Outline of the United Kingdom
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The following outline is provided as an overview of and topical guide to the United Kingdom:
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK, or Britain, is a sovereign island nation located in the British Isles of Western Europe.[1][2][3] The United Kingdom comprises the island of Great Britain, the northeastern part of the island of Ireland, and a large number of smaller islands.
General reference [edit]
- Pronunciation: /juːˌnaɪ.tɪd ˈkɪŋ.dəm/ (
listen) - Abbreviations: UK
- Common English country names: The United Kingdom, the UK, 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: .uk, .gb (not used)
Geography [edit]
Main article: Geography of the United Kingdom
- See also: Geography of England, Geography of Northern Ireland, Geography of Scotland and Geography of Wales
- The United Kingdom is...
- both a country and a country made up of countries
- both a nation state and a state made up of nations
- an island country
- a Commonwealth realm
- Location:
- Northern Hemisphere, on the Prime meridian
- Atlantic Ocean
- 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: Greenwich Mean Time = Western European Time (UTC+00), British Summer Time = Western European Summer Time (UTC+01)
- Extreme points of the United Kingdom:
- North: Out Stack, Shetland Islands 60°51′N 0°52′W / 60.850°N 0.867°W
- South: Western Rocks, Isles of Scilly 49°51′N 6°24′W / 49.850°N 6.400°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 (4,406 ft) 56°47′49.150″N 5°0′17.22″W / 56.79698611°N 5.0047833°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:
Republic of Ireland 360 km - Coastline: 12,429 km
- Population of the United Kingdom: 61,838,154 (2009 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
Environment [edit]
- Climate of the United Kingdom
- Environmental issues in the United Kingdom
- Conservation in the United Kingdom
- Energy in the United Kingdom
- Green building in the United Kingdom
- Ecoregions in the United Kingdom
- Renewable energy in 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 (England and Wales)
- 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
- Climate of the United Kingdom
- Conservation in the United Kingdom
- Environmentally Sensitive Area
- List of waterfalls of the United Kingdom
- List of natural disasters in the British Isles
Geographic features [edit]
Regions [edit]
United Kingdom, Countries of the United Kingdom, Dependencies and Territories [edit]
- United Kingdom
Ecoregions [edit]
Main article: List of ecoregions in the United Kingdom
Subdivisions [edit]
Main article: Subdivisions of the United Kingdom
Countries [edit]
Main article: Countries of the United Kingdom
- England
- Northern Ireland
- Scotland
- Wales
Crown dependencies [edit]
Main article: Crown dependencies
British Overseas Territories [edit]
Main article: British Overseas Territories
- Anguilla
- Bermuda
- British Antarctic Territory
- British Indian Ocean Territory
- British Virgin Islands
- Cayman Islands
- Falkland Islands
- Gibraltar
- Montserrat
- Pitcairn Islands
- Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha
- South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands
- Sovereign Base Areas of Akrotiri and Dhekelia in Cyprus
- Turks and Caicos Islands
Municipalities [edit]
- Cities
- Towns:
Demography [edit]
Main article: Demography of the United Kingdom
See also: Demography of England, Demography of Scotland, Demography of Wales, and Demography of Northern Ireland
Immigration and Ethnicity [edit]
Main article: Ethnic groups in the United Kingdom
- White Irish
Government and politics [edit]
- 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
- 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
Monarchy [edit]
Main article: Monarchy of the United Kingdom
- Air transport of the Royal Family and government of the United Kingdom
- British Royal Family
- British monarchs' family tree
- Monarchy of the United Kingdom
- Coronation of the British monarch
- HMY Britannia
- Line of succession to the British throne
- List of British Royal Residences
- List of British monarchs
- List of Royal Yachts of the United Kingdom
- List of UK place names with royal patronage
- List of organisations in the United Kingdom with a royal charter
- Royal Assent
- Royal Charter
- Royal Christmas Message
- Royal Collection Management Committee
- Royal Collection Trust
- Royal Collection
- Royal Household
- Royal Librarian
- Royal Library, Windsor
- Royal Peculiar
- Royal Philatelic Collection
- Royal Prerogative
- Royal Standard
- Royal Style and Titles Act
- Royal Train
- Royal Warrant
- Royal coat of arms of the United Kingdom
- Royal forest
- Style of the British Sovereign
- Succession to the British Throne
Branches of the government [edit]
Main articles: Government of the United Kingdom and Politics of the United Kingdom
Executive branch [edit]
- Head of state: Monarch of the United Kingdom, Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom
- Head of government: Prime Minister of the United Kingdom (list), David Cameron
- Cabinet of the United Kingdom
- Departments of the United Kingdom Government
Legislative branch [edit]
Judicial branch [edit]
Main article: Courts of the United Kingdom
- Courts of England and Wales
- Courts of Northern Ireland
- Courts of Scotland
- Supreme Court of the United Kingdom
Foreign relations [edit]
Main article: Foreign relations of the United Kingdom
International organisation membership [edit]
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is a member of:[1]
Law and order [edit]
Main article: Law of the United Kingdom
- 9-9-9 emergency telephone number
- British citizenship, British nationality law
- Capital punishment in the United Kingdom
- Common law
- Constitution of the United Kingdom
- History of the Constitution of the United Kingdom
- Magna Carta (1215)
- Petition of Right (1628)
- Habeas Corpus Act (1679)
- Bill of Rights (1689)
- Great Reform Act (1832)
- Parliament Act (1911)
- Scotland Act 1998
- House of Lords Act (1999)
- Constitutional status of Cornwall
- Courts of the United Kingdom
- Crime in the United Kingdom
- Law of the European Union
- Human rights in the United Kingdom
- High treason in the United Kingdom
- Law enforcement in the United Kingdom
- LGBT rights in the United Kingdom
- List of prisons in the United Kingdom
- United Kingdom prison population
Law of England and Wales [edit]
Main articles: English law and Welsh law
- Courts of England and Wales
- Crown Prosecution Service
- Her Majesty's Prison Service
- Multi-Agency Public Protection Arrangements
- National Offender Management Service
- National Probation Service
- Police Federation of England and Wales
- Prison population of England and Wales
- Serious Fraud Office
Law of Northern Ireland [edit]
Main article: Northern Ireland law
Law of Scotland [edit]
Main article: Scots law
- Courts of Scotland
- Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service
- Faculty of Advocates
- Scottish Police Federation
- Scottish Prison Service
- Scottish Crime and Drug Enforcement Agency
Military [edit]
Main article: British Armed Forces
- Command:
- Naval Service
- British Army
- Royal Air Force
- Chief of the Air Staff: Air Chief Marshal Sir Stephen Dalton
- United Kingdom Special Forces
- United Kingdom and weapons of mass destruction
Local government [edit]
Politics of England [edit]
Main article: Politics of England
Politics of Northern Ireland [edit]
Main article: Politics of Northern Ireland
Politics of Scotland [edit]
Main article: Politics of Scotland
- History of Scottish devolution
- Local government in Scotland
- Pressure Groups in Scotland
- Scottish Parliament
Politics of Wales [edit]
Main article: Politics of Wales
History of the UK [edit]
- Main article: History of the United Kingdom and Current events of the United Kingdom
See also: History of England, History of Scotland, History of Wales, and History of Northern Ireland
- History of the formation of the United Kingdom
- Treaty of Union
- Acts of Union 1707
- Act of Union 1800
- British Empire and the Commonwealth
- UK underground
Historical states of the British Isles [edit]
- Ancient Britain
- Avalon
- Roman Britain
- Caledonia
- Hibernia
- Kingdom of the Picts
- Kingdom of the Scots
- Heptarchy
- States in Medieval Britain
- Commonwealth of England
- Kingdom of England
- Kingdom of Ireland
- Kingdom of Scotland (when Picts and Scots merged in 843)
- Kingdom of Great Britain (when England & Scotland merged in 1707);
- United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland (when Great Britain and Ireland merged in 1801)
History of the UK, by field [edit]
- 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
- History of taxation in the United Kingdom
- Metrication in the United Kingdom
Culture of the UK [edit]
Main article: Culture of the United Kingdom
See also: Culture of England, Culture of Northern Ireland, Culture of Scotland, and Culture of Wales
- British cuisine
- Festivals in the United Kingdom
- Gambling in the United Kingdom
- British humour
- Marriage in the United Kingdom
- Media of 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
The arts in the UK [edit]
- Art of 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 of the United Kingdom
Architecture of the United Kingdom [edit]
Main article: Architecture of the United Kingdom
- List of cathedrals in England and Wales
- Council Houses
- Energy efficiency in British housing
- Housing associations
- List of bridges in the United Kingdom
- National House Building Council
- New towns
- Piers (England and Wales)
- Reservoirs and dams in the United Kingdom
- Town and Country Planning in the United Kingdom
Architecture of England [edit]
- Abbeys and priories in England
- Crossing the Thames, including tunnels
- Historic houses in England
- Housing Corporation
Architecture of Scotland [edit]
Architecture of Wales [edit]
Architecture of Northern Ireland [edit]
Gardens in the UK [edit]
- List of botanical gardens in the United Kingdom
- Gardens in England
- Gardens in Scotland
- Gardens in Wales
- Gardens in Northern Ireland
Museums in the UK [edit]
- Museums in England
- Museums in Northern Ireland
- Museums in Scotland
- Museums in Wales
- List of British railway museums
Music in the UK [edit]
British popular music [edit]
Classical music in the UK [edit]
- BBC Symphony Orchestra
- BBC National Orchestra of Wales
- BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra
- BBC Philharmonic Orchestra
- City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra (CBSO)
- Hallé Orchestra
- Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra
- Royal Philharmonic Orchestra
- Philharmonia
- London Symphony Orchestra
- London Philharmonic Orchestra
- Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra
- The Proms
- British opera
- Ulster Orchestra
Folk music in the UK [edit]
British theatre [edit]
- Royal Academy of Dramatic Art
- Royal National Theatre
- Laurence Olivier Awards
- Theatres in England
- Theatres in Northern Ireland
- Theatres in Scotland
- Theatres in Wales
British film [edit]
Main article: Cinema of the United Kingdom
- British Film Institute
- National Film and Television Archive
- British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA)
- British Independent Film Awards
- Carry On films
Cultural icons in the UK [edit]
United Kingdom icons [edit]
- Baked beans
- Basil Fawlty
- The Beatles
- Big Ben chimes
- Black Cab (hackney cab)
- Bowler hat
- Britannia
- British Monarchy
- Britpop
- Bulldog
- Cap of Maintenance
- A Clockwork Orange
- Cool Britannia
- Concorde
- Coronation Street
- Crossroads
- Crown Jewels of the United Kingdom
- Cutty Sark
- Doctor Who
- England expects that every man will do his duty
- Fawlty Towers
- Fish and chips
- Football (soccer)
- Frank Spencer
- Gentleman's Relish
- God Save the Queen
- The Great Escape
- Hackney carriage
- Harry Potter
- Hyacinth Bucket
- The Italian Job
- Jaffa Cakes
- James Bond
- John Bull
- Land of Hope and Glory
- Last Night of the Proms
- Lonsdale Belt
- The Lord of the Rings
- Marks & Spencer
- Marmite
- Mini
- Miniskirt
- Miss Marple
- Mod
- Monty Python
- Morrissey
- Page Three girl
- Pantomime
- Pint glass
- Police box
- Pub
- Punk
- Queen's Guard
- RMS Queen Mary
- Red post boxes
- Red telephone boxes
- Robin
- Rolls-Royce Motor Cars
- Routemaster red double-decker bus
- Royal Warrant
- Rule Britannia
- Rugby
- The Sex Pistols
- Sherlock Holmes
- Skinhead
- Special Air Service (SAS)
- Sten
- Supermarine Spitfire
- Swinging Sixties
- Tea (cup of)
- Tea (meal)
- Test Card F
- Thames Television
- Thunderbirds
- Tommy Atkins (generic name for a British soldier)
- Brodie helmet (helmet worn by the above)
- Trooping the Colour
- Twiglets
- Umbrella
- Union Flag
- Weather
- Wallace and Gromit
- Wellington boot
- Woolworths Group plc
English icons [edit]
- And did those feet in ancient time
- Angel of the North
- Bangers and mash
- Beefeaters
- Cricket
- Del Boy
- Dixon of Dock Green
- EastEnders
- FA Premier League
- Full English breakfast
- Jack the Ripper
- King Arthur
- London Bridge
- London Eye
- M25 motorway
- Morris Dance
- Only Fools And Horses
- Oxbridge
- Robin Hood
- Soho
- Spaghetti Junction
- St George's Cross
- Status Quo
- Stilton cheese
- Stonehenge
- The Boat Race
- Three Lions
- Tower Bridge
- Tube map
Northern Irish icons [edit]
File:Derry mural.jpg
"Free Derry Corner" in 2005
Scottish icons [edit]
- Auld Lang Syne
- Bagpipes
- Braveheart
- Edinburgh Castle
- Flower of Scotland
- Forth Bridge
- Full Scottish breakfast
- Great Highland Bagpipes
- Haggis
- Kilt
- Loch Ness
- Old Firm
- Rab C. Nesbitt
- Scotland the Brave
- Scottish Premier League
- Scots Wha Hae
- Sgian dubh
- Stirling Castle
- Tartan
- Trews
Welsh icons [edit]
Languages in the United Kingdom [edit]
Main article: Languages of the United Kingdom
- English
- Celtic languages
- Scots in Scotland and Ulster
- British Sign Language (BSL)
- Romany
- Indian, Pakistani and Bangladeshi languages
People of the UK [edit]
- English people
- People of Northern Ireland
- Scottish people
- Welsh people
- Cornish people
- List of people commemorated by blue plaques
Interest groups and societies [edit]
- British Professional Bodies
- Women's Institute
- List of UK learned societies
- List of London's gentlemen's clubs
- Pressure groups in the United Kingdom
Religion in the UK [edit]
Religion in the United Kingdom
- Religion in England
- Religion in Northern Ireland
- Religion in Scotland
- Religion in Wales
- Christianity
- Assemblies of God in Great Britain
- Church of England (the established church in England)
- Church of Scotland (the national church of Scotland)
- General Assembly of Unitarian and Free Christian Churches
- Methodism
- Non-subscribing Presbyterian Church of Ireland
- Roman Catholic Church in England and Wales
- Roman Catholic Church in Scotland
- United Reformed Church
- Religious Society of Friends (Quakers)
- The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
- Hinduism in the United Kingdom
- Islam in the United Kingdom
- Judaism
- Sikhism in the United Kingdom
- Buddhism in the United Kingdom
- Druidism
- See also:
Sports, games, and pastimes in the UK [edit]
Main article: Sport in the United Kingdom
The following are the major sports; local groups may well play many others.
Angling in the UK [edit]
Cricket in the UK [edit]
Further information: Cricket
Chess in the UK [edit]
Association football in the United Kingdom [edit]
Main articles: Football in the United Kingdom and Association football
- Scotland
- Scottish Football Association
- Scottish national football team
- List of Scottish Football Clubs
- Scottish Football League
- Scottish Premier League
- Highland Football League
- East of Scotland Football League
- South of Scotland Football League
- Scottish Junior Football Association
- North Caledonian Football League
- Scottish Cup
- Northern Ireland
- Irish Football Association (not to be confused with the Football Association of Ireland)
- Northern Ireland national football team
- Irish Football League (not to be confused with the League of Ireland)
- Wales
Rugby in the UK [edit]
- Rugby union
- Rugby league
Hiking in the UK [edit]
Sport rowing in the UK [edit]
- Boat Race (Oxford vs Cambridge)
- Henley Royal Regatta
Skiing in the UK [edit]
Other sports, games, and pastimes in the UK [edit]
_cropped.jpg)
- London Olympics
- Curling
- Darts
- English billiards
- Eton Wall Game
- Fives (including Eton Fives)
- British Gliding Association
- Horseracing in Great Britain
- Lawn tennis
- Skittles
- Snooker
- Motorsport
Economy and infrastructure of the UK [edit]
Main article: Economy of the United Kingdom
See also: Economy of England, Economy of Scotland, Economy of Wales, and Economy of Northern Ireland
- Economic rank, by nominal GDP (2008): 6th (sixth)
- Economy of the constituent countries
- Economic history of the United Kingdom
- Agriculture in the United Kingdom
- Banking in the United Kingdom
- FTSE 100 Index
- Communications in the United Kingdom
- Companies of the United Kingdom
- Economic history of the United Kingdom
- Energy in the United Kingdom
- Mining in the United Kingdom
- United Kingdom Stock Exchange
- Tourism in the United Kingdom
- Transport in the United Kingdom
- British Professional Bodies
Regulatory bodies [edit]
- Advertising Standards Authority
- Financial Services Authority or FSA
- Housing Corporation
- Office of Communications (Ofcom)
- Office of the Water Regulator (Ofwat)
- Press Complaints Commission
- Office of the Immigration Services Commissioner (OISC)
Trade Union Federations [edit]
Transport in the United Kingdom [edit]
Main article: Transport in the United Kingdom
- Airports in the United Kingdom
- Bus transport in the United Kingdom
- Coach transport in the United Kingdom
- Railway system
- Trams and Light Rail Trams and light rail systems
- Roads in the United Kingdom
- Waterways in the United Kingdom
- Tunnels in the United Kingdom
- Cycleways in the United Kingdom
- Common Travel Area
- Transport Scotland
Education in the UK [edit]
- Education in the United Kingdom
- Schools in the United Kingdom
- Universities in the United Kingdom
Education in England [edit]
Education in Northern Ireland [edit]
Education in Scotland [edit]
Education in Wales [edit]
See also [edit]
 |
English language edition of Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia |
Main article: United Kingdom
-
- England
- Northern Ireland
- Scotland
- Wales
- Commonwealth realm
- List of international rankings
- Member states of the Commonwealth of Nations
- Member state of the European Union
- Member states of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization
- Member states of the United Nations
- Monarchy of the United Kingdom
- Outline of Europe
- Outline of geography
References [edit]
- ^ a b "United Kingdom". The World Factbook. United States Central Intelligence Agency. 2 July 2009. Retrieved 23 July 2009.
- ^ "Encyclopaedia Britannica". Retrieved 2007-09-25. "Island country located off the north-western coast of mainland Europe"
- ^ "Countries within a country". www.number-10.gov.uk. Retrieved 2007-06-13. "Countries within a country"
External links [edit]
| Find more about the United Kingdom at Wikipedia's sister projects | |
 |
Definitions and translations from Wiktionary |
 |
Media from Commons |
 |
Learning resources from Wikiversity |
 |
News stories from Wikinews |
 |
Quotations from Wikiquote |
 |
Source texts from Wikisource |
 |
Textbooks from Wikibooks |
 |
Travel information from Wikivoyage |
Wikimedia Atlas of the United Kingdom
United Kingdom travel guide from Wikivoyage- Official website of the British Monarchy
- Official website of the United Kingdom Government
- Official website of the national tourism agency (VisitBritain)
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|
|||||
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||
