UNITED KINGDOM


Physical geography
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland (aka “the UK”), 244,101 km², in Western Europe, is a big island with varied landscapes: cliffs along some coastlines, highlands and lowlands, and hundreds of smaller islands off the western and northern coasts of Scotland. Temperatures are generally low.


An iconic place
Stonehenge is a massive stone monument located on a chalky plain north of the modern-day city of Salisbury. It was built more than 4,000 years ago.


An iconic object
The tea cup is the perfect symbol of the United Kingdom.

Something the country has done for the world
The United Kingdom was one of the major forces in World War 2 opposing the Nazis.


Famous historical figure
Playwright William Shakespeare is arguably the world’s most famous writer of all time; he was born in 1564 and died in 1616.


Important living person
Queen Elizabeth II is probably the best-known British person in the world She ascended the throne on 6th February 1952. She was born in 1926 and is the second longest-reigning head of state.

History before 2000
The United Kingdom was the dominant industrial and maritime power of the 19th century, played a leading role in developing parliamentary democracy and in advancing literature and science. At its zenith, the British Empire stretched over one quarter of the earth's surface. The United Kingdom played an important role in both World Wars.

History after 2000
The UK is now one of the most powerful countries in Europe, is a member of the Commonwealth of Nations, the European Union, and NATO. It is also a permanent member of the UN Security Council and holds veto power.

Human geography
The UK is a densely populated country: the population is 64,308,261 (12, 4% of the EU total) with 265 people per sq. km of land. It has a high immigration rate.

Language(s) and culture(s)
The primary language spoken is English. Other languages include Welsh, Gaelic and various Scottish dialects. Recent immigrants from elsewhere in the Commonwealth speak other languages, such as Urdu.


Politics, place in the EU, economy
The United Kingdom is a constitutional monarchy with parliamentary democracy. A leading trading power and financial centre, it has a capitalist economy, one of the largest of Western Europe (the third most important country by GDP in Europe). It joined the EU in 1973; many British people are Eurosceptics.

Youth
British youth have been branded as “the most unpleasant and potentially violent young people in the world”; on every indicator of bad behaviour (drugs, drink, violence, promiscuity), the UK was at or near the top, according to the Institute for Public Policy Research.

Links
Article by Maxence ANDRE

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