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Country Profile The UK

Introduction

Quick Reference

Demographic Profile Cultural Profile

Political System

The Economy

Economic Statistics

Major Industries

Geography

Transport and Communication Systems

Culture, Customs and Lifestyle

Approach to Business

Introduction

Located in northwest Europe, the United Kingdom occupies most of the British Isles,

sharing a border with Ireland. It is made up of four separate countries, England,

Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales, each with its own capital.

English is generally spoken throughout the United Kingdom. Welsh is the first

language in parts of Wales with English taught as a second language. About 60,000

Scots, mainly inhabitants of the Highlands and Islands region, also speak the Scottish

form of Gaelic.

As an island nation the United Kingdom has been isolated from the rest of Europe.

Membership of the EU - and the Channel Tunnel - has helped to remedy this

situation.

The Flag of the United Kingdom

Quick Reference

Capital City London

Currency The pound (GBP)

Languages English Welsh Gaelic (Many other languages are used by minority

groups and immigrants in the United Kingdom)

Entry into the 1973

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EU

Demographic Profile

Demographic Profile ( 2011 figures)

Population 62,698,362

Age Groupings 0 - 14 17.3% (male 5,575,119; female 5,301,301)

15 - 64 66.2% (male 20,979,401; female 20,500,913)

65+ 16.5% (male 4,564,375; female 5,777,253)

Population Density 248 per sq km

Birth Rate 12.29 births / 1,000 population

Death Rate 9.33 deaths / 1000 population

Infant Mortality Rate 4.62 deaths / 1000 births

Life expectancy Male 77.95 years Female 82.25 years

Population Growth Rate 0.279%

Cultural Profile

Cultural Profile (2004 figures)

Ethnic

Groups

White

(of which English 83.6%, Scottish 8.6%, Welsh 4.9% NorthernIrish 2.9%)

92.1%

Black 2%

Indian 1.8%

Pakistani 1.3%

Mixed 1.2%

Other 1.6

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Literacy Rate 99% of population (aged 15 and over)

Religion Christian Anglican Roman Catholic, Presbyterian Methodist 71.6%

Hindu 1%

Muslim 2.7%

Other 1.6%

Unspecified or none 23.1%

Political System

The United Kingdom is made up of the four countries of England, Scotland, Wales

and Northern Ireland. The union between England and Wales occurred in 1284. The

Act of Union of 1707 unified England and Scotland. The union of Great Britain and

Ireland was implemented in 1801, with the adoption of the name the United Kingdom

of Great Britain and Ireland. In 1926, the Anglo-Irish treaty led to the partition of

Ireland, six northern Irish counties remained part of the United Kingdom as Northern

Ireland. The name United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland was

adopted in 1927.

Administratively the United Kingdom is divided into counties and metropolitanboroughs. Each nation within the United Kingdom has its own capital city and

administrative centre: London in England, Cardiff in Wales, Edinburgh in Scotland,

and Belfast in Northern Ireland. Other major cities include Birmingham in England,

Swansea in Wales, Glasgow in Scotland, and Londonderry in Northern Ireland.

Politically the United Kingdom is a constitutional monarchy. Queen Elizabeth II is the

Head of State. The Prime Minister is the head of the government, and is appointed by

the Monarch after a General Election. The Prime Minister appoints a Cabinet of

Ministers to form the government. The Parliament is organised in two chambers, the

House of Lords and the House of Commons. The House of Lords has approximately

618 members, 92 are hereditary peers, 26 are members of the clergy and the rest areappointed Life Peers. The House of Commons has 646 members who are directly

elected to serve 5-year terms of office. This can be shortened however, if the

government decide to call an early General Election. There are regional assemblies in

Wales and Scotland.

The Queen came to the throne on 6 February 1952 and her coronation took place on 2

June 1953. She celebrated her Silver Jubilee (25 years) in 1977 and her Golden

Jubilee (50 years) in 2002. The only other British monarch to celebrate a Diamond

Jubilee was Queen Victoria in 1897.

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To mark 60 years of the Queen's reign the Diamond Jubilee will take place in 2012.

The celebrations will centre around an extended weekend in 2012 on 2, 3, 4 and 5

June.

The voting age is 18.

The Economy

In terms of its total GDP, the UK is ranked 2nd in the EU and 7th in terms of per

capita GDP.

The traditional industries in the United Kingdom, iron and steel production, heavy

engineering, textiles and vehicle manufacture, have declined mainly as a result of

competition from abroad, particularly from countries where wage and other costs are

significantly lower than in the United Kingdom or productivity is higher. These

industries have not disappeared completely. In some cases they have moved into

specialist markets producing high-quality, high-value goods rather than low-cost high-

volume markets, for example textiles. In other cases they have attracted inward

investment from non-EU countries looking to establish a manufacturing base within

the EU in order to gain better access to the EU marketplace. The motor industry is

a good case in point with Japanese carmakers investing heavily in the United

Kingdom.

Although these industries still have some significance, they are not as important as inthe past and now only employ about a quarter of the workforce. The new expanding

manufacturing industries include computer technology, electronics, and

pharmaceuticals. The United Kingdom has large reserves of coal, oil and natural gas

and this energy production accounts for 10% of GDP , which is one of the highest

of any industrial nation.

As in most EU countries, the service industries such as banking, finance, tourism and

the media are major employers. The service sector is now a major contributor to

overall United Kingdom GDP . Many of these companies are now multi-national

corporations.

The United Kingdom is still a world leader in international trade with London in

particular being a major seaport for transit trade. Of London's 3 airports Heathrow is

the world's busiest and flights from here connect with all parts of the globe.

The UK government introduced a minimum wage applicable to all employees in all

employment sectors in April 1999.

From 1st October 2011 new rates and age bands has applied -

6.08 per hour for workers aged 21 and over

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4.98 per hour for workers 18 - 20

3.68 per hour for workers aged 16 - 17 and workers above school leaving age but

under 18.

Apprenticeship rate - Apprentices aged 19 or over 19 in the first year of anapprenticeship will increase to 2.60 per hour.

Therefore workers from October 2011 began to receive the top rate from the age of 21

and not 22 as previously.

Economic Statistics

Economic Statistics (All 2010) figures unless shown otherwise)

Inflation 3.3%

Currency The Pound (GBP)

GDP (in Euros) 1,696,583 million per year

Ranking of GDP in EU

Economy3rd

GDP by sector Agriculture 0.7% Industry 21.7% Service Sector 77.6%

Economic Growth Rate 1.3%

Work force 31.52 million

Work force by sectorAgriculture 1.4% Industry 21.7% Service Sector

80.4%

Unemployment rate 7.8%

Exports

Exports (2008 figures)

Major Exports Manufactured goods, fuels, chemicals; food, beverages,

tobacco

Total Value 348.8 billion Euros

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Export Markets

EU Germany 11.06%, France 8%, Ireland 6.89%, Netherlands

7.79%, Belgium 4.65%, Spain 4%

Others US 14.71%

Imports

Imports (2008 figures)

Major Imports Manufactured goods, machinery, fuels, foodstuffs

Total Value 448 billion Euros

Source of Imports (2009)

EU Germany 12.87%, France 6.64%, Netherlands 6.94%,

Belgium 4.86% Italy 3.99%

Others US 9.74%, China 8.88%

Major Industries

Major Industries

Sector Industry Major locations

Primary Agriculture cereals, oilseeds,

potatoes, sugar beet, beef & dairy

cattle, pigs, poultry, sheep

East Anglia.

Horticulture, flowers, soft &orchard fruit

Cornwall, Devon, Vale ofEvesham.

Fishing Various ports around the

coast

Forestry Scotland, Lake District

Oil and Gas production North Sea

Secondary or

Manufacturing

Electronics & communications

equipment

London area

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Production machinery North East, West Midlands

Motor vehicles & parts Merseyside, Southampton,

North East

Petroleum refining Merseyside

Food processing

Chemicals Tyneside, Merseyside

Pharmaceuticals Nottingham

Textiles, clothing, electrical

equipment, energy production

Yorkshire, Lancashire

Tertiary or

Service Sector

Financial services, Business

services, Media &communications

London, Glasgow, Belfast,

Birmingham, Leeds, Bristol,Manchester, Liverpool

Tourism London, SW England,

Scotland, Wales, Lake

District

Trade & transport

Geography

Throughout the country there are mountains, lakes, lowlands and many beaches

around its coastline. Wales and Scotland are generally more mountainous than

England and Northern Ireland. The UK shares a single land border of some 360 km

with Ireland.

Climate

The British Isles have a temperate climate that is moderated by prevailing southwest

winds over the North Atlantic Current. This gives mild winters and cool summers.

Rainfall is relatively high and more than one-half of the days are overcast

Resources

Geographical Resources

Land area 241,590 sq km

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Land Use Arable Land 23.23%

Permanent Crops 0.2%

Other 76.57%

Natural Resources Coal, petroleum, natural gas, tin, limestone, iron ore, salt,

clay, chalk, gypsum, lead, silica, arable land

Coastline Long irregular coastline stretching for 12,429 km and

providing many natural harbours. Major ports: London,

Liverpool, Southampton, Belfast, Cardiff, Leith

Inland water Major rivers: Thames, Tyne, Tay, Mersey, Severn.

Transport and Communication Systems

Air

British Airways operates one of the largest route networks in the world. In 1976,

together with Air France, British Airways initiated the world's first supersonicpassenger service using Concorde. Gatwick and Heathrow are two of the busiest

airports in the world. There are Major airports at Heathrow, Gatwick and Manchester.

Road

There is a comprehensive system of roads and motorways. On some routes such as the

north-south routes between England and Scotland, 90% of all travel is by road. The

United Kingdom has some 241,096 miles of road and 2,187 miles of motorway

Rail

Services between all the major towns and cities are good but there have been

reductions in services to outlying districts. The major rail project in recent years was

the opening of the Channel Tunnel in 1993 (a service tunnel was completed in 1990)

providing a direct link with France. There are several daily services between London

and Paris. The United Kingdom has 10,660 miles of track

Water

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As an island nation, shipping routes are a vital link to other countries although most

British ports rely on inter-coastal trade. There are many navigable rivers and a

network of canals. Major ports include London, Liverpool, Manchester (an inland

seaport), Southampton and Glasgow. There are some 1988 miles of waterways.

Telecommunications

The United Kingdom has well-developed, technologically advanced systems. The

original state-owned post-office has been divided into postal services and

telecommunications. The later has been privatised as British Telecom. Other

companies are now operating in the telecommunications market.

Culture, Customs and Lifestyle

Special Days

A Saturday in June The Queen's Official Birthday

5th November Bonfire Night (mainly England and Wales)

Other recognised holidays include Christmas, Easter and New Year

Culture

The United Kingdom is a modern multicultural society. In addition to various ethnic

groups from many other countries, four separate nations make up the indigenous

population. England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales each have their own

cultural heritage that is linked to the other three but has a character of it own.

Although England is the largest and politically dominant country, hosting the seat of

government, a strong feeling of nationalism exists in Wales, Scotland and Ireland,

which has resulted in the establishment of Regional Assemblies and a Scottish

Parliament that has some devolved powers from Westminster.

The Welsh are well known for their love of singing, and their hymns and folk songs

are widely known throughout the world. The Royal National Eisteddfodis a

showpiece for Welsh music, poetry reading and Welsh folk arts.

The national pride of Scotland has historical origins in the clan system upon which

Scottish society was based and illustrated today by wearing the kilt on special

occasions. This is traditionally made in a special pattern and colours according to the

clan membership. Also Scotland also has its traditional folk music and culture, a

notable instrument being the Scottish bagpipes.

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Ireland shares a Gaelic heritage with Scotland. In spite of the recent troubles, the

Northern Irish people share many of the characteristics of their Irish neighbours,

notably their warmth and friendliness.

Like the other nations, the English also have a strong sense of national pride although

it is hard to recognise an average Englishman as there are such diversities ofcharacteristics and dialects found throughout the country.

London has won the bid to host the 2012 Olympic Games.

Customs

In common with most western countries, the traditional holidays are well celebrated.

Christmas is the most important festival, followed by Easter. At Christmas time there

are nativity plays, parties, and religious ceremonies. For many people it is the only

time in the year that they go to church. Most families make a special effort to see eachother at Christmas. Christmas Eve is also the night when Father Christmas (or Santa)

traditionally leaves presents for every child.

Shrove Tuesday is the day for pancakes. A pancake race is held in some villages

every year where local people run a certain distance carrying a frying pan and tossing

the pancake in it. Easter follows shortly after and then the coming of spring is marked

with May festivals, called galas or fetes. Maypoles are still decorated with ribbons in

some villages and young children are taught to dance with these. Also there are

traditional Morris and Clog Dancers who give displays outside. Summer is followed

by harvest festivals. Guy Fawkes Night on 5th November commemorates Guy

Fawkes' attempt to blow up the Houses of Parliament in 1615. Most towns and

villages have a bonfire with an effigy of a "guy" on top and a firework display.

People from other cultures are adding their traditions. For example the building of

mosques and the celebration of feasts such as at the ending ofRamadan and Diwali by

the Muslim and Hindu communities. The celebration of the Chinese New Year and

the Gregorian New Year are others that are important.

Approach to Business

American and Japanese companies have invested in British industry in recent years

and the result is that many business ideas and customs are being imported as well.

Business lunches, breakfasts and dinners are very much a part of business networking,

as is corporate entertaining at big sporting events and on the golf course. The

European influence is now increasing and continental customs such as wine drinking,

and policies such as a minimum wage, are being brought in.

Generally there is a greater formality in conducting business than in the US for

example. Apart from the traditional Bank holidays, employees who practise other

religions often have their own religious holidays and companies and schools may

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decide to incorporate these. Company uniforms and canteen food may also be adapted

to allow for different cultural ideas.

Lifestyle

Although the traditional social class system is still evident, the boundaries between

the classes are less clear. Most people would consider themselves to be middle class

though many are proud to be known as working class.

Life still centres on the family, though divorces and second marriages are common.

Where families used to spend the weekend together after working all week, now work

extends into the weekend for many people, especially those in the service sector or

retail trade. All sports are popular, and leisure centres offering a wide range of sports

are established in most towns. Young children and teenagers are often taken to sport,

drama and music clubs in the evenings and at weekends. Football is the most popular

spectator sport, fishing being the most common participant sport. Rugby, tennis andcricket are also taught in schools and have good levels of support.

Vegetarianism is becoming increasingly common in the United Kingdom.

Family Life

Families usually have between one and three children but some couples choose not to

have any. The trend for many women is to leave childbearing until they are in their

late twenties or early thirties. Single parent families are increasing, as the divorce rategets higher.

Families do get together for special occasions, particularly at Christmas time, but this

is dependent on individual families rather than a common practice. Traditional family

ties are not as strong as in the past and most students going into higher education,

expect to live away from home.

Use Of Technology

Advanced technological developments are used in most areas of industry andcommerce.

Linguistic Skills

Knowledge of English is essential.

Equal Opportunities

There is a policy of equal rights for men and women but generally women receivelower wages then men although this gap is now closing.

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