Facts about the UK

General:

• Full Name: United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
• Geographic Coordinates: 54 00 N, 2 00 W
• Flag: The Union Flag (Union Jack)
• Type of Government: Constitutional monarchy
• Head of State: Queen Elizabeth II
• Capital City: London (population: 6,770,400) is the capital of the UK and of England. Edinburgh is the capital of Scotland. Belfast is the capital of Northern Ireland. Cardiff is the capital of Wales.
• Main Cities: London, Manchester, Birmingham, Liverpool, Glasgow, Edinburgh, Cardiff
• Highest mountain: Ben Nevis in Scotland, at 1,343m (4,406 ft)
• Longest river: The Severn, 322 km long, which rises in central Wales and flows through Shrewsbury, Worcester and Gloucester in England to the Bristol Channel.
• Largest lake:Lough Neagh 396sq.km (153 sq miles)
• Deepest Lake:Loch Morar in the Highlands of Scotland, 310 m (1,017 ft) deep
• Highest waterfall: Eas a'Chual Aluinn, from Glas Bheinn, also in the Highlands of Scotland, with a drop of 200 m (660 ft)
• Deepest cave: Ogof Ffynnon Ddu, Powys, Wales, 308 m (1,010 ft) deep
• Most northerly point on the British mainland: Dunnet Head, north-east Scotland
• Most southerly point on the British mainland: Lizard Point, Cornwall
• Most easterly town in England: Lowestoft, Suffolk

Climate:

• Temperate, normally not going much below zero even in the depths of winter, and never much above 25 degrees centigrade in summer. Most of the time it is between 10 and 20 degrees centigrade during the day.
  
• Annual mean temperature: London 9.7C
  
• Annual mean rainfall: London 753mm

Land:

• Total land area (sq.km) 244,110 sq km (94,251 sq miles) Just under half the size of France
• Coast Line: 12,429 km
• Length: Just under 1,000 km (600 miles) from North to South
• Width: About 480 Km from east to west
• Agricultural land: 76% (farming)
• Forests: 11%
• Other land use: 13%
• Natural Resources: coal, petroleum, natural gas, tin, limestone, iron ore, salt, clay, chalk, gypsum, lead, silica, arable land.

People:

• Nationality: Briton(s), British.
• Major languages: English, Welsh, Irish Gaelic, Scottish Gaelic.
• Main Religion: Church of England, Methodist, Baptist, Catholic, Muslim, Hindu and Sikh
• Major ethnic groups: Anglo-Saxons, Scots, Welsh, Irish, West Indians, Pakistanis, Indians
• Total population 59,054,800 (2002)
• Annual population growth rate: 0.29%. (2004 est.)
• Population density per sq.km 245
• Population by region:
  - Scotland 5,119,000
  - England 49,753,000
  - Wales 2,937,000
  - N. Ireland 1,692,000
• Top 5 populous cities:
  - London 7,285,000
  - Birmingham 1,018,000
  - Leeds 725,000
  - Glasgow 611,000
  - Sheffield 529,000

Everyday Life:

• Average area of home (sq. m): 97.6
• Percentage of homes owned: 68%
• Life expectancy: men 75, women 80
• Passenger cars: 24 million
• Consumer durables owned (% of households)
  - Colour TVs 22%
  - Satellite/cable TV 68%
  - CD players 32%
  - Computers 69%
  - Cars 97%
• Household expenditure (% of disposable income)
  - Food and alcohol 6%
  - Clothing14%
  - Rent/mortgage5%
  - Furniture1%
  - Medical care10%
  - Transport13%
  - Education & leisure 27%
  - Household savings 3%