The UK is made up of Great Britain (England, Scotland and Wales) and Northern Ireland, and is one of the 27 member states of the European Union (EU).

 

Capital cities:

    * London – England

    * Edinburgh – Scotland

    * Cardiff – Wales

    * Belfast – Northern Ireland

 

Population: The UK – approximately 60.6 million

England 50,714,000

Wales 2,977,000

Scotland 5,108,000

Northern Ireland 1,733,000

 

Climate:

Britain has a fairly temperate climate and is sometimes overcast. The weather can vary greatly from day to day, but generally summer (June-August) is a warm 14-25 °C, and winter (December-February) is a cool 1-4 °C.

 

Currency:

Britain’s unit of currency is the Great British Pound (sterling) – GBP. The symbol for the pound sterling is £.

 

Government:

The UK is a constitutional monarchy that is a representative democracy, where Queen Elizabeth II is recognised as the head of state, and the elected Prime Minister – David Cameron – is the head of government.