ABSTRACT
This chapter provides a brief historical background and a description of major events in United Kingdom. It also provides basic political, economic, and social data arranged in the following categories: polity, economy, population, purchasing power parities, life expectancy, ethnic groups, capital, political rights, civil liberties, and status. The chapter discusses the progress and decline of political rights and civil liberties in United Kingdom. Northern Ireland comprises six of the nine counties of the Irish province of Ulster. The people of Northern Ireland elected a 108-member legislature in free and fair elections in June 1998. The assembly has full executive and legislative power, though Britain maintains responsibility for defense and security. Antiterror legislation may restrict the right of assembly, association, or freedom of expression, but it is not generally used to do so, and Northern Ireland enjoys a vibrant civil society. The findings of a comprehensive study into racial prejudice in Northern Ireland were released in April 2000.
