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United Kingdom

History

The Britons, whose ancestors also include Celtic, Roman, Anglo-Saxon, and Norse invaders, nurtured representative government; in 1215 recognition of individual freedoms was guaranteed by the Magna Carta, the precursor of parliamentary rule. England and Wales were united in 1536. The addition of Scotland in 1707 created Great Britain, renamed the United Kingdom in 1801 when Ireland was added. The 26 districts of Northern Ireland remain part of the U.K.

Although losing many American colonies in the second half of the 18th century, Britain's realm grew in Africa, the Caribbean, Asia, and the Mediterranean. As late as 1945 colonial Britons toasted king and country in an empire that spanned the globe. By the century's end, more than 40 former colonies had gained independence, most joining the Commonwealth of Nations. Of the 16 remaining possessions, the islands of Guernsey and Jersey are closest to home.

When elected at 43, current prime minister Tony Blair was the youngest British prime minister since 1812. The U.K., which saw an economic slowdown in 1998 yet has one of the largest economies in the EU, has chosen not to participate in the euro currency for now.

Ongoing Disputes: Gibraltar residents vote overwhelmingly in referendum against "total shared sovereignty" arrangement worked out between Spain and UK to change 300-year rule over colony; Mauritius and Seychelles claim the Chagos Archipelago (British Indian Ocean Territory) and its former inhabitants, who reside chiefly in Mauritius, but in 2001 were granted UK citizenship and the right to repatriation since eviction in 1965; Argentina claims the Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas) and South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands; Rockall continental shelf dispute involving Denmark and Iceland; territorial claim in Antarctica (British Antarctic Territory) overlaps Argentine claim and partially overlaps Chilean claim; disputes with Iceland, Denmark, and Ireland over the Faroe Islands continental shelf boundary outside 200 NM

Environment Issues: Continues to reduce greenhouse gas emissions (has met Kyoto Protocol target of a 12.5% reduction from 1990 levels and intends to meet the legally binding target and move towards a domestic goal of a 20% cut in emissions by 2010); by 2005 the government aims to reduce the amount of industrial and commercial waste disposed of in landfill sites to 85% of 1998 levels and to recycle or compost at least 25% of household waste, increasing to 33% by 2015; between 1998-99 and 1999-2000, household recycling increased from 8.8% to 10.3%

Statistics

Climate: Temperate; moderated by prevailing southwest winds over the North Atlantic Current; more than one-half of the days are overcast
Terrain: Mostly rugged hills and low mountains; level to rolling plains in east and southeast
Population: 60.1 million
Infant Mortality: 5.28 deaths/1,000 live births
Life Expectancy: 78.16 years
Ethnic Groups: English 81.5%, Scottish 9.6%, Irish 2.4%, Welsh 1.9%, Ulster 1.8%, West Indian, Indian, Pakistani, and other 2.8%
Religions: Anglican and Roman Catholic 40 million, Muslim 1.5 million, Presbyterian 800,000, Methodist 760,000, Sikh 500,000, Hindu 500,000, Jewish 350,000
Labour Force: 29.7 million
Unemployment Rate: 5.2%

Map

Map courtesy of the CIA World Factbook

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