Environmental Introduction:
Abbreviation: UK [the United Kingdom]
Chinese Name: The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
English Name: The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
Due to historical and ethnic reasons, the United Kingdom is composed of four countries: England, Northern Ireland, Wales, and Scotland. The capital remains London, the capital of England, and England remains the primary entity; therefore, it is customarily referred to as the UK (originally, the term "England" specifically referred to England). The "British Isles" refers to England, Scotland, and Wales; since Northern Ireland is located on the island of Ireland, and Gibraltar and numerous other islands are too small, they are not included.
Area: 244,820 square kilometers [ranked 79th among countries and regions in the world]. Water area accounts for 1.34%.
Language: The official language is English [not legally defined]. In addition, Welsh, Irish Gaelic, Ulster Scots, Scottish Gaelic, and Cornish are official languages in various regions of the UK.
Transportation: Taxis in the UK are very spacious, and it has the oldest subway system in the world.
Population: 62,041,708 [2010 statistics], with a population density of 246 people/square kilometer (ranked 6th among countries and regions in the world). The male-to-female ratio is 0.98:1.
Ethnicity: According to 2001 data, 85.53% of the UK population is White British, 6.47% is White from other regions, 4.00% is South Asian, 2.00% is Black, 1.20% is Mixed, and 0.80% is East Asian and other ethnicities.
Political System: Parliamentary democracy, constitutional monarchy
Gross Domestic Product: 2.247455 trillion USD (2010, ranked 6th among countries and regions in the world). GDP per capita is 36,120 USD (ranked 22nd among countries and regions in the world).
Currency: Pound sterling. Currency code: GBP.
Major Cities:
London: London is the capital of the United Kingdom and an international metropolis. London is the political, economic, and transportation center of the UK and its largest port; it is a comprehensive city with complete functions and a famous city of culture and art, with a population of 7.4 million.
Birmingham: Birmingham is the second-largest city in the UK. It is located in the central plains of England, only 160 kilometers from London. It has a population of 1.01 million, including 2.24 million in the suburbs. It is the intersection of the country's major railway, highway, and canal networks.
Liverpool: Liverpool is the second-largest commercial port in the UK and an important center for shipbuilding and repair. It is located at the mouth of the River Mersey in northwest England. It has a population of 440,000, including 1.36 million in the suburbs.
