The United Kingdom of Great
Britain
LOCATION
•
Located off the northwestern coast of
continental Europe. Northern Ireland is
the only part of the UK with a land
border with another sovereign state,
sharing it with the Republic of Ireland.
Apart from this land border, the UK is
surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean, the
North Sea, the English Channel and
the Irish Sea.
Geography
•
The total area of the United Kingdom is approximately 243,610 square
kilometers .
• It lies between the North Atlantic Ocean and the North
Sea, coming within 35 kilometers of the northwest coast of
France, from which it is separated by the English Channel.
•The United Kingdom has a temperate climate,
with plentiful rainfall all year round. The
temperature varies with the seasons but
seldom drops below −10 °C or rises above
35 °C.
Government and politics
• The United Kingdom is a constitutional monarchy and unitary state.
It is a country consisting of four countries: England, Northern
Ireland, Scotland and Wales. It is governed by a parliamentary
system with its seat of government in the capital city of London
• The position of Prime
Minister, the UK's head of
government, belongs to the
Member of Parliament who
can obtain the confidence
of a majority in the House
of Commons,
The Palace of Westminster, seat of the two houses
of the Parliament of the United Kingdom—the
House of Lords and the House of Commons
Economy
•
The UK has a partially regulated free market economy,
•The UK is today the sixth largest economy in the world and
the third largest in Europe after Germany and France,
Industries
• Motor industry
• The chemical and pharmaceutical industry
• Financial services
• Tourism
Aston Martin
is a well
known English
automobile
company.
London is the largest
financial centre in the
world alongside New York
Education
•
Education in the United Kingdom is a devolved matter.
• British universities contain some of the best and oldest in the
world.
• England has some of the top universities
in the world; University of Cambridge,
University of Oxford, Imperial College
London and University College London are
ranked in the global top 10 in the 2008.
•. Trends in International Mathematics and
Science Study rated pupils in England 7th
in the world for Maths, and 6th for Science.
The results put England's pupils ahead of
other European countries, including
Germany.
King's College, part of the University
of Cambridge
Queen's University, Belfast, built in 1849 and one of the oldest
higher education institutions in the United Kingdom.
Innovation
•
•
The discovery of hydrogen, by Henry Cavendish
The world's first working television system, and colour television,
by John Logie Baird.
• The invention of the jet engine, by Frank Whittle.
• The first practical telephone, patented by Alexander Graham Bell.
• The structure of DNA, by Francis Crick and others.
• The invention of the World Wide Web, by Tim Berners-Lee.
• The discovery of penicillin, by biologist and pharmacologist, Sir
Alexander Fleming.
• The laws of motion and illumination of gravity, by Newton.
• The creation of postage and modern postal service, by Sir
Rowland Hill.
Endless list ………………………………………………..
Sir Newton
Foreign relations
• The United Kingdom is a permanent member of the United Nations
Security Council, a member of the Commonwealth of Nations,
NATO, Council of Europe, and a member state of the European
Union.
• The UK has placed a particular emphasis on its "Special
Relationship" with Jordan.