United Kingdom
A general perspective:
Name: United Kingdom
Area: 150.747 km2
Population: 57 million inhabitants
Capital: London
Prime Minister: Gordon Brown
Religion: Anglican
Official Language: English
Currency: British Pound
Population: The United Kingdom (UK) is comprised by England (47 million inhabitants) and other three nations, which were independent in the past: Scotland (5 million inhabitants), Wales (2.8 millions) and Ireland (1.5 millions). The British keep strong bonds with their native land. They are English, Irish, Scottish, and Welsh.
Government: The queen is the Chief of State, but is impartial and “above political matters” at all times. The country is run by a Government and a Prime Minister. The parliament is comprised by the House of Lords (consists of approximately 500 life peers, 92 hereditary peers and 26 clergy) and House of Commons (646 seats since 2005 elections; members are elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms unless the House is dissolved earlier). Laws are subjected to the sovereign's approval.
The British Constitution has evolved through many centuries. Unlike the American, the French and many other countries of the Commonwealth constitutions, the British Constitution has not been compiled in a unique document. However it is comprised by Common Law, Statutory Law and Conventions.
Out of all the democratic countries in the world, only Israel is comparable to the United Kingdom, for not having a unique document that codifies the way the political institutions work and announces citizens’ basic rights and obligations. However, the United Kingdom has certain important constitutional documents as the Magna Carta (1215), which protects the rights of the community against the Crown; the Declaration of the Fundamental Rights (1689), which expands the Parliament power making it impossible for the Crown to ignore the wishes of the government; and the Reform Agreement (1832), which modifies the parliamentary representation system.
Common Law has never been precisely defined – this derives from legal precedents or customs and is interpreted by the judges of the cases presented at court. Conventions are regulations that cannot be complied legally, but that are considered indispensable for the government. Many conventions derive from historic events through which the British government system has evolved. One convention points out that the ministers are responsible for what occurs in their ministries. The constitution can be modified by the Parliament or by a general agreement.
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Gross Domestic Product (GDP): $1.869 trillion (2005 est.) |
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Gross Domestic Product (GDP) – Real Growth Rate: 1,7% (2005 est.) |
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Gross Domestic Product (GDP) per capita: $30,900 (2005 est.) |
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Population below poverty line: 17% (2002 est.) |
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Household income or consumption by percentage share 10% lowest: 2.1%, 10% highest: 28.5% |
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Inflation rate (consumer prices): 2,2% (2005 est.) |
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Labor Force: 30,7 millions (2005 est.) |
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Unemployment rate: 4,7% (2005 est.) |
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Exports: $372,7 miles de millions f.o.b. (2005 est.) |
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Exports - destination: US 15,3%, Germany 10,8%, France 9,2%, Ireland 6,8%, Netherlands 6%, Belgium 5,1%, Spain 4,5%, Italy 4,2% (2004) |
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Imports: $483,7 miles de millions f.o.b. (2005 est.) |
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Imports - precedence: Germany 13%, US 9,3%, France 7,4%, Netherlands 6,6%, Belgium 4,9%, China 4,3%, Italy 4,3% (2004) |
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External Debt: $7,107 billions (30 June 2005) |
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Economic Aid – donor: ODA, $7,9 miles de millions (2004) |
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General Information: The United Kingdom entered the European Union in 1973, along with Denmark and Ireland.
The European Union has 4 main institutions: The European Parliament, The Council of the European Union, The European Commission, and The European Court of Justice. The members of the European Parliament are democratically elected by the citizens of the 25 state members every five years. The Parliament exerts supervision functions over all of the EU's activities, approves the EU’s annual budget, controls expenses and legislates along with the Council.
The European Parliament has 732 members, 78 of which represent the British population. The United Kingdom is divided in 12 geographical regions. Each of these regions elected 1 to 11 members for parliament representation.
The United Kingdom is comprised by England, Wales, Scotland and North Ireland. It has a broad history in foreign affairs and fulfils important functions at the EU, UN, and NATO.
The United Kingdom is a commercial power; it has a financial centre and one of the four country economies with over a trillion dollars in Occidental Europe. During these past two decades, the government has drastically reduced its participation in state companies and has controlled the development of social programs.
Agriculture is intensive, highly mechanized and efficient when compared to the rest of European countries, producing around 60% of the food consumed by the country, using only 1% of national labour.
The United Kingdom has important deposits of coal, natural gas and reserves of hydrocarbons; energy production is about 10% of its GDP, which is one of the highest percentages among industrialized nations.
Climate Although being known for its cloudy skies and abundant rain, climate in the United Kingdom is mostly temperate. Even though climate changes frequently, temperature doesn’t present major variations – it is rarely over 32° C or under 10° C -. Rain is distributed equitably all year round, but March and June are the driest months, and September to January the most humid. If one visits the northern and western mountain areas, it is possible to find more precipitations than in the central regions of the United Kingdom.
Temperate: moderated by the south-western winds from the North-Atlantic current. Also influenced by the Gulf Stream current. It is cloudy more than half of the time. The British climate may quickly change from a cold and rainy day to a sunny day in just a matter of hours, because of which it is a good idea to have a coat and an umbrella at hand.
Tourism The British Islands count with all the necessary elements for tourists to have an unforgettable experience: landscapes, history, castles, first class restaurants, luxury hotels, modernness and tradition. The four countries of the United Kingdom have places that every visitor should see.
In England London city, Buckingham Palace, Westminster Abbey, the Houses of Parliament or Palace of Westminster — where the House of Lords and the House of Commons are located, Big Ben—; the Windsor Castle, Royal residence since the XI century, and Saint George's Chapel); and prestigious Universities as Cambridge and Oxford.
In Scotland Edinburgh; capital de Scotland; Glasgow, the biggest city in Scotland, and numerous lakes such as those located in the Scottish highlands (Ness, Torridon and Carron).
In Wales Cardiff, capital of the country, it neoclassic civil centre and antique castle; Aberystwyth and Llandudno; Snowdonia National Park.
In Northern Ireland Northern Ireland, Saint Patrick's Cathedral, Armagh and Belfast city, capital of the country.
Culture: England’s largest artistic contributions have been developed in the theatre, literature and architecture areas. Chaucer, Shakespeare and Dickens are, without doubt, distinguished elements in occidental literary culture. Even if an equivalent tradition is not seen in sculpture and painting, it is thanks to its conqueror past that England is a treasure of artwork of all periods and of all continents. Many of the visitors feel overwhelmed by the majesty of the aristocratic houses and the great collection of castles and cathedrals. The architectonic heritage of the XX century is characterized, above all, by freeways, skyscrapers and an exaggerated urban development. Architects such as Norman Foster and Richard Rogers have created works of art so impressive and innovating as the Tate Modern, the Millennium Bridge and the Lloyds Building in London.
However, perhaps England’s main cultural export element is the English language, used by the international community. There are amazing regional variations of the language, and it wouldn’t be strange for a person who lives in the south of England to need and interpreter to speak with someone from the north of Oxford.
The Anglican Church is the main religion in England, which became independent of Rome in the XVI century. Other important churches are the Methodist, Baptist and the Salvation Army. One out of ten British say to be Catholic and there are over a million Muslims and a considerable Hinduism and Sikh population. However, even with the great variety of religions, the English appreciate their temples more as architectonic icons of greatness and stability than as religious places.
Even if England is not precisely famous for the quality of its gastronomy, the recent revival of creative cooking that London has experienced is extending to all provinces. Tourists may find a great variety of culinary options from around the world, but those who travel with a tight budget will have to settle for fish and chips (French fries and fish), eggs and bacon, or mash potatoes and sausages.
