the Chapel at the Queen Mary Court of the Old Royal Naval College in Greenwich.
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The balcony in the Chapel at the Queen Mary Court of the Old Royal Naval College in Greenwich.
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A view towards the back of the Chapel at the Queen Mary Court of the Old Royal Naval College in Greenwich, showing part of the balcony and organ.
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A section of the Painted Hall and its famous trompe l'oeil decorations at the King William Court of the Old Royal Naval College in Greenwich.
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One of the buildings making up the Royal Observatory at Greenwich.
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A rear entrance to Lowther Lodge, the main building of the Royal Geographical Society in London.
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The new glass Pavilion exhibition space of the Royal Geographical Society (RGS) opened in 2004 behind Lowther Lodge, the society's main building. Beneath the Pavilion and to the foreground is the Foyle Reading Room and the RGS library, which are covered by a sunken lawn, but which receive illumination through the bush-shaded skylights.
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This intriguing "globular cluster of stars" is actually the "constellation" of city lights surrounding London as recorded February 2003 from the International Space Station. The encircling "London Orbital" highway by-pass, the M25, is easiest to pick out south of the city. Even farther south are the lights of Gatwick airport and just inside the western (left hand) stretch of the Orbital is Heathrow. Image courtesy of NASA.
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Swaledale, a valley in Yorkshire, northern England.
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Much of the exterior of Eastwell Manor in Ashford, Kent, is draped with ivy.
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Old Bridge at Warwick Castle, Warwick, England, dates to the 11th century.
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Anne Hathaway's Cottage, near Stratford-on-Avon, England, is a spacious 12-room house where Anne - Shakespeare's wife - was brought up.
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The main entrance to the Windsor & Eton Central Railway Station, opposite Windsor Castle in Berkshire, England.
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Windsor Castle in Berkshire County is the largest inhabited castle in the world; dating to the 11th century, it is one of the principal official residences of the British monarch. In 1992, a fire destroyed part of the castle; restoration required five years. The castle is one of Britain's most popular attractions, but not all areas are open to the public.
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The Round Tower at Windsor Castle in Berkshire, England.
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Part of the Quadrangle of the Upper Ward at Windsor Castle in Berkshire, England.
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Gardens and pond at Windsor Castle in Berkshire, England.
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The Cathedral of Saint Mary in Salisbury, consecrated in 1258, is an Anglican cathedral built in the Early English Gothic style. It has the tallest church spire in the UK, which required serious buttressing and contains no bell. The cathedral holds the oldest working clock in the world (built 1386) and one of the original surviving copies of the Magna Carta.
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Laburnum trees in bloom around Chester Cathedral, England. The cathedral dates back to 1093 and has a free standing bell tower added in the 20th century. The church has been altered many times as attested to by examples of Norman, Early English Gothic, and Perpendicular Gothic styles of architecture. There may have been a Christian basilica on the site during the Roman era.
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The Isles of Scilly, an archipelago of approximately 150 islands, are located some 45 km (28 mi) southwest of the westernmost point of England (Land's End). The islands are an erosional remnant of an ancient granite intrusion, and are notable because they have been inhabited for over 4,000 years. Only five of the islands are currently inhabited. Historical and geological evidence indicates that many of the islands were larger and/or connected in the recent past. Even today, it is possible to walk between certain islands during low tides. Image courtesy of NASA.
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The entrance to the new St. Michael's Coventry Cathedral, England.
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Tower, spire, and part of the outer wall of the old St. Michael's Coventry Cathedral, England. Built in the late 14th and early 15th centuries, the church was bombed and almost obliterated during the Blitz in 1940. Today it stands next to the new cathedral and serves as a place of reflection and reconciliation.
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William Shakespeare's birthplace, Stratford-on-Avon, England.
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Dry stone walls line a road in the Lake District in northwest England. The lakes and mountains of this picturesque area were attracting tourists by the end of the 18th century and by 1951 the government formed the Lake District National Park to protect the area from becoming over developed. Its most famous inhabitant was the poet William Wordsworth.
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The Choir of Bristol Cathedral (the Cathedral Church of the Holy and Undivided Trinity). The church was founded in 1140 as Saint Augustine's Abbey, and rebuilt in 1542 in the Romanesque style; it was added on to again in the 19th century.
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Bath Abbey (the Abbey Church of Saint Peter and Saint Paul) is built in a cruciform pattern. Founded in the 7th century, it was rebuilt in the 12th and 16th centuries.
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Bath Abbey stands nearby the Roman Baths in Bath, England.
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Plaque affixed to Bath Abbey commemorating the site of the coronation of Edgar, the first king of all England, in A.D. 973.
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Close up of the Gothic exterior of Bath Abbey, Bath, England.
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Fan vaulting over the nave at Bath Abbey, Bath, England.
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View across the Pulteney Bridge, which spans the River Avon in Bath, county Sommerset, England. The bridge is lined by shops on both sides.
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Looking down onto the River Avon from the Pulteney Bridge in Bath, county Sommerset, England.
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A view of Pulteney Bridge over the River Avon in Bath, England. The bridge was modeled after the Ponte Vecchio in Florence, Italy.
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A topiary lion stands guard in Parade Garden in Bath, England.
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A street scene in Bath, Somerset county, England.
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St. Michael's Church in Bath, England.
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Hanging flower baskets in Bath, county Sommerset, England.
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A model of the baths and associated temple at Aquae Sulis showing the many buildings that made up the complex.
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A model of the baths and associated temple at Aquae Sulis (viewed from the opposite side) showing the many buildings that made up the complex.
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A view of the reconstructed Great Bath of Aquae Sulis in Bath, with Bath Abbey in the background.
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The Great Bath at Aquae Sulis (today Bath) England. Although the water from the hot spring is colorless, it acquires its distinctive green hue from algal growth caused by the heat of the water and from sunlight.
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The superstructure of the Roman baths at Aquae Sulis - everything from the base of the columns upward - was reconstructed during Victorian times.
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The spring at the Roman Baths at Aquae Sulis (today Bath) England.
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The King's Bath at Bath, England.
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Hot water (46 degrees C or 115 degrees F) continues to flow into the Great Bath at Aquae Sulis through the original Roman channels.
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This arched overflow was part of the impressive Roman engineering arrangements at Aquae Sulis that continue to keep hot water flowing through the bath complex today.
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Carved blocks from the pediment of the Temple of Sulis Minerva (the patron deity of the baths at Aquae Sulis).
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Foundational remains of some of the buildings at Aquae Sulis. The screen shows what the area looked like in Roman times.
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Flowers vying for attention in a window box outside the Roman Baths in Bath, England.
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A photo of the English countryside near Avebury, in the English county of Wiltshire. The small town is the site of a Neolithic henge that is larger and older than Stonehenge, 32 km (20 mi) to the south.
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Vaults of clouds climb above the fields by Overton Hill in Wiltshire, England. Numerous tumuli (burial mounds) dot the hill, which has been the focus of human activities for over 5,000 years.
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Stonehenge as seen from the north barrow, Wiltshire County, England. The stone circle was built about 2500 B.C. by a non-writing culture and is composed of earthworks surrounding a circular setting of large standing stones with several hundred burial mounds. Among its many suggested functions are that it may have served as: an astronomical observatory, a religious site, a domain of the dead, or a place of healing. It has also been connected to Arthurian legend.
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Another view of the megaliths that compose Stonehenge.
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Built in the English Palladian style between 1737 and 1749, the Radcliffe Camera in Oxford, England houses the Radcliffe Science Library.
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Chancel vault of Christ Church Cathedral, Oxford, England. Uniquely, the church also serves as the chapel for Christ Church, the largest college at the University of Oxford. The church held the distinction of being the smallest cathedral in England for hundreds of years, but in the 20th century a few smaller churches were raised to cathedral status. The house of worship exhibits both Norman and Perpendicular styles.
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Iron Bridge spans the Severn River near the town of Ironbridge, England; it was the first arch bridge made of cast iron. Constructed in 1779, the bridge opened in 1781; vehicular traffic was barred from it in 1934.
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A remaining section of Hadrian's Wall, England. The wall was a fortification built by the Romans to mark their northern frontier, to prevent raids by Pictish tribes, and to collect customs. Begun in A.D. 122 and largely completed in six years, it was constructed of turf and stone with 80 small fortlets, one for each Roman mile. Eventually 14 to 17 full size forts were added.
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Eilean Donan Castle, near Kyle of Lochalsh, Scotland was built in 1220 on a small island in Loch Duich as a defense against Danish invaders.
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Celtic cross outside of St. Moluag's Church - Teampull Mholuaidh in Scots Gaelic - in the town of Eoropie on the Isle of Lewis in the Outer Hebrides of northern Scotland.
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The Standing Stones of Callanish, on the Isle of Lewis in Scotland, date to between 2900 and 2600 B.C. Standing stone circles are found throughout the British Isles.
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A street scene in Edinburgh. Scotland's capital offers a harmonious blend of historic and modern architecture.
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Saint Giles Cathedral, The High Kirk of Edinburgh, Scotland. This view of the west front shows the Tower and the Crown. The latter is believed to date from the 15th century.
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Heraldic flags flank the Preston Aisle inside Saint Giles Cathedral, Edinburgh.
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A view of the North Transept inside Edinburgh's Saint Giles Cathedral and the great North Window completed by Douglas Strachan, Scotland's most prolific stained glass artist of the 20th century. This window portrays nautical themes: Christ walking on water in the lower section and, in the upper section, Christ calming a tempest; it is one of the most dynamic artworks in the church exhibiting swirling shapes in the glass pieces, and a predominance of blues, greens, and purples in the color composition.
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The elaborately carved marble pulpit inside Saint Giles Cathedral, Edinburgh.
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A view of the entranceway to Edinburgh Castle. The doorway is flanked by bronze statues of two of Scotland's greatest heroes, Robert the Bruce on the left and William Wallace (a.k.a. Braveheart) on the right. They were added in 1929 on the 600th anniversary of Bruce's death.
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A section of the Scottish National War Memorial building located in Edinburgh Castle.
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Saint Margaret's Chapel - built circa 1130 - is the oldest building in Edinburgh Castle and in all of Scotland's capital city. It was built by King David I as a private chapel for the royal family and dedicated to his mother, Margaret.
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One of two splendid fireplaces inside the Royal Palace in Edinburgh Castle.
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The other fine fireplace inside the Royal Palace in Edinburgh Castle.
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A view of Edinburgh as seen from its castle.
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Looking out onto the city of Edinburgh from the walls of its castle. The oldest parts of the castle date to the 12th century.
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A view of Edinburgh from its castle. The Firth of Forth, the estuary of Scotland's Forth River, may be seen in the background.
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The entrance to the Palace of Holyroodhouse, Edinburgh, Scotland. The castle derives its name from the Celtic words "haly" and "ruid" (Holy Cross), it is the official residence of the monarch of the UK in Scotland.
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Llangollen, Wales, in the Dee Valley, is the site of the annual International Eisteddfod, a music festival in which singers and dancers from around the world participate.
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Heraldic banners decorate the walls of Caernarfon Castle, Wales, constructed by King Edward I following the conquest of Gwynedd. Begun in 1283, it reached it current state in 1323, but was never entirely completed.
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Inside Caernarfon Castle, Wales. The tradition of investing the heir to the throne of Britain with the title Prince of Wales was begun in 1301 when King Edward I invested Prince Edward with the title. Prince Charles was the last heir to be invested there in 1969.
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A view of City Square in Leeds. The statue is of The Black Prince, Edward of Woodstock. On the left is the Old Post Office; the round building in the background is called No 1 City Square.
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The former Leeds General Post Office building covers the northwest portion of Leeds City Square.
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Previous Next

- Introduction :: United Kingdom
- Background: This entry usually highlights major historic events and current issues and may include a statement about one or two key future trends.

  The United Kingdom has historically played a leading role in developing parliamentary democracy and in advancing literature and science. At its zenith in the 19th century, 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's withdrawal 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 and a founding member of NATO and the Commonwealth, the UK pursues a global approach to foreign policy. The Scottish Parliament, the National Assembly for Wales, and the Northern Ireland Assembly were established in 1998.

  The UK has been an active member of the EU since its accession in 1973, although it chose to remain outside the Economic and Monetary Union. However, motivated in part by frustration at a remote bureaucracy in Brussels and massive migration into the country, UK citizens on 23 June 2016 narrowly voted to leave the EU. The UK and the EU are currently negotiating the terms of the UK's withdrawal and a framework for their future relationship ahead of the UK's scheduled departure from the bloc on 29 March 2019.

  UNITED KINGDOM SUMMARY: PDF
- Geography :: United Kingdom
- Location: This entry identifies the country's regional location, neighboring countries, and adjacent bodies of water.
  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
  Geographic coordinates: This entry includes rounded latitude and longitude figures for the centroid or center point of a country expressed in degrees and minutes; it is based on the locations provided in the Geographic Names Server (GNS), maintained by the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency on behalf of the US Board on Geographic Names.
  54 00 N, 2 00 W
  Map references: This entry includes the name of the Factbook reference map on which a country may be found. Note that boundary representations on these maps are not necessarily authoritative. The entry on Geographic coordinates may be helpful in finding some smaller countries.
  Europe
  Area: This entry includes three subfields. Total area is the sum of all land and water areas delimited by international boundaries and/or coastlines. Land area is the aggregate of all surfaces delimited by international boundaries and/or coastlines, excluding inland water bodies (lakes, reservoirs, rivers). Water area is the sum of the surfaces of all inland water bodies, such as lakes, reservoirs, or rivers, as delimited by international boundaries and/or coastlines.
  total: 243,610 sq km
  land: 241,930 sq km
  water: 1,680 sq km

  note 1: the percentage area breakdown of the four UK countries is: England 53%, Scotland 32%, Wales 9%, and Northern Ireland 6%
  note 2: includes Rockall and the Shetland Islands, which are part of Scotland

  country comparison to the world: 81
  Area - comparative: This entry provides an area comparison based on total area equivalents. Most entities are compared with the entire US or one of the 50 states based on area measurements (1990 revised) provided by the US Bureau of the Census. The smaller entities are compared with Washington, DC (178 sq km, 69 sq mi) or The Mall in Washington, DC (0.59 sq km, 0.23 sq mi, 146 acres).
  twice the size of Pennsylvania; slightly smaller than Oregon
  Area comparison map:
  The World Factbook Field Image Modal
  Europe :: United Kingdom Print
  Image Description

  twice the size of Pennsylvania; slightly smaller than Oregon

  Land boundaries: This entry contains the total length of all land boundaries and the individual lengths for each of the contiguous border countries. When available, official lengths published by national statistical agencies are used. Because surveying methods may differ, country border lengths reported by contiguous countries may differ.
  total: 443 km
  border countries (1): Ireland 443 km
  Coastline: This entry gives the total length of the boundary between the land area (including islands) and the sea.
  12,429 km
  Maritime claims: This entry includes the following claims, the definitions of which are excerpted from the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), which alone contains the full and definitive descriptions: territorial sea - the sovereignty of a coastal state extends beyond its land territory and internal waters to an adjacent belt of sea, described as the territorial sea in the UNCLOS (Part II); this sovereignty extends to the air space over the territorial sea as well as its . . . more
  territorial sea: 12 nm
  continental shelf: as defined in continental shelf orders or in accordance with agreed upon boundaries
  exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm
  Climate: This entry includes a brief description of typical weather regimes throughout the year.
  temperate; moderated by prevailing southwest winds over the North Atlantic Current; more than one-half of the days are overcast
  Terrain: This entry contains a brief description of the topography.
  mostly rugged hills and low mountains; level to rolling plains in east and southeast
  Elevation: This entry includes both the mean elevation and the elevation extremes.
  mean elevation: 162 m
  elevation extremes: -4 m lowest point: The Fens
  1343 highest point: Ben Nevis
  Natural resources: This entry lists a country's mineral, petroleum, hydropower, and other resources of commercial importance, such as rare earth elements (REEs). In general, products appear only if they make a significant contribution to the economy, or are likely to do so in the future.
  coal, petroleum, natural gas, iron ore, lead, zinc, gold, tin, limestone, salt, clay, chalk, gypsum, potash, silica sand, slate, arable land
  Land use: This entry contains the percentage shares of total land area for three different types of land use: agricultural land, forest, and other; agricultural land is further divided into arable land - land cultivated for crops like wheat, maize, and rice that are replanted after each harvest, permanent crops - land cultivated for crops like citrus, coffee, and rubber that are not replanted after each harvest, and includes land under flowering shrubs, fruit trees, nut trees, and vines, and permane . . . more
  agricultural land: 71% (2011 est.)
  arable land: 25.1% (2011 est.) / permanent crops: 0.2% (2011 est.) / permanent pasture: 45.7% (2011 est.)
  forest: 11.9% (2011 est.)
  other: 17.1% (2011 est.)
  Irrigated land: This entry gives the number of square kilometers of land area that is artificially supplied with water.
  950 sq km (2012)
  Population distribution: This entry provides a summary description of the population dispersion within a country. While it may suggest population density, it does not provide density figures.
  the core of the population lies in and around London, with significant clusters found in central Britain around Manchester and Liverpool, in the Scotish lowlands between Endinburgh and Glasgow, southern Wales in and around Cardiff, and far eastern Northern Ireland centered on Belfast
  Natural hazards: This entry lists potential natural disasters. For countries where volcanic activity is common, a volcanism subfield highlights historically active volcanoes.
  winter windstorms; floods
  Environment - current issues: This entry lists the most pressing and important environmental problems. The following terms and abbreviations are used throughout the entry: Acidification - the lowering of soil and water pH due to acid precipitation and deposition usually through precipitation; this process disrupts ecosystem nutrient flows and may kill freshwater fish and plants dependent on more neutral or alkaline conditions (see acid rain). Acid rain - characterized as containing harmful levels of sulfur dioxi . . . more
  air pollution improved but remains a concern, particularly in the London region; soil pollution from pesticides and heavy metals; decline in marine and coastal habitats brought on by pressures from housing, tourism, and industry
  Environment - international agreements: This entry separates country participation in international environmental agreements into two levels - party to and signed, but not ratified. Agreements are listed in alphabetical order by the abbreviated form of the full name.
  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
  Geography - note: This entry includes miscellaneous geographic information of significance not included elsewhere.
  lies near vital North Atlantic sea lanes; only 35 km from France and linked by tunnel under the English Channel (the Channel Tunnel or Chunnel); because of heavily indented coastline, no location is more than 125 km from tidal waters
- People and Society :: United Kingdom
- Population: This entry gives an estimate from the US Bureau of the Census based on statistics from population censuses, vital statistics registration systems, or sample surveys pertaining to the recent past and on assumptions about future trends. The total population presents one overall measure of the potential impact of the country on the world and within its region. Note: Starting with the 1993 Factbook, demographic estimates for some countries (mostly African) have explicitly taken into account t . . . more
  65,105,246 United Kingdom (July 2018 est.)
  constituent countries:
  England 55,268,100
  Scotland 5,404,700
  Wales 3,113,200
  Northern Ireland 1,862,10
  country comparison to the world: 22
  Nationality: This entry provides the identifying terms for citizens - noun and adjective.
  noun: Briton(s), British (collective plural)
  adjective: British
  Ethnic groups: This entry provides an ordered listing of ethnic groups starting with the largest and normally includes the percent of total population.
  white 87.2%, black/African/Caribbean/black British 3%, Asian/Asian British: Indian 2.3%, Asian/Asian British: Pakistani 1.9%, mixed 2%, other 3.7% (2011 est.)
  Languages: This entry provides a listing of languages spoken in each country and specifies any that are official national or regional languages. When data is available, the languages spoken in each country are broken down according to the percent of the total population speaking each language as a first language. For those countries without available data, languages are listed in rank order based on prevalence, starting with the most-spoken language.
  English, Scottish Gaelic (about 60,000 in Scotland), Welsh (about 20% of the population of Wales), Irish (about 10% of the population of Northern Ireland), Cornish (some 2,000 to 3,000 people in Cornwall) (2012 est.)

  note: the following are recognized regional languages: Scots (about 30% of the population of Scotland)

  Religions: This entry is an ordered listing of religions by adherents starting with the largest group and sometimes includes the percent of total population. The core characteristics and beliefs of the world's major religions are described below. Baha'i - Founded by Mirza Husayn-Ali (known as Baha'u'llah) in Iran in 1852, Baha'i faith emphasizes monotheism and believes in one eternal transcendent God. Its guiding focus is to encourage the unity of all peoples on the earth so that justice and peace m . . . more
  Christian (includes Anglican, Roman Catholic, Presbyterian, Methodist) 59.5%, Muslim 4.4%, Hindu 1.3%, other 2%, unspecified 7.2%, none 25.7% (2011 est.)
  Age structure: This entry provides the distribution of the population according to age. Information is included by sex and age group as follows: 0-14 years (children), 15-24 years (early working age), 25-54 years (prime working age), 55-64 years (mature working age), 65 years and over (elderly). The age structure of a population affects a nation's key socioeconomic issues. Countries with young populations (high percentage under age 15) need to invest more in schools, while countries with older population . . . more
  0-14 years: 17.59% (male 5,871,268 /female 5,582,107)
  15-24 years: 11.71% (male 3,895,850 /female 3,726,311)
  25-54 years: 40.29% (male 13,387,119 /female 12,843,549)
  55-64 years: 12.22% (male 3,936,466 /female 4,022,245)
  65 years and over: 18.19% (male 5,321,392 /female 6,518,939) (2018 est.)
  population pyramid:
  The World Factbook Field Image Modal
  Europe :: United Kingdom Print
  Image Description
  This is the population pyramid for United Kingdom. A population pyramid illustrates the age and sex structure of a country's population and may provide insights about political and social stability, as well as economic development. The population is distributed along the horizontal axis, with males shown on the left and females on the right. The male and female populations are broken down into 5-year age groups represented as horizontal bars along the vertical axis, with the youngest age groups at the bottom and the oldest at the top. The shape of the population pyramid gradually evolves over time based on fertility, mortality, and international migration trends.
  For additional information, please see the entry for Population pyramid on the Definitions and Notes page under the References tab.
  Dependency ratios: Dependency ratios are a measure of the age structure of a population. They relate the number of individuals that are likely to be economically "dependent" on the support of others. Dependency ratios contrast the ratio of youths (ages 0-14) and the elderly (ages 65+) to the number of those in the working-age group (ages 15-64). Changes in the dependency ratio provide an indication of potential social support requirements resulting from changes in population age structures. As fertility lev . . . more
  total dependency ratio: 55.5 (2015 est.)
  youth dependency ratio: 27.4 (2015 est.)
  elderly dependency ratio: 28.2 (2015 est.)
  potential support ratio: 3.5 (2015 est.)
  Median age: This entry is the age that divides a population into two numerically equal groups; that is, half the people are younger than this age and half are older. It is a single index that summarizes the age distribution of a population. Currently, the median age ranges from a low of about 15 in Niger and Uganda to 40 or more in several European countries and Japan. See the entry for "Age structure" for the importance of a young versus an older age structure and, by implication, a low versus a high . . . more
  total: 40.5 years
  male: 39.3 years
  female: 41.7 years (2018 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 48
  Population growth rate: The average annual percent change in the population, resulting from a surplus (or deficit) of births over deaths and the balance of migrants entering and leaving a country. The rate may be positive or negative. The growth rate is a factor in determining how great a burden would be imposed on a country by the changing needs of its people for infrastructure (e.g., schools, hospitals, housing, roads), resources (e.g., food, water, electricity), and jobs. Rapid population growth can be seen as . . . more
  0.51% (2018 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 154
  Birth rate: This entry gives the average annual number of births during a year per 1,000 persons in the population at midyear; also known as crude birth rate. The birth rate is usually the dominant factor in determining the rate of population growth. It depends on both the level of fertility and the age structure of the population.
  12 births/1,000 population (2018 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 167
  Death rate: This entry gives the average annual number of deaths during a year per 1,000 population at midyear; also known as crude death rate. The death rate, while only a rough indicator of the mortality situation in a country, accurately indicates the current mortality impact on population growth. This indicator is significantly affected by age distribution, and most countries will eventually show a rise in the overall death rate, in spite of continued decline in mortality at all ages, as declining . . . more
  9.4 deaths/1,000 population (2018 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 53
  Net migration rate: This entry includes the figure for the difference between the number of persons entering and leaving a country during the year per 1,000 persons (based on midyear population). An excess of persons entering the country is referred to as net immigration (e.g., 3.56 migrants/1,000 population); an excess of persons leaving the country as net emigration (e.g., -9.26 migrants/1,000 population). The net migration rate indicates the contribution of migration to the overall level of population chan . . . more
  2.5 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2017 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 38
  Population distribution: This entry provides a summary description of the population dispersion within a country. While it may suggest population density, it does not provide density figures.
  the core of the population lies in and around London, with significant clusters found in central Britain around Manchester and Liverpool, in the Scotish lowlands between Endinburgh and Glasgow, southern Wales in and around Cardiff, and far eastern Northern Ireland centered on Belfast
  Urbanization: This entry provides two measures of the degree of urbanization of a population. The first, urban population, describes the percentage of the total population living in urban areas, as defined by the country. The second, rate of urbanization, describes the projected average rate of change of the size of the urban population over the given period of time. Additionally, the World entry includes a list of the ten largest urban agglomerations. An urban agglomeration is defined as comprising th . . . more
  urban population: 83.4% of total population (2018)
  rate of urbanization: 0.89% annual rate of change (2015-20 est.)
  Major urban areas - population: This entry provides the population of the capital and up to six major cities defined as urban agglomerations with populations of at least 750,000 people. An urban agglomeration is defined as comprising the city or town proper and also the suburban fringe or thickly settled territory lying outside of, but adjacent to, the boundaries of the city. For smaller countries, lacking urban centers of 750,000 or more, only the population of the capital is presented.
  9.046 million LONDON (capital), 2.69 million Manchester, 2.57 million Birmingham, 1.864 million West Yorkshire, 1.661 million Glasgow, 912,000 Southampton/Portsmouth (2018)
  Sex ratio: This entry includes the number of males for each female in five age groups - at birth, under 15 years, 15-64 years, 65 years and over, and for the total population. Sex ratio at birth has recently emerged as an indicator of certain kinds of sex discrimination in some countries. For instance, high sex ratios at birth in some Asian countries are now attributed to sex-selective abortion and infanticide due to a strong preference for sons. This will affect future marriage patterns and fertilit . . . more
  at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female (2017 est.)
  0-14 years: 1.05 male(s)/female (2017 est.)
  15-24 years: 1.04 male(s)/female (2017 est.)
  25-54 years: 1.04 male(s)/female (2017 est.)
  55-64 years: 0.98 male(s)/female (2017 est.)
  65 years and over: 0.81 male(s)/female (2017 est.)
  total population: 0.99 male(s)/female (2017 est.)
  Mother's mean age at first birth: This entry provides the mean (average) age of mothers at the birth of their first child. It is a useful indicator for gauging the success of family planning programs aiming to reduce maternal mortality, increase contraceptive use – particularly among married and unmarried adolescents – delay age at first marriage, and improve the health of newborns.
  28.5 years (2014 est.)

  note: data represent England and Wales only

  Maternal mortality rate: The maternal mortality rate (MMR) is the annual number of female deaths per 100,000 live births from any cause related to or aggravated by pregnancy or its management (excluding accidental or incidental causes). The MMR includes deaths during pregnancy, childbirth, or within 42 days of termination of pregnancy, irrespective of the duration and site of the pregnancy, for a specified year.
  9 deaths/100,000 live births (2015 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 155
  Infant mortality rate: This entry gives the number of deaths of infants under one year old in a given year per 1,000 live births in the same year. This rate is often used as an indicator of the level of health in a country.
  total: 4.2 deaths/1,000 live births (2018 est.)
  male: 4.6 deaths/1,000 live births (2018 est.)
  female: 3.8 deaths/1,000 live births (2018 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 190
  Life expectancy at birth: This entry contains the average number of years to be lived by a group of people born in the same year, if mortality at each age remains constant in the future. Life expectancy at birth is also a measure of overall quality of life in a country and summarizes the mortality at all ages. It can also be thought of as indicating the potential return on investment in human capital and is necessary for the calculation of various actuarial measures.
  total population: 80.9 years (2018 est.)
  male: 78.7 years (2018 est.)
  female: 83.2 years (2018 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 39
  Total fertility rate: This entry gives a figure for the average number of children that would be born per woman if all women lived to the end of their childbearing years and bore children according to a given fertility rate at each age. The total fertility rate (TFR) is a more direct measure of the level of fertility than the crude birth rate, since it refers to births per woman. This indicator shows the potential for population change in the country. A rate of two children per woman is considered the replaceme . . . more
  1.88 children born/woman (2018 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 137
  Contraceptive prevalence rate: This field gives the percent of women of reproductive age (15-49) who are married or in union and are using, or whose sexual partner is using, a method of contraception according to the date of the most recent available data. The contraceptive prevalence rate is an indicator of health services, development, and women’s empowerment. It is also useful in understanding, past, present, and future fertility trends, especially in developing countries.
  84% (2008)

  note: percent of women aged 16-49

  Health expenditures: This entry provides the total expenditure on health as a percentage of GDP. Health expenditures are broadly defined as activities performed either by institutions or individuals through the application of medical, paramedical, and/or nursing knowledge and technology, the primary purpose of which is to promote, restore, or maintain health.
  9.1% of GDP (2014)
  country comparison to the world: 38
  Physicians density: This entry gives the number of medical doctors (physicians), including generalist and specialist medical practitioners, per 1,000 of the population. Medical doctors are defined as doctors that study, diagnose, treat, and prevent illness, disease, injury, and other physical and mental impairments in humans through the application of modern medicine. They also plan, supervise, and evaluate care and treatment plans by other health care providers. The World Health Organization estimates that f . . . more
  2.83 physicians/1,000 population (2016)
  Hospital bed density: This entry provides the number of hospital beds per 1,000 people; it serves as a general measure of inpatient service availability. Hospital beds include inpatient beds available in public, private, general, and specialized hospitals and rehabilitation centers. In most cases, beds for both acute and chronic care are included. Because the level of inpatient services required for individual countries depends on several factors - such as demographic issues and the burden of disease - there is . . . more
  2.8 beds/1,000 population (2013)
  Drinking water source: This entry provides information about access to improved or unimproved drinking water sources available to segments of the population of a country. Improved drinking water - use of any of the following sources: piped water into dwelling, yard, or plot; public tap or standpipe; tubewell or borehole; protected dug well; protected spring; or rainwater collection. Unimproved drinking water - use of any of the following sources: unprotected dug well; unprotected spring; cart with small tank or . . . more
  improved: urban: 100% of population
  rural: 100% of population
  total: 100% of population
  unimproved: urban: 0% of population
  rural: 0% of population
  total: 0% of population (2015 est.)
  Sanitation facility access: This entry provides information about access to improved or unimproved sanitation facilities available to segments of the population of a country. Improved sanitation - use of any of the following facilities: flush or pour-flush to a piped sewer system, septic tank or pit latrine; ventilated improved pit (VIP) latrine; pit latrine with slab; or a composting toilet. Unimproved sanitation - use of any of the following facilities: flush or pour-flush not piped to a sewer system, septic tank . . . more
  improved: urban: 99.1% of population (2015 est.)
  rural: 99.6% of population (2015 est.)
  total: 99.2% of population (2015 est.)
  unimproved: urban: 0.9% of population (2015 est.)
  rural: 0.4% of population (2015 est.)
  total: 0.8% of population (2015 est.)
  HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: This entry gives an estimate of the percentage of adults (aged 15-49) living with HIV/AIDS. The adult prevalence rate is calculated by dividing the estimated number of adults living with HIV/AIDS at yearend by the total adult population at yearend.
  NA
  HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: This entry gives an estimate of all people (adults and children) alive at yearend with HIV infection, whether or not they have developed symptoms of AIDS.
  NA
  HIV/AIDS - deaths: This entry gives an estimate of the number of adults and children who died of AIDS during a given calendar year.
  NA
  Obesity - adult prevalence rate: This entry gives the percent of a country's population considered to be obese. Obesity is defined as an adult having a Body Mass Index (BMI) greater to or equal to 30.0. BMI is calculated by taking a person's weight in kg and dividing it by the person's squared height in meters.
  27.8% (2016)
  country comparison to the world: 36
  Education expenditures: This entry provides the public expenditure on education as a percent of GDP.
  5.6% of GDP (2015)
  country comparison to the world: 48
  School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education): School life expectancy (SLE) is the total number of years of schooling (primary to tertiary) that a child can expect to receive, assuming that the probability of his or her being enrolled in school at any particular future age is equal to the current enrollment ratio at that age. Caution must be maintained when utilizing this indicator in international comparisons. For example, a year or grade completed in one country is not necessarily the same in terms of educational content or qualit . . . more
  total: 18 years (2014)
  male: 17 years (2014)
  female: 18 years (2014)
  Unemployment, youth ages 15-24: This entry gives the percent of the total labor force ages 15-24 unemployed during a specified year.
  total: 13% (2016 est.)
  male: 14.8% (2016 est.)
  female: 11.1% (2016 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 102
- Government :: United Kingdom
- Country name: This entry includes all forms of the country's name approved by the US Board on Geographic Names (Italy is used as an example): conventional long form (Italian Republic), conventional short form (Italy), local long form (Repubblica Italiana), local short form (Italia), former (Kingdom of Italy), as well as the abbreviation. Also see the Terminology note.
  conventional long form: United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland; note - the island of Great Britain includes England, Scotland, and Wales
  conventional short form: United Kingdom
  abbreviation: UK
  etymology: self-descriptive country name; the designation "Great Britain," in the sense of "Larger Britain," dates back to medieval times and was used to distinguish the island from "Little Britain," or Brittany in modern France; the name Ireland derives from the Gaelic "Eriu," the matron goddess of Ireland (goddess of the land)
  Government type: This entry gives the basic form of government. Definitions of the major governmental terms are as follows. (Note that for some countries more than one definition applies.): Absolute monarchy - a form of government where the monarch rules unhindered, i.e., without any laws, constitution, or legally organized opposition. Anarchy - a condition of lawlessness or political disorder brought about by the absence of governmental authority. Authoritarian - a form of government in whic . . . more
  parliamentary constitutional monarchy; a Commonwealth realm
  Capital: This entry gives the name of the seat of government, its geographic coordinates, the time difference relative to Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) and the time observed in Washington, DC, and, if applicable, information on daylight saving time (DST). Where appropriate, a special note has been added to highlight those countries that have multiple time zones.
  name: London
  geographic coordinates: 51 30 N, 0 05 W
  time difference: UTC 0 (5 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)
  daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last Sunday in October

  note: applies to the United Kingdom proper, not to its Crown dependencies or overseas territories

  Administrative divisions: This entry generally gives the numbers, designatory terms, and first-order administrative divisions as approved by the US Board on Geographic Names (BGN). Changes that have been reported but not yet acted on by the BGN are noted. Geographic names conform to spellings approved by the BGN with the exception of the omission of diacritical marks and special characters.

  England: 27 two-tier counties, 32 London boroughs and 1 City of London or Greater London, 36 metropolitan districts, 56 unitary authorities (including 4 single-tier counties*);

  two-tier counties: Buckinghamshire, Cambridgeshire, Cumbria, Derbyshire, Devon, Dorset, East Sussex, Essex, Gloucestershire, Hampshire, Hertfordshire, Kent, Lancashire, Leicestershire, Lincolnshire, Norfolk, North Yorkshire, Northamptonshire, Nottinghamshire, Oxfordshire, Somerset, Staffordshire, Suffolk, Surrey, Warwickshire, West Sussex, Worcestershire;

  London boroughs and City of London or Greater London: Barking and Dagenham, Barnet, Bexley, Brent, Bromley, Camden, Croydon, Ealing, Enfield, Greenwich, Hackney, Hammersmith and Fulham, Haringey, Harrow, Havering, Hillingdon, Hounslow, Islington, Kensington and Chelsea, Kingston upon Thames, Lambeth, Lewisham, City of London, Merton, Newham, Redbridge, Richmond upon Thames, Southwark, Sutton, Tower Hamlets, Waltham Forest, Wandsworth, Westminster;

  metropolitan districts: Barnsley, Birmingham, Bolton, Bradford, Bury, Calderdale, Coventry, Doncaster, Dudley, Gateshead, Kirklees, Knowlsey, Leeds, Liverpool, Manchester, Newcastle upon Tyne, North Tyneside, Oldham, Rochdale, Rotherham, Salford, Sandwell, Sefton, Sheffield, Solihull, South Tyneside, St. Helens, Stockport, Sunderland, Tameside, Trafford, Wakefield, Walsall, Wigan, Wirral, Wolverhampton;

  unitary authorities: Bath and North East Somerset, Blackburn with Darwen, Bedford, Blackpool, Bournemouth, Bracknell Forest, Brighton and Hove, City of Bristol, Central Bedfordshire, Cheshire East, Cheshire West and Chester, Cornwall, Darlington, Derby, Durham County*, East Riding of Yorkshire, Halton, Hartlepool, Herefordshire*, Isle of Wight*, Isles of Scilly, City of Kingston upon Hull, Leicester, Luton, Medway, Middlesbrough, Milton Keynes, North East Lincolnshire, North Lincolnshire, North Somerset, Northumberland*, Nottingham, Peterborough, Plymouth, Poole, Portsmouth, Reading, Redcar and Cleveland, Rutland, Shropshire, Slough, South Gloucestershire, Southampton, Southend-on-Sea, Stockton-on-Tees, Stoke-on-Trent, Swindon, Telford and Wrekin, Thurrock, Torbay, Warrington, West Berkshire, Wiltshire, Windsor and Maidenhead, Wokingham, York;

  Northern Ireland: 5 borough councils, 4 district councils, 2 city councils;

  borough councils: Antrim and Newtownabbey; Ards and North Down; Armagh City, Banbridge, and Craigavon; Causeway Coast and Glens; Mid and East Antrim;

  district councils: Derry City and Strabane; Fermanagh and Omagh; Mid Ulster; Newry, Murne, and Down;

  city councils: Belfast; Lisburn and Castlereagh;

  Scotland: 32 council areas;

  council areas: Aberdeen City, Aberdeenshire, Angus, Argyll and Bute, Clackmannanshire, Dumfries and Galloway, Dundee City, East Ayrshire, East Dunbartonshire, East Lothian, East Renfrewshire, City of Edinburgh, Eilean Siar (Western Isles), Falkirk, Fife, Glasgow City, Highland, Inverclyde, Midlothian, Moray, North Ayrshire, North Lanarkshire, Orkney Islands, Perth and Kinross, Renfrewshire, Shetland Islands, South Ayrshire, South Lanarkshire, Stirling, The Scottish Borders, West Dunbartonshire, West Lothian

  Wales: 22 unitary authorities;

  unitary authorities: Blaenau Gwent, Bridgend, Caerphilly, Cardiff, Carmarthenshire, Ceredigion, Conwy, Denbighshire, Flintshire, Gwynedd, Isle of Anglesey, Merthyr Tydfil, Monmouthshire, Neath Port Talbot, Newport, Pembrokeshire, Powys, Rhondda Cynon Taff, Swansea, The Vale of Glamorgan, Torfaen, Wrexham

  Dependent areas: This entry contains an alphabetical listing of all nonindependent entities associated in some way with a particular independent state.
  Anguilla, Bermuda, 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, Turks and Caicos Islands
  Independence: For most countries, this entry gives the date that sovereignty was achieved and from which nation, empire, or trusteeship. For the other countries, the date given may not represent "independence" in the strict sense, but rather some significant nationhood event such as the traditional founding date or the date of unification, federation, confederation, establishment, fundamental change in the form of government, or state succession. For a number of countries, the establishment of statehood . . . more
  no official date of independence: 927 (minor English kingdoms united); 3 March 1284 (enactment of the Statute of Rhuddlan uniting England and Wales); 1536 (Act of Union formally incorporates England and Wales); 1 May 1707 (Acts of Union formally unite England, Scotland, and Wales as Great Britain); 1 January 1801 (Acts of Union formally unite Great Britain and Ireland as the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland); 6 December 1921 (Anglo-Irish Treaty formalizes partition of Ireland; six counties remain part of the United Kingdom and Northern Ireland); 12 April 1927 (Royal and Parliamentary Titles Act establishes current name of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland)
  National holiday: This entry gives the primary national day of celebration - usually independence day.
  the UK does not celebrate one particular national holiday
  Constitution: This entry provides information on a country’s constitution and includes two subfields. The history subfield includes the dates of previous constitutions and the main steps and dates in formulating and implementing the latest constitution. For countries with 1-3 previous constitutions, the years are listed; for those with 4-9 previous, the entry is listed as “several previous,” and for those with 10 or more, the entry is “many previous.” The amendments subfield summarizes the process of am . . . more
  history: unwritten; partly statutes, partly common law and practice (2016)
  amendments: proposed as a bill for an Act of Parliament by the government, by the House of Commons, or by the House of Lords; passage requires agreement by both houses and by the monarch (Royal Assent); note - additions include the Human Rights Act of 1998, the Constitutional Reform and Governance Act 2010, the Parliamentary Voting System and Constituencies Act 2011, the Fixed-term Parliaments Act 2011, and the House of Lords (Expulsion and Suspension) Act 2015 (2016)
  Legal system: This entry provides the description of a country's legal system. A statement on judicial review of legislative acts is also included for a number of countries. The legal systems of nearly all countries are generally modeled upon elements of five main types: civil law (including French law, the Napoleonic Code, Roman law, Roman-Dutch law, and Spanish law); common law (including United State law); customary law; mixed or pluralistic law; and religious law (including Islamic law). An addition . . . more
  common law system; has nonbinding judicial review of Acts of Parliament under the Human Rights Act of 1998
  International law organization participation: This entry includes information on a country's acceptance of jurisdiction of the International Court of Justice (ICJ) and of the International Criminal Court (ICCt); 59 countries have accepted ICJ jurisdiction with reservations and 11 have accepted ICJ jurisdiction without reservations; 122 countries have accepted ICCt jurisdiction. Appendix B: International Organizations and Groups explains the differing mandates of the ICJ and ICCt.
  accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations; accepts ICCt jurisdiction
  Citizenship: This entry provides information related to the acquisition and exercise of citizenship; it includes four subfields: citizenship by birth describes the acquisition of citizenship based on place of birth, known as Jus soli, regardless of the citizenship of parents. citizenship by descent only describes the acquisition of citizenship based on the principle of Jus sanguinis, or by descent, where at least one parent is a citizen of the state and being born within the territorial limits of the . . . more
  citizenship by birth: no
  citizenship by descent only: at least one parent must be a citizen of the United Kingdom
  dual citizenship recognized: yes
  residency requirement for naturalization: 5 years
  Suffrage: This entry gives the age at enfranchisement and whether the right to vote is universal or restricted.
  18 years of age; universal
  Judicial branch: This entry includes three subfields. The highest court(s) subfield includes the name(s) of a country's highest level court(s), the number and titles of the judges, and the types of cases heard by the court, which commonly are based on civil, criminal, administrative, and constitutional law. A number of countries have separate constitutional courts. The judge selection and term of office subfield includes the organizations and associated officials responsible for nominating and appointing j . . . more
  highest courts: Supreme Court (consists of 12 justices, including the court president and deputy president); note - the Supreme Court was established by the Constitutional Reform Act 2005 and implemented in October 2009, replacing the Appellate Committee of the House of Lords as the highest court in the United Kingdom
  judge selection and term of office: judge candidates selected by an independent committee of several judicial commissions, followed by their recommendations to the prime minister, and appointed by the monarch; justices serve for life
  subordinate courts: England and Wales: Court of Appeal (civil and criminal divisions); High Court; Crown Court; County Courts; Magistrates' Courts; Scotland: Court of Sessions; Sheriff Courts; High Court of Justiciary; tribunals; Northern Ireland: Court of Appeal in Northern Ireland; High Court; county courts; magistrates' courts; specialized tribunals
  Executive branch: This entry includes five subentries: chief of state; head of government; cabinet; elections/appointments; election results. Chief of state includes the name, title, and beginning date in office of the titular leader of the country who represents the state at official and ceremonial functions but may not be involved with the day-to-day activities of the government. Head of government includes the name, title of the top executive designated to manage the executive branch of the government, a . . . more
  chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952); Heir Apparent Prince CHARLES (son of the queen, born 14 November 1948)
  head of government: Prime Minister Theresa MAY (Conservative) (since 13 July 2016)
  cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the prime minister
  elections/appointments: the monarchy is hereditary; following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party or majority coalition usually becomes the prime minister; election last held on 8 June 2017 (next to be held by 5 May 2022)

  note: in addition to serving as the UK head of state, the British sovereign is the constitutional monarch for 15 additional Commonwealth countries (these 16 states are each referred to as a Commonwealth realm)

  Legislative branch: This entry has three subfields. The description subfield provides the legislative structure (unicameral – single house; bicameral – an upper and a lower house); formal name(s); number of member seats; types of constituencies or voting districts (single seat, multi-seat, nationwide); electoral voting system(s); and member term of office. The elections subfield includes the dates of the last election and next election. The election results subfield lists percent of vote by party/coalition an . . . more
  description: bicameral Parliament consists of:
  House of Lords (membership not fixed; as of May 2018, 780 lords were eligible to participate in the work of the House of Lords - 664 life peers, 90 hereditary peers, and 26 clergy; members are appointed by the monarch on the advice of the prime minister and non-party political members recommended by the House of Lords Appointments Commission); note - House of Lords total does not include ineligible members or members on leave of absence
  House of Commons (650 seats; members directly elected in single-seat constituencies by simple majority popular vote to serve 5-year terms unless the House is dissolved earlier)
  elections:
  House of Lords - no elections; note - in 1999, as provided by the House of Lords Act, elections were held in the House of Lords to determine the 92 hereditary peers who would remain; elections held only as vacancies in the hereditary peerage arise)
  House of Commons - last held on 8 June 2017 (next to be held by 5 May 2022)
  election results:
  House of Lords - composition - men 583, women 208, percent of women 26.3%
  House of Commons - percent of vote by party - Conservative 42.3%, Labor 40.0%, SNP 43.0%, Lib Dems 7.4%, DUP 0.9%, Sinn Fein 0.7%, Plaid Cymru 0.5%,other 0.6%; seats by party - Conservative 317, Labor 262, SNP 35, Lib Dems 12, DUP 10, Sinn Fein 7, Plaid Cymru 4, other 3; composition - men 442, women 208, percent of women 32%; total Parliament percent of women 28.9%
  Political parties and leaders: This entry includes a listing of significant political parties, coalitions, and electoral lists as of each country's last legislative election, unless otherwise noted.
  Alliance Party (Northern Ireland) [Naomi LONG]
  Conservative and Unionist Party [Theresa MAY]
  Democratic Unionist Party or DUP (Northern Ireland) [Arlene FOSTER]
  Green Party of England and Wales or Greens [Sian BERRY and Jonathan BARTLEY]
  Labor (Labour) Party [Jeremy CORBYN]
  Liberal Democrats (Lib Dems) [Sir Vince CABLE]
  Party of Wales (Plaid Cymru) [Adam PRICE]
  Scottish National Party or SNP [Nicola STURGEON]
  Sinn Fein (Northern Ireland) [Mary Lou MCDONALD]
  Social Democratic and Labor Party or SDLP (Northern Ireland) [Colum EASTWOOD]
  Ulster Unionist Party or UUP (Northern Ireland) [Robin SWANN]
  UK Independence Party or UKIP [Gerard BATTEN]
  International organization participation: This entry lists in alphabetical order by abbreviation those international organizations in which the subject country is a member or participates in some other way.
  ADB (nonregional member), AfDB (nonregional member), Arctic Council (observer), Australia Group, BIS, C, CBSS (observer), CD, CDB, CE, CERN, EAPC, EBRD, ECB, EIB, EITI (implementing country), ESA, EU, FAO, FATF, G-5, G-7, G-8, G-10, G-20, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (national committees), ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IGAD (partners), IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), MIGA, MINUSMA, MONUSCO, NATO, NEA, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OPCW, OSCE, Pacific Alliance (observer), Paris Club, PCA, PIF (partner), SELEC (observer), SICA (observer), UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNFICYP, UNHCR, UNMISS, UNRWA, UN Security Council (permanent), UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC
  Diplomatic representation in the US: This entry includes the chief of mission, chancery address, telephone, FAX, consulate general locations, and consulate locations. The use of the annotated title Appointed Ambassador refers to a new ambassador who has presented his/her credentials to the secretary of state but not the US president. Such ambassadors fulfill all diplomatic functions except meeting with or appearing at functions attended by the president until such time as they formally present their credentials at a White Hou . . . more
  chief of mission: Ambassador Sir Nigel Kim DARROCH (since 28 January 2016)
  chancery: 3100 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008
  telephone: [1] (202) 588-6500
  FAX: [1] (202) 588-7870
  consulate(s) general: Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Denver, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, San Francisco
  consulate(s): Orlando (FL), San Juan (Puerto Rico)
  Diplomatic representation from the US: This entry includes the chief of mission, embassy address, mailing address, telephone number, FAX number, branch office locations, consulate general locations, and consulate locations.
  chief of mission: Ambassador Robert Wood (Woody) JOHNSON IV (since 29 August 2017)
  embassy:

  33 Nine Elms Lane, London, SW11 7US United Kingdom

  mailing address: PSC 801, Box 40, FPO AE 09498-4040
  telephone: [44] 20-7499-9000
  FAX: [44] 20-7891-3151
  consulate(s) general: Belfast, Edinburgh
  Flag description: This entry provides a written flag description produced from actual flags or the best information available at the time the entry was written. The flags of independent states are used by their dependencies unless there is an officially recognized local flag. Some disputed and other areas do not have flags.
  blue field with the red cross of Saint George (patron saint of England) edged in white superimposed on the diagonal red cross of Saint Patrick (patron saint of Ireland), which is superimposed on the diagonal white cross of Saint Andrew (patron saint of Scotland); properly known as the Union Flag, but commonly called the Union Jack; the design and colors (especially the Blue Ensign) have been the basis for a number of other flags including other Commonwealth countries and their constituent states or provinces, and British overseas territories
  National symbol(s): A national symbol is a faunal, floral, or other abstract representation - or some distinctive object - that over time has come to be closely identified with a country or entity. Not all countries have national symbols; a few countries have more than one.
  lion (Britain in general); lion, Tudor rose, oak (England); lion, unicorn, thistle (Scotland); dragon, daffodil, leek (Wales); shamrock, flax (Northern Ireland); national colors: red, white, blue (Britain in general); red, white (England); blue, white (Scotland); red, white, green (Wales)
  National anthem: A generally patriotic musical composition - usually in the form of a song or hymn of praise - that evokes and eulogizes the history, traditions, or struggles of a nation or its people. National anthems can be officially recognized as a national song by a country's constitution or by an enacted law, or simply by tradition. Although most anthems contain lyrics, some do not.
  name: God Save the Queen
  lyrics/music: unknown

  note: in use since 1745; by tradition, the song serves as both the national and royal anthem of the UK; it is known as either "God Save the Queen" or "God Save the King," depending on the gender of the reigning monarch; it also serves as the royal anthem of many Commonwealth nations

- Economy :: United Kingdom
- Economy - overview: This entry briefly describes the type of economy, including the degree of market orientation, the level of economic development, the most important natural resources, and the unique areas of specialization. It also characterizes major economic events and policy changes in the most recent 12 months and may include a statement about one or two key future macroeconomic trends.

  The UK, a leading trading power and financial center, is the third largest economy in Europe after Germany and France. Agriculture is intensive, highly mechanized, and efficient by European standards, producing about 60% of food needs with less than 2% of the labor force. The UK has large coal, natural gas, and oil resources, but its oil and natural gas reserves are declining; the UK has been a net importer of energy since 2005. Services, particularly banking, insurance, and business services, are key drivers of British GDP growth. Manufacturing, meanwhile, has declined in importance but still accounts for about 10% of economic output.

  In 2008, the global financial crisis hit the economy particularly hard, due to the importance of its financial sector. Falling home prices, high consumer debt, and the global economic slowdown compounded the UK’s economic problems, pushing the economy into recession in the latter half of 2008 and prompting the then BROWN (Labour) government to implement a number of measures to stimulate the economy and stabilize the financial markets. Facing burgeoning public deficits and debt levels, in 2010 the then CAMERON-led coalition government (between Conservatives and Liberal Democrats) initiated an austerity program, which has continued under the Conservative government. However, the deficit still remains one of the highest in the G7, standing at 3.6% of GDP as of 2017, and the UK has pledged to lower its corporation tax from 20% to 17% by 2020. The UK had a debt burden of 90.4% GDP at the end of 2017.

  The UK economy has begun to slow since the referendum vote to leave the EU in June 2016. A sustained depreciation of the British pound has increased consumer and producer prices, weighing on consumer spending without spurring a meaningful increase in exports. The UK has an extensive trade relationship with other EU members through its single market membership, and economic observers have warned the exit will jeopardize its position as the central location for European financial services. Prime Minister MAY is seeking a new "deep and special" trade relationship with the EU following the UK’s exit. However, economists doubt that the UK will be able to preserve the benefits of EU membership without the obligations. The UK is expected to officially leave the EU by the end of March 2019.

  GDP (purchasing power parity): This entry gives the gross domestic product (GDP) or value of all final goods and services produced within a nation in a given year. A nation's GDP at purchasing power parity (PPP) exchange rates is the sum value of all goods and services produced in the country valued at prices prevailing in the United States in the year noted. This is the measure most economists prefer when looking at per-capita welfare and when comparing living conditions or use of resources across countries. The measur . . . more
  $2.925 trillion (2017 est.)
  $2.877 trillion (2016 est.)
  $2.827 trillion (2015 est.)

  note: data are in 2017 dollars

  country comparison to the world: 9
  GDP (official exchange rate): This entry gives the gross domestic product (GDP) or value of all final goods and services produced within a nation in a given year. A nation's GDP at official exchange rates (OER) is the home-currency-denominated annual GDP figure divided by the bilateral average US exchange rate with that country in that year. The measure is simple to compute and gives a precise measure of the value of output. Many economists prefer this measure when gauging the economic power an economy maintains vis- . . . more
  $2.628 trillion (2017 est.) (2017 est.)
  GDP - real growth rate: This entry gives GDP growth on an annual basis adjusted for inflation and expressed as a percent. The growth rates are year-over-year, and not compounded.
  1.7% (2017 est.)
  1.8% (2016 est.)
  2.3% (2015 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 166
  GDP - per capita (PPP): This entry shows GDP on a purchasing power parity basis divided by population as of 1 July for the same year.
  $44,300 (2017 est.)
  $43,800 (2016 est.)
  $43,400 (2015 est.)

  note: data are in 2017 dollars

  country comparison to the world: 39
  Gross national saving: Gross national saving is derived by deducting final consumption expenditure (household plus government) from Gross national disposable income, and consists of personal saving, plus business saving (the sum of the capital consumption allowance and retained business profits), plus government saving (the excess of tax revenues over expenditures), but excludes foreign saving (the excess of imports of goods and services over exports). The figures are presented as a percent of GDP. A negative . . . more
  13.6% of GDP (2017 est.)
  12% of GDP (2016 est.)
  12.3% of GDP (2015 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 142
  GDP - composition, by end use: This entry shows who does the spending in an economy: consumers, businesses, government, and foreigners. The distribution gives the percentage contribution to total GDP of household consumption, government consumption, investment in fixed capital, investment in inventories, exports of goods and services, and imports of goods and services, and will total 100 percent of GDP if the data are complete. household consumption consists of expenditures by resident households, and by nonprofit insti . . . more
  household consumption: 65.8% (2017 est.)
  government consumption: 18.3% (2017 est.)
  investment in fixed capital: 17.2% (2017 est.)
  investment in inventories: 0.2% (2017 est.)
  exports of goods and services: 30.2% (2017 est.)
  imports of goods and services: -31.5% (2017 est.)
  GDP - composition, by sector of origin: This entry shows where production takes place in an economy. The distribution gives the percentage contribution of agriculture, industry, and services to total GDP, and will total 100 percent of GDP if the data are complete. Agriculture includes farming, fishing, and forestry. Industry includes mining, manufacturing, energy production, and construction. Services cover government activities, communications, transportation, finance, and all other private economic activities that do not prod . . . more
  agriculture: 0.7% (2017 est.)
  industry: 20.2% (2017 est.)
  services: 79.2% (2017 est.)
  Agriculture - products: This entry is an ordered listing of major crops and products starting with the most important.
  cereals, oilseed, potatoes, vegetables; cattle, sheep, poultry; fish; milk, eggs
  Industries: This entry provides a rank ordering of industries starting with the largest by value of annual output.
  machine tools, electric power equipment, automation equipment, railroad equipment, shipbuilding, aircraft, motor vehicles and parts, electronics and communications equipment, metals, chemicals, coal, petroleum, paper and paper products, food processing, textiles, clothing, other consumer goods
  Industrial production growth rate: This entry gives the annual percentage increase in industrial production (includes manufacturing, mining, and construction).
  3.4% (2017 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 93
  Labor force: This entry contains the total labor force figure.
  33.5 million (2017 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 17
  Labor force - by occupation: This entry lists the percentage distribution of the labor force by sector of occupation. Agriculture includes farming, fishing, and forestry. Industry includes mining, manufacturing, energy production, and construction. Services cover government activities, communications, transportation, finance, and all other economic activities that do not produce material goods. The distribution will total less than 100 percent if the data are incomplete and may range from 99-101 percent due to rounding. more
  agriculture: 1.3%
  industry: 15.2%
  services: 83.5% (2014 est.)
  Unemployment rate: This entry contains the percent of the labor force that is without jobs. Substantial underemployment might be noted.
  4.4% (2017 est.)
  4.9% (2016 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 61
  Population below poverty line: National estimates of the percentage of the population falling below the poverty line are based on surveys of sub-groups, with the results weighted by the number of people in each group. Definitions of poverty vary considerably among nations. For example, rich nations generally employ more generous standards of poverty than poor nations.
  15% (2013 est.)
  Household income or consumption by percentage share: Data on household income or consumption come from household surveys, the results adjusted for household size. Nations use different standards and procedures in collecting and adjusting the data. Surveys based on income will normally show a more unequal distribution than surveys based on consumption. The quality of surveys is improving with time, yet caution is still necessary in making inter-country comparisons.
  lowest 10%: 31.1% (2012)
  highest 10%: 31.1% (2012)
  Distribution of family income - Gini index: This index measures the degree of inequality in the distribution of family income in a country. The index is calculated from the Lorenz curve, in which cumulative family income is plotted against the number of families arranged from the poorest to the richest. The index is the ratio of (a) the area between a country's Lorenz curve and the 45 degree helping line to (b) the entire triangular area under the 45 degree line. The more nearly equal a country's income distribution, the closer its . . . more
  32.4 (2012)
  33.4 (2010)
  country comparison to the world: 117
  Budget: This entry includes revenues, expenditures, and capital expenditures. These figures are calculated on an exchange rate basis, i.e., not in purchasing power parity (PPP) terms.
  revenues: 1.028 trillion (2017 est.)
  expenditures: 1.079 trillion (2017 est.)
  Taxes and other revenues: This entry records total taxes and other revenues received by the national government during the time period indicated, expressed as a percent of GDP. Taxes include personal and corporate income taxes, value added taxes, excise taxes, and tariffs. Other revenues include social contributions - such as payments for social security and hospital insurance - grants, and net revenues from public enterprises. Normalizing the data, by dividing total revenues by GDP, enables easy comparisons acr . . . more
  39.1% (of GDP) (2017 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 49
  Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-): This entry records the difference between national government revenues and expenditures, expressed as a percent of GDP. A positive (+) number indicates that revenues exceeded expenditures (a budget surplus), while a negative (-) number indicates the reverse (a budget deficit). Normalizing the data, by dividing the budget balance by GDP, enables easy comparisons across countries and indicates whether a national government saves or borrows money. Countries with high budget deficits (relat . . . more
  -1.9% (of GDP) (2017 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 102
  Public debt: This entry records the cumulative total of all government borrowings less repayments that are denominated in a country's home currency. Public debt should not be confused with external debt, which reflects the foreign currency liabilities of both the private and public sector and must be financed out of foreign exchange earnings.
  87.5% of GDP (2017 est.)
  87.9% of GDP (2016 est.)

  note: data cover general government debt and include debt instruments issued (or owned) by government entities other than the treasury; the data include treasury debt held by foreign entities; the data include debt issued by subnational entities, as well as intragovernmental debt; intragovernmental debt consists of treasury borrowings from surpluses in the social funds, such as for retirement, medical care, and unemployment; debt instruments for the social funds are not sold at public auctions

  country comparison to the world: 29
  Fiscal year: This entry identifies the beginning and ending months for a country's accounting period of 12 months, which often is the calendar year but which may begin in any month. All yearly references are for the calendar year (CY) unless indicated as a noncalendar fiscal year (FY).
  6 April - 5 April
  Inflation rate (consumer prices): This entry furnishes the annual percent change in consumer prices compared with the previous year's consumer prices.
  2.7% (2017 est.)
  0.7% (2016 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 126
  Central bank discount rate: This entry provides the annualized interest rate a country's central bank charges commercial, depository banks for loans to meet temporary shortages of funds.
  0.25% (31 December 2016)
  0.5% (31 December 2015)
  country comparison to the world: 141
  Commercial bank prime lending rate: This entry provides a simple average of annualized interest rates commercial banks charge on new loans, denominated in the national currency, to their most credit-worthy customers.
  4.38% (31 December 2017 est.)
  4.44% (31 December 2016 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 159
  Stock of narrow money: This entry, also known as "M1," comprises the total quantity of currency in circulation (notes and coins) plus demand deposits denominated in the national currency held by nonbank financial institutions, state and local governments, nonfinancial public enterprises, and the private sector of the economy, measured at a specific point in time. National currency units have been converted to US dollars at the closing exchange rate for the date of the information. Because of exchange rate moveme . . . more
  $110.9 billion (31 December 2017 est.)
  $96.15 billion (31 December 2016 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 34
  Stock of broad money: This entry covers all of "Narrow money," plus the total quantity of time and savings deposits, credit union deposits, institutional money market funds, short-term repurchase agreements between the central bank and commercial deposit banks, and other large liquid assets held by nonbank financial institutions, state and local governments, nonfinancial public enterprises, and the private sector of the economy. National currency units have been converted to US dollars at the closing exchange r . . . more
  $110.9 billion (31 December 2017 est.)
  $96.15 billion (31 December 2016 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 34
  Stock of domestic credit: This entry is the total quantity of credit, denominated in the domestic currency, provided by financial institutions to the central bank, state and local governments, public non-financial corporations, and the private sector. The national currency units have been converted to US dollars at the closing exchange rate on the date of the information.
  $3.22 trillion (31 December 2017 est.)
  $2.785 trillion (31 December 2016 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 7
  Market value of publicly traded shares: This entry gives the value of shares issued by publicly traded companies at a price determined in the national stock markets on the final day of the period indicated. It is simply the latest price per share multiplied by the total number of outstanding shares, cumulated over all companies listed on the particular exchange.
  $3.019 trillion (31 December 2012 est.)
  $2.903 trillion (31 December 2011 est.)
  $3.107 trillion (31 December 2010 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 5
  Current account balance: This entry records a country's net trade in goods and services, plus net earnings from rents, interest, profits, and dividends, and net transfer payments (such as pension funds and worker remittances) to and from the rest of the world during the period specified. These figures are calculated on an exchange rate basis, i.e., not in purchasing power parity (PPP) terms.
  -$99.21 billion (2017 est.)
  -$139.3 billion (2016 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 205
  Exports: This entry provides the total US dollar amount of merchandise exports on an f.o.b. (free on board) basis. These figures are calculated on an exchange rate basis, i.e., not in purchasing power parity (PPP) terms.
  $441.2 billion (2017 est.)
  $407.3 billion (2016 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 10
  Exports - partners: This entry provides a rank ordering of trading partners starting with the most important; it sometimes includes the percent of total dollar value.
  US 13.2%, Germany 10.5%, France 7.4%, Netherlands 6.2%, Ireland 5.6%, China 4.8%, Switzerland 4.5% (2017)
  Exports - commodities: This entry provides a listing of the highest-valued exported products; it sometimes includes the percent of total dollar value.
  manufactured goods, fuels, chemicals; food, beverages, tobacco
  Imports: This entry provides the total US dollar amount of merchandise imports on a c.i.f. (cost, insurance, and freight) or f.o.b. (free on board) basis. These figures are calculated on an exchange rate basis, i.e., not in purchasing power parity (PPP) terms.
  $615.9 billion (2017 est.)
  $591 billion (2016 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 5
  Imports - commodities: This entry provides a listing of the highest-valued imported products; it sometimes includes the percent of total dollar value.
  manufactured goods, machinery, fuels; foodstuffs
  Imports - partners: This entry provides a rank ordering of trading partners starting with the most important; it sometimes includes the percent of total dollar value.
  Germany 13.7%, US 9.5%, China 9.3%, Netherlands 8%, France 5.4%, Belgium 5% (2017)
  Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: This entry gives the dollar value for the stock of all financial assets that are available to the central monetary authority for use in meeting a country's balance of payments needs as of the end-date of the period specified. This category includes not only foreign currency and gold, but also a country's holdings of Special Drawing Rights in the International Monetary Fund, and its reserve position in the Fund.
  $150.8 billion (31 December 2017 est.)
  $129.6 billion (31 December 2015 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 17
  Debt - external: This entry gives the total public and private debt owed to nonresidents repayable in internationally accepted currencies, goods, or services. These figures are calculated on an exchange rate basis, i.e., not in purchasing power parity (PPP) terms.
  $8.126 trillion (31 March 2016 est.)
  $8.642 trillion (31 March 2015 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 2
  Stock of direct foreign investment - at home: This entry gives the cumulative US dollar value of all investments in the home country made directly by residents - primarily companies - of other countries as of the end of the time period indicated. Direct investment excludes investment through purchase of shares.
  $2.078 trillion (31 December 2017 est.)
  $1.858 trillion (31 December 2016 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 4
  Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad: This entry gives the cumulative US dollar value of all investments in foreign countries made directly by residents - primarily companies - of the home country, as of the end of the time period indicated. Direct investment excludes investment through purchase of shares.
  $2.11 trillion (31 December 2017 est.)
  $1.611 trillion (31 December 2016 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 4
  Exchange rates: This entry provides the average annual price of a country's monetary unit for the time period specified, expressed in units of local currency per US dollar, as determined by international market forces or by official fiat. The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) 4217 alphabetic currency code for the national medium of exchange is presented in parenthesis. Closing daily exchange rates are not presented in The World Factbook, but are used to convert stock values - e.g., the . . . more
  British pounds (GBP) per US dollar -
  0.7836 (2017 est.)
  0.738 (2016 est.)
  0.738 (2015 est.)
  0.607 (2014 est.)
  0.6391 (2013 est.)
- Energy :: United Kingdom
- Electricity access: This entry provides information on access to electricity. Electrification data – collected from industry reports, national surveys, and international sources – consists of four subfields. Population without electricity provides an estimate of the number of citizens that do not have access to electricity. Electrification – total population is the percent of a country’s total population with access to electricity, electrification – urban areas is the percent of a country’s urban population w . . . more
  electrification - total population: 100% (2016)
  Electricity - production: This entry is the annual electricity generated expressed in kilowatt-hours. The discrepancy between the amount of electricity generated and/or imported and the amount consumed and/or exported is accounted for as loss in transmission and distribution.
  318.2 billion kWh (2016 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 12
  Electricity - consumption: This entry consists of total electricity generated annually plus imports and minus exports, expressed in kilowatt-hours. The discrepancy between the amount of electricity generated and/or imported and the amount consumed and/or exported is accounted for as loss in transmission and distribution.
  309.2 billion kWh (2016 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 11
  Electricity - exports: This entry is the total exported electricity in kilowatt-hours.
  2.153 billion kWh (2016 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 45
  Electricity - imports: This entry is the total imported electricity in kilowatt-hours.
  19.7 billion kWh (2016 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 12
  Electricity - installed generating capacity: This entry is the total capacity of currently installed generators, expressed in kilowatts (kW), to produce electricity. A 10-kilowatt (kW) generator will produce 10 kilowatt hours (kWh) of electricity, if it runs continuously for one hour.
  97.06 million kW (2016 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 13
  Electricity - from fossil fuels: This entry measures the capacity of plants that generate electricity by burning fossil fuels (such as coal, petroleum products, and natural gas), expressed as a share of the country's total generating capacity.
  50% of total installed capacity (2016 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 152
  Electricity - from nuclear fuels: This entry measures the capacity of plants that generate electricity through radioactive decay of nuclear fuel, expressed as a share of the country's total generating capacity.
  9% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 17
  Electricity - from hydroelectric plants: This entry measures the capacity of plants that generate electricity by water-driven turbines, expressed as a share of the country's total generating capacity.
  2% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 143
  Electricity - from other renewable sources: This entry measures the capacity of plants that generate electricity by using renewable energy sources other than hydroelectric (including, for example, wind, waves, solar, and geothermal), expressed as a share of the country's total generating capacity.
  39% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 7
  Crude oil - production: This entry is the total amount of crude oil produced, in barrels per day (bbl/day).
  910,500 bbl/day (2017 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 20
  Crude oil - exports: This entry is the total amount of crude oil exported, in barrels per day (bbl/day).
  710,600 bbl/day (2017 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 20
  Crude oil - imports: This entry is the total amount of crude oil imported, in barrels per day (bbl/day).
  907,100 bbl/day (2017 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 11
  Crude oil - proved reserves: This entry is the stock of proved reserves of crude oil, in barrels (bbl). Proved reserves are those quantities of petroleum which, by analysis of geological and engineering data, can be estimated with a high degree of confidence to be commercially recoverable from a given date forward, from known reservoirs and under current economic conditions.
  2.069 billion bbl (1 January 2018 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 33
  Refined petroleum products - production: This entry is the country's total output of refined petroleum products, in barrels per day (bbl/day). The discrepancy between the amount of refined petroleum products produced and/or imported and the amount consumed and/or exported is due to the omission of stock changes, refinery gains, and other complicating factors.
  1.29 million bbl/day (2017 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 16
  Refined petroleum products - consumption: This entry is the country's total consumption of refined petroleum products, in barrels per day (bbl/day). The discrepancy between the amount of refined petroleum products produced and/or imported and the amount consumed and/or exported is due to the omission of stock changes, refinery gains, and other complicating factors.
  1.584 million bbl/day (2017 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 15
  Refined petroleum products - exports: This entry is the country's total exports of refined petroleum products, in barrels per day (bbl/day).
  613,800 bbl/day (2017 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 14
  Refined petroleum products - imports: This entry is the country's total imports of refined petroleum products, in barrels per day (bbl/day).
  907,500 bbl/day (2017 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 7
  Natural gas - production: This entry is the total natural gas produced in cubic meters (cu m). The discrepancy between the amount of natural gas produced and/or imported and the amount consumed and/or exported is due to the omission of stock changes and other complicating factors.
  42.11 billion cu m (2017 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 19
  Natural gas - consumption: This entry is the total natural gas consumed in cubic meters (cu m). The discrepancy between the amount of natural gas produced and/or imported and the amount consumed and/or exported is due to the omission of stock changes and other complicating factors.
  79.17 billion cu m (2017 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 10
  Natural gas - exports: This entry is the total natural gas exported in cubic meters (cu m).
  11.27 billion cu m (2017 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 19
  Natural gas - imports: This entry is the total natural gas imported in cubic meters (cu m).
  47 billion cu m (2017 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 11
  Natural gas - proved reserves: This entry is the stock of proved reserves of natural gas in cubic meters (cu m). Proved reserves are those quantities of natural gas, which, by analysis of geological and engineering data, can be estimated with a high degree of confidence to be commercially recoverable from a given date forward, from known reservoirs and under current economic conditions.
  176 billion cu m (1 January 2018 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 46
  Carbon dioxide emissions from consumption of energy: This entry is the total amount of carbon dioxide, measured in metric tons, released by burning fossil fuels in the process of producing and consuming energy.
  424 million Mt (2017 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 16
- Communications :: United Kingdom
- Telephones - fixed lines: This entry gives the total number of fixed telephone lines in use, as well as the number of subscriptions per 100 inhabitants.
  total subscriptions: 33,140,662 (2017 est.)
  subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 50 (2017 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 7
  Telephones - mobile cellular: This entry gives the total number of mobile cellular telephone subscribers, as well as the number of subscriptions per 100 inhabitants. Note that because of the ubiquity of mobile phone use in developed countries, the number of subscriptions per 100 inhabitants can exceed 100.
  total subscriptions: 79,173,658 (2017 est.)
  subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 121 (2017 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 20
  Telephone system: This entry includes a brief general assessment of the system with details on the domestic and international components. The following terms and abbreviations are used throughout the entry: Arabsat - Arab Satellite Communications Organization (Riyadh, Saudi Arabia). Autodin - Automatic Digital Network (US Department of Defense). CB - citizen's band mobile radio communications. Cellular telephone system - the telephones in this system are radio transceivers, with each instrument having its o . . . more
  general assessment: technologically advanced domestic and international system (2016)
  domestic: equal mix of buried cables, microwave radio relay, and fiber-optic systems (2016)
  international: country code - 44; numerous submarine cables provide links throughout Europe, Asia, Australia, the Middle East, and US; satellite earth stations - 10 Intelsat (7 Atlantic Ocean and 3 Indian Ocean), 1 Inmarsat (Atlantic Ocean region), and 1 Eutelsat; at least 8 large international switching centers (2016)
  Broadcast media: This entry provides information on the approximate number of public and private TV and radio stations in a country, as well as basic information on the availability of satellite and cable TV services.
  public service broadcaster, British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), is the largest broadcasting corporation in the world; BBC operates multiple TV networks with regional and local TV service; a mixed system of public and commercial TV broadcasters along with satellite and cable systems provide access to hundreds of TV stations throughout the world; BBC operates multiple national, regional, and local radio networks with multiple transmission sites; a large number of commercial radio stations, as well as satellite radio services are available (2018)
  Internet country code: This entry includes the two-letter codes maintained by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) in the ISO 3166 Alpha-2 list and used by the Internet Assigned Numbers Authority (IANA) to establish country-coded top-level domains (ccTLDs).
  .uk
  Internet users: This entry gives the total number of individuals within a country who can access the Internet at home, via any device type (computer or mobile) and connection. The percent of population with Internet access (i.e., the penetration rate) helps gauge how widespread Internet use is within a country. Statistics vary from country to country and may include users who access the Internet at least several times a week to those who access it only once within a period of several months.
  total: 61,064,454 (July 2016 est.)
  percent of population: 94.8% (July 2016 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 10
  Broadband - fixed subscriptions: This entry gives the total number of fixed-broadband subscriptions, as well as the number of subscriptions per 100 inhabitants. Fixed broadband is a physical wired connection to the Internet (e.g., coaxial cable, optical fiber) at speeds equal to or greater than 256 kilobits/second (256 kbit/s).
  total: 26,015,818 (2017 est.)
  subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 40 (2017 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 8
  Communications - note: This entry includes miscellaneous communications information of significance not included elsewhere.
  the British Library claims to be the largest library in the world with well over 150 million items and in most known languages; it receives copies of all books produced in the UK or Ireland, as well as a significant proportion of overseas titles distributed in the UK; in addition to books (print and digital), holdings include: journals, manuscripts, newspapers, magazines, sound and music recordings, videos, maps, prints, patents, and drawings (2018)
- Transportation :: United Kingdom
- National air transport system: This entry includes four subfields describing the air transport system of a given country in terms of both structure and performance. The first subfield, number of registered air carriers, indicates the total number of air carriers registered with the country’s national aviation authority and issued an air operator certificate as required by the Convention on International Civil Aviation. The second subfield, inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers, lists the total number . . . more
  number of registered air carriers: 28 (2015)
  inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers: 1,242 (2015)
  annual passenger traffic on registered air carriers: 131,449,680 (2015)
  annual freight traffic on registered air carriers: 5,466,504,676 mt-km (2015)
  Civil aircraft registration country code prefix: This entry provides the one- or two-character alphanumeric code indicating the nationality of civil aircraft. Article 20 of the Convention on International Civil Aviation (Chicago Convention), signed in 1944, requires that all aircraft engaged in international air navigation bear appropriate nationality marks. The aircraft registration number consists of two parts: a prefix consisting of a one- or two-character alphanumeric code indicating nationality and a registration suffix of one to fi . . . more
  G (2016)
  Airports: This entry gives the total number of airports or airfields recognizable from the air. The runway(s) may be paved (concrete or asphalt surfaces) or unpaved (grass, earth, sand, or gravel surfaces) and may include closed or abandoned installations. Airports or airfields that are no longer recognizable (overgrown, no facilities, etc.) are not included. Note that not all airports have accommodations for refueling, maintenance, or air traffic control.
  460 (2013)
  country comparison to the world: 18
  Airports - with paved runways: This entry gives the total number of airports with paved runways (concrete or asphalt surfaces) by length. For airports with more than one runway, only the longest runway is included according to the following five groups - (1) over 3,047 m (over 10,000 ft), (2) 2,438 to 3,047 m (8,000 to 10,000 ft), (3) 1,524 to 2,437 m (5,000 to 8,000 ft), (4) 914 to 1,523 m (3,000 to 5,000 ft), and (5) under 914 m (under 3,000 ft). Only airports with usable runways are included in this listing. Not all . . . more
  total: 271 (2013)
  over 3,047 m: 7 (2013)
  2,438 to 3,047 m: 29 (2013)
  1,524 to 2,437 m: 89 (2013)
  914 to 1,523 m: 80 (2013)
  under 914 m: 66 (2013)
  Airports - with unpaved runways: This entry gives the total number of airports with unpaved runways (grass, dirt, sand, or gravel surfaces) by length. For airports with more than one runway, only the longest runway is included according to the following five groups - (1) over 3,047 m (over 10,000 ft), (2) 2,438 to 3,047 m (8,000 to 10,000 ft), (3) 1,524 to 2,437 m (5,000 to 8,000 ft), (4) 914 to 1,523 m (3,000 to 5,000 ft), and (5) under 914 m (under 3,000 ft). Only airports with usable runways are included in this listin . . . more
  total: 189 (2013)
  1,524 to 2,437 m: 3 (2013)
  914 to 1,523 m: 26 (2013)
  under 914 m: 160 (2013)
  Heliports: This entry gives the total number of heliports with hard-surface runways, helipads, or landing areas that support routine sustained helicopter operations exclusively and have support facilities including one or more of the following facilities: lighting, fuel, passenger handling, or maintenance. It includes former airports used exclusively for helicopter operations but excludes heliports limited to day operations and natural clearings that could support helicopter landings and takeoffs.
  9 (2013)
  Pipelines: This entry gives the lengths and types of pipelines for transporting products like natural gas, crude oil, or petroleum products.
  502 km condensate, 9 km condensate/gas, 28603 km gas, 59 km liquid petroleum gas, 5256 km oil, 175 km oil/gas/water, 4919 km refined products, 255 km water (2013)
  Railways: This entry states the total route length of the railway network and of its component parts by gauge, which is the measure of the distance between the inner sides of the load-bearing rails. The four typical types of gauges are: broad, standard, narrow, and dual. Other gauges are listed under note. Some 60% of the world's railways use the standard gauge of 1.4 m (4.7 ft). Gauges vary by country and sometimes within countries. The choice of gauge during initial construction was mainly in resp . . . more
  total: 16,837 km (2015)
  standard gauge: 16,534 km 1.435-m gauge (5,357 km electrified) (2015)
  broad gauge: 303 km 1.600-m gauge (in Northern Ireland) (2015)
  country comparison to the world: 16
  Roadways: This entry gives the total length of the road network and includes the length of the paved and unpaved portions.
  total: 394,428 km (2009)
  paved: 394,428 km (includes 3,519 km of expressways) (2009)
  country comparison to the world: 18
  Waterways: This entry gives the total length of navigable rivers, canals, and other inland bodies of water.
  3,200 km (620 km used for commerce) (2009)
  country comparison to the world: 31
  Merchant marine: Merchant marine may be defined as all ships engaged in the carriage of goods; or all commercial vessels (as opposed to all nonmilitary ships), which excludes tugs, fishing vessels, offshore oil rigs, etc. This entry contains information in four fields - total, ships by type, foreign-owned, and registered in other countries. Total includes the number of ships (1,000 GRT or over), total DWT for those ships, and total GRT for those ships. DWT or dead weight tonnage is the total weight of ca . . . more
  total: 1,551 (2017)
  by type: bulk carrier 117, container ship 112, general cargo 175, oil tanker 173, other 974 (2017)
  country comparison to the world: 17
  Ports and terminals: This entry lists major ports and terminals primarily on the basis of the amount of cargo tonnage shipped through the facilities on an annual basis. In some instances, the number of containers handled or ship visits were also considered. Most ports service multiple classes of vessels including bulk carriers (dry and liquid), break bulk cargoes (goods loaded individually in bags, boxes, crates, or drums; sometimes palletized), containers, roll-on/roll-off, and passenger ships. The listing le . . . more
  major seaport(s): Dover, Felixstowe, Immingham, Liverpool, London, Southampton, Teesport (England); Forth Ports (Scotland); Milford Haven (Wales)
  oil terminal(s): Fawley Marine terminal, Liverpool Bay terminal (England); Braefoot Bay terminal, Finnart oil terminal, Hound Point terminal (Scotland)
  container port(s) (TEUs): Felixstowe (4,000,000), London (2,537,000), Southampton (1,957,000) (2016)
  LNG terminal(s) (import): Isle of Grain, Milford Haven, Teesside
- Military and Security :: United Kingdom
- Military expenditures: This entry gives spending on defense programs for the most recent year available as a percent of gross domestic product (GDP); the GDP is calculated on an exchange rate basis, i.e., not in terms of purchasing power parity (PPP). For countries with no military forces, this figure can include expenditures on public security and police.
  2.2% of GDP (2016)
  2.05% of GDP (2015)
  2.22% of GDP (2014)
  2.25% of GDP (2013)
  2.51% of GDP (2012)
  country comparison to the world: 44
  Military branches: This entry lists the service branches subordinate to defense ministries or the equivalent (typically ground, naval, air, and marine forces).
  Army, Royal Navy (includes Royal Marines), Royal Air Force (2013)
  Military service age and obligation: This entry gives the required ages for voluntary or conscript military service and the length of service obligation.
  16-33 years of age (officers 17-28) for voluntary military service (with parental consent under 18); no conscription; women serve in military services including ground combat roles; must be citizen of the UK, Commonwealth, or Republic of Ireland; reservists serve a minimum of 3 years, to age 45 or 55; 17 years 6 months of age for voluntary military service by Nepalese citizens in the Brigade of Gurkhas; 16-34 years of age for voluntary military service by Papua New Guinean citizens (2016)
- Terrorism :: United Kingdom
- Terrorist groups - home based: This entry provides information on the US State Department's designated Foreign Terrorist Organizations headquartered in a specific country, which may or may not be a group's country of origin. Details on each organization's aim(s) and area(s) of operation are provided.
  Continuity Irish Republican Army (CIRA):
  aim(s): disrupt the Northern Ireland peace process; remove British rule in Northern Ireland and, ultimately, unify Ireland
  area(s) of operation: based and operationally active primarily in Belfast and along the Northern Ireland-Ireland border, where operatives continue to carry out bombings, assassinations, kidnappings, hijackings, extortion, and robberies (April 2018)
  New Irish Republican Army (NIRA):
  aim(s): use violence to remove British rule in Northern Ireland, disrupt the Northern Ireland peace process, and unify Ireland
  area(s) of operation: based and operationally active in Northern Ireland, where operatives continue to conduct occasional shootings and small-scale bombings; maintains a presence in Great Britain
  note: formerly known as the Real Irish Republican Army (RIRA) (April 2018)
- Transnational Issues :: United Kingdom
- Disputes - international: This entry includes a wide variety of situations that range from traditional bilateral boundary disputes to unilateral claims of one sort or another. Information regarding disputes over international terrestrial and maritime boundaries has been reviewed by the US Department of State. References to other situations involving borders or frontiers may also be included, such as resource disputes, geopolitical questions, or irredentist issues; however, inclusion does not necessarily constitute . . . more
  in 2002, Gibraltar residents voted overwhelmingly by referendum to reject any "shared sovereignty" arrangement between the UK and Spain; the Government of Gibraltar insisted on equal participation in talks between the two countriesSpain disapproved of UK plans to grant Gibraltar greater autonomyMauritius and Seychelles claim the Chagos Archipelago (British Indian Ocean Territory)in 2001, the former inhabitants of the archipelago, evicted 1967 - 1973, were granted UK citizenship and the right of return, followed by Orders in Council in 2004 that banned rehabitation, a High Court ruling reversed the ban, a Court of Appeal refusal to hear the case, and a Law Lords' decision in 2008 denied the right of returnin addition, the UK created the world's largest marine protection area around the Chagos islands prohibiting the extraction of any natural resources thereinUK rejects sovereignty talks requested by Argentina, which still claims the Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas) and South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islandsterritorial claim in Antarctica (British Antarctic Territory) overlaps Argentine claim and partially overlaps Chilean claimIceland, the UK, and Ireland dispute Denmark's claim that the Faroe Islands' continental shelf extends beyond 200 nm
  Refugees and internally displaced persons: This entry includes those persons residing in a country as refugees, internally displaced persons (IDPs), or stateless persons. Each country's refugee entry includes only countries of origin that are the source of refugee populations of 5,000 or more. The definition of a refugee according to a UN Convention is "a person who is outside his/her country of nationality or habitual residence; has a well-founded fear of persecution because of his/her race, religion, nationality, membership in a . . . more
  refugees (country of origin): 16,085 (Iran), 13,590 (Eritrea), 9,858 (Afghanistan), 9,100 (Syria), 8,132 (Sudan), 8,236 (Zimbabwe), 7,207 (Pakistan), 5,804 (Sri Lanka) (2017)
  stateless persons: 97 (2017)
  Illicit drugs: This entry gives information on the five categories of illicit drugs - narcotics, stimulants, depressants (sedatives), hallucinogens, and cannabis. These categories include many drugs legally produced and prescribed by doctors as well as those illegally produced and sold outside of medical channels. Cannabis (Cannabis sativa) is the common hemp plant, which provides hallucinogens with some sedative properties, and includes marijuana (pot, Acapulco gold, grass, reefer), tetrahydroca . . . more
  producer of limited amounts of synthetic drugs and synthetic precursor chemicals; major consumer of Southwest Asian heroin, Latin American cocaine, and synthetic drugs; money-laundering center

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