You’re probably thinking that if China and India only get seven facts each, the United Kingdom deserves maybe three. Giving it 10 is basically an extension of colonialism. And that’s a reasonable argument. But since ComposeMD is located in a former British colony (New York), I have an excuse. So here are 10 facts about the United Kingdom (U.K.) you can’t miss.
1
First off, what is the U.K.? It’s a sovereign state comprised of four entities, namely England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland. The U.K. and Great Britain are not synonymous. Technically, Great Britain (or Britain) is a geographic term that refers only to the large island that contains England, Scotland, and Wales. As such, the full name of the U.K. is actually the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
Just to confuse everyone, the use of the term British to refer to the entire U.K. is commonplace. As an example, Brexit refers to the entire U.K. withdrawing from the European Union, not just Great Britain.
2
As you can imagine, the backstory of the U.K. and its constituent parts is long and convoluted. If you want a few recent dates, you can start with 1707, the year the Kingdom of England (which included Wales) and the Kingdom of Scotland joined to form the Kingdom of Great Britain. The U.K. came into existence in 1801 when Great Britain joined Ireland to form the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland. In 1922, Ireland became an independent nation, though the northern part of the island (Northern Ireland) stayed with the union, leaving the U.K. as we know it today.
3
The U.K. has a parliamentary democracy under a constitutional monarchy. While the monarch (currently Queen Elizabeth II) serves as head of state, decision-making power regarding governmental affairs is limited. That power lies with the head of government, or Prime Minister, chosen from the political party that has the most seats in Parliament.
In a process called devolution, varying degrees of authority are granted to governments in Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland. (England falls under the domain of the U.K. government.) Debates about the degree of devolved power are ongoing, with calls for full Scottish independence never being far from the news.
4
The U.K. was a colonial powerhouse (though it technically wasn’t the U.K. at the beginning of its conquests). Said to have covered 25 percent of Earth’s land area in 1913, the British Empire has since receded significantly. Reminders still exist, including 14 British overseas territories. These territories are generally self-governing, though their defense and foreign relations are still dictated by the mothership.
The Commonwealth of Nations is another colonial remnant, comprised of 54 member states, almost all former territories of the British Empire. Of these, 16 (including the U.K.) still have the British monarch as the head of state.
Closer to home, three island territories (the Bailiwick of Guernsey, the Bailiwick of Jersey, and the Isle of Man) are called Crown dependencies. These three are not considered part of the U.K., overseas territories, or member states in the Commonwealth.
5
The population of the U.K. is about 68 million. That’s good for number 21 in the world, just behind Thailand and just ahead of France.
6
The nominal GDP of the U.K. is the fifth highest in the world. Taking into account purchasing power parity, the U.K. drops to number 10. When this latter number is expressed per capita, the U.K. lands at number 24, just behind Saudi Arabia.
7
London, the largest city in the U.K., is one of the largest metropolitan areas in Europe (with the ranking depending on exact boundaries and what is considered Europe). London continues to have a prominent role on the world stage. In fact, in a classification of the cities most integrated with the global economy, only two received the highest designation: New York City and London.
8
In the U.K., like the U.S., English is the de facto official language. Other less prominent languages include Scots and Welsh, which along with Gaelic, Angloromani, Shelta, Irish, and Cornish, are spoken by a small percentage of the population. Of course, you’d be much more likely to hear languages like Polish, Urdu, and Arabic.
9
Although former colonies remain enamored with cricket, the most popular sport in the U.K. as a whole is football (soccer). The English Premier League is the wealthiest soccer league in the world, with annual revenue in the vicinity of $6 – 7 billion.
10
As the physical footprint of colonialism shrank, the U.K. found amazing success in maintaining influence through music. I’m talking about bands like the Beatles, the Rolling Stones, Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, The Who, the Clash, Queen, and Radiohead. And artists like David Bowie, Eric Clapton, and Elton John. Fast forward to now, and pop charts are topped by the likes of Ed Sheeran, Dua Lipa, and Adele. Is it the weather?
And there you have it. The group of islands that dominated the world and still sort of does, just not nearly as much.
(Note: In September 2022, Queen Elizabeth II passed away, and the reign of her son, King Charles III, began.)
2 Responses
nicely done. Stayed above politics and controversies.
Thank you. The hope is to stick mostly to the facts (so that readers can then form their own opinions).