View source for United Kingdom

{{Infobox country
|conventional_long_name=United Kingdom of Great Britain<br>and Northern Ireland
|common_name=the United Kingdom
|image_flag=Flag of the United Kingdom.svg
|alt_flag=A flag featuring both cross and saltire in red, white and blue
|image_coat=Royal Coat of Arms of the United Kingdom.svg
|alt_coat=Coat of arms containing shield and crown in centre, flanked by lion and unicorn
|symbol_type=Royal coat of arms
|image_map=EU-United Kingdom.svg
|alt_map=Two islands to the north-west of continental Europe. Highlighted are the larger island and the north-eastern fifth of the smaller island to the west.
|map_caption={{map_caption |location_color=dark green |region=Europe |region_color=dark grey |subregion=the [[European Union]] |subregion_color=green |legend=EU-United Kingdom.svg}}
|national_anthem=<center>[[File:United States Navy Band - God Save the Queen.ogg]]</center><br />"[[God Save the Queen]]"<ref group="note">No law was passed making ''God Save the Queen'' the official anthem. In the British tradition, such laws are not necessary; proclamation and usage are sufficient to make it the official national anthem. ''God Save the Queen'' also serves as the [[Honors music|Royal anthem]] for several other countries.</ref>
|official_languages=English<ref>http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Governmentcitizensandrights/LivingintheUK/DG_10012519</ref><ref>http://www.thecommonwealth.org/YearbookHomeInternal/139560/</ref>
|regional_languages=Irish, [[Ulster Scots dialects|Ulster Scots]], [[Scottish Gaelic]]<!-- Keep 'Scottish Gaelic' - people will find Gaelic confusing as the Irish language is also commonly called Gaelic -->, [[Scots language|Scots]], [[Welsh language|Welsh]], [[Cornish language|Cornish]]{{#tag:ref|Under the [[Council of Europe]]'s [[European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages]], the Welsh, Scottish Gaelic, [[Cornish language|Cornish]], Irish, [[Scots language|Scots]] and its regional variant [[Ulster Scots dialects|Ulster Scots]] are officially recognised as [[Regional language|Regional]] or [[Minority language]]s by the [[United Kingdom Government|UK Government]] for the purposes of the Charter.<ref>{{cite web|publisher=Scottish Government|url=http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/ArtsCulture/gaelic/gaelic-english/17910/europeancharter|title=European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages|accessdate=11 December 2010}}</ref> See also [[Languages of the United Kingdom]].|group="note"}}
|ethnic_groups=92.1% [[White people|White]]<br /> 4.0% South Asian<br /> 2.0% [[Black people|Black]]<br /> 1.2% [[British Mixed-Race|Mixed]]<br /> 0.4% [[British Chinese|Chinese]]<br /> 0.4% [[United Kingdom Census 2001|Other]]
|ethnic_groups_year=[[United Kingdom Census 2001|2001]]<br /><small> See: [[Ethnic groups in the United Kingdom#2001 Census ethnicity results|UK ethnic groups list]]</small><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.statistics.gov.uk/StatBase/Expodata/Spreadsheets/D6588.xls |title=United Kingdom population by ethnic group |publisher=Office for National Statistics |date=1 April 2001 |work=[[United Kingdom Census 2001]] |accessdate=15 April 2009 |format=XLS}}</ref>
|demonym=British or [[British people|Briton]]
|capital=[[London]]
|latd=51
|latm=30
|latNS=N
|longd=0
|longm=7
|longEW=W
|largest_city=[[London]]
|government_type=[[Unitary state|Unitary]] [[parliamentary system|parliamentary democracy]] and [[constitutional monarchy]]
|leader_title1=[[Monarchy of the United Kingdom|Monarch]]
|leader_name1=[[Elizabeth II]]
|leader_title2=[[Prime Minister of the United Kingdom|Prime Minister]]
|leader_name2= [[David Cameron]] [[Parliament of the United Kingdom|MP]]
|sovereignty_type=[[History of the United Kingdom|Formation]]
|legislature=[[Parliament of the United Kingdom|Parliament]]
|upper_house=[[House of Lords]]
|lower_house=[[House of Commons of the United Kingdom|House of Commons]]
|state_religion=[[Anglicanism]]
|sovereignty_note=
|established_event1=[[Acts of Union 1707]]
|established_date1=1 May 1707
|established_event2=[[Acts of Union 1800]]
|established_date2=1 January 1801
|established_event3=[[Anglo-Irish Treaty]]
|established_date3=12 April 1922
|accessionEUdate=1 January 1973
|religion=[[Church of England|Anglican]]
|EUseats = 78
|area_rank = 79th
|area_magnitude = 1 E11
|area_km2 = 243610
|area_sq_mi = {{convert|243610|km2|sqmi|disp=output number only}}
|percent_water = 1.34
|population_estimate = 62,008,048<ref>{{cite web |url= http://epp.eurostat.ec.europa.eu/tgm/table.do?tab=table&language=en&pcode=tps00001&tableSelection=1&footnotes=yes&labeling=labels&plugin=1 |title=Total population at 1&nbsp;January |publisher=Eurostat |date =11 March 2011 |accessdate =29 April 2011}}</ref>
|population_estimate_year = 2010
|population_estimate_rank = 22nd
|population_census = 58,789,194<ref>{{cite web |url= http://www.statistics.gov.uk/census2001/pop2001/united_kingdom.asp |title = Census 2001: Population estimates |publisher=Office for National Statistics |accessdate =21 April 2011}}</ref>
|population_census_year = 2001
|population_density_km2 = 254.7
|population_density_sq_mi = 659.6
|population_density_rank = 51st
|GDP_PPP_year=2010
|GDP_PPP=$2.173&nbsp;trillion<ref name=imf2>{{cite web |url=http://www.imf.org/external/pubs/ft/weo/2011/01/weodata/weorept.aspx?sy=2007&ey=2010&scsm=1&ssd=1&sort=country&ds=.&br=1&c=112&s=NGDPD%2CNGDPDPC%2CPPPGDP%2CPPPPC%2CLP&grp=0&a=&pr.x=25&pr.y=6 |title=United Kingdom |publisher=International Monetary Fund |month =April |year =2011 |accessdate=8 May 2011}}</ref>
|GDP_PPP_rank=7th
|GDP_PPP_per_capita=$34,920<ref name=imf2/>
|GDP_PPP_per_capita_rank=21st
|GDP_nominal_year=2010
|GDP_nominal_rank=6th
|GDP_nominal_per_capita=$36,120<ref name=imf2/>
|GDP_nominal_per_capita_rank=22nd
|GDP_nominal=$2.247&nbsp;trillion<ref name=imf2/>
|HDI_year=2010
|HDI=0.849<ref>{{cite web |url= http://hdr.undp.org/en/media/HDR_2010_EN_Table1.pdf |title= Human Development Report 2010 |publisher=United Nations | accessdate =21 April 2011| page = 143 ff}}</ref>
|HDI_rank=26th
|HDI_category=<span style="color:#090;">very&nbsp;high</span>
|EFI_year                 = 2011
|EFI                      = {{decrease}} 74.5<ref name="EFI">{{cite web|url=http://www.heritage.org/Index/Country/UnitedKingdom|title=Index of Economic Freedom 2011|year=2011|publisher=[[The Heritage Foundation]]|accessdate=2011-05-22}}</ref>
|EFI_rank                 = 16th
|EFI_category             = <span style="color:#006000;">high</span>
|CPI_year                 = 2010
|CPI                      = {{decrease}} 7.6<ref name="CPI">{{cite web|url=http://www.transparency.org/policy_research/surveys_indices/cpi/2010/in_detail|title=Corruption Perceptions Index 2010|year=2010|publisher=[[Transparency International]]|accessdate=2011-05-22}}</ref>
|CPI_rank                 = 20th
|CPI_category             = <span style="color:#006000;">high</span>
|GIR_year                 = 
|GIR                      = 
|GIR_rank                 = 
|GIR_category             = 
|DBR_year                 = 2011
|DBR                      = {{steady}}<ref name="DBR">{{cite web|url=http://www.doingbusiness.org/data/exploreeconomies/united-kingdom/|title=Doing Business Report 2011|year=2011|publisher=[[International Finance Corporation]], [[World Bank]]|accessdate=2011-05-22}}</ref>
|DBR_rank                 = 4th
|DBR_category             = <span style="color:#090;">very high</span>
|Gini=41<ref>{{cite web |url= http://www.poverty.org.uk/09/index.shtml |title =Income inequalities |publisher=The Poverty Site |accessdate =21 April 2011}}</ref>
|Gini_year=2008–09
|currency=[[Pound sterling]]
|currency_code=GBP
|country_code=GBR
|time_zone=[[Greenwich Mean Time|GMT]]
|utc_offset=+0
|time_zone_DST=[[Western European Summer Time|BST]]
|date_format = dd/mm/yyyy ([[Anno Domini|AD]])
|utc_offset_DST=+1
|drives_on=left<ref group="note">British dependencies drive on the left except for [[British Indian Ocean Territory|BIOT]] and [[Gibraltar]].</ref>
|cctld=[[.uk]]<ref group="note">[[ISO 3166-1 alpha-2]] states that this should be [[Great Britain|GB]] and [[.gb]] was initially used by the Government, but registration has been suppressed in favour of [[.uk]]. The [[.eu]] domain is shared with other [[European Union]] member states.</ref>
|calling_code=[[Telephone numbers in the United Kingdom|44]]
}}

The '''United Kingdom''' has historically played a leading role in developing parliamentary democracy and in advancing literature and science. At its zenith in the 19th century, the British Empire stretched over one-fourth of the earth's surface. The first half of the 20th century saw the UK's strength seriously depleted in two World Wars 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, a founding member of [[NATO]], and of the [[Commonwealth]], the UK pursues a global approach to foreign policy. The UK is also an active member of the EU, although it chose to remain outside the [[Economic and Monetary Union]]. Devolution and constitutional reform have been significant recent issues in the UK. The Scottish Parliament, the National Assembly for Wales, and the Northern Ireland Assembly were established in 1999, but the latter was suspended until May 2007 due to wrangling over the peace process.<ref name="CIA_GB">CIA - The World Factbook. [https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/countrytemplate_uk.html "United Kingdom"], from The World Factbook. Referenced 2010-09-21.</ref>

{{See also|Bank of England}}

== Economical characteristics ==
* '''Currency''': Pound sterling (ISO code: GBP)
* Central bank '''[[Wikipedia:Discount rate|discount rate]]''': 0.86% (31 December 2008)<ref name="CIA_GB" />
* Commercial banks '''lending rate''': 4.63% (31 December 2008)<ref name="CIA_GB" />
* '''Stock of money''' ([[Money supply#M1|M1]]): $NA<ref name="CIA_GB" />
* '''Quasi money''' (with M1 makes [[Money supply#M2|M2]]): $NA<ref name="CIA_GB" />

===Notable events:===
* [[Banking crisis]]: 1810, 1815-1817, 1825-1826, 1837-1839, 1847-1848, August 1857, May 1866, October 1878, November 1890, 1974-1976, 1984, 1991, 1995; in Scotland: 1857-1858, 1878-1880, 1908<ref name="Reinhart_crisis">Carmen M. Reinhart and Kenneth S. Rogoff. [http://press.princeton.edu/titles/8973.html "This Time is Different"], ''Princeton University Press'', ISBN 978-0-691-14216-6, p. 381, 387-388. (The list does not claim to be complete.) Referenced 2011-07-21.</ref>; 2007
* Years in [[inflation]]:  2.4% (share of years 1800-2009 with annual inflation above 20 per cent per annum)
* [[Public default]]: 1822, 1834, 1888-1889, 1932 (domestic)<ref name="Reinhart_histories">Carmen M. Reinhart. [http://www.princeton.edu/economics/seminar-schedule-by-prog/macro-s10/papers/Reinhardt-Chartbook.pdf "This Time is Different Chartbook: Country Histories on Debt, Default, and Financial Crises"] (pdf), March 3, 2010, p. 114. (The list does not claim to be complete.) Referenced 2011-07-21.</ref>

===Statistics===
{| border="1" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="5" style="text-align:center"
| Statistic / Year
! 1999
! 2000
! 2001
! 2002
! 2003
! 2004
! 2005
! 2006
! 2007
! 2008
|-
! [[GDP]] (million USD)<ref name="WorldBank_GDP_GB">World Bank. [http://open.worldbank.org/countries/gb/indicators%5BNY.GDP.MKTP.CD%5D?date=1999:2009 "United Kingdom: GDP"], from World Bank [http://data.worldbank.org/ Data]. Referenced 2010-09-21.</ref>
| 1 502 560
| 1 477 580
| 1 470 890
| 1 612 060
| 1 860 810
| 2 198 090
| 2 280 180
| 2 435 710
| 2 803 460
| 2 674 060
|-
! Govt. debt (% of GDP)<ref name="WorldBank_Debt_GB">World Bank. [http://open.worldbank.org/countries/gb/indicators%5BGC.DOD.TOTL.GD.ZS%5D?date=1999:2009 "United Kingdom: government debt"], from World Bank [http://data.worldbank.org/ Data]. Referenced 2010-09-21.</ref>
| 47.484
| 47.469
| 42.507
| 42.528
| 42.598
| 44.905
| 47.300
| 47.133
| 47.863
| 57.523
|-
! Govt. revenue (% of GDP)<ref name="WorldBank_Revenue_GB">World Bank. [http://open.worldbank.org/countries/gb/indicators%5BGC.REV.XGRT.GD.ZS%5D?date=1999:2009 "United Kingdom: government revenue"], from World Bank [http://data.worldbank.org/ Data]. Referenced 2010-09-21.</ref>
| 36.560
| 37.114
| 37.082
| 35.498
| 35.096
| 35.918
| 36.985
| 37.708
| 37.380
| 38.408
|-
! Govt. expenses (% of GDP)<ref name="WorldBank_Expenses_GB">World Bank. [http://open.worldbank.org/countries/gb/indicators%5BGC.XPN.TOTL.GD.ZS%5D?date=1999:2009 "United Kingdom: government expenses"], from World Bank [http://data.worldbank.org/ Data]. Referenced 2010-09-21.</ref>
| 35.652
| 36.204
| 36.651
| 37.633
| 38.809
| 39.200
| 41.222
| 40.378
| 40.005
| 42.827
|-
! Debt to revenue (years)
| 1.299
| 1.279
| 1.146
| 1.198
| 1.214
| 1.250
| 1.279
| 1.250
| 1.280
| 1.498
|}


===Points of interest===
For economists, [[Henry VIII of England]] should be almost as famous for clipping his kingdom's coins as he was for chopping off the heads of its queens. Despite inheriting a vast fortune from his father, Henry VII, and even after confiscating the church's assets, he found himself in such desperate need of funds that he resorted to an epic debasement of the currency. This debasement began in 1542 and continued through the end of Henry's reign in 1547 and on into that of his successor, Edward VI. Cumulatively, the pound lost 83 percent of its silver content during this period.<ref name="Reinhart_Different">Carmen M. Reinhart and Kenneth S. Rogoff. [http://press.princeton.edu/titles/8973.html "This Time is Different"], ''Princeton University Press'', ISBN 978-0-691-14216-6. Referenced 2011-07-13, p. 175.</ref>

==Notes==
<references group="note"/>

==References==
<small>Note: statistical data was rounded. Different sources may use different methodologies for their estimates. Debt to revenue is calculated by dividing the two variables from their original ('unrounded') values. It represents how long it would a government take to repay its entire debt if it used its whole revenue for this purpose.</small>
{{Reflist}}

==Links==
* [http://www.bankofengland.co.uk Central bank] of United Kingdom
* BBC [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/country_profiles/1038758.stm country profile]
* [http://mises.org/daily/4433 Mercantilism in England] by Murray N. Rothbard, May 2010 (from [http://mises.org/resources/3985/Economic-Thought-Before-Adam-Smith-An-Austrian-Perspective-on-the-History-of-Economic-Thought-Volume-I An Austrian Perspective on the History of Economic Thought], vol. 1)
* [http://articles.moneycentral.msn.com/Investing/JubaksJournal/anarchy-in-the-uk-and-us-too.aspx Anarchy in the UK (and US, too)?] by Jim Jubak, July 2010
* [http://www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/newsroom/news_releases/2010/101011-green.aspx Sir Philip Green reports findings of his review into Government efficiency] by Cabinet Office Press Office, October, 2010
* [http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/spending-review/8075932/Spending-Review-2010-George-Osborne-announces-further-7bn-welfare-cuts.html George Osborne announces further £7bn welfare cuts] by Spending Review, October 2010
* [http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/spending-review/8075622/Spending-Review-2010-Cuts-tough-but-fair-David-Cameron-insists.html Cuts 'tough but fair', David Cameron insists] by Spending Review, October 2010
* [http://mises.org/daily/4809 The 1822 Refutation of the Spitalfields Act of Wage and Price Controls] by Anders Mikkelsen, November 2010; about the ''[http://books.google.com/books/download/Observations_on_the_ruinous_tendency_of.pdf?id=1pAuAAAAYAAJ&output=pdf Observations on the Ruinous Tendency of the Spitalfields Act to the Silk Manufacture of London]'' (pdf), 1822
* [http://www.fee.org/the_freeman/detail/an-earlier-response-to-environmental-tyranny/ An Earlier Response to Environmental Tyranny] by Daniel Walker (about land controls leading to the Magna Carta)
* {{md|4621|The English Civil War and the First Libertarian Movement|Jeff Riggenbach|August 2010}}
* {{md|5951|The Principles of Liberalism in 17th-Century England|Murray N. Rothbard|1975}} (from ''[[Conceived in Liberty]]'')
* [http://oll.libertyfund.org/index.php?option=com_staticxt&staticfile=show.php?title=1868&Itemid=27 The History of England] by David Hume, in 6 volumes, 1778
* [http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/bank-of-england/10298841/Paper-money-to-turn-plastic-under-Bank-of-England-plan.html Paper money to turn plastic under Bank of England plan] by Philip Aldrick, September 2013
* [http://www.mortgagesolutions.co.uk/mortgage-solutions/news/2300922/landlords-could-be-liable-for-discriminatory-agent-practices-lawyer Landlords could be liable for discriminatory agent practices - lawyer] by Julia Rampen, October 2013
*{{wplink}}


[[Category:Countries]]
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