England, Wales and Scotland make up Great Britain. When we add Northern Ireland to these countries it becomes the United Kingdom. The UK is comprised of cliffs along the coastlines, highlands and lowlands, as well as hundreds of islands off the coasts of Scotland. As of 2012, the most important segments of the UK’s economy were public administration, defence, education, human health and social work activities (19.4 %), wholesale and retail trade, transport, accommodation and food services (18.2 %) and industry (14.6 %). Main partners for export are Germany, the US and the Netherlands, while main partners for import are Germany, China and the Netherlands.
Capital
London
Geographical size
248 527.8 km2
Population
63 495 303 (2012)
Population as % of total EU population
12.6 % (2012)
GDP
€ 1.933 trillion (2012)
Official EU language(s)
English
Political system
Parliamentary constitutional monarchy
EU member country since
1 January 1973
Seats in the European Parliament
73
Currency
pound sterling GBP
Schengen area member
No, the UK is not a member of the Schengen Area.
Presidency of the Council
The UK has held the revolving presidency of the Council of the EU 5 times between 1977 and 2005. The next time will be in 2017.