Introduction & Facts

With the diminished role of the royal family, the United Kingdom (U.K.) has moved from colonial empire to becoming a member of the European Community and a strong military and economic ally of the U.S. There are four constituent nations that form the U.K. - England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. The U.K. is known for its mild and damp climate, it's strong economy and the Pound Sterling, colorful pubs, historical castles, its lush and rainy countryside and the cosmopolitan epicenter of London.

Stone Age immigrants arrived to the U.K around 4000 BC and constructed the mystifying Stonehenge. After a great many cultural and civil wars, England became the largest of the three political divisions (Scotland to the north and Wales to the west) within the island of Great Britain, Northern Island, is still also part of the United Kingdom. England is a treasure house of art and sculpture from every age and continent, and exported its language and the Presbyterian Church around the globe. In so doing, the artistic genius of Shakespeare and Dickens, the Beatles and the Rolling Stones, entrenched England as the center of global culture. The number of immigrants to the UK has risen from over a quarter of a million in 1992 per year to just under half a million people per year during recent years.

MAP

Area: 129,720 sq km (50,085 sq mi)
Population: 62.75 million ( as at April 2010)
- England 52,000,000 (83.6 per cent of the total UK population)
- Scotland 5,300,000 (8.6 per cent) Capital - Edinburgh
- Wales 3,500,000 (4.9 per cent) Capital - Cardiff
- Northern Ireland 1,950,000 (2.9 per cent) Capital - Belfast
Capital city of England: London population 7.8 million
People: Anglo-Saxons, Scots, Welsh, Irish, West Indians, Pakistanis, Indians
Language: English
Religion: Church of England, Methodist, Baptist, Catholic, Muslim, Hindu and Sikh
Government: Parliamentary Democracy
Head of State: Queen Elizabeth II
Prime Minister: Gordon Brown
Army: Voluntary - The British Army consists of professional soldiers only
Weekend: 2 days - Saturday, Sunday
Member of EU: yes
Euro zone participant: no
Major Trading partners: EU (Germany, France, Netherlands, Ireland) & USA
Major Industries: Banking and finance, steel, transport equipment, oil and gas, coal, tourism
Currency: British Pound (GBP)1 GBP= $US 1.54 (as at April 2010)

FACTS ( April 2010)	Population	Work Force	Registered Motor Vehicles	Mobile Phones	Households with internet access	Households with computers
ISRAEL	7.47 million	4.4 million	2.4 million	6.35 million	72%	79%
UK	62.75 million	38 million	35.3 million	77 million	73%	84%

ENGLAND