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Essential facts about UK
Before you understand and adopt the lifestyle of UK it is important
to know the various parts that make up the continent. The United Kingdom comprises
three major countries, England, Scotland, and Wales. Its province Northern Ireland
also forms an integral piece. Geography
Area : 243,000 sq. km. (93,000 sq. mi.); slightly smaller than Oregon. Cities : Capital--London (metropolitan pop. about 7.2 million). Other cities : Birmingham, Glasgow, Leeds, Sheffield, Liverpool, Bradford, Manchester, Edinburgh, Bristol, Belfast. Terrain : 30% arable, 50% meadow and pasture, 12% waste or urban, 7% forested, 1% inland water. Land use: 25% arable, 46% meadows and pastures, 10% forests and woodland, 19% other. Climate : Generally mild and temperate; weather is subject
to frequent changes but to few extremes of temperature. People Nationality : Noun--Briton(s). Adjective--British. Population (2004 est.) : 60.27 million. Annual population growth rate (2004 est.): 0.29%. Major ethnic groups : British, Irish, West Indian, South Asian. Major religions : Church of England (Anglican), Roman Catholic, Church of Scotland (Presbyterian), Muslim. Major languages : English, Welsh, Irish Gaelic, Scottish Gaelic. Education : Years compulsory--12. Attendance--nearly 100%. Literacy--99%. Health: Infant mortality rate (2004 est.)--5.22/1,000. Life expectancy (2004 est.)--males 75.84 yrs.; females 80.83 yrs.; total 78.27 years Work force (2003, 29.8 million): Services--80.4%; industry--18.7%;
agriculture--0.9%. Government Type : Constitutional monarchy. Constitution : Unwritten; partly statutes, partly common law and practice. Branches : Executive--monarch (head of state), prime minister (head of government), cabinet. Legislative--bicameral Parliament: House of Commons, House of Lords; Scottish Parliament, Welsh Assembly, and Northern Ireland Assembly. Judicial--magistrates' courts, county courts, high courts, appellate courts, House of Lords. Subdivisions : Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland (municipalities, counties, and parliamentary constituencies). Political parties : Great Britain--Conservative, Labor, Liberal Democrats; also, in Scotland--Scottish National Party. Wales--Plaid Cymru (Party of Wales). Northern Ireland--Ulster Unionist Party, Social Democratic and Labor Party, Democratic Unionist Party, Sinn Fein, Alliance Party, and other smaller parties. Suffrage : British subjects and citizens of other Commonwealth
countries and the Irish Republic resident in the U.K., at 18. Economy The economy - one of the largest in the world - is no longer manufacturing but services-based, with e-commerce of growing significance. The City of London is a global financial centre. Based on market exchange rates, the United Kingdom is the fifth-largest economy in the world; the second largest in Europe after Germany, and the sixth-largest overall by purchasing power parity (PPP) exchange rates. GDP (at current market prices, 2003 est.): $1.664 trillion. Annual growth rate (2003 est.): 2.1%. Per capita GDP (2003 est.): $27,700. Natural resources: Coal, oil, natural gas, tin, limestone, iron ore, salt, clay, chalk, gypsum, lead, silica. Agriculture (1.1% of GDP): Products--cereals, oilseed, potatoes, vegetables, cattle, sheep, poultry, fish. Industry: Types--steel, heavy engineering and metal manufacturing, textiles, motor vehicles and aircraft, construction (5.2% of GDP), electronics, chemicals. Trade (2003 est.): Exports of goods and services--$304.5 billion:
manufactured goods, fuels, chemicals; food, beverages, tobacco. Major markets--U.S.,
European Union. Imports of goods and services--$363.6 billion: manufactured
goods, machinery, fuels, and foodstuffs. Major suppliers--U.S., European Union,
Japan. PEOPLE The United Kingdom's population in 2004 surpassed 60 million--the third-largest in the European Union and the 21st-largest in the world. Its overall population density is one of the highest in the world. Almost one-third of the population lives in England's prosperous and fertile southeast and is predominantly urban and suburban--with about 7.2 million in the capital of London, which remains the largest city in Europe. The United Kingdom's high literacy rate (99%) is attributable to universal public education introduced for the primary level in 1870 and secondary level in 1900. Education is mandatory from ages 5 through 16. About one-fifth of British students go on to post-secondary education. The Church of England and the Church of Scotland are the official churches in their respective parts of the country, but most religions found in the world are represented in the United Kingdom. A group of islands close to continental Europe, the British Isles have been
subject to many invasions and migrations, especially from Scandinavia and the
continent, including Roman occupation for several centuries. Contemporary Britons
are descended mainly from the varied ethnic stocks that settled there before
the 11th century. The pre-Celtic, Celtic, Roman, Anglo-Saxon, and Norse influences
were blended in Britain under the Normans, Scandinavian Vikings who had lived
in Northern France. Although Celtic languages persist in Wales, Scotland, and
Northern Ireland, the predominant language is English, which is primarily a
blend of Anglo-Saxon and Norman French. Polity The United Kingdom is a constitutional monarchy, with executive power exercised on behalf of the monarch by the prime minister and other cabinet ministers who head departments. The cabinet, including the prime minister, and other ministers collectively make up Her Majesty's Government. These ministers are drawn from and are responsible to Parliament, the legislative body, which is traditionally considered to be "supreme" (that is, able to legislate on any matter and not bound by decisions of its predecessors). The United Kingdom is one of the few countries in the world today that does not have a codified constitution, relying instead on traditional customs and separate pieces of constitutional law. Food With religions and cultures, UK adopted the culinary tastes of the world. An Indian international student in UK can now find all his favorite delicacies in the major cities of UK, especially London. While as a guest with a British family, an International student will be treated with the food the host serves keeping in mind a strict adherence to his tastes or religious beliefs, if important. UK restaurants now serve Indian, French, Italian, Chinese, and almost all cuisines of the world. These restaurants follow a set pattern: some may open from early morning to mid night while others may open at just meal times. A student not only enjoys tasting new dishes or sticking to his "home food" but would also save money by buying meals that suit his pocket. Languages English is the official language of the state. Welsh, Scottish form of Gaelic are the other languages used. The most widely spoken Asian language in the UK is Punjabi, followed by Urdu, Bengali and Gujarati. Cantonese and Mandarin are the main Chinese dialects spoken in the UK. Celtic languages were once widely spoken in Ireland, Scotland, Wales and some parts of England. Three of these languages are still spoken in some areas: Indian Diaspora You can find Indians almost everywhere in the world. In United Kingdom you find more number of Indians than anybody else. Indians make such a dominant community that they can influence every facet of life in UK. Moreover, you may be surprised to know how diverse ethnicity British society is, especially in the cities. Ethnic minority groups now represent about seven per cent of the British population, including: • Over 1.6 million people of Indian descent • Over 1 million people of Caribbean or African descent • Over 1 million people of Pakistani and Bangladeshi descent • In addition, there are significant numbers of people from China, Italy, Cyprus, Poland, Australia, New Zealand, the USA and Canada living in the UK. |
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