๐ Countries of the world ๐ฐ Europe
The United Kingdom
๐ In short
The United Kingdom is a country in northwest Europe made up of four parts: England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. Most of it is on the island of Great Britain. Its capital is London, one of the most famous cities in the world, with the River Thames flowing through it.
๐คฉ Did you know?
- The UK's capital is London.
- The currency is the pound sterling, and the language is English.
- More than 80% of the people live in England.
- The British Library holds millions of books.
๐๏ธ Fact file
- Capital
- London.
- Official language
- English.
- Official name
- United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
- Currency
- The pound sterling.
- Area
- 244,101 kmยฒ.
- Population
- 2003 estimate: 59,658,000 people. (1998) 59,056,000 people. 1991 census: 56,467,000 people.
๐ Find out more
๐ London landmarks
London has the famous Big Ben clock, Tower Bridge that lifts up to let ships pass, Buckingham Palace, the giant London Eye wheel and red double-decker buses.
๐ Museums and libraries
The UK has thousands of museums, the most famous being the British Museum, with treasures from ancient Egypt and all over the world. And the British Library holds millions of books.
๐ก Green countryside
It rains a lot in Britain, so the land is very green. Scotland has mountains, lakes and old castles, and Wales has valleys, mountains and lots of castles.
๐ฏ Inventions and sports
The Industrial Revolution and the first steam trains began in Britain. Many sports spread from there, like modern football, tennis and cricket.
๐งฉ Test yourself
1 What is the famous clock in London called?
2 How many parts make up the United Kingdom?
3 More than ?? % of the people live in England.
4 Which picture shows โThe United Kingdomโ?
๐ Discover more
๐ท Picture sources: Wikimedia Commons
- Ilya Grigorik ยท CC BY-SA 3.0
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