The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland[13] (commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK, or as Britain) is a sovereign state located off the northwestern coast of continental Europe. It is an island country,[14][15] spanning an archipelago including Great Britain, the northeastern part of Ireland, and many small islands. Northern Ireland is the only part of the UK with a land border, sharing it with the Republic of Ireland.[16][17] Apart from this land border, the UK is surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean, the North Sea, the English Channel and the Irish Sea. The largest island, Great Britain, is linked to France by the Channel Tunnel.
The United Kingdom is a constitutional monarchy and unitary state consisting of four countries: England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales.[18] It is governed by a parliamentary system with its seat of government in London, the capital, but with three devolved national administrations in Belfast, Cardiff and Edinburgh, the capitals of Northern Ireland, Wales and Scotland respectively. The Channel Island bailiwicks of Jersey and Guernsey, and the Isle of Man are Crown Dependencies and are often not considered part of the UK,[19] though they are treated as part of it for many purposes including nationality.[20] The UK has fourteen overseas territories,[21] all remnants of the British Empire, which at its height in 1922 encompassed almost a quarter of the world's land surface, the largest empire in history. British influence can continue to be observed in the language, culture and legal systems of many of its former colonies.
The UK is a developed country, with the world's sixth largest economy by nominal GDP and the seventh largest by purchasing power parity.[7] It was the world's first industrialised country[22] and the world's foremost power during the 19th and early 20th centuries,[23] but the economic cost of two world wars and the decline of its empire in the latter half of the 20th century diminished its leading role in global affairs. The UK nevertheless remains a major power with strong economic, cultural, military, scientific and political influence. It is a nuclear weapons state and has the third highest defence spending in the world. It is a Member State of the European Union, holds a permanent seat on the United Nations Security Council, and is a member of the Commonwealth of Nations, G8, G20, OECD, NATO, and the World Trade Organization.
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Hindus settled in UK do not miss out the excitement of Holi celebrations and enjoy to the hilt Zeal for the festival is particularly marked in this country as Indians
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Wed, 11 Nov 2009 11:11:43 GM
Top Ten . UK. Fish & Chip Shops Named. ... Explore . United Kingdom. Travel. Must Reads. 12 "Must-See" . UK. Attractions · . UK. Hot Deals · What's On in November · 50 Free Things To Do in the . UK. · Plan Your First . UK. Trip. Most Popular ...
Q. How many branches does HSBC have worldwide and in the united kingdom just an approximate figure would help me thanks?
Asked by Mossy - Fri Feb 27 09:15:21 2009 - - 1 Answers - 0 Comments
A. 330,000 employee and 9,500 offices in 85 countries and territories.
Answered by Jack - Fri Feb 27 09:38:09 2009
