UK Characteristics

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, or UK, is in Western Europe. It comprises the island of Great Britain (England, Scotland and Wales and the northeastern one-sixth of the island of Ireland (Northern Ireland), together with many smaller islands.

The UK lies between the North Atlantic Ocean and the North Sea, and comes within 35km (22 miles) of the northwest coast of France, from which it is separated by the English Channel. The Channel Tunnel ("Chunnel") bored beneath the English Channel, now links the UK with France.

The UK is governed as a whole by the Parliament of the United Kingdom. The UK is divided into four areas: England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales. Each of these has its own brand of government.

The United Kingdom's population is approximately 59 million, the third-largest in the European Union. Its population density is one of the highest in the world. Almost one-third of the population lives in England's southeast and is predominantly urban and suburban, with about 7.2 million in the capital of London.

The Midlands area of the UK remains a strong manufacturing centre and high technology firms have concentrated largely along the M4 motorway, partly because of access to Heathrow Airport.

The UK financial industry is concentrated overwhelmingly in the City of London and Canary Wharf, with back office and administrative operations often dispersed around the south of England. London is one of the world's great financial centres.