Background facts and figures are always useful to get a feeling for a place, here are a few eclectic odds and ends about England and the rest of the UK:
The United Kingdom (UK) is an island nation in north-western Europe, composed of the countries of England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland (also known as Ulster). To the south it's bordered by the English Channel; to the east by the North Sea; to the west by the Irish Sea and the Atlantic Ocean.
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, Leeds, 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 60,975,000 (2007)
Annual population growth rate: 0.29%. (2004 est.)
Average age: 39 years
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 76.9, women 81.3
Passenger cars: 24 million
Consumer durables owned (% of households, 2006)
- Mobile Phones 80%
- Satellite/cable TV 71%
- Video Recorder 82%
- DVD players 83%
- Home computers 67%
- Internet Connection 59%
- Cars 76%
- Central Heating 95%
- Washing Machine 96%
- Microwave 91%
Average household weekly income: £642
Household expenditure (% of weekly household budget, 2006: £455.90)
- Transport 13.6%
- Recreation and Culture 12.8%
- Housing, fuel and power 10.4%
- Food and non-alcoholic drinks 10.3%
- Restaurants and hotels 8.3%
- Miscellaneous goods and services 7.9%
- Household goods and services 6.6%
- Clothing and footwear 5.1%
- Communication 2.6%
- Alcoholic drinks, tobacco and narcotics 2.4%
- Education 1.6%
- Health 1.3%
