Wikijunior:Europe/United Kingdom
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The United Kingdom is a country located in the north west of Europe. The United Kingdom shares a border with Ireland and is connected by the Channel Tunnel to France. The capital city is London. Other big cities in the United Kingdom are Manchester, Birmingham and Glasgow. The UK has been a member of the European Union since 1973 and uses the pound as its currency.
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[edit] The United Kingdom's History
[edit] The United Kingdom's Geography
The United Kingdom is located on two islands (Britain and Ireland) in the north west of Europe off the shores of northern France. Most of England is low lying but there are many mountains in Scotland and Wales. Northern Ireland has the UK's largest lake, Lough Neagh. The north of England and Scotland also feature many lakes. Off the coast of the United Kingdom are a number of island - the biggest islands are the Hebrides and Shetlands off the coast of Scotland, Angelsey off the coast of Wales and the Isle of Wight off the south coast of England. The Isle of Man (located between Britain and Ireland) is not part of the United Kingdom but is a possession of the British Crown and self-governing.
[edit] The United Kingdom's People
The United Kingdom is a country of 4 nations: England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. English is the most spoken language but many people speak Welsh, Scots Gaelic, Urdu and Polish as well as many other languages.
The majority of people in the UK are Christian. Most Christians in England, Scotland and Wales are Protestant. In Northern Ireland around half the population are Catholic and half are Protestant. The UK includes Europe's second largest Jewish and Muslim populations and also large numbers of Sikhs, Hindus and Buddists. A large minority of the UK population are not religious.
[edit] The United Kingdom's Sights
The UK is a popular tourist destination with over 30 million foreign tourists per year. The majority of tourists visit London, Cambridge and Oxford but other cities popular with tourists include Edinburgh, Cardiff, Manchester, Bath and Liverpool.
Famous landmarks of the UK are Stonehenge, Buckingham Palace, Westminster, Tower Bridge and the London Eye.
