Outline of the United Kingdom
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK, or Britain,[1] is a sovereign island country[2][3] located off the northwestern coast of mainland Europe. The UK includes the island of Great Britain, the northeast part of the island of Ireland and many small islands. Northern Ireland is the only part of the UK with a land border, sharing it with the Republic of Ireland.[4] Apart from this land border, the UK is surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean, the North Sea, the English Channel and the Irish Sea. The largest island, Great Britain, is linked to France by the Channel Tunnel.
The United Kingdom consists of England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales. The United Kingdom is a parliamentary democracy with its seat of government in London, the capital, and a constitutional monarchy with Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II as the head of state. The Crown Dependencies of Jersey, Guernsey and the Isle of Man, formally possessions of the Crown, are not part of the UK but form a federacy with it.[5] The UK has fourteen overseas territories,[6] all remnants of the British Empire, which at its height encompassed almost a quarter of the world's land surface, making it the largest empire in history. As a direct result of the empire, British influence can be observed in the language and culture of states such as Canada, Australia, New Zealand, India, Pakistan, South Africa, and the United States of America, and other less globally influential independent states. HM Queen Elizabeth II remains the head of the Commonwealth of Nations and head of state of the Commonwealth realms.
The following outline is provided as an overview of and topical guide to United Kingdom:
[edit] General reference
- Abbreviations: UK or GB
- Common English country names: The United Kingdom, the UK, Great Britain, or Britain
- Official English country name: The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
- Common endonyms: The United Kingdom, the UK, Britain
- Official endonyms: The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
- Adjectivals: British, United Kingdom
- Demonyms: Briton, British
- Etymology: Name of Britain, Name of the United Kingdom
- International rankings of the United Kingdom
- Terminology of the British Isles
- United Kingdom-related topics
- ISO country codes: GB, GBR, 826
- ISO region codes: See ISO 3166-2:GB
- Internet country code top-level domain: .gb
[edit] Geography of the UK
- The United Kingdom is...
- Location:
- Atlantic Ocean
- Northern Hemisphere, on the Prime Meridian
- Eurasia (but not on the mainland)
- Europe
- Northern Europe and Western Europe
- British Isles
- Great Britain (entire island and adjacent isles)
- Ireland (northeastern sixth of the island)
- British Isles
- Northern Europe and Western Europe
- Europe
- Time zone: GMT (UTC+00) or BST (UTC+01)
- Extreme points of the United Kingdom:
- North: Out Stack, Shetland Islands 60°51′N 0°52′W / 60.85°N 0.867°W
- South: Western Rocks, Isles of Scilly 49°51′N 6°24′W / 49.85°N 6.4°W
- East: Lowestoft Ness, Suffolk 52°28.87′N 1°45.77′E / 52.48117°N 1.76283°E
- West: Rockall1 57°35′N 13°41′W / 57.583°N 13.683°W
- High: Ben Nevis, Lochaber at 1,343 metres (4,410 ft) 56°47′49.150″N 5°0′17.222″W / 56.79698611°N 5.00478389°W
- Low: The Fens at −4 metres (−13 ft) 52°29′18″N 0°13′52″W / 52.48838°N 0.23118°W
- Land boundaries:
Ireland 360 km - Coastline: 12,429 km
- Population of the United Kingdom: 60,975,000 (2007 estimate) - 22nd most populous country
- Area of the United Kingdom: 244,820 km2 (94,530 sq mi) - 79th most extensive country
- Atlas of the United Kingdom
- Geography of the United Kingdom
[edit] Environment of the UK
- Climate of the United Kingdom
- Ecology of the United Kingdom
- Geology of the United Kingdom
- National parks of the United Kingdom
- Protected areas of the United Kingdom
- Environmentally Sensitive Area (ESA)
- Heritage Coast
- Scenic areas
- Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) - England, Wales, Northern Ireland
- National Scenic Area - Scotland
- Scheduled Ancient Monument
- Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI)
- Special Area of Conservation (SAC) (European Union)
- Special Protection Area (SPA) (European Union)
- Wetlands designated under the Ramsar Convention (International)
- Wildlife of the United Kingdom
- Flora of the United Kingdom
- Fauna of the United Kingdom
- Birds of the United Kingdom
- Mammals of the United Kingdom
[edit] Geographic features of the UK
- Fjords of the United Kingdom
- Glaciers of the United Kingdom
- Islands of the United Kingdom
- Lakes of the United Kingdom
- Mountains and hills of the United Kingdom
- Rivers of the United Kingdom
- Valleys of the United Kingdom
- World Heritage Sites in the United Kingdom
[edit] Regions of the UK
[edit] Ecoregions of the UK
- Main article: Ecoregions in the United Kingdom
[edit] Subdivisions of the UK
- Main article:Subdivisions of the United Kingdom
[edit] Constituent countries of the UK
[edit] England
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[edit] Northern Ireland
[edit] Scotland
[edit] Wales
[edit] Municipalities of the UK
- Cities of the UK
- Capital of the United Kingdom: London
- Second city of the United Kingdom
- Cities of the UK by population
- Towns of the United Kingdom
[edit] Demography of the UK
- Main article: Demographics of the United Kingdom
[edit] Government and politics of the UK
- Main articles: Her Majesty's Government, Monarchy of the United Kingdom, and Politics of the United Kingdom
- Form of government: parliamentary multi-party representative democratic constitutional monarchy
- Capital of the United Kingdom: London
- Censorship in the United Kingdom
- Elections in the United Kingdom
- British elections(specific elections)
- Gun politics in the United Kingdom
- Political parties in the United Kingdom
- Political scandals of the United Kingdom
- Taxation in the United Kingdom
[edit] Branches of the government of the UK
[edit] Executive branch of the government of the UK
- Head of state: Monarch of the United Kingdom, Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom
- Head of government: Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, Gordon Brown
- Cabinet of the United Kingdom
- Departments of the United Kingdom Government
[edit] Legislative branch of the government of the UK
[edit] Judicial branch of the government of the UK
- Courts of England and Wales
- Courts of Northern Ireland
- Courts of Scotland
- Supreme Court of the United Kingdom
[edit] Foreign relations of the UK
- Anglo-American relations (US-UK relations)
[edit] International organization membership
The United Kingdom is a member of:
- African Development Bank (AfDB) (nonregional member)
- African Union/United Nations Hybrid Operation in Darfur (UNAMID)
- Arctic Council (observer)
- Asian Development Bank (ADB) (nonregional member)
- Australia Group
- Bank for International Settlements (BIS)
- Caribbean Development Bank (CDB) (nonregional member)
- Commonwealth of Nations
- Council of Europe (CE)
- Council of the Baltic Sea States (CBSS)
- Euro-Atlantic Partnership Council (EAPC)
- European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD)
- European Investment Bank (EIB)
- European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN)
- European Space Agency (ESA)
- European Union (EU)
- Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO)
- Group of Five (G5)
- Group of Seven (G7)
- Group of Eight (G8)
- Group of Ten (G10)
- Group of Twenty Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors (G20)
- Inter-American Development Bank (IADB)
- International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)
- International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD)
- International Chamber of Commerce (ICC)
- International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO)
- International Confederation of Free Trade Unions (ICFTU)
- International Criminal Court (ICCt)
- International Criminal Police Organization – INTERPOL
- International Development Association (IDA)
- International Energy Agency (IEA)
- International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRCS)
- International Finance Corporation (IFC)
- International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD)
- International Hydrographic Organization (IHO)
- International Labour Organization (ILO)
- International Maritime Organization (IMO)
- International Mobile Satellite Organization (IMSO)
- International Monetary Fund (IMF)
- International Olympic Committee (IOC)
- International Organization for Migration (IOM)
- International Organization for Standardization (ISO)
- International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement (ICRM)
- International Telecommunication Union (ITU)
- International Telecommunications Satellite Organization (ITSO)
- International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC)
- International Whaling Commission (IWO)
- Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU)
- Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency (MIGA)
- Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) (guest)
- North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO)
- Nuclear Energy Agency (NEA)
- Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG)
- Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD)
- Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW)
- Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE)
- Organization of American States (OAS) (observer)
- Pacific Islands Forum (PIF) (partner)
- Paris Club
- Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA)
- Secretariat of the Pacific Community (SPC)
- Southeast European Cooperative Initiative (SECI) (observer)
- United Nations (UN)
- United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD)
- United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UNESCAP)
- United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA) (associate)
- United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE)
- United Nations Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (UNECLAC)
- United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)
- United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR)
- United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO)
- United Nations Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK)
- United Nations Iraq-Kuwait Observation Mission (UNIKOM)
- United Nations Mission in Bosnia and Herzegovina (UNMIBH)
- United Nations Mission in Liberia (UNMIL)
- United Nations Mission in Sierra Leone (UNAMSIL)
- United Nations Mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo (MONUC)
- United Nations Mission in the Sudan (UNMIS)
- United Nations Observer Mission in Georgia (UNOMIG)
- United Nations Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus (UNFICYP)
- United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA)
- United Nations Security Council (UNSC) (permanent member)
- United Nations Transitional Administration in East Timor (UNTAET)
- United Nations University (UNU)
- Universal Postal Union (UPU)
- Western European Union (WEU)
- World Confederation of Labour (WCL)
- World Customs Organization (WCO)
- World Federation of Trade Unions (WFTU)
- World Health Organization (WHO)
- World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO)
- World Meteorological Organization (WMO)
- World Tourism Organization (UNWTO)
- World Trade Organization (WTO)
- Zangger Committee (ZC)
[edit] Law and order in the UK
- Main article: Law of the United Kingdom
- Capital punishment in the United Kingdom
- Constitution of the United Kingdom
- Crime in the United Kingdom
- Human rights in the United Kingdom
- Law enforcement in the United Kingdom
[edit] Military of the UK
- Main article: British Armed Forces
- Command:
- Naval Service
- British Army
- Royal Air Force
- United Kingdom Special Forces
- United Kingdom and weapons of mass destruction
[edit] Local government in the UK
- Local government in England
- Local government in Northern Ireland
- Local government in Scotland
- Local government in Wales
[edit] History of the UK
- Main article: History of the United Kingdom, Timeline of British history, and Current events of the United Kingdom
- Economic history of the United Kingdom
- History of local government in the United Kingdom
- Maritime history of the United Kingdom
- Military history of the United Kingdom
[edit] Culture of the UK
- Main article: Culture of the United Kingdom
- Architecture of the United Kingdom
- Cuisine of the United Kingdom
- Ethnic minorities in the United Kingdom
- Festivals in the United Kingdom
- Humour in the United Kingdom
- Languages of the United Kingdom
- Marriage in the United Kingdom
- Media in the United Kingdom
- Symbols of the United Kingdom, the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man
- Prostitution in the United Kingdom
- Public holidays in the United Kingdom
- Religion in the United Kingdom
- World Heritage Sites in the United Kingdom
[edit] The Arts in the UK
- Art in the United Kingdom
- British comedy
- Cinema of the United Kingdom
- Literature of the United Kingdom
- Music of the United Kingdom
- Television in the United Kingdom
- Theatre in the United Kingdom
[edit] Sports and games in the UK
[edit] Sport in the UK
- Main article: Sport in the United Kingdom
[edit] Games in the UK
[edit] Economy of the UK
- Main article: Economy of the United Kingdom
- Economic rank, by nominal GDP (2007): 5th (fifth)
- Agriculture in the United Kingdom
- Banking in the United Kingdom
- Banks of the United Kingdom
- Communications in the United Kingdom
- Companies of the United Kingdom
- Economic history of the United Kingdom
- Mining in the United Kingdom
- Oil industry in the United Kingdom
- Tourism in the United Kingdom
- Transport in the United Kingdom
[edit] Education in the UK
- Main articles: Education in the United Kingdom and List of schools in the United Kingdom
[edit] Infrastructure of the UK
- Communications in the United Kingdom
- Energy in the United Kingdom
- Fire services in the United Kingdom
- Health care in the United Kingdom
- Transportation in the United Kingdom
- Water supply and sanitation in the United Kingdom
[edit] See also
- Commonwealth realm
- Index of United Kingdom-related articles
- List of international rankings
- List of United Kingdom-related topics
- Member state of the Commonwealth of Nations
- Member state of the European Union
- Member state of the Group of Twenty Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors
- Member state of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization
- Member state of the United Nations
- Monarchy of the United Kingdom
- Outline of Europe
- Outline of geography
[edit] References
- ^ See British Isles (terminology) for further explanation of the usage of the term "Britain" in geographical and political contexts.
- ^ "Encyclopaedia Britannica". http://www.britannica.com/eb/article-9110750/United-Kingdom. Retrieved on 2007-09-25. "Island country located off the north-western coast of mainland Europe"
- ^ www.number-10.gov.uk. "Countries within a country". http://www.number-10.gov.uk/output/Page823.asp. Retrieved on 2007-06-13. "Countries within a country"
- ^ "Member States: United Kingdom". UK Presidency of the EU 2005. http://www.eu2005.gov.uk/servlet/Front?pagename=OpenMarket/Xcelerate/ShowPage&c=Page&cid=1115141709899/. Retrieved on 29 May 2006.
- ^ "UK gov explanation of names". http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Gtgl1/GuideToGovernment/AboutBritain/DG_10012517.
- ^ "UK Overseas Territories". Foreign & Commonwealth Office. http://www.fco.gov.uk/servlet/Front?pagename=OpenMarket/Xcelerate/ShowPage&c=Page&cid=1013618138295. Retrieved on 2007-04-20.
[edit] External links
Textbooks from Wikibooks
Quotations from Wikiquote
Source texts from Wikisource
Images and media from Commons
News stories from Wikinews
- Wikimedia Atlas of the United Kingdom
- (French) List of United Kingdom regions rulers
- Official website of the British Monarchy
- Official website of the United Kingdom Government
- Official tourist guide to Britain
- Details of days out and attractions around Britain
- Official Yearbook of the United Kingdom
- "Countries within a country" from the Official Website of the British Prime Minister
- Economic & Social Data Ranking/ United Kingdom
- Outline of the United Kingdom travel guide from Wikitravel
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