The United Kingdom is made up of England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. Its full name is the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
Great Britain is the name given to England, Scotland and Wales. It is the largest island of the British Isles. Northern Ireland and the Irish Republic form the second largest.
The Isle of Man and the Channel Islands are not part of the United Kingdom. They have their own legislative assemblies and systems of law. However, the British Government is responsible for their defence and international relations. The term "Britain" is used informally to mean the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
What is the population of Britain and its major cities ?
Britain ranks 18th in the world in terms of population size. In 1998, the population of Britain was 59.2 million, an increase of just over half since the beginning of the century.
The total population of England is estimated at 49.5 million, Wales is estimated at 2.9 million, Scotland at 5.1 million and Northern Ireland at 1.7 million people. England has the highest population density and Scotland has the lowest. The population of Britain's major cities in mid-1996 was as follows: London 7,740,300; Birmingham 1,020,600; Glasgow 616,430; Edinburgh 448,850; Manchester 430,800; Cardiff 315,000; Belfast 297,300.
Which are Britain's largest ethnic minorities groups?
The largest ethnic minorities in Britain are those of Caribbean or African descent (875,000 people). The next largest ethnic groups are Indians (840,255 people), and Pakistani and Bangladeshis (639,390 people). Overall, ethnic minority groups represent just under six per cent of the population of Great Britain. The ethnic population has evolved from the substantial immigration during the 1950s and 1960s of people from former British colonies in the Caribbean and South Asian sub-continent . In the 1970s, Britain also admitted some 28,000 Asians expelled from Uganda and some 22,000 refugees from South East Asia. Considerable numbers of Chinese, Italians, Greek and Turkish Cypriots, Poles, Australians, New Zealanders and people from the United States and Canada are also resident in Britain.
Which religions are represented in Britain?
Everyone in Britain has the right to religious freedom.
Britain is predominantly Christian. The Church of England has been the official church of the State - or 'established church' - since the Reformation in the 16th century.The Roman Catholic Church, suppressed in Britain after the Reformation, was restored in the late 19th century.
In Scotland, there are 1.1 million members of the Presbyterian Church - the established church in Scotland. In Northern Ireland, about half the people regard themselves as Protestants and nearly 40 per cent as Roman Catholics. In Wales, the Anglican church was disestablished in 1920. This means that there is no one officially established church, but Methodism and Baptism are the two most widespread denominations.
Britain has one of the largest Muslim communities in Western Europe, estimated to be between 1 and 1.5 million people, with over 600 mosques and prayer centres. One of the most important Muslim institutions in the Western world is the Central mosque in London and its associated Islamic Cultural Centre.
There are between 400,000 and 500,000 Sikhs, with the largest groups concentrated in Greater London, Manchester and Birmingham. The first Sikh temple was established in London in 1908.
There are also 320,000 Hindus. The first Hindu temple was opened in London in 1962, and there are now over 150 throughout Britain. Other religious groups include about 285,000 members of the Jewish faith.
What are Britain's main imports and exports?
Britain is the fifth largest trading nation in the world. The chemical industry is Britain's largest export earner. Since the 1970s, oil has played a significant role in improving Britain's balance of trade figures, reflected in both increased exports and decreased imports. British Petroleum (BP) is Britain's biggest and Europe's second largest industrial company.
UK pharmaceutical companies produce three of the world's best selling medicines: 'Zantac' (made by Glaxo Wellcome) for ulcer treatment; 'Tenormin' (ICI), a beta-blocker for high blood pressure; and 'AZT' (Glaxo Wellcome), a drug used in the treatment of AIDS.
Britain is also a major supplier of machinery, vehicles, aerospace products, electrical and electronic equipment. Britain is responsible for 10% of the world's service exports, including banking, insurance, stockbroking, consultancy and computer programming.
Britain imports six times as many manufactured goods as basic materials. EU countries account for seven of the 10 leading suppliers of goods to Britain and Germany is Britain's biggest supplier of imports. Food, beverages and tobacco account for half of non-manufactured imports, whilst machinery and road vehicles account for two-thirds of finished imported manufactured goods. Other major imports include chemicals, fuels, clothing and footwear.
What are 'GMT' and 'British Summertime'?
Greenwich Mean Time (GMT), is the local time of the 0-degree meridian that passes through Greenwich in London. It is the standard time for Britain and a basis for calculating other time zones in the world.
British Summer Time (BST) runs from the last Sunday in March to the last Sunday in October. Clocks are advanced one hour ahead of GMT in the spring to gain maximum use of daylight hours and 'put back' in autumn.
Thanks
The texts presented here have been placed with friendly approval of the British embassy on non-commercial basis. You find further information about Great Britain and the UK on the web pages of the British embassy named below.
Contact: British Embassy, Wilhelmstr. 70-71,
10117 Berlin, Germany Tel +49 (0)30 20457-0
