ABSTRACT
FACTS ABOUT THE UNITED KINGDOM Area: With an area of 244,820 sq. km. the United Kingdom of Great Britain comprises England, Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland. It is one of the 28 member states of the European Union, which it joined in 1973. Population: Britain is densely populated with over 63 million people. e proportion of the population aged 65 and over has increased by 0.5% while the younger population, aged 15 and under, has decreased by 1% over the past decade. e older population, aged 65 years and older has more than tripled, from 5% in 1911 to 16% in 2011. Over the centuries, many people from overseas have settled in Britain either to escape political or religious persecution or in search of economic opportunities. It is worth noting that since 1981, there had been a tightening of immigration law, something that has made it much more dicult for foreign nationals to settle in Britain. However, over the past decade, the borders in Europe have been relaxed, which has led to Britain becoming more ethnically diverse. is has led to the ethnic minority population (other than “white British”) more than doubling in number since 1991 from 3 to 7 million (increasing from 5.5% to 14% of the total population). Although Britain has been predominantly Christian since the early Middle Ages, today most of the world’s other religions are represented. Britain’s Hindu, Sikh, and Jewish communities each number around 817,000, 423,000, and 263,000, respectively. e Muslim community has changed signicantly over the past decade, increasing from 1.6 million in 2001 to 2.2 million in 2011. Economy: Historically, Britain was one of the leading industrialized countries, but in recent years, the economic and industrial pattern has altered considerably. Service industries have become increasingly important, accounting for around 80% of the employees. Financial and other business services had also grown in signicance during the 1980s, but recent problems in these services has led to the UK economy becoming weak and the growth being at since 2010. Government: Britain is a parliamentary democracy with a constitutional monarch-currently Queen Elizabeth II-as head of State. Unlike many other parliamentary democracies, it has no written constitution outlining the rights and obligations of government or citizens. Instead, it is ruled according to laws passed by Parliament, decisions made in the higher judicial courts, and (perhaps more importantly) tradition. Parliament, Britain’s legislature, comprises the House of Commons, the House of Lords, and the Queen in her constitutional role. General elections to choose members of parliament must be held at least every 5 years. e government is formed by the party with the majority support in the Commons. e last general election was held in May 2010 that, for the rst time since the Second World War, led to a coalition government with the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats sharing power. e Labour Party forms the ocial opposition, with its own leader and shadow cabinet. e opposition has a duty to challenge government policies and to present alternatives.
