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{{Infobox country| conventional_long_name = United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland| common_name = the United Kingdom| image_flag = Flag of the United Kingdom.svg| image_coat = UK Royal Coat of Arms.svg| symbol_type = Royal coat of arms| image_map = Location_UK_EU_Europe.png| map_caption = | national_motto = (French language)"God and my right"| national_anthem = "God Save the Queen"] (de facto)], Ulster Scots language, Scots language, Scottish Gaelic, Welsh language, Cornish language|demonym = British, Briton| latd = 51| latm = 30| latNS = N| longd = 0| longm = 7| longEW = W| largest_city = [London| leader_name1 = [Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom| leader_title2 = Prime Minister of the United Kingdom| leader_name2 = Gordon Brown| sovereignty_note =| established_event1 = [Acts of Union 1707| established_date1 = May 1, 1707| established_date2 = [January 1, 1801| established_date3 = [April 12, 1922, [1973| accessyear = [2007| GDP_PPP_rank = 6th| GDP_PPP_per_capita = $35,051| GDP_PPP_per_capita_rank = 11th| GDP_nominal = $2.660.7 [1000000000000 (number)| GDP_nominal_rank = 5th| GDP_nominal_year = 2007| GDP_nominal_per_capita = $38,624| GDP_nominal_per_capita_rank = 13th| HDI_year = 2006| HDI = 0.940| HDI_rank = 18th| HDI_category = high| Gini = 36.8| Gini_year = 1999| Gini_category = medium| currency = Pound sterling (£)]| utc_offset = +0| time_zone_DST = British Summer Time| utc_offset_DST = +1| cctld = .uks have been officially recognised as legitimate [Autochthonous language regional languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, the UK's official name is as follows:; ; ; ; .
This is the royal motto. In Scotland, the royal motto is the Latin phrase ("No-one provokes me with impunity"). There is also a variant form of the coat-of-arms for use in Scotland; see Royal coat of arms of the United Kingdom.
See #Symbols below. It also serves as the Royal anthem.
English language is established by De facto usage. In Wales, the Welsh Language Board is tasked with ensuring that, "in the conduct of public business and the administration of justice, the English and Welsh language languages should be treated on a basis of equality". The Bòrd na Gàidhlig is tasked with "securing the status of the Scottish Gaelic language language as an official language of Scotland commanding equal respect to the English language".
Under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages the Welsh, Scottish Gaelic, Cornish language, Irish language, Ulster Scots and Scots language languages are officially recognised as Regional language or Minority language languages by the United Kingdom Government.Scottish Executive "European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages" Updated 13/06/06 retrieved 23/08/07 See also Languages in the United Kingdom.
CIA Factbook. Official estimate provided by the UK Office for National Statistics.
ISO 3166-1 alpha-2 is Great Britain, but .gb is practically unused. The .eu domain is also shared with other European Union member states.-->

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland (commonly known as the United Kingdom, the U.K., or Britain)See British Isles (terminology) for further explanation of the usage of the term "Britain" in geographical and political contexts. is a country Member States: United Kingdom, UK Presidency of the EU 2005. Accessed May 29 2006 Encyclopeadia Britannica "Island country located off the northwestern coast of mainland Europe" accessed 25 Sep 2007 to the north-west of Continental Europe. It comprises the island of Great Britain, the north-east part of the island of Ireland and many small local islands. Northern Ireland is the only part of the UK with a land border, sharing it with the Republic of Ireland.{{Cite web]| accessyear = 2006| accessyear = [2006| accessyear = [2006, the [North Sea, the English Channel and the Irish Sea. The largest island, Great Britain, is linked to France by the Channel Tunnel.

The United Kingdom is a parliamentary democracy and a constitutional monarchy comprising four Constituent country — England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales — with Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom as head of state, who is also head of state of the Commonwealth realms. The Crown dependency of the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man, formally possessions of the Crown, are not part of the UK but form a federacy with it. UK gov explanation of names The UK has fourteen British overseas territory, all remnants of the British Empire, which at its height encompassed almost a quarter of the world's land surface. It is a developed country, with the fifth-largest Economy of the United Kingdom in the world.

Britain was the world's foremost Power in international relations during the 19th and early 20th century, but the economic cost of two world wars and the decline of its empire in the latter half of the 20th century diminished its leading role in global affairs. The UK nevertheless retains major economic, cultural, military and political influence today and is a List of states with nuclear weapons, with the list of countries by military expenditure. It holds a permanent seat on the United Nations Security Council, is a modern great powersee for example ; which speaks of the United Kingdom as a major country or "player" along with Germany, France, Japan, and Italy. and is a member of the G8, NATO, the European Union and the Commonwealth of Nations.

History marked the end of the Napoleonic Wars.

Kingdom of England and Kingdom of Scotland had existed as separate sovereign and independent states with their own monarchs and political structures since the 9th century. The once independent Wales fell under the control of English monarchs from the Statute of Rhuddlan in 1284. Under the Acts of Union 1707, England (including Wales) and Scotland, which had been in personal union since the Union of the Crowns in 1603, agreed to a political union in the form of a unified Kingdom of Great Britain.The Act of Union 1800 united the Kingdom of Great Britain with the Kingdom of Ireland, which had been gradually brought under English control between 1541 and Treaty of Limerick, to form the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland in 1801. Independence for the Irish Free State in 1922 followed the Government of Ireland Act 1920 of the island of Ireland two years previously, with six of the nine Counties of Ireland of the Provinces of Ireland of Ulster remaining within the UK, which then Royal and Parliamentary Titles Act 1927 to the current name in 1927 of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.

Britain played an important part in the Age of Enlightenment with philosophy and science input and a literary and theatrical tradition. Over the next century the United Kingdom played an important role in developing Western world ideas of Parliamentary system with significant contributions to literature, the arts and science. The UK-led Industrial Revolution transformed the country and fuelled the British Empire. During this time, like other Great Powers, the UK was involved in colonial exploitation, including the Atlantic slave trade, while the passing of the 1807 Slave Trade Act 1807 also made the UK the first nation to prohibit trade in slaves.

in 1897. The British Empire led to the spread of the English language.

After the defeat of Napoleon in the Napoleonic Wars, Britain became the principal naval power of the 19th century. At its peak the British Empire controlled large amounts of territory in Asia, Africa, Oceania and America.

In the 19th century the country played an important role in the development of parliamentary democracy, partly through the emergence of a multi-party system. At the end of the Victorian era the United Kingdom lost its industrial leadership, particularly to the German Empire, which surpassed the UK in industrial production and trade in the 1890s, and to the United States. Britain remained an eminent power and its empire expanded to its maximum size by 1921, gaining the League of Nations mandate over former German and Ottoman colonies after World War I.

After the World War I, the world's first large-scale international broadcasting network, the BBC, was created. In 1924 the country's Labour Party (UK), which had been gaining strength since the late 1890s, formed the First Labour Government (UK). Britain fought Nazi Germany in World War II, with its Commonwealth of Nations allies including Canada, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa and India, later to be joined by further Allies of World War II such as the United States. Wartime leader Winston Churchill and his peacetime successor Clement Atlee helped create the post-war world as part of the "Big Three". World War II left the United Kingdom financially damaged. Loans taken out during and after World War II from both Canada and the United States were economically costly but, along with post-war Marshall Plan, the UK began the road to recovery.

The immediate post-war years saw the establishment of the British Welfare State and one of the world's first and most comprehensive National Health Service, while the demands of a recovering economy brought people from all over the Commonwealth of Nations to create a multi-ethnic Britain. Although the new post-war limits of Britain's political role were confirmed by the Suez Crisis of 1956, the international spread of the English language meant the continuing impact of its literature and culture, while at the same time from the 1960s its popular culture found influence abroad. Following a period of economic stagnation and industrial strife in the 1970s after a global economic downturn, the 1980s saw the inflow of substantial North Sea Oil, and the premiership of Margaret Thatcher, under whom there was a marked break with the post-war political and economic consensus. Her supporters credit her with economic success, but her critics blame her for greater social division. From 1997 onward these trends of growth largely continued under the leadership of Tony Blair.

The United Kingdom has been a member of the European Union since 1973. The attitude of the present Labour Party (UK) government towards further integration with this organisation is mixed, with the Conservative Party (UK) favouring a return of some powers and competencies to the state, and the Liberal Democrats (UK) supportive of current engagement.

Government and politics .

The United Kingdom is a constitutional monarchy with Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom, British monarchy, as head of state; the monarch of the UK also serves as head of state of Commonwealth realm, putting the UK in a personal union with those other states. The UK uses a Parliament based on strong democratic traditions, a system that has been emulated around the world — a legacy of the British Empire.

Constitution of the United Kingdom governs the legal framework of the country and consists mostly of written sources, including statutes, judge made case law, and international treaties. As there is no technical difference between ordinary statutes and law considered to be "constitutional law," the Parliament of the United Kingdom can perform "constitutional reform" simply by passing Acts of Parliament and thus has the political power to change or abolish almost any written or unwritten element of the constitution. However, no Parliament can pass laws that future Parliaments cannot change. Official UK Parliament web page on parlimentary sovreignty The United Kingdom is one of the three countries in the world today that does not have a codified constitution (the other two being New Zealand and Israel).

The position of Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, the UK's head of government, belongs to the List of Prime Ministers of the United Kingdom of the political party that can obtain the confidence of a plurality in the British House of Commons. The Prime Minister and their Cabinet are formally appointed by the Monarch to form Her Majesty's Government. However, the Prime Minister chooses the Cabinet, and by convention, the Queen respects the Prime Minister's choices. The Cabinet of the United Kingdom is traditionally drawn from members of the Prime Minister's party in both legislative houses, and mostly from the House of Commons, to which Responsible government. Executive power is exercised by the Prime Minister and Cabinet, all of whom are sworn into Her Majesty's Most Honourable Privy Council, and become Minister of the Crown. Gordon Brown, leader of the Labour Party (UK), has been Prime Minister, First Lord of the Treasury and Minister for the Civil Service since 27 June, 2007.

The Parliament of the United Kingdom is the national legislature of the United Kingdom; housed in the Palace of Westminster, it is the ultimate legislative authority in the UK, according to the doctrine of parliamentary sovereignty. However, questions over sovereignty have been brought forward due to the UK's membership within the European Union. The parliament is made up of the Queen and two houses: an elected House of Commons and an appointed House of Lords. Each member in the House of Commons is elected by plurality electoral system in a United Kingdom constituencies; general elections are called by the Monarch when the Prime Minister so advises. There is no minimum term for a Parliament, but a new election must be called within five years of the last general election.

The UK's three List of political parties in the United Kingdom#Major political parties in the United Kingdom are the Labour Party (UK), the Conservative Party (UK), and the Liberal Democrats. Other parties such as the Democratic Unionist Party, the Scottish National Party, Plaid Cymru, the Social Democratic and Labour Party, the Ulster Unionist Party, and Sinn Féin (from Northern Ireland) hold most of the remaining seats in the House. The four Sinn Féin MPs have never attended Parliament but, since 2002, they have made use of the offices and other facilities made available to them at Westminster.

Administrative subdivisions The United Kingdom is divided into four home nations or Constituent country: England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland. The latter three each has a Unicameralism legislature, Devolution from the United Kingdom Parliament, which relates specifically to each constituent country: the Scottish Parliament, the National Assembly for Wales, and the Northern Ireland Assembly. Each also has its own Executive (government), led by a First Minister, which controls separate law making and constitutional powers devolved from Westminster. However, despite being the largest of the United Kingdom's four constituent countries, England, (with the exception of the Greater London Authority), has no devolved executive; it is ruled directly by the UK government.

Each nation is further subdivided for the purposes of Local government in the United Kingdom. The Queen appoints a Lord-Lieutenant as her personal representative in lieutenancy areas across the UK; this is little more than a ceremonial role. The following table highlights the arrangements for local government, lieutenancy areas and cities across the home nations:

. Many towns and cities reflect their "civic pride" with public buildings.

{] || Kingdom[Metropolitan and non-metropolitan counties of EnglandCeremonial counties of England| :Template:English Cities|-| Scotland ]|style="padding-right:0.5em; text-align:right;"| 5,094,800|style="padding-left:0.5em; font-size:95%;"|Subdivisions of Scotland Lieutenancy areas of Scotland| :Template:Scottish Cities|-| Wales ]|style="padding-right:0.5em; text-align:right;"| 2,958,600|style="padding-left:0.5em; font-size:95%;"|Subdivisions of WalesPreserved counties of Wales| :Template:Welsh Cities|-| Northern Ireland ]|style="padding-right:0.5em; text-align:right;"| 1,724,400|style="padding-left:0.5em; font-size:95%;"|Districts of Northern IrelandCounties of Northern Ireland| :Template:Northern Ireland cities|}Historically, the four nations were divided into Traditional counties of the British Isles as areas for local government administration. Although these are still used to some extent for this purpose and as geographical areas, they are no longer the sole basis for wikt:local government administration.

In recent years, England has, for some purposes, been divided into nine intermediate-level Regions of England. Each region is made up of metropolitan and non-metropolitan counties of England and unitary authorities, apart from London, which consists of London boroughs. Although at one point it was intended that these regions would be given their own elected regional assemblies, the plan's future is uncertain following a rejection, by referendum, of a proposed assembly in the North East England region.

City status in the United Kingdom is governed by Royal Charter. There are sixty-six British cities: fifty in England; six in Scotland; five in Wales; and five in Northern Ireland.

The British crown has sovereignty over the Isle of Man and the Bailiwicks of Jersey and Guernsey. Collectively, these three territories are known as the Crown dependencies, lands owned by the British monarch but not part of the United Kingdom. They are also not part of the European Union. However, the Parliament of the United Kingdom has the authority to legislate for the dependencies, and the British government manages their foreign affairs and defence.

The UK also has fourteen British overseas territory around the world, the last remaining territories of the British Empire. The overseas territories are also not considered part of the UK, but in most cases the local populations have British citizenship and the right to abode in the UK. This has been the case since 2002.

Law is the national legislature of Scotland

The United Kingdom has three distinct systems of law. English law, which applies in England and Wales, and Courts of Northern Ireland, which applies in Northern Ireland, are based on common law principles. Scots law, which applies in Scotland, is a hybrid system based on both common-law and Civil law (legal system) principles. The Act of Union 1707 guarantees the continued existence of a separate law system for Scotland.

The Appellate Committee of the House of Lords (usually just referred to, as "The House of Lords") is the highest court in the land for all criminal and civil cases in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland, and for all civil cases in Scots law. Recent constitutional changes will see the powers of the House of Lords transfer to a new Supreme Court of the United Kingdom., Department for Constitutional Affairs. Retrieved on 2006-05-22

In England and Wales, the Courts of England and Wales is headed by the Supreme Court of Judicature of England and Wales, consisting of the Court of Appeal of England and Wales, the High Court of Justice (for civil cases) and the Crown Court (for criminal cases). In Scotland the chief courts are the Court of Session, for civil cases, and the High Court of Justiciary, for criminal cases, while the sheriff court is the Scottish equivalent of the county court.

The Judicial Committee of the Privy Council, comprising the same members as the Appellate Committee of the House of Lords, is the highest court of appeal for several independent Commonwealth countries, the UK overseas territories, and the British crown dependencies.

Foreign relations The United Kingdom is a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council, a member of the G8 and NATO, and a member state of the European Union. The UK has a "Special Relationship" with the United States. Apart from the US and Europe, Britain's close allies include Commonwealth of Nations and other Angloshpere. Britain's global presence and influence is further amplified through its trading relations and its armed forces, which maintain approximately eighty military installations and other deployments around the globe.

Geography The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is in Western Europe. It comprises the island of Great Britain (most of England, Scotland and Wales) and the north-eastern one-sixth of the island of Ireland (Northern Ireland), together with many smaller islands. The mainland areas lie between latitudes 49° and 59° N (the Shetland Islands reach to nearly 61° N), and longitudes 8° W to 2° E. The Royal Greenwich Observatory, near London, is the defining point of the Prime Meridian. The United Kingdom has a total area of approximately .The UK lies between the North Atlantic Ocean and the North Sea, and comes within of the north-west coast of France, from which it is separated by the English Channel. Northern Ireland shares a land boundary with the Republic of Ireland. The Channel Tunnel ("Chunnel") now links the UK with France beneath the English Channel.

Topography in the Grampian Mountains (Scotland), is the highest point in the British Isles

Most of England consists of lowland terrain, with some mountainous terrain in the north-west (Cumbrian Mountains of the Lake District), north (the upland moors of the Pennines and limestone hills of the Peak District) and south-west (Exmoor and Dartmoor) by the Tees-Exe line. Lower ranges include the limestone hills of the Isle of Purbeck, Cotswolds and Lincolnshire Wolds, and the chalk downs of the Southern England Chalk Formation. The main rivers and estuaries are the Thames, Severn and the Humber. The largest urban area is Greater London. England's highest mountain is Scafell Pike, which is in the Lake District .

Scotland's geography is varied, with Scottish Lowlands in the south and east and Scottish Highlands in the north and west, including Ben Nevis, the highest mountain in the British Isles at . There are many long and deep sea arms, firths, and lochs. There are nearly eight hundred List of islands of Scotland, mainly west and north of the mainland, notably the Hebrides, Orkney Islands and Shetland Islands. In total, it is estimated that the UK includes around one thousand islands.

Wales is mostly mountainous, the highest peak being Snowdon (Yr Wyddfa) at above sea level, however South Wales is less mountainous than North and Mid Wales. North of the mainland is the island of Anglesey (Ynys Môn).

.

Northern Ireland, making up the north-eastern part of Ireland, is mostly hilly. It includes Lough Neagh, at , the largest body of water in the UK and Ireland. The highest peak is Slieve Donard at in the province's Mourne Mountains.

The greatest distance between two points on the UK mainland of Great Britain is between Land's End in Cornwall (near Penzance) and John O'Groats in Caithness (near Thurso), a two day journey by car. When measured directly north-south it is a little over in length and is a fraction under at its widest.

Climate All parts of the United Kingdom have a temperate climate, with plentiful rainfall all year round. The temperature varies with the seasons but seldom drops below −10 °Celsius or rises above 35 °C. The prevailing wind is from the south-west, bearing frequent spells of mild and wet weather from the Atlantic Ocean. Eastern parts are most sheltered from this wind and are therefore the driest. Atlantic currents, warmed by the Gulf Stream, bring mild winters, especially in the west, where winters are also wet, especially over high ground. Summers are warmest in the south east of England, being closest to the European mainland, and coolest in the north. Snowfall can occur in winter and early spring, though it rarely settles to any great depth away from high ground.

Absolute temperature ranges:

England: 38.5 °C on 10 August 2003 at Brogdale, near Faversham, Kent, to −26.1 °C on 10 January 1982 at Edgmond, near Newport, Shropshire.
Wales: 35.2 °C in Hawarden Bridge, Flintshire on 2 August 1990, to -23.3 °C in Rhayader, Radnorshire on 21 January 1940.
Scotland: 32.9 °C at Greycrook, Scottish Borders on 9 August 2003 to -27.2 °C recorded at Braemar, Aberdeenshire, on 11 February 1895 and 10 January 1982 and also at Altnaharra, Sutherland, on 30 December 1995.
Northern Ireland: 30.8 °C at Knockarevan, near Belleek, County Fermanagh on 30 June 1976 and at Belfast on 12 July 1983, to -17.5 °C at Magherally, near Banbridge, County Down on 1 January 1979.

Cities and urban areas Capital cities London is the capital of the UK as a whole.

The capitals of the United Kingdom's constituent countries are London (England), Edinburgh (Scotland), Cardiff (Wales) and Belfast (Northern Ireland).

Largest cities/towns pays testament to its economic growth.

above 7 million: London
around 1 million: Birmingham
above 500,000: Glasgow
400,000 – 500,000: Liverpool, Leeds, Sheffield, Edinburgh, Bristol
300,000 – 400,000: Manchester, Leicester, Coventry, Kingston upon Hull
250,000 – 300,000: Bradford, Cardiff, Belfast, Stoke-on-Trent, Wolverhampton
200,000 – 250,000: Nottingham, Plymouth, Southampton, Reading, Berkshire, Derby

The term "Second city of the United Kingdom" has been disputed in several ways.

Urban areas

Greater London Urban Area - 8.5 million
West Midlands conurbation - 2.28 million
Greater Manchester Urban Area - 2.24 million
West Yorkshire Urban Area - 1.5 million
Greater Glasgow - 1.16 million

Larger Urban Zones A European Union measurement of urbanisation, the Larger Urban Zone represents a harmonised definition of the metropolitan area. Eurostat's objective was to have an area from which a significant share of the resident commute into the city, a concept known as the “functional urban region”. To ensure a good data availability, Eurostat works with administrative boundaries that approximate the functional urban region.

Seven UK areas figure in the top 50 in the EU.

1 London - 11.62 million
14 Manchester - 2.51 million
19 Leeds/Bradford - 2.36 million
20 Birmingham - 2.34 million
30 Glasgow - 1.75 million
36 Liverpool - 1.36 million
43 Sheffield - 1.26 million

Demography

Population At the April 2001 UK Census, the United Kingdom's population was 58,789,194, the third largest in the European Union (behind Germany and France) and the twenty-first largest in the world. This had been estimated up to 59,834,300 by the Office for National Statistics in 2004. Two years later in August 2006 it was confirmed that the UK's population had reached 60 million, then rapidly increased to 60.2 million, largely from net immigration, but also because of a rising List of countries and territories by fertility rate and increasing life expectancy.

The UK's overall population density is one of the highest in the world. About a quarter of the population lives in England's prosperous south-east and is predominantly urban and suburban, with an estimated 7,517,700 in the capital of London. The population of the United Kingdom has now reached 60,587,000 (mid 2006 estimate).

In 2006 the UK's total fertility rate (TFR) was 1.86 children per woman, below the replacement rate of 2.1. In 2001, the TFR was at a record low of 1.63, but it has increased each year since, and will continue to do so as the share of births from immigrant mothers continues to prod the fertility rate. The TFR was considerably higher during the 1960s 'baby boom', peaking at 2.95 children per woman in 1964.

Migration and ethnicity Located as they are on a group of islands close to Continental Europe, the lands now constituting the United Kingdom have historically been subject to many invasions and Human migration, especially from Scandinavia and the continent - including Roman Britain occupation for several centuries. Present day Britons are descended mainly from the varied ethnic stocks that settled there before the eleventh century. The Cruithne (people), Celts, Roman, Anglo-Saxons, and Norse influences were blended in Great Britain under the Normans, Scandinavian Vikings who had lived in northern France (Normandy). Since 1945, international ties forged by the British Empire have contributed to substantial immigration, especially from Africa and South Asia, and, most recently, the accession of new EU members in 2004 has fuelled more immigration from continental Europe. As of 2001 British Census, 13.1% (5.2% white, 7.9% non-white) of the UK population identified themselves as an ethnic minority.

in London is one of the most famous public places in the United Kingdom.

{] !! Population !! % of total*] || || 85.7%|align="left"| White Irish people || || 1.2%|align="left"| White Other (United Kingdom Census) || || 5.3%|align="left"| Mixed race ]n || || 1.8%|align="left"| Pakistani ] || || 0.5%|align="left"| Other British Asian (non-Chinese) || || 0.4%|align="left"| Black Caribbean ] || || 0.8%|align="left"| Black people (others) || || 0.2%|align="left"| Chinese people || || 0.4%|align="left"| Other || || 0.4%|-|colspan="3" align="left"| |}

Cities with high proportions of people from minority group include London with 40.1% of its population coming from minority groups, Leicester with 39.5% and Birmingham with 34.4%, according to the 2001 census.

In contrast with some other European countries, high Foreign-born population of Great Britain, 2001 immigration is contributing to a rising population, accounting for about half of the population increase between 1991 and 2001. The latest official figures (2005) show net immigration to the UK of 185,000 (565,000 immigrants and 380,000 emigrants) down from a record high of 223,000 in 2004. Immigration from the Indian subcontinent, mainly fuelled by family reunion, accounted for two-thirds of net immigration. 1,500 migrants enter UK a day By contrast, at least 5.5 million British-born people are living abroad. The most popular emigrant destinations were Australia, Spain and France. Indians largest group among new immigrants to UK 1500 immigrants arrive in Britain daily, report says

A study by a city forecaster, however, contends that the above immigration figures are unreliable and that net immigration for 2005 was circa 400,000. Nonetheless, the proportion of foreign-born people in the UK population remains slightly below that of some other European countries.

In 2004 the number of people who became British citizens rose to a record 140,795 - a rise of 12% on the previous year. This number had risen dramatically since 2000. The overwhelming majority of new citizens come from Africa (32%) and Asia (40%), the largest three groups being people from Pakistan, India and Somalia. BBC Thousands in UK citizenship queue In 2006, there were 149,035 applications for British citizenship, 32% fewer than in 2005. The number of people granted citizenship during 2006 was 154,095, 5% fewer than in 2005. The largest groups of people granted British citizenship were from India, Pakistan, Somalia and the Philippines.John Freelove Mensah, Persons Granted British Citizenship United Kingdom, 2006, Home Office Statistical Bulletin 08/07, 22 May 2007, accessed 21 September 2007 21.9% of babies born in the UK in 2005 were born to foreign-born mothers, according to official statistics released in 2007 that also show the highest List of countries and territories by fertility rate in Britain for 26 years. 1 in 5 babies in Britain born to immigrants

Figures published in August 2007 indicate that 682,940 people applied to the Worker Registration Scheme (for nationals of the central and eastern European states that joined the EU in May 2004) between 1 May 2004 and 31 June 2007, of whom 656,395 were accepted.Home Office, Department for Work and Pensions, HM Revenue & Customs and Communities and Local Government, Accession Monitoring Report: A8 Countries, May 2004-June 2007, 21 August 2007, accessed 26 August 2007. Self-employed workers and people who are not working (including students) are not required to register under the scheme so this figure represents a lower limit on immigration inflow. These figures do not indicate the number of immigrants who have since returned home, but 56 per cent of applicants in the 12 months ending 30 June 2007 reported planning to stay for a maximum of three months. Of the 2.5million foreign workers who moved to the UK to work, the majority were from EU countries, but net migration in 2005 from the new EU states stood at 64,000.

Language has de facto official or official language status.

Though the UK does not have a De jure official language, the predominant spoken language is English language, a West Germanic language descended from Old English, featuring a large number of borrowings from Old Norse and Norman language. The other indigenous languages are Scots language (which is closely related to English) and the Insular Celtic languages. The latter fall into two groups: the P-Celtic languages (Welsh language and Cornish language); and the Q-Celtic languages (Irish language and Scottish Gaelic and Manx language). Celtic dialectal influences from Cumbric persisted in Northern England for many centuries, most famously in a unique set of numbers used for counting sheep (see Yan Tan Tethera).

The English language has spread to all corners of the world (largely due to the British Empire) and has thus become International English. Worldwide, it is English language learning and teaching more than any other. The United Kingdom's Celtic languages are also spoken by small groups around the globe, mainly Scottish Gaelic in Canada in Nova Scotia, Canada, and Welsh in Patagonia, Argentina.

Recently it has acquired many speakers of Eastern European languages, notably Polish language.

Religion While the United Kingdom has a long tradition of Christianity and link between church and state still remains, in practice the UK has a predominantly secular society with only 38%. Page 11. European Commission. Retrieved on 7 December 2006 proclaiming a belief in a God. People identify themselves with religion in the UK for both cultural and religious reasons and this is reflected by the disparity between the figures for those proclaiming a belief in God and those identifying themselves with a particular religion. Christianity has the largest number of adherents followed by Islam, Hinduism and Sikhism.

Christianity is used for the coronation of all British Monarchs, who are also made the head of the Church of England.

Christianity is the majority religion, there are many Christian churches, denominations, and sects. However, Christianity in the UK is on the decline. The Tearfund Survey in 2007 revealed 53% identifying themselves as Christian compared to 71.6% in the 2001 UK Census. Only 7% of people in the UK are actually practicing Christians. Christianity was first introduced to Britain by the Roman Britain. The direct influence of the Anglican Communion has been on the decline for many years but the Church of England retains a Lords Spiritual in Parliament of the United Kingdom and the right to draft legislative measures (usually related to religious administration), through the General Synod, that can be passed into law, but not amended by Parliament. The churches of

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Nominet UK
Nominet is the Internet registry for.uk domain names. We operate at the heart of e-commerce in the UK, running one of the world's largest Internet registries and managing over six ...

Locallife.co.uk - the UK's local information network
locallife.co.uk: the UK's local information network ... locallife for local life: the UK's local information network A comprehensive on-line guide to every city, town and village

UK Statistics Authority
UK Government Agency that produces and disseminates social, health, economic, demographic, labour market and business statistics. Includes StatBase - a fully searchable database of ...

UK Online - Professional Broadband
Part of the Easynet group. Offers ChildCheck filtering and webspace.