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United Kingdom Factbook · Introduction
Background
Background · The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland was created when the Kingdoms of England and Scotland -- which previously had been distinct states under a single monarchy -- were joined under the 1707 Acts of Union. The island of Ireland was incorporated under the 1800 Acts of Union, while Wales had been part of the Kingdom of England since the 16th century. The United Kingdom has historically played a leading role in developing parliamentary democracy and in advancing literature and science. The 18th and 19th centuries saw the rapid expansion of the British Empire despite the loss of the Thirteen Colonies, and at its zenith in the early 20th century, the British Empire stretched over one fourth of the earth's surface. The first half of the 20th century saw two World Wars seriously deplete the UK's strength and the Irish Republic withdraw from the union. The second half witnessed the dismantling of the Empire and the UK rebuilding itself into a modern and prosperous European nation. As one of five permanent members of the UN Security Council and a founding member of NATO and the Commonwealth of Nations, the UK pursues a global approach to foreign policy. The devolved Scottish Parliament, the National Assembly for Wales, and the Northern Ireland Assembly were established in 1998.
United Kingdom Factbook · Introduction
Background
Background · The UK was an active member of the EU after 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 in 2016 voted by 52 to 48 percent to leave the EU. On 31 January 2020, the UK became the only country to depart the EU -- a move known as "Brexit" -- after prolonged negotiations on EU-UK economic and security relationships.
United Kingdom Factbook · Geography
Location
Location · Western Europe, islands - including the northern one-sixth of the island of Ireland - between the North Atlantic Ocean and the North Sea; northwest of France
United Kingdom Factbook · Geography
Geographic coordinates
Geographic coordinates · 54 00 N, 2 00 W
United Kingdom Factbook · Geography
Map references
Map references · Europe
United Kingdom Factbook · Geography
Surface area
Surface area · 243610
United Kingdom Factbook · Geography
total:
total: · 243,610 sq km
United Kingdom Factbook · Geography
land:
land: · 241,930 sq km
United Kingdom Factbook · Geography
water:
water: · 1,680 sq km
United Kingdom Factbook · Geography
note 1:
note 1: · England covers 53% of the area, Scotland 32%, Wales 9%, and Northern Ireland 6%
United Kingdom Factbook · Geography
note 2:
note 2: · includes Rockall and the Shetland Islands, which are part of Scotland
United Kingdom Factbook · Geography
Area - comparative
Area - comparative · twice the size of Pennsylvania; slightly smaller than Oregon
United Kingdom Factbook · Geography
total:
total: · 499 km
United Kingdom Factbook · Geography
border countries (1):
border countries (1): · Ireland 499 km
United Kingdom Factbook · Geography
Coastline
Coastline · 12,429 km
United Kingdom Factbook · Geography
territorial sea:
territorial sea: · 12 nm
United Kingdom Factbook · Geography
continental shelf:
continental shelf: · as defined in continental shelf orders or in accordance with agreed upon boundaries
United Kingdom Factbook · Geography
exclusive fishing zone:
exclusive fishing zone: · 200 nm
United Kingdom Factbook · Geography
Climate
Climate · temperate; moderated by prevailing southwest winds over the North Atlantic Current; more than one-half of the days are overcast
United Kingdom Factbook · Geography
Terrain
Terrain · mostly rugged hills and low mountains; level to rolling plains in east and southeast
United Kingdom Factbook · Geography
highest point:
highest point: · Ben Nevis 1,345 m
United Kingdom Factbook · Geography
lowest point:
lowest point: · The Fens -4 m
United Kingdom Factbook · Geography
mean elevation:
mean elevation: · 162 m
United Kingdom Factbook · Geography
Natural resources
Natural resources · coal, petroleum, natural gas, iron ore, lead, zinc, gold, tin, limestone, salt, clay, chalk, gypsum, potash, silica sand, slate, arable land
United Kingdom Factbook · Geography
agricultural land:
agricultural land: · 70.3% (2023 est.)
United Kingdom Factbook · Geography
arable land:
arable land: · 25% (2023 est.)
United Kingdom Factbook · Geography
permanent crops:
permanent crops: · 0.2% (2023 est.)
United Kingdom Factbook · Geography
permanent pasture:
permanent pasture: · 45.2% (2023 est.)
United Kingdom Factbook · Geography
forest:
forest: · 13.4% (2023 est.)
United Kingdom Factbook · Geography
other:
other: · 14.7% (2023 est.)
United Kingdom Factbook · Geography
Irrigated land
Irrigated land · 718 sq km (2018)
United Kingdom Factbook · Geography
Population distribution
Population distribution · 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
United Kingdom Factbook · Geography
Natural hazards
Natural hazards · winter windstorms; floods
United Kingdom Factbook · Geography
Geography - note
Geography - note · 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
United Kingdom Factbook · People and Society
Population
Population · 69487000
United Kingdom Factbook · People and Society
total:
total: · 68,459,055 (2024 est.)
United Kingdom Factbook · People and Society
male:
male: · 34,005,445
United Kingdom Factbook · People and Society
female:
female: · 34,453,610
United Kingdom Factbook · People and Society
noun:
noun: · Briton(s), British (collective plural)
United Kingdom Factbook · People and Society
adjective:
adjective: · British
United Kingdom Factbook · People and Society
Ethnic groups
Ethnic groups · 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.)
United Kingdom Factbook · People and Society
Languages
Languages · English
United Kingdom Factbook · People and Society
note:
note: · the following are recognized regional languages: Scots (about 30% of the population of Scotland), Scottish Gaelic (about 60,000 speakers 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.)
United Kingdom Factbook · People and Society
Religions
Religions · 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.)
United Kingdom Factbook · People and Society
0-14 years:
0-14 years: · 16.7% (male 5,872,937/female 5,592,665)
United Kingdom Factbook · People and Society
15-64 years:
15-64 years: · 63.9% (male 22,062,643/female 21,702,401)
United Kingdom Factbook · People and Society
65 years and over:
65 years and over: · 19.3% (2024 est.) (male 6,069,865/female 7,158,544)
United Kingdom Factbook · People and Society
total dependency ratio:
total dependency ratio: · 56.4 (2024 est.)
United Kingdom Factbook · People and Society
youth dependency ratio:
youth dependency ratio: · 26.2 (2024 est.)
United Kingdom Factbook · People and Society
elderly dependency ratio:
elderly dependency ratio: · 30.2 (2024 est.)

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