United Kingdom Travel Podcast with Oliver Hughes

Location

Western Europe, islands - including the northern one-sixth of the island of Ireland - between the North Atlantic Ocean and the North Sea; northwest of France

Terrain

Mostly rugged hills and low mountains; level to rolling plains in east and southeast

Climate

Temperate; moderated by prevailing southwest winds over the North Atlantic Current; more than one-half of the days are overcast

Elevation

Highest point

Ben Nevis 1,345 m

Lowest point

The Fens -4 m

Mean elevation

162 m

Area

Total

243,610 sq km

Land

241,930 sq km

Water

1,680 sq km

Size comparison

Twice the size of Pennsylvania; slightly smaller than Oregon

Coastline

12,429 km

Land borders

Total

499 km

Border countries

Ireland 499 km

Natural resources

Coal, petroleum, natural gas, iron ore, lead, zinc, gold, tin, limestone, salt, clay, chalk, gypsum, potash, silica sand, slate, arable land

Land use

Agricultural land

70.3% (2023 est.)

Arable land

25% (2023 est.)

Permanent crops

0.2% (2023 est.)

Permanent pasture

45.2% (2023 est.)

Forest

13.4% (2023 est.)

Other

14.7% (2023 est.)

Natural hazards

Winter windstorms; floods

Note

Lies near vital North Atlantic sea lanes; only 35 km (22 mi) from France and linked by tunnel under the English Channel (the Channel Tunnel or Chunnel); because of heavily indented coastline, no location is more than 125 km (78 mi) from tidal waters

Population

Total

68,751,311 (2025 est.)

Male

34,145,455

Female

34,605,856

Nationality

Noun

Briton(s), British (collective plural)

Adjective

British

Ethnic groups

White 87.2%, Black/African/Caribbean/black British 3%, Asian/Asian British: Indian 2.3%, Asian/Asian British: Pakistani 1.9%, mixed 2%, other 3.7% (2011 est.)

Languages

English

Religions

Christian (includes Anglican, Roman Catholic, Presbyterian, Methodist) 59.5%, Muslim 4.4%, Hindu 1.3%, other 2%, unspecified 7.2%, none 25.7% (2011 est.)

Median age

Total

40.9 years (2025 est.)

Male

40.1 years

Female

41.5 years

Life expectancy

Total population

82.2 years (2024 est.)

Male

80.1 years

Female

84.4 years

Urbanisation

Urban population

84.6% of total population (2023)

Rate of urbanization

0.8% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

Where people live

The core of the population lies in and around London, with significant clusters found in central Britain around Manchester and Liverpool, in the Scottish lowlands between Edinburgh and Glasgow, in southern Wales in and around Cardiff, and in far-eastern Northern Ireland, centered on Belfast

Largest cities

9.648 million LONDON (capital), 2.791 million Manchester, 2.665 million Birmingham, 1.929 million West Yorkshire, 1.698 million Glasgow, 952,000 Southampton/Portsmouth (2023)

Background

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland was created when the Kingdoms of England and Scotland -- which previously had been distinct states under a single monarchy -- were joined under the 1707 Acts of Union. The island of Ireland was incorporated under the 1800 Acts of Union, while Wales had been part of the Kingdom of England since the 16th century. The United Kingdom has historically played a leading role in developing parliamentary democracy and in advancing literature and science. The 18th and 19th centuries saw the rapid expansion of the British Empire despite the loss of the Thirteen Colonies, and at its zenith in the early 20th century, the British Empire stretched over one fourth of the earth's surface. The first half of the 20th century saw two World Wars seriously deplete the UK's strength and the Irish Republic withdraw from the union. 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 and a founding member of NATO and the Commonwealth of Nations, the UK pursues a global approach to foreign policy. The devolved Scottish Parliament, the National Assembly for Wales, and the Northern Ireland Assembly were established in 1998.

The UK was an active member of the EU after its accession in 1973, although it chose to remain outside the Economic and Monetary Union. However, motivated in part by frustration at a remote bureaucracy in Brussels and massive migration into the country, UK citizens in 2016 voted by 52 to 48 percent to leave the EU. On 31 January 2020, the UK became the only country to depart the EU -- a move known as "Brexit" -- after prolonged negotiations on EU-UK economic and security relationships.

Government

Parliamentary constitutional monarchy; a Commonwealth realm

Capital

London

Time zone

UTC 0 (5 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)

Independence

No official date of independence: 927 (minor English kingdoms unite); 3 March 1284 (enactment of the Statute of Rhuddlan uniting England and Wales); 1536 (Act of Union incorporates England and Wales); 1 May 1707 (Acts of Union unite England, Scotland, and Wales as Great Britain); 1 January 1801 (Acts of Union unite Great Britain and Ireland as the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland); 6 December 1921 (Anglo-Irish Treaty formalizes partition of Ireland; six counties become Northern Ireland and remain part of the UK); 12 April 1927 (Royal and Parliamentary Titles Act establishes current name of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland)

National day

The UK does not celebrate one particular national holiday

Overview

High-income, non-EU European economy; global financial center and dominant service sector; sluggish growth from stringent monetary policy, reduced business investment, low productivity and participation rates; fiscal austerity in face of high public debt

GDP per capita

Real GDP per capita 2024

$52,500 (2024 est.)

Real GDP per capita 2023

$52,500 (2023 est.)

Real GDP per capita 2022

$53,000 (2022 est.)

Inflation

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2024

3.3% (2024 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2023

6.8% (2023 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2022

7.9% (2022 est.)

Unemployment

Unemployment rate 2024

4.2% (2024 est.)

Unemployment rate 2023

4% (2023 est.)

Unemployment rate 2022

3.8% (2022 est.)

Exchange rate

Currency

British pounds (GBP) per US dollar -

Exchange rates 2024

0.782 (2024 est.)

Exchange rates 2023

0.805 (2023 est.)

Exchange rates 2022

0.811 (2022 est.)

Exchange rates 2021

0.727 (2021 est.)

Exchange rates 2020

0.78 (2020 est.)

Main industries

Machine tools, electric power equipment, automation equipment, railroad equipment, shipbuilding, aircraft, motor vehicles and parts, electronics and communications equipment, metals, chemicals, coal, petroleum, paper and paper products, food processing, textiles, clothing, other consumer goods

Agriculture

Milk, wheat, sugar beets, barley, potatoes, chicken, rapeseed, pork, beef, oats (2023)

Airports

1,057 (2025)

Railways

Total 16,390 km (2020) 6,167 km electrified

Ports

Total ports

185 (2024)

Large

7

Medium

24

Small

67

Very small

86

Size unknown

1

Ports with oil terminals

67

Key ports

Aberdeen, Barrow-in-Furness, Barry, Belfast, Blyth, Bristol, Cardiff, Dundee, Falmouth Harbour, Glasgow, Greenock, Grimsby, Immingham, Kingston-upon-Hull, Leith, Lerwick, Liverpool, London, Londonderry, Lyness, Manchester, Milford Haven, Newport, Peterhead, Plymouth, Portland Harbour, Portsmouth Harbour, Southampton, Sunderland, Teesport, Tynemouth

Internet domain

.uk

Internet users

Percent of population 96% (2023 est.)

Mobile subscriptions

Total subscriptions

84.1 million (2024 est.)

Subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

122 (2024 est.)

Environmental issues

Air pollution in the London region; soil pollution from pesticides and heavy metals; decline in marine and coastal habitats from housing, tourism, and industry

Fresh water

147 billion cubic meters (2022 est.)

UNESCO Global Geoparks

Total global geoparks and regional networks

10 (2025)

Global geoparks and regional networks

Arran; Black Country; Cuilcagh Lakelands (includes Ireland); English Riviera; Fforest Fawr; GeoMôn; Mourne Gullion Strangford; North Pennines AONB; North-West Highlands; Shetland (2025)