Got something to say that doesn't fit in the other sections of this page? [81][82], In the mid-17th century, all three kingdoms were involved in a series of connected wars (including the English Civil War) which led to the temporary overthrow of the monarchy, with the execution of King Charles I, and the establishment of the short-lived unitary republic of the Commonwealth of England, Scotland and Ireland. [citation needed] Since the height of the British Empire in the late 19th century, Britannia has often been associated with British maritime dominance, as in the patriotic song "Rule, Britannia!". [323] London Heathrow Airport, located 15 miles (24 km) west of the capital, has the most international passenger traffic of any airport in the world[313][314] and is the hub for the UK flag carrier British Airways, as well as Virgin Atlantic. (nation's name) Kingdom consisting of several constituencies, actual, historical, or hypothetical. Irish and Scottish players have played for England because neither Scotland nor Ireland have Test status and have only recently started to play in One Day Internationals. [citation needed], In 2009, British films grossed around $2 billion worldwide and achieved a market share of around 7 per cent globally and 17 per cent in the United Kingdom. [464] Today, at least 5.5 million UK-born people live abroad,[465][466][467] mainly in Australia, Spain, the United States and Canada.[465][468]. The Prime Minister is Boris Johnson, who has been in office since 24 July 2019. In addition, British acts developed progressive rock;[539] psychedelic rock;[540] and punk rock. [610] The oldest golf tournament in the world, and the first major championship in golf, The Open Championship, is played annually on the weekend of the third Friday in July. [571] The British Empire facilitated a knowledge of Indian cuisine with its "strong, penetrating spices and herbs". It is not to be confused with, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, Location of the United Kingdom (dark green), From the union with Ireland to the end of the First World War, Largest urban areas of the United Kingdom. [167] The prevailing wind is from the southwest and bears frequent spells of mild and wet weather from the Atlantic Ocean,[151] although the eastern parts are mostly sheltered from this wind since the majority of the rain falls over the western regions the eastern parts are therefore the driest. [482] The majority of children are educated in state-sector schools, a small proportion of which select on the grounds of academic ability. In accordance with party policy, no elected Sinn Féin members of parliament have ever attended the House of Commons to speak on behalf of their constituents because of the requirement to take an oath of allegiance to the monarch. [61][62], The adjective "British" is commonly used to refer to matters relating to the United Kingdom and is used in law to refer to United Kingdom citizenship and matters to do with nationality. Two non-departmental public bodies have key roles in Scottish education. [591][592], In most international competitions, separate teams represent England, Scotland and Wales. There were eventual hard-fought victories in the Battle of the Atlantic, the North Africa campaign and the Italian campaign. [447] In 2009, for the first time since enlargement, more nationals of the eight central and eastern European states that had joined the EU in 2004 left the UK than arrived. [597] England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland usually compete as separate countries in international competitions.[598]. The United Kingdom has the world's fifth-largest economy by nominal gross domestic product (GDP), and the ninth-largest by purchasing power parity (PPP). [223] The essence of common law is that, subject to statute, the law is developed by judges in courts, applying statute, precedent and common sense to the facts before them to give explanatory judgements of the relevant legal principles, which are reported and binding in future similar cases (stare decisis). [565] Many British actors have achieved international fame and critical success. [332] Production is now in decline and the UK has been a net importer of natural gas since 2004. [232][233] Her Majesty's Prison Service, which reports to the Ministry of Justice, manages most of the prisons within England and Wales. 148", "Welsh language on GOV.UK – Content design: planning, writing and managing content – Guidance", "UNdata | record view | Population by religion, sex and urban/rural residence", "Less religious and more ethnically diverse: Census reveals a picture of Britain today", "Demographic Yearbook – Table 3: Population by sex, rate of population increase, surface area and density", "World Population Prospects - Population Division - United Nations", "World Economic Outlook Database, October 2019", "Gini coefficient of equivalised disposable income - EU-SILC survey", "Toponymic guidelines for the United Kingdom", The British Monarchy, "What is constitutional monarchy? [94] Slavery coupled with the Caribbean sugar industry had a significant role in strengthening and developing the British economy in the 18th century. The prime minister chooses a cabinet and its members are formally appointed by the monarch to form Her Majesty's Government. [619] Shinty (or camanachd) is popular in the Scottish Highlands. [612] In 1764, the standard 18-hole golf course was created at St Andrews when members modified the course from 22 to 18 holes. [131][132] A global opinion poll for the BBC saw the United Kingdom ranked the third most positively viewed nation in the world (behind Germany and Canada) in 2013 and 2014. [194] Since 2005 each Crown dependency has had a Chief Minister as its head of government. p. 46. "After the political union of England and Scotland in 1707, the nation's official name became 'Great Britain'". [243] The Armed Forces are charged with protecting the UK and its overseas territories, promoting the UK's global security interests and supporting international peacekeeping efforts. [414] This has led some commentators to variously describe the UK as a multi-faith,[415] secularised,[416] or post-Christian society. [192] They comprise three independently administered jurisdictions: the Channel Islands of Jersey and Guernsey in the English Channel, and the Isle of Man in the Irish Sea. Atlantic currents, warmed by the Gulf Stream, bring mild winters;[168] especially in the west where winters are wet and even more so over high ground. [249] Since 1997 the Bank of England's Monetary Policy Committee, headed by the Governor of the Bank of England, has been responsible for setting interest rates at the level necessary to achieve the overall inflation target for the economy that is set by the Chancellor each year. [309], Scientific research and development remains important in British universities, with many establishing science parks to facilitate production and co-operation with industry. The monarch has "the right to be consulted, the right to encourage, and the right to warn". Early modern Britain saw religious conflict resulting from the Reformation and the introduction of Protestant state churches in each country. [576][577] Other major players in the UK media include ITV plc, which operates 11 of the 15 regional television broadcasters that make up the ITV Network,[578] and News Corporation, which owns a number of national newspapers through News International such as the most popular tabloid The Sun and the longest-established daily "broadsheet" The Times,[579] as well as holding a large stake in satellite broadcaster British Sky Broadcasting until 2018. [216] In practice, it would be politically difficult for the UK Parliament to abolish devolution to the Scottish Parliament and the Senedd, given the political entrenchment created by referendum decisions. The international spread of the English language ensured the continuing international influence of its literature and culture. For elections to the House of Commons, the UK is divided into 650 constituencies,[201] each electing a single member of parliament (MP) by simple plurality. Britain has participated in every modern Olympic Games to date and is third in the medal count. [479][480] Education is now mandatory from ages five to sixteen, and in England youngsters must stay in education or training until they are 18. [80], In 1603, the kingdoms of England, Scotland and Ireland were united in a personal union when James VI, King of Scots, inherited the crowns of England and Ireland and moved his court from Edinburgh to London; each country nevertheless remained a separate political entity and retained its separate political, legal, and religious institutions. [290][291][292][293][294], England and Scotland were leading centres of the Scientific Revolution from the 17th century. Public healthcare is provided to all UK permanent residents and is mostly free at the point of need, being paid for from general taxation. [424] In Scotland, the Church of Scotland is recognised as the national church. [citation needed] In the 19th century there followed further innovation by Jane Austen, the gothic novelist Mary Shelley, the children's writer Lewis Carroll, the Brontë sisters, the social campaigner Charles Dickens, the naturalist Thomas Hardy, the realist George Eliot, the visionary poet William Blake and Romantic poet William Wordsworth.

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