kingdom of great britain

British forces played an important role in the Normandy landings of 1944 and the liberation of Europe, achieved with its allies the United States, the Soviet Union and other Allied countries. [555] The modern UK is known to produce some of the most prominent English-speaking rappers along with the United States, including Stormzy, Kano, Yxng Bane, Ramz and Skepta.[556]. During the century, the population increased at a dramatic rate, accompanied by rapid urbanisation, causing significant social and economic stresses. It was a member of the European Union (EU) and its predecessor, the European Economic Community (EEC), from 1973 until withdrawing in 2020. The murder rate in England and Wales has stabilised in the first half of the 2010s with a murder rate around 1 per 100,000 which is half the peak in 2002 and similar to the rate in the 1980s[240] Crime in Scotland fell slightly in 2014/2015 to its lowest level in 39 years in with 59 killings for a murder rate of 1.1 per 100,000. The prison population of England and Wales has increased to 86,000, giving England and Wales the highest rate of incarceration in Western Europe at 148 per 100,000. Sir Harrison Birtwistle is one of the foremost living composers. [161] The fault separates two distinctively different regions; namely the Highlands to the north and west and the Lowlands to the south and east. [419] 15 per cent of respondents stated that they had no religion, with a further 7 per cent not stating a religious preference. Westminster Abbey is a historic church in London. [94] Slavery coupled with the Caribbean sugar industry had a significant role in strengthening and developing the British economy in the 18th century. It is estimated that 96.7 per cent of households are connected to the sewer network. [108][109] Domestically, political attitudes favoured free trade and laissez-faire policies and a gradual widening of the voting franchise. The most common previous nationalities of those naturalised in 2014 were India, Pakistan, the Philippines, Nigeria, Bangladesh, Nepal, China, South Africa, Poland and Somalia. 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[576][577] London dominates the media sector in the UK: national newspapers and television and radio are largely based there, although Manchester is also a significant national media centre. The 2011 Census recorded Gypsies/Travellers as a separate ethnic group for the first time. From the late 1960s, Northern Ireland suffered communal and paramilitary violence (sometimes affecting other parts of the UK) conventionally known as the Troubles. Prime Minister announces High Commissioner for Canada in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland News provided by. A final note on Ireland. [185], The United Kingdom has sovereignty over 17 territories which do not form part of the United Kingdom itself: 14 British Overseas Territories[26] and three Crown dependencies. 1 The Constitution of the Kingdom of Great Britain 1.1 Preamble 1.2 Article I - Bill of Rights 1.3 Article II - Legislature This constitution seeks to establish in Great Britain a relationship of equitable power distribution between noble peoples, civil government, and the Royal family, and to promote a more autocratic society. It was here that the concepts of sportsmanship and fair play were first codified into clear rules and regulations. LEFT: BRITISH FLAG, RIGHT: BRITISH POUND STERLINGPhotograph by Norman Pogson, Dreamstime, Copyright © 1996-2015 National Geographic Society, Copyright © 2015-2021 National Geographic Partners, LLC. [150], The total area of the United Kingdom is approximately 244,820 square kilometres (94,530 sq mi). [554], As of 2016, pop remains the most popular music genre in the UK with 33.4 per cent of unit sales, followed by hip-hop and R&B at 24.5 per cent of unit sales. British imperial ambition turned towards Asia, particularly to India. [440], In 2014 the immigration net increase was 318,000: Immigration was at 641,000, up from 526,000 in 2013, while the number of emigrants leaving for over a year was 323,000. In the 2011 Census, for the purpose of harmonising results to make them comparable across the UK, the ONS includes individuals in Scotland who classified themselves in the "African" category (29,638 people), which in the Scottish version of the census is separate from "Caribbean or Black" (6,540 people), Berkeley is in fact Irish but was called a 'British empiricist' due to the territory of what is now known as the. In 1066, the Normans and their Breton allies invaded England from northern France. [362] A 2006 genetic study shows that more than 50 per cent of England's gene pool contains Germanic Y chromosomes. [222] In practice, it would be politically difficult for the UK Parliament to abolish devolution to the Scottish Parliament and the Senedd, given the political entrenchment created by referendum decisions. [483] Scotland first legislated for compulsory education in 1496. [68] The Roman conquest, beginning in 43 AD, and the 400-year rule of southern Britain, was followed by an invasion by Germanic Anglo-Saxon settlers, reducing the Brittonic area mainly to what was to become Wales, Cornwall and, until the latter stages of the Anglo-Saxon settlement, the Hen Ogledd (northern England and parts of southern Scotland). Many teams and drivers in Formula One (F1) are based in the UK, and the country has won more drivers' and constructors' titles than any other. It is a unique country made up of four nations: England, Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland. During her reign with her husband, Prince Consort Albert of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha, the British monarchy took on its modern ceremonial character. [492] The UK spends around 8.4 per cent of its gross domestic product on healthcare, which is 0.5 percentage points below the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development average and about one percentage point below the average of the European Union. In 2012, the UK had 16 reactors normally generating about 19 per cent of its electricity. [428] Although there are no UK-wide data in the 2001 census on adherence to individual Christian denominations, it has been estimated that 62 per cent of Christians are Anglican, 13.5 per cent Catholic, 6 per cent Presbyterian, and 3.4 per cent Methodist, with small numbers of other Protestant denominations such as Plymouth Brethren, and Orthodox churches. [368][369] The UK also has the oldest Chinese community in Europe, dating to the arrival of Chinese seamen in the 19th century. After conquering England, they seized large parts of Wales, conquered much of Ireland and were invited to settle in Scotland, bringing to each country feudalism on the Northern French model and Norman-French culture. [486], The Welsh Government's Minister for Education has responsibility for education in Wales. York, Northern England is not only the most haunted city in the UK but also in the world. [349] It is one of the most densely populated countries in the world, with 420 people resident per square kilometre in mid-2015,[347] with a particular concentration in London and the south-east. For local government purposes, Scotland is divided into 32 council areas, with wide variation in both size and population. It includes Lough Neagh which, at 388 square kilometres (150 sq mi), is the largest lake in the British Isles by area. George Frideric Handel became a naturalised British citizen and wrote the British coronation anthem, while some of his best works, such as Messiah, were written in the English language. Most of the remaining seats were won by parties that contest elections only in one part of the UK: Plaid Cymru (Wales only); and the Democratic Unionist Party and Sinn Féin (Northern Ireland only). 30.4 per cent of London's population and 37.4 per cent of Leicester's was estimated to be non-white in 2005[update],[386][387] whereas less than 5 per cent of the populations of North East England, Wales and the South West were from ethnic minorities, according to the 2001 census. [257] London is one of the world's largest financial centres, ranking 2nd in the world, behind New York City, in the Global Financial Centres Index in 2020. The Kingdom of Great Britain, officially Great Britain / ɡ r eɪ t ˈ b r ɪ. t ə n /, was a sovereign state in western Europe from 1 May 1707 to 31 December 1800. [254] Based on market exchange rates, the UK is today the fifth-largest economy in the world and the second-largest in Europe after Germany. The country's 7,700 miles (12,429 kilometers) of shoreline, ranging from tall cliffs to beaches to marshes, also provide homes for wildlife such as seabirds and seals. (2004). This council eventually expanded into the Parliament, which now passes all the country's laws. The Kingdom of Great Britain, named in the Acts of Union 1707 as Great Britain and described as the "United Kingdom of Great Britain" and "One Kingdom", was a state in the British Isles in Western Europe, in existence from 1707 to 1800. The pharmaceutical industry plays an important role in the UK economy and the country has the third-highest share of global pharmaceutical R&D expenditures. The Prime Minister is Boris Johnson, who has been in office since 24 July 2019. [89][90][91], In the 18th century, cabinet government developed under Robert Walpole, in practice the first prime minister (1721–1742). [287], The UK has an external debt of $9.6 trillion dollars, which is the second-highest in the world after the US. The British national focus tree can be divided into 5 main branches and 6 distinct sub-branches: 1. [192] The overseas territories also give the UK the worlds fifth largest Exclusive economic zone at 6,805,586 km2 (2,627,651 sq mi). But the early 20th century was a time of setbacks for Britain. Unauthorized use is prohibited. [236], Crime in England and Wales increased in the period between 1981 and 1995, though since that peak there has been an overall fall of 66 per cent in recorded crime from 1995 to 2015,[237] according to crime statistics. [156] It is connected to continental Europe by the Channel Tunnel, which at 31 miles (50 km) (24 miles (38 km) underwater) is the longest underwater tunnel in the world.[157]. In the 19th century, British industry helped make the country the most powerful nation in the world. [46][47] Northern Ireland is also referred to as a "province". [165] The highest peak in Northern Ireland is Slieve Donard in the Mourne Mountains at 852 metres (2,795 ft). [147], In 2016, 51.9 per cent of voters in the United Kingdom voted to leave the European Union. [164] Wales is mostly mountainous, though South Wales is less mountainous than North and mid Wales. [61][62], The adjective "British" is commonly used to refer to matters relating to the United Kingdom and is used in law to refer to United Kingdom citizenship and matters to do with nationality. Though previous attempts at uniting the two kingdoms within Great Britain in 1606, 1667, and 1689 had proved unsuccessful, the attempt initiated in 1705 led to the Treaty of Union of 1706 being agreed and ratified by both parliaments. [20] [485] Scottish students who attend Scottish universities pay neither tuition fees nor graduate endowment charges, as fees were abolished in 2001 and the graduate endowment scheme was abolished in 2008. [467][468][469][470], A government commission's report in 2014 found that privately educated people comprise 7 per cent of the general population of the UK but much larger percentages of the top professions, the most extreme case quoted being 71 per cent of senior judges. The Kingdom of Great Britain (formerly the greater part of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland) is a nation located in North-Western Europe composed of Scotland and Wales as well as Southern England and some of central England. [175] Over 92,000 people in Scotland (just under 2 per cent of the population) had some Gaelic language ability, including 72 per cent of those living in the Outer Hebrides. [22][23][24], The union between the Kingdom of England (which included Wales) and the Kingdom of Scotland in 1707 to form the Kingdom of Great Britain, followed by the union in 1801 of Great Britain with the Kingdom of Ireland created the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland. Drained by World War I and II, Britain could no longer afford its empire, and most of its colonies became independent. Under the doctrine of parliamentary sovereignty, the UK Parliament could, in theory, therefore, abolish the Scottish Parliament, Senedd or Northern Ireland Assembly. Settlement by anatomically modern humans of what was to become the United Kingdom occurred in waves beginning by about 30,000 years ago. [565], British cuisine developed from various influences reflective of its land, settlements, arrivals of new settlers and immigrants, trade and colonialism. More recently the modernist and nationalist Hugh MacDiarmid and Neil M. Gunn contributed to the Scottish Renaissance. Local councils are made up of elected councillors, of whom there are 1,223;[182] they are paid a part-time salary. [444][445] The late-2000s recession in the UK reduced economic incentive for Poles to migrate to the UK,[446] making migration temporary and circular. [219] Devolution to Northern Ireland is contingent on participation by the Northern Ireland administration in the North-South Ministerial Council, where the Northern Ireland Executive cooperates and develops joint and shared policies with the Government of Ireland. Railways in Northern Ireland are operated by NI Railways, a subsidiary of state-owned Translink. [413] Although a majority of citizens still identify with Christianity in many surveys, regular church attendance has fallen dramatically since the middle of the 20th century,[414] while immigration and demographic change have contributed to the growth of other faiths, most notably Islam. Much of the north and west of the U.K. is covered in high ground, knife-edged mountain ridges separated by deep valleys. [572][573] Other major players in the UK media include ITV plc, which operates 11 of the 15 regional television broadcasters that make up the ITV Network,[574] and News Corporation, which owns a number of national newspapers through News International such as the most popular tabloid The Sun and the longest-established daily "broadsheet" The Times,[575] as well as holding a large stake in satellite broadcaster British Sky Broadcasting until 2018. England's highest mountain is Scafell Pike (978 metres (3,209 ft)) in the Lake District. [605], Golf is the sixth most popular sport, by participation, in the UK. 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