About UK, Information on United Kingdom
The United Kingdom is the made up of the countries of England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, which are ruled by one government based in London but have their own cultures. Scotland and Wales also have their own parliaments, and Scotland has its own legal and educational systems, churches and bank notes.
England is a crowded country with many large cities. Almost eight million people live in London, the capital city. London is one of the world's most important centres of trade and finance and is famous for its many historic buidings.
Geography of the United Kingdom
| Geography |
United Kingdom |
| 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 |
Geographic
coordinates: |
54 00 N, 2 00 W |
| Map references: |
Europe |
| Area: |
total: 244,820 sq km
land: 241,590 sq km
water: 3,230 sq km
note: includes Rockall and Shetland
Islands |
| Area - comparative: |
slightly smaller than Oregon |
| Land boundaries: |
total: 360 km
border countries: Ireland 360 km |
| Coastline: |
12,429 km |
| Maritime claims: |
territorial sea: 12 nm
exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm
continental shelf: as defined in continental
shelf orders or in accordance with agreed upon boundaries |
| 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 |
| Elevation extremes: |
lowest point: The Fens -4 m
highest point: Ben Nevis 1,343 m |
| Natural resources: |
coal, petroleum, natural gas, iron ore, lead, zinc, gold, tin, limestone, salt, clay, chalk, gypsum, potash,
silica sand, slate, arable land |
| Land use: |
arable land: 23.46%
permanent crops: 0.21%
other: 76.33% (2001) |
| Irrigated land: |
1,080 sq km (1998 est.) |
| Natural hazards: |
winter windstorms; floods |
Environment - current
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% |
Environment -
international
agreements: |
party to: Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air Pollution-Sulfur 94, Air Pollution-Volatile
Organic Compounds, Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic-Marine Living Resources, Antarctic Seals, Antarctic Treaty,
Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification,
Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical
Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands, Whaling signed, but not ratified: Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants |
| Geography - note: |
lies near vital North Atlantic sea lanes; only 35 km from France and now linked by tunnel under the English
Channel; because of heavily indented coastline, no location is more than 125 km from tidal waters |
People of the United Kingdom
| People |
United Kingdom |
| Population: |
60,441,457 (July 2005 est.) |
| Age structure: |
0-14 years: 17.7% (male 5,490,592/female 5,229,691)
15-64 years: 66.5% (male 20,329,272/female 19,855,862)
65 years and over: 15.8% (male 4,063,357/female 5,472,683) (2005 est.) |
| Median age: |
total: 38.99 years
male: 37.89 years
female: 40.13 years (2005 est.) |
| Population growth rate: |
0.28% (2005 est.) |
| Birth rate: |
10.78 births/1,000 population (2005 est.) |
| Death rate: |
10.18 deaths/1,000 population (2005 est.) |
| Net migration rate: |
2.18 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2005 est.) |
| Sex ratio: |
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.02 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.74 male(s)/female
total population: 0.98 male(s)/female (2005 est.) |
| Source : |
Cia.gov |
|
Living in UK
