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’s withdrawal 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 and a founding member of NATO and the Commonwealth, the UK pursues a global approach to foreign policy. The Scottish Parliament, the National Assembly for Wales, and the Northern Ireland Assembly were established in 1998.
The UK has been an active member of the EU since its accession in 1973, although it chose to remain outside the Economic and Monetary Union. However, motivated in part by frustration at a remote bureaucracy in Brussels and massive migration into the country, UK citizens on 23 June 2016 narrowly voted to leave the EU. The UK is scheduled to depart the EU on 31 January 2020, but negotiations on the future EU-UK economic and security relationship will continue throughout 2020 and potentially beyond.
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United Kingdom Tourism Information…








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The Best of England
Southern England
East of England
- Counties: Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire, Essex, Hertfordshire, Norfolk, Suffolk
- Cities: Cambridge, Ely, Norwich, Peterborough, St. Albans
- Towns: Acle, Ampthill, Bedford, Biggleswade, Chatteris, Chelmsford, Colchester, Dunstable, Flitwick, Leighton Buzzard, Luton, Shefford, Tilbury
- Villages: Blakeney, Harlington, Stansted Mountfitchet, Woburn
- Others Sights & Attractions: The Broads, Cambridge University, Epping Forest, Foulness Island, Thetford Forest
London – For more detailed information go to our ➾ London page.
South East England
- Counties: Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, East Sussex, Hampshire, Isle of Wight, Kent, Oxfordshire, Surrey, West Sussex
- Cities: Brighton, Canterbury, Chichester, Dover, Eton, Hastings, Oxford, Portsmouth, Southampton, Winchester
- Towns: Battle, Brexhill, Brighton, Crowborough, Eastbourne, Guilford, Hailsham, Lewes, Midhurst, Neathfield, Newhaven, Newport, Reading, Robertsbridge, Rye, Seaford, Uckfield, Windsor
- Villages: Bosham, Brey, Hartfield, Mayfield, Wye
- Others Sights & Attractions: Ashford Forest, Beale Park, Blenheim Palace, Bracklesham Bay, Chiltern Hills, The Cotswolds, The Cuckoo Trail, Hayling Island, New Forest, North Downs, Oxford University, South Downs, Surrey Hills, White Cliffs of Dover, Whitehorse Hill
West Country
- Counties: Bristol, Cornwall, Devon, Dorset, Gloucestershire, Isles of Scilly, Somerset, Wiltshire
- Cities: Bath, Bournemouth, Bristol, Exeter, Gloucester, Plymouth, Salisbury, Truro, Wells
- Towns: Amesbury, Bodmin, Bridgewater, Bude, Cheltenham, Dorchester, Falmouth, Fowey, Glastonbury, Hayle, Helston, Launceston, Looe, Seaton, Torquay
- Villages: Abbotsbury, Avebury, Berkeley, Boscastle, Cawsand, Charlestown, Cheddar, Exmoor Villages, Mousehole, Mevagissey, West Bay, Weymouth, Woodbury
- Others Sights & Attractions: Avebury Henge, Cape Cornwall, Clevedon Pier, Clifton Suspension Bridge, The Costwolds, Dartmoor National Park, Glastonbury Tor, Isle of Porrtland, Jurassic Coast, Land’s End, Lizard, Madron and Sancreed, Stonehenge
Midlands
East Midlands
- Counties: Derbyshire, Leicestershire, Lincolnshire, Northhamptonshire, Nottinghamshire, Rutland
- Cities: Derby, Lincoln. Nottingham
- Towns: Eastwood, Grantham, Matlock
- Villages: Bonsall, Donington-on-Bain, Edwinstowe, Sudbury
- Others Sights & Attractions: Lincoln Cathedral & castle, Lincolnshire Wolds, Peak District National Park, Sherwood Forest
West Midlands
- Counties: Herefordshire, Shropshire, Satffordshire, Warwickshire, West Midlands, Worcestershire
- Cities: Birmingham, Coventry, Hereford, Lichfield, Stoke-on-Trent, Warwick, Wolverhampton, Worcester
- Towns: Bedworth, Bromyard, Dudley, Ellesmere, Kenilworth, Shrewsbury, Stafford, Tenbury Wells
- Villages: Feckenham, Kilpeck, Stourbridge, Wellesbourne, Whittington
- Others Sights & Attractions: Eastnor Castle, Hartlebury Castle, Ironbridge Gorge, Kenilworth Castle, Warwick Castle
Northern England
North East England
- Counties: Durham, Northumberland, Tyne & Wear
- Cities: Durham, Newcastle-upon-Tyne
- Towns: Hexham, Gateshead
- Villages:,
- Others Sights & Attractions: Durham Cathedral & Castle, Hadrian’s Wall, Northumberland National Park, Tyne Valley
North West England
- Counties: Cheshire, Cumbria, Greater Manchester, Lancashire, Merseyside
- Cities: Blackburn, Blackpool, Carlisle, Chester, Lancaster, Liverpool, Manchester, Preston, Salford
- Towns: Birkenhead, Bowness-on-Windermere, Knutsford, Ravenglass, Stockport, Windermere
- Villages: Holmes Chapel, Marple, St. Bees, Wirral
- Others Sights & Attractions: Forest of Bowland, Hadrian’s Wall, Lake District National Park, Yorkshire Dales National Park
Yorkshire
- Counties: East Yorkshire, North Yorkshire, South Yorkshire, West Yorkshire
- Cities: Leeds, Scarborough, Sheffiled, York
- Towns: Malton
- Villages: Malham, Queensbury
- Others Sights & Attractions: Alton Towers, North York Moors National Park, Stafford Castle, York Minster, Yorkshire Dales National Park
The Best of Northern Ireland…
Northern Ireland
- Counties: Antrim, Armagh, Down, Derry, Fermanagh, Tyrone
- Cities: Belfast, Derry, Lisburn
- Towns: Portrush
- Villages: Bushmills
- Others Sights & Attractions: Fair Head, Giant’s Causeway, Titanic, Ulster Museum
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The Best of Scotland
Borders
- Towns: Coldstream, Eyemouth, Galashiels, Hawick , Jedburgh , Kirk Yetholm, Melrose, Peebles, Selkirk, St Boswells
- Others Sights & Attractions: Jedburgh Abbey, Kelso Abbey, Melrose Abbey,
- Long Distance Trails: Berwickshire Coastal Path, Borders Abbeys Way, Pennie Way, St Cuthbert’s Way , Sir Walter Scott Way, Southern Upland Way
Central Belt
Edinburgh – For more detailed information go to our ➾ Edinburgh page.
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The Hebrides
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The Highlands
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North East
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Orkney Islands
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Shetland Islands
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South West
- Towns: Ardrossan, Ayr, Brodick, Girvan, Irvine, Largs, Prestwick, Troon, West Kilbride
- Others Sights & Attractions: Scottish Distilleries
- Islands: Isle of Arran, Allsa Craig, Great Cumbrae, Kilbirnie, Kilmarnock, Kilwinning
- Golf Courses: Royal Troon, Old Course Prestwick, Turnberry North of Girvan
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The Best of Wales…
Mid Wales
- Counties: Ceredigion, Powys
- Cities:
- Towns: Aberystwyth, Brecon, Builth Wells, Cardigan, Hay-on-Wye, Lampeter, Llanidloes, Llanwrtyd Wells, Machynlleth
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- Others Sights & Attractions:Brecon Beacons National Park, Devil’s Bridge waterfall, Powis Castle, Strata Florida Abbey
North Wales
- Counties: Anglesey, Clwyd, Conwy, Gwynedd
- Cities: Bangor
- Towns: Caernarfon, Colwyn Bay, Conwy, Dolgellau, Denbigh, Llandudno, Llanfairfechan, Tywyn, Wrexham
- Others Sights & Attractions: Isle of Anglesey, Caernarfon Castle, Clwydian Range, Conwy Castle, Llŷn peninsula, Snowdonia National Park
South Wales
- Counties: Carmarthenshire, Glamorgan, Monmouthshire, Pembrokeshire
- Cities: Cardiff, Newport, Swansea, St. Davids
- Towns: Barry, Carmarthen, Chepstow, Monmouth, Tenby
- Others Sights & Attractions: Afan Forest Park, Gower peninsula, Pembroke Castle, Pembrokeshire Coast National Park
United Kingdom Dependencies …
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GIBRALTAR
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GUERNSEY
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ISLE of MAN
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JERSEY
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United Kingdom Country Information…
Capital:
London
Largest City:
London
Government:
Unitary Parliamentary Constitutional Monarchy
Currency:
British Pound Sterling GBP (£)
Area:
Total: 243,61km ranked 80th water: 1,680km land: 241,930km
Climate:
Temperate; moderated by prevailing southwest winds over the North Atlantic Current; more than one half of the days are overcast
Population:
64,430,428 (July 2016 est.) ranked 23rd
Language:
English note: the following are recognized regional languages: Scots (about 30% of the population of Scotland), Scottish Gaelic (about 60,000 in Scotland), Welsh (about 20% of the population of Wales), Irish (about 10% of the population of Northern Ireland), Cornish (some 2,000 to 3,000 in Cornwall) (2012 est.)
Ethnic Groups:
white 87.2%, black/African/Caribbean/black British 3%, Asian/Asian British: Indian 2.3%, Asian/Asian British: Pakistani 1.9%, mixed 2%, other 3.7% (2011 est.)
Religion:
Christian (includes Anglican, Roman Catholic, Presbyterian, Methodist) 59.5%, Muslim 4.4%, Hindu 1.3%, other 2%, unspecified 7.2%, none 25.7% (2011 est.)
Electricity:
230V, 50Hz (European plug G)
Telephone Code:
+44
Local Emergency Phone Number:
112, 999
Internet TLD:
.uk
Time Zone:
Summer: UTC +1winter: UTC daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Sunday in March, ends last Sunday in October; note: applies to the United Kingdom proper, not to its crown dependencies or overseas territories
Road DrivingSide:
Left
Anthem:
“God Save The Queen”
Monarch:
Queen Elizabeth II
Prime Minister:
Boris Johnson
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Holidays and Observances in United Kingdom in 2020…
Date | Name | Type | Details | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Jan 1 | Wednesday | New Year’s Day | Bank holiday | |
Jan 2 | Thursday | 2nd January | Local Bank Holiday | Scotland |
Jan 6 | Monday | Epiphany | Christian | |
Jan 7 | Tuesday | Orthodox Christmas Day | Orthodox | |
Jan 14 | Tuesday | Orthodox New Year | Orthodox | |
Jan 25 | Saturday | Burns Night | Local observance | Scotland |
Jan 25 | Saturday | Chinese New Year | Observance | |
Feb 10 | Monday | Tu B’Shevat (Arbor Day) | Jewish holiday | |
Feb 14 | Friday | Valentine’s Day | Observance | |
Feb 21 | Friday | Maha Shivaratri | Hindu Holiday | |
Feb 25 | Tuesday | Carnival / Shrove Tuesday | Christian | |
Feb 26 | Wednesday | Carnival / Ash Wednesday | Christian | |
Mar 1 | Sunday | St. David’s Day | Observance | Wales |
Mar 9 | Monday | Holi | Hindu Holiday | |
Mar 10 | Tuesday | Purim | Jewish holiday | |
Mar 17 | Tuesday | St Patrick’s Day | Local Bank Holiday | NIR |
Mar 20 | Friday | March Equinox | Season | |
Mar 22 | Sunday | Isra and Mi’raj | Muslim | |
Mar 22 | Sunday | Mothering Sunday | Observance | |
Mar 29 | Sunday | Daylight Saving Time starts | Clock change/Daylight Saving Time | |
Apr 5 | Sunday | Palm Sunday | Christian | |
Apr 9 | Thursday | Maundy Thursday | Christian | |
Apr 9 | Thursday | First day of Passover | Jewish holiday | |
Apr 10 | Friday | Good Friday | Bank holiday | |
Apr 11 | Saturday | Holy Saturday | Christian | |
Apr 12 | Sunday | Easter Sunday | Observance, Christian | |
Apr 13 | Monday | Easter Monday | Common local holiday | ENG, NIR, WAL |
Apr 13 | Monday | Easter Monday | Observance | Scotland |
Apr 16 | Thursday | Last day of Passover | Jewish holiday | |
Apr 17 | Friday | Orthodox Good Friday | Orthodox | |
Apr 18 | Saturday | Orthodox Holy Saturday | Orthodox | |
Apr 19 | Sunday | Orthodox Easter | Orthodox | |
Apr 20 | Monday | Orthodox Easter Monday | Orthodox | |
Apr 21 | Tuesday | Yom HaShoah | Jewish commemoration | |
Apr 22 | Wednesday | Stephen Lawrence Day | Observance | |
Apr 23 | Thursday | St. George’s Day | Observance | |
Apr 23 | Thursday | Shakespeare Day | Observance | |
Apr 24 | Friday | Ramadan Start | Muslim | |
Apr 29 | Wednesday | Yom HaAtzmaut | Jewish holiday | |
May 8 | Friday | Early May Bank Holiday / VE Day | Bank holiday | |
May 12 | Tuesday | Lag B’Omer | Jewish holiday | |
May 19 | Tuesday | Laylatul Qadr (Night of Power) | Muslim | |
May 21 | Thursday | Ascension Day | Christian | |
May 24 | Sunday | Eid ul Fitr | Muslim | |
May 25 | Monday | Spring Bank Holiday | Bank holiday | |
May 29 | Friday | Shavuot | Jewish holiday | |
May 31 | Sunday | Pentecost | Christian | |
Jun 1 | Monday | Whit Monday | Christian | |
Jun 7 | Sunday | Trinity Sunday | Christian | |
Jun 11 | Thursday | Corpus Christi | Christian | |
Jun 13 | Saturday | Queen’s Birthday | Observance | |
Jun 20 | Saturday | June Solstice | Season | |
Jun 21 | Sunday | Father’s Day | Observance | |
Jun 22 | Monday | Windrush Day | Observance | |
Jul 12 | Sunday | Battle of the Boyne | Local Bank Holiday | NIR |
Jul 13 | Monday | Battle of the Boyne observed | Local Bank Holiday | NIR |
Jul 30 | Thursday | Tisha B’Av | Jewish holiday | |
Jul 31 | Friday | Eid ul Adha | Muslim | |
Aug 3 | Monday | Raksha Bandhan | Hindu Holiday | |
Aug 3 | Monday | Summer Bank Holiday | Common local holiday | Scotland |
Aug 12 | Wednesday | Janmashtami | Hindu Holiday | |
Aug 15 | Saturday | Assumption of Mary | Christian | |
Aug 20 | Thursday | Muharram/Islamic New Year | Muslim | |
Aug 22 | Saturday | Ganesh Chaturthi | Hindu Holiday | |
Aug 29 | Saturday | Ashura | Muslim | |
Aug 31 | Monday | Summer Bank Holiday | Common local holiday | ENG, NIR, WAL |
Sep 19 | Saturday | Rosh Hashana | Jewish holiday | |
Sep 22 | Tuesday | September Equinox | Season | |
Sep 28 | Monday | Yom Kippur | Jewish holiday | |
Oct 3 | Saturday | First day of Sukkot | Jewish holiday | |
Oct 4 | Sunday | Feast of St Francis of Assisi | Christian | |
Oct 9 | Friday | Hoshana Rabbah | Jewish holiday | |
Oct 10 | Saturday | Shemini Atzeret | Jewish holiday | |
Oct 11 | Sunday | Simchat Torah | Jewish holiday | |
Oct 17 | Saturday | Navaratri | Hindu Holiday | |
Oct 25 | Sunday | Dussehra | Hindu Holiday | |
Oct 25 | Sunday | Daylight Saving Time ends | Clock change/Daylight Saving Time | |
Oct 29 | Thursday | Milad un Nabi (Mawlid) | Muslim | |
Oct 31 | Saturday | Halloween | Observance | |
Nov 1 | Sunday | All Saints’ Day | Christian | |
Nov 2 | Monday | All Souls’ Day | Christian | |
Nov 5 | Thursday | Guy Fawkes Day | Observance | |
Nov 8 | Sunday | Remembrance Sunday | Observance | |
Nov 14 | Saturday | Diwali/Deepavali | Hindu Holiday | |
Nov 29 | Sunday | First Sunday of Advent | Observance | |
Nov 30 | Monday | St Andrew’s Day | Local Bank Holiday | Scotland |
Dec 8 | Tuesday | Feast of the Immaculate Conception | Christian | |
Dec 11 | Friday | First Day of Hanukkah | Jewish holiday | |
Dec 18 | Friday | Last day of Hanukkah | Jewish holiday | |
Dec 21 | Monday | December Solstice | Season | |
Dec 24 | Thursday | Christmas Eve | Observance | |
Dec 25 | Friday | Christmas Day | Bank holiday | |
Dec 26 | Saturday | Boxing Day | Bank holiday | |
Dec 28 | Monday | Substitute Bank Holiday for Boxing Day | Bank holiday | |
Dec 31 | Thursday | New Year’s Eve | Observance |