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 theRepublic of Ireland and is connected by the Channel Tunnel to France. The capital city is London. Other large 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
The United Kingdom was created on 1 May 1707 with the union of the kingdoms of England and Scotland. Wales was part of the Kingdom of England. Although legally separate countries, they had been ruled by a common monarch since 1603. In 1800, Ireland became part of the United Kingdom. The United Kingdom was the source of the Industrial Revolution which greatly increased the country's power and lead to the development of the British Empire which, at its largest, controlled nearly a quarter of the world. In 1922, the southern counties of Ireland formed the Republic of Ireland, leaving just the northern counties as part of the United Kingdom.
[edit] The United Kingdom's Geography
The United Kingdom is located on two islands (Britain and Ireland) to the north west of Europe off the shores of northern France.
Large parts of England is low lying but there are upland regions (like the Lake and Peak District's) in the North, as well as mountains in Scotland and Wales. The north of England and Scotland also feature many lakes (termed lochs in Scotland)
Northern Ireland is in the north east of the Ireland primarily centered on the UK's largest lake, Lough Neagh.
The longest river in the United Kingdom, is the River Severn, which starts in North Wales, emerging into a large estuary between England and Wales.
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.
Whilst the majority of the UK population are Christian, there are also followers of other faiths in many large cites. The UK includes Europe's second largest Jewish and Muslim populations and also large numbers of Sikhs, Hindus and Buddists. A sizable minority of the UK population are not religious,
Many Christians in England, Scotland and Wales are Protestant, although there are also many Catholic churches, especially in Northern Ireland, Liverpool and London.
[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 in the UK include Stonehenge, Buckingham Palace, Durham Cathedral, Edinburgh's Royal Mile, Ironbridge Gorge, The National Library of Wales in Cardiff.
