United Kingdom: Facts, Geography, and Political System

Posted on Apr 4, 2025 in Geography

The United Kingdom: An Overview

The official name is The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.

Constituent Countries and Capitals:

Wales – Cardiff, Scotland – Edinburgh, Northern Ireland – Belfast, England – London, Ireland – Dublin.

National Symbol:

The Royal Coat of Arms

Country Symbols:

England (St. George’s Cross), Wales (St. David, Dragon of Cadwallader/the Red Dragon), Scotland (St. Andrew’s Cross), Ireland (St. Patrick’s Cross), Republic of Ireland.

Crown Dependencies:

Territories dependent on the Crown – Isle of Man and Channel Islands (Guernsey, Jersey)

Overseas Territories:

These 14 territories are under the formal political control of the UK but are not actual parts of the UK (Falkland Islands, Bermuda, Gibraltar).

The Commonwealth:

The Commonwealth is a free association of sovereign states including the UK and 53 states, all of which (except for 2) were formerly part of the British Empire (Australia, India, New Zealand, Canada).

Area:

Total area of UK is 245,000 sq. Km. Britain’s physical area covers 94,525 square miles (244,820 sq km). Most is island, with the rest comprising inland water such as lakes and rivers. England has 50,337 square miles (130,373 sq km), Wales has 8,018 (20,767), Scotland has 30,415 (78,775) and Northern Ireland has 5,452 (14,120).

Highest Peaks, Largest Rivers and Lakes:

  • England: Highest peak is Scafell Pike, at 978m, Lake District, Peak District, Pennines, largest river “The Thames” 346km, lake Windermere 14.74km
  • Wales: Snowdon (3,560 feet, 1,085 meters), Brecon Beacons, Cambrian Mountains, Snowdonia, largest river “The Tywi” 103km, lake Bala Lake 4.84km
  • Scotland: Ben Nevis (4,406 feet, 1,343m), Scottish Highlands, Grampian Mountains and Southern Uplands, largest river “The Tay” 188km, lake Loch Lomond 71.12km
  • Northern Ireland: Slieve Donard, which is 2,796 feet high (853m), Mourne Mountains, Antrim Plateau, Sperrin Mountains, largest river “The Bann” 122km, lake Lough Neagh 381.74km

National Parks:

South Downs National Park, Lake District NP, Peak District NP, The Broads NP, North York Moors NP, Snowdonia NP, Pembrokeshire Coast NP, Yorkshire Dales NP, Cairngorms NP, Brecon Beacons NP

Social Classes:

7 main classes: elite, established middle class, technical middle class, new affluent workers, traditional working class, emergent service workers, and the precariat.

Monarchy:

She became Queen on 6th of February 1952, with her coronation taking place the following year on June 2nd, 1953.

Government:

The Prime Minister is Boris Johnson.

The Cabinet:

Between 20-25 senior ministers appointed by the Prime Minister. Government departments: Of these, the Treasury (finance) holds a place of special importance as it controls government finances. The Senior Civil Servants: A civil servant is employed by a government department.

Political Parties:

  • The Conservative and Unionist Party: A centre-right political party, founded in 1834, leader: Boris Johnson
  • The Labour Party: A centre-left political party, founded in 1900, leader: Keir Starmer
  • The Scottish National Party (SNP): A Scottish nationalist and social-democratic political party, founded in 1934, Leader: Nicola Sturgeon
  • The Liberal Democrats (Lib Dems): Founded in 1988, Leader: Ed Davey
  • The Democratic Unionist Party (DUP): A unionist political party in Northern Ireland favouring British identity, founded in 1971, Leader: Jeffrey Donaldson

The UK Parliament:

The UK Parliament is bicameral – there are two chambers: the House of Lords and House of Commons.

House of Commons:

650 Members of Parliament, who are elected by adult voters and represent citizens in Parliament. There are 533 parliamentary seats for England, 40 for Wales, 59 for Scotland and 18 for Northern Ireland.

House of Lords:

The House of Lords consists of Lords Temporal and Lords Spiritual (767).