The United Kingdom

United Kingdom

Located in Western Europe, northwest of France, between the North Atlantic Ocean and the North Sea, Great Britain, the dominant industrial and maritime power of the 19th century, played a leading role in developing parliamentary democracy and in advancing literature and science. At its zenith, the British Empire stretched over one-fourth of the earth's surface. The first half of the 20th century saw the UK's strength seriously depleted in two World Wars. The second half witnessed the dismantling of the Empire and the UK rebuilding itself into a modern and prosperous European nation. As one of five permanent members of the UN Security Council, a founding member of NATO, and of the Commonwealth, the UK pursues a global approach to foreign policy; it currently is weighing the degree of its integration with continental Europe. A member of the EU, it chose to remain outside the European Monetary Union for the time being. Constitutional reform is also a significant issue in the UK. The Scottish Parliament, and the National Assembly for Wales, were established in 1999. It is country made up of islands, including the northern one-sixth of the island of Ireland between the North Atlantic Ocean and the North Sea, northwest of France. The United Kingdom is about the same physical size as the State of Oregon, and has over a 60,000,000 population. It shares a 360 km border with only one country, Ireland.

The UK flag is blue with the red cross of Saint George, patron saint of England, edged in white superimposed on the diagonal red cross of Saint Patrick, patron saint of Ireland, which is superimposed on the diagonal white cross of Saint Andrew, patron saint of Scotland. The flag is known as the Union Flag or Union Jack.

United Kingdom Information

England

Map of England

England Cities, Counties and Places

Birmingham England

Bristol England

The River Avon flows through the centre of Bristol, England. Portions of the true river can also be seen top left, and towards the top of the picture at centre right Centre left is Bristol Bridge. In the bottom left corner are the red-tiled roofs of flats bordering the river. Bottom right is Castle Park with people sunbathing. The hills at top right include Ashton Park where the Bristol Balloon Fiesta is held. The picture was taken from a tethered passenger balloon, up 500 feet.

Bristol is in South West England

Canterbury England

The River Stour runs through Westgate Gardens

Carlisle England

Colchester England

Colchester Town Centre

Colchester is in the borough of Colchester in Essex

Cumbria County England

Dover England

Dover harbour

Dover is in the county of Kent, England and is the closest point to France.

Eastbourne England

Eastbourne Pier and Beach

Eastbourne is in East Sussex, on the south coast of England.

Leeds England

Central Leeds taken from Bramley

Leeds is in West Yorkshire England

Leicester England

Leicester city centre, looking towards the Clock Tower

Leicester is in England's East Midlands, on the River Soar and at the east edge of the English National Forest

Leicester Performing Arts
Leicester Living Arts

London England

London Skyline from Canary Wharf

Mayor of London, the London Assembly and the Greater London Authority

British Chambers of Commerce

Transport for London London Underground Tube Map

London City Airport

London Gatwick Airport

London Heathrow Airport

London Luton Airport

London Stansted Airport

BBC London

Royal Historical Society

Natural History Museum

Gresham College
Natural History Museum Kids Only

Historical Association

London Weather & 5 DAy Forecast

London Performing Arts
London Living Arts
London Theatre

Manchester England

Manchester skyline from the River Irwell

Manchester Performing Arts
Manchester Living Arts

Margate England

Margate Beach

Margate is in the Thanet district of East Kent, in south east England

Norwich England

Elm Hill Norwich still has many medieval streets.

Norwich is in East Anglia in Eastern England.

Oxford England

Oxford Skyline

Oxford is in South East England

Poole England

Poole Bay and the beaches of Poole and Bournemouth

Poole is in Dorset on the south coast of England

Poole Performing Arts
Poole Living Arts

Plymouth England

City of Plymouth

Plymouth is in Devon, England

Salisbury England

Salisbury Cathedral. The 123 m (400 ft) tall spire is the tallest spire in the UK.

Salisbury is in Wiltshire County, Dialling code 01722.

Southampton England

Part of the medieval walls.

Southampton is in the county of Hampshire, on the south coast of England.

Stonehenge

Stonehenge

Stonehenge was begun around 3000 BC in a landscape of funeral and ceremonial monuments. It was expanded and remodelled for more than a thousand years. Stonehenge is owned by the government managed by English Heritage, and located in Wiltshire County, about 3.2 kilometres (2.0 mi) west of Amesbury and 13 kilometres (8.1 mi) north of Salisbury.

Isles of Scilly
Scilly

The Isles of Scilly are five inhabited islands and numerous other small rocky islets 28 miles off Lands End, the most South Westerly point of the British Isles. With a total population of just over two thousand, an exceptionally mild climate, and countless golden sandy beaches.

Isle of Man

Isle of Man Map

is a self-governing Crown dependency, located in the Irish Sea near the geographical centre of the British Isles.

The island was a Celtic community which came under the rule of the Norse in 1079. This has left a legacy from the Tynwald government to many place names. After a period of alternating rule by the Kings of England and Scotland, the Manx came under the feudal over-lordship of the English Crown. The lordship revested to the British Crown in 1764 but the island never became part of the United Kingdom. This accounts for its current position as a Crown dependency.

Scotland

Map of Scotland

The Ben
Ben Nevis Scotland
Gaelic: Beinn Nibheis

Ben Nevis from Banavie. The summit is beyond and to the left of the apparent highest point.

The summit, at 1,344 metres (4,406 ft) above sea level, features the ruins of an observatory which was permanently staffed between 1883 and 1904.

Scotland Cities, Places and Isles

Aberdeen Scotland
Scottish Gaelic: Obar Dheathain

Aberdeen about 1900

Aberdeen is Scotland's third largest city and one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas.

Angus Scotland
Gaelic: Aonghas

Angus is a district of the Tayside Region

Dundee Scotland
Scottish Gaelic: Dùn Dèagh

Dundee from the south shore of the River Tay

Dundee is on the north bank of the River Tay's estuary which feeds into the North Sea.

Edinburgh Scotland
Scottish Gaelic: Dùn Èideann

Edinburgh from Edinburgh Castle.

Edinburgh is the capital of Scotland, located in south-east Scotland.

Edinburgh Performing Arts
Edinburgh Living Arts

Fort William Scotland
Scottish Gaelic: An Gearasdan

Fort William from Loch Linnhe

Fort William is located at the southern end of the Great Glen, on the shores of Loch Linnhe and Loch Eil.

Glasgow Scotland
Scottish Gaelic: Glaschu

Glasgow from Queens Park

Gasglow Performing Arts
Gasglow Living Arts

Inverness Scotland
Scottish Gaelic: Inbhir Nis

River Ness and Inverness Castle

Inverness is in northern Scotland, Inverness is Gaelic and means: mouth of the river Ness.

Isle of Lewis Scotland
Scottish Gaelic: Eilean Leòdhais

Stones of Callanish

The Isle of Lewis is the northern part of the largest island of the Outer Hebrides of Scotland

Isle of Sky Scotland
Scottish Gaelic: An t-Eilean Sgitheanach

Isle of Skye Map

Dunvegan Castle Main Entrance.
Dunvegan Castle is the oldest continuously inhabited castle in Scotland.

The Isle of Sky is the largest and most northerly island in the Inner Hebrides of Scotland.

Orkney Islands Scotland

Orkney Islands Map

Skara Brae is stone-built Neolithic settlement, located on the Bay of Skaill on the west coast of mainland Orkney, Scotland. It consists of ten clustered houses, and was occupied from roughly 3100-2500BC.

Orkney is one of the 32 council areas of Scotland

Mallaig Scotland

Mallaig Harbor

Saint Andrews Scotland
Scottish Gaelic: Cill Rìmhinn

St. Andrews from St. Rules Tower

Shetland Islands Scotland

Shetland is one of the 32 council areas of Scotland. The islands lie to the northeast of the Orkney islands and 280 km (170 mi) from the Faroe Islands which are in the Kingdom of Denmark.

Northern Ireland

Northern Ireland Cities

iMap of Ireland

Belfast Northern Ireland

City Hall and The Belfast Wheel

Belfast from The Ashby Building

Belfast is the government seat in Northern Ireland

Londonderry Northern Ireland
Derry Northern Ireland

City of Londonderry

Londonderry is on the west bank of the River Foyle. Irish: Doire or Doire Cholm Chille, meaning Oak wood of Colm Cille.

Ireland Cities

Dublin Ireland

The River Liffey divides the city into the Northside and the Southside.

Dublin is the largest city and capital of Ireland.

Wales United Kingdom

Wales borders England to the east, and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to the west.

Wales Cities

Map of Wales

Cardiff Wales

Cardiff Bay

Cardiff is the capital and the largest city and county in Wales.

Rhondda Cynon Taff Wales

Rhondda Cynon Taff is a county borough.

Newport Wales

Newport Castle

Newport in on the banks of the River Usk, located roughly between Cardiff and Bristol in south Wales.

Swansea Wales
Swansea Bay
Dinas a Sir Abertawe

Bracelet Bay, Mumbles and Swansea Bay, as seen from the Mumbles Lighthouse

Swansea is on the South Wales coast, the county area includes the Gower peninsula and the Lliw uplands.

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