UUNITED KINGDOM
FACTBOOK
United Kingdom FactbookDraft

November 2026 Edition

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United Kingdom Factbook · National chapter / GBR

Geography

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2021 Factbook flag mirror; image identity has not been individually audited. Source.

Last updated: November 5, 2026

United Kingdom: CIA World Factbook map from 2021; original boundary notes preserved.
ⓘCIA World Factbook map, February 2021 media edition. Identity reviewed; current boundaries have not been audited. visual contact sheet or original identity check; does not verify current boundaries Boundaries, place names and designations may be dated or disputed; original annotations retained. SHA-256: dd49e6dcf47c72bb0f45e15e5bcf5faa3cc0d971d39b160c4176a6376375e53a. Provenance and inspection record.
Sections in Geography
  1. Location
  2. Geographic coordinates
  3. Map references
  4. Area
  5. Area - comparative
  6. Land boundaries
  7. Coastline
  8. Maritime claims
  9. Climate
  10. Terrain
  11. Elevation
  12. Natural resources
  13. Land use
  14. Irrigated land
  15. Population distribution
  16. Natural hazards
  17. Geography - note

Geography

Location:2

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
Source context

Reference period: As stated in each note.

Original reference ↗

Source note [2]

Geographic coordinates:3

54 00 N, 2 00 W
Source context

Reference period: As stated in each note.

Original reference ↗

Source note [3]

Map references:4

Europe
Source context

Reference period: As stated in each note.

Original reference ↗

Source note [4]

Area:5

Surface area: 243,610 square kilometers (2024)

total:243,610 sq km
land:241,930 sq km
water:1,680 sq km
note 1:England covers 53% of the area, Scotland 32%, Wales 9%, and Northern Ireland 6%
note 2:includes Rockall and the Shetland Islands, which are part of Scotland
Source context

Reference period: As stated in each note.

Original reference ↗

Source note [5]

Area - comparative:7

twice the size of Pennsylvania; slightly smaller than Oregon
Source context

Reference period: As stated in each note.

Original reference ↗

Source note [7]

Land boundaries:8

total:499 km
border countries (1):Ireland 499 km
Source context

Reference period: As stated in each note.

Original reference ↗

Source note [8]

Coastline:9

12,429 km
Source context

Reference period: As stated in each note.

Original reference ↗

Source note [9]

Maritime claims:10

territorial sea:12 nm
continental shelf:as defined in continental shelf orders or in accordance with agreed upon boundaries
exclusive fishing zone:200 nm
Source context

Reference period: As stated in each note.

Original reference ↗

Source note [10]

Climate:11

temperate; moderated by prevailing southwest winds over the North Atlantic Current; more than one-half of the days are overcast
Source context

Reference period: As stated in each note.

Original reference ↗

Source note [11]

Terrain:12

mostly rugged hills and low mountains; level to rolling plains in east and southeast
Source context

Reference period: As stated in each note.

Original reference ↗

Source note [12]

Elevation:13

highest point:Ben Nevis 1,345 m
lowest point:The Fens -4 m
mean elevation:162 m
Source context

Reference period: As stated in each note.

Original reference ↗

Source note [13]

Natural resources:14

coal, petroleum, natural gas, iron ore, lead, zinc, gold, tin, limestone, salt, clay, chalk, gypsum, potash, silica sand, slate, arable land
Source context

Reference period: As stated in each note.

Original reference ↗

Source note [14]

Land use:15

agricultural land:70.3% (2023 est.)
arable land:25% (2023 est.)
permanent crops:0.2% (2023 est.)
permanent pasture:45.2% (2023 est.)
forest:13.4% (2023 est.)
other:14.7% (2023 est.)
Source context

Reference period: As stated in each note.

Original reference ↗

Source note [15]

Irrigated land:16

718 sq km (2018)
Source context

Reference period: 2018.

Original reference ↗

Source note [16]

Population distribution:17

the core of the population lies in and around London, with significant clusters found in central Britain around Manchester and Liverpool, in the Scottish lowlands between Edinburgh and Glasgow, in southern Wales in and around Cardiff, and in far-eastern Northern Ireland, centered on Belfast
Source context

Reference period: As stated in each note.

Original reference ↗

Source note [17]

Natural hazards:18

winter windstorms; floods
Source context

Reference period: As stated in each note.

Original reference ↗

Source note [18]

Geography - note:19

lies near vital North Atlantic sea lanes; only 35 km (22 mi) 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 (78 mi) from tidal waters
Source context

Reference period: As stated in each note.

Original reference ↗

Source note [19]

Historical observations

Notes & sources

  1. Location. Reference edition; observation: dates as stated in text. Field last updated: not supplied; profile fallback: 2025-12-04 13:07:35 -0500 (not a field revision date); needs review. Reference source. Edition retrieval date: not supplied (retrieval only). ↩
  2. Geographic coordinates. Reference edition; observation: dates as stated in text. Field last updated: not supplied; profile fallback: 2025-12-04 13:07:35 -0500 (not a field revision date); needs review. Reference source. Edition retrieval date: not supplied (retrieval only). ↩
  3. Map references. Reference edition; observation: dates as stated in text. Field last updated: not supplied; profile fallback: 2025-12-04 13:07:35 -0500 (not a field revision date); needs review. Reference source. Edition retrieval date: not supplied (retrieval only). ↩
  4. Area. Reference edition; observation: dates as stated in text. Field last updated: not supplied; profile fallback: 2025-12-04 13:07:35 -0500 (not a field revision date); needs review. Reference source. The archived total area has no reference year and territorial coverage may differ from World Bank surface area. World Bank: 243,610 square kilometers (2024). Reference: 243,610 square kilometers. Edition retrieval date: not supplied (retrieval only). ↩
  5. Surface area. Surface area: observation 2024; checked 2026-10-29; single source. World Bank World Development Indicators. The archived total area has no reference year and territorial coverage may differ from World Bank surface area. World Bank: 243,610 square kilometers (2024). Reference: 243,610 square kilometers. ↩
  6. Area - comparative. Reference edition; observation: dates as stated in text. Field last updated: not supplied; profile fallback: 2025-12-04 13:07:35 -0500 (not a field revision date); needs review. Reference source. Edition retrieval date: not supplied (retrieval only). ↩
  7. Land boundaries. Reference edition; observation: dates as stated in text. Field last updated: not supplied; profile fallback: 2025-12-04 13:07:35 -0500 (not a field revision date); needs review. Reference source. Edition retrieval date: not supplied (retrieval only). ↩
  8. Coastline. Reference edition; observation: dates as stated in text. Field last updated: not supplied; profile fallback: 2025-12-04 13:07:35 -0500 (not a field revision date); needs review. Reference source. Edition retrieval date: not supplied (retrieval only). ↩
  9. Maritime claims. Reference edition; observation: dates as stated in text. Field last updated: not supplied; profile fallback: 2025-12-04 13:07:35 -0500 (not a field revision date); needs review. Reference source. Edition retrieval date: not supplied (retrieval only). ↩
  10. Climate. Reference edition; observation: dates as stated in text. Field last updated: not supplied; profile fallback: 2025-12-04 13:07:35 -0500 (not a field revision date); needs review. Reference source. Edition retrieval date: not supplied (retrieval only). ↩
  11. Terrain. Reference edition; observation: dates as stated in text. Field last updated: not supplied; profile fallback: 2025-12-04 13:07:35 -0500 (not a field revision date); needs review. Reference source. Edition retrieval date: not supplied (retrieval only). ↩
  12. Elevation. Reference edition; observation: dates as stated in text. Field last updated: not supplied; profile fallback: 2025-12-04 13:07:35 -0500 (not a field revision date); needs review. Reference source. Edition retrieval date: not supplied (retrieval only). ↩
  13. Natural resources. Reference edition; observation: dates as stated in text. Field last updated: not supplied; profile fallback: 2025-12-04 13:07:35 -0500 (not a field revision date); needs review. Reference source. Edition retrieval date: not supplied (retrieval only). ↩
  14. Land use. Reference edition; observation: dates as stated in text. Field last updated: not supplied; profile fallback: 2025-12-04 13:07:35 -0500 (not a field revision date); needs review. Reference source. Edition retrieval date: not supplied (retrieval only). ↩
  15. Irrigated land. Reference edition; observation: 2018. Field last updated: not supplied; profile fallback: 2025-12-04 13:07:35 -0500 (not a field revision date); needs review. Reference source. Edition retrieval date: not supplied (retrieval only). ↩
  16. Population distribution. Reference edition; observation: dates as stated in text. Field last updated: not supplied; profile fallback: 2025-12-04 13:07:35 -0500 (not a field revision date); needs review. Reference source. Edition retrieval date: not supplied (retrieval only). ↩
  17. Natural hazards. Reference edition; observation: dates as stated in text. Field last updated: not supplied; profile fallback: 2025-12-04 13:07:35 -0500 (not a field revision date); needs review. Reference source. Edition retrieval date: not supplied (retrieval only). ↩
  18. Geography - note. Reference edition; observation: dates as stated in text. Field last updated: not supplied; profile fallback: 2025-12-04 13:07:35 -0500 (not a field revision date); needs review. Reference source. Edition retrieval date: not supplied (retrieval only). ↩
← IntroductionNotes & sourcesPeople and Society →

Countries & territories

Same-year values. Equal values share a rank.

Sources & method

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RankCountry or territoryValue
Source information
International organization

Source observations