The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland The UK is a nation with a long history. UK residents enjoy democratic freedom and human rights protection. The formal name of the UK is "the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland". Its regions include England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. It has an area of approximately 241,600 square kilometres. It is situated in the north of the western hemisphere. The four seasons are clearly defined. It has a population of about 580,000,000. It is the 18th most populated country in the world. London is its capital city. About 490,100,000 people live in England. Wales has a population of 2,900,000 whereas Scotland and Northern Ireland's population being 5,000,000 and 1,700,000. According to the census of 1996, among the cities, London has the highest population, it reaches 7,740,300. Birmingham has about 1,020,600; Manchester about 430,800; Glasgow about 616,300; Belfast (capital city of Northern Ireland) 297,300; Cardiff (capital city of Wales) about 315,000. Of course in 2003 the figure will be larger. The latest estimate is that the population of London has exceeded 8,000,000. The rate of increase is 0.29%.
The Politics of the United ingdom The UK is a democracy with a constitutional monarch. The government of the UK is represented by the Monarch (who has been empowered to rule by the Constitution). She is also the symbol of the highest executive authority. The present incumbent is Queen Elizabeth II. She has in name the power to govern the UK but real governing power is in the hands of ministers who are responsible to Parliament. Hence in practice, the Government rules UK on behalf of the Queen. However, Acts of Parliament can only be passed with the consent of the Queen. Parliament is the legislature. It consists of the Queen, the House of Commons and the House of Lords. There are 659 elected members in the House of Commons known as "Members of Parliament". Their main function is to pass legislation. The House of Lords consists of about 1,270 non-elected members (including hereditary peers, life peers, the two archbishops of the Church of England and 24 senior bishops). Its main function is to examine or amend laws passed by the House of Commons. The House of Lords has also assumed the role of the final court of appeal. However, generally the House of Lords cannot overturn legislation passed by the House of Commons. Following a referendum held in September 1997, Scotland and Wales were permitted to have their own self-governing assemblies. This has the approval of the Welsh and the Scots.
The Main Political Parties in the UK There are three main political parties. They are the Conservative Party, the Labour Party and the Liberal Democratic Party. The Conservative Party began as the Tory Party towards the end of the 18th century. It was a party which represented the interests of the landed gentry, the merchants and the officials. After the passage of the 1832 Reform Act, some members of the Tory Party formed the Conservative Party. The name "Conservative Party" was first used in the January issue of the "Quarterly Review". It is a right-wing party dedicated to the maintenance of traditional values. Nowadays, some people still use the term "Tories" while referring to members of the Conservative Party.
The Economy of the UK The UK is a major industrial nation. Although its people amount to only 1% of the world's population, it is the fifth largest trading nation in the world. Its chemical industry is the biggest earner of foreign currencies and ranks third in Western Europe. Since the 1970's its petroleum industry has been occupying an important position and is also a major foreign currency earner. British pharmaceuticals are also well-known in the world. The UK has the largest aerospace industry in Western Europe. British Airways is one of the biggest airlines in the world and has the highest passenger volume in the world. Apart from that, the export of machinery, cars, biotechnology, electrical and electronic goods also account for 10% of the total global value. Tobacco, beverages and food stuffs are its chief imports. Machinery and cars account for two-thirds of the import commodities. Other main imported goods include cosmetics, fuel, garments and footwear. British agriculture is also highly advanced. Its productivity rate is among the front ranks of Western Europe. Cattle breeding accounts for 70% of the agricultural products. The fishery industry is also well advanced.
Public and Private Education in the UK In England children from age 5 (in Northern Island it is from age 4) has to attend school until they reach 16. It is also common to attend pre-school classes. Schools are divided into private and state schools. Many schools in England and Wales have preparatory classes for children aged 5. Children who are aged 5 attend infant schools. At age 7 they enter primary schools and they normally enter secondary school at age 11 (age 12 for Scotland. In some areas those who are aged 5 to 8 to 10 enter elementary schools. At 14-15 they enter intermediate schools. In secondary schools, more than 85% of the students will enter comprehensive schools. These schools are for students aged 11 to 16 who live near the schools. There are also grammar schools for students from 11 to 18. A small number of students enter "secondary moderns". Private schools in the UK do not fall within the state education system. In England about 6% of the students attend private schools. In Scotland it is about 4%. In order to let one's children study in private schools, a parent will have to pay fees of several thousand to over ten thousand pounds. At present there are about 250 reasonably sized private schools in the UK. These schools welcome students from various parts of the UK and overseas and do not restrict themselves to those who live nearby.
Tertiary Education in the UK Tertiary education is very common in the UK. The education standard of the people is also very high. There are community colleges in all areas. Certificate, diploma and degree courses are available. There are about 100 recognized universities offering courses leading to bachelor and above for local and overseas students. Every year different organizations will assess the ranking order of the universities. The courses are also assessed to enable students and parents to make their choices. Every year the universities participate in the centralized admission scheme known as UCAS. Overseas students can contact the universities direct. Every year many Chinese people come to the UK to pursue various courses of study. Most of them are from Malaysia, China, Hong Kong and Taiwan. Also every year many Chinese people come to the UK to study English. The UK is one of the most favourable countries for overseas students.
The World of English English is one of the most commonly used languages in the world. Statistics show that about 3.7 billion people in the world use English as their mother tongue. About 3.5 billion people use English as their second language. Every day more than 3,000 English newspapers are published. English is also the most commonly used language for the airline industry and international trade. 80% of the world's electronic reading materials are stored in English. Two-thirds of the scientists in the world can read and write English. More than 75 countries or districts use English as the official language. Even some countries where English is not popular are using it to enrich its own language. Thus the global importance of English can be seen.
Religion in the UK UK nationals enjoy religious freedom. Out of every 10 people, one will be a Roman Catholic. The Church of England has a membership of about 1,700,000. In Scotland there are 1,100,000 Presbyterians. About half of the Irish population are Protestants and about 40% are Roman Catholics. The Methodist Church has a large congregation. There are many Muslims, Sheiks, and Hindus etc in Indo-Pakistani communities. Even Judaism has a following of 180,000. The rest are religious minorities.
What is meant by the British Commonwealth? The British Commonwealth is an organization formed by voluntary independent states. Member states are those countries which became independent and left the British Empire after 1954. The aim of the organization is to promote democracy, to promote economy and mutual understanding. Member states do not have to bear any legal responsibilities. Members are equal and there is mutual respect and they all engage in promoting the development of politics, cultural, sport and artistic developments.
Conclusion The above brief introduction is based on the present conditions of UK geography, population, economic, religion, education, language and the British Commonwealth. The UK is the oldest among the four English-speaking countries (UK, U.S.A., Canada and Australia). UK has the longest history and had started to develop earlier. Since the Renaissance, UK has become a pioneer in the Industrial Revolution. For two centuries it was also a country with many colonies. Even now many Englishmen are proud of the British Empire. The English language has become one of the most common languages in the world. Although the UK is a shadow of its former self, it still retains some of the merits of the British Empire. For example the UK has a developed legal system. Its academic institutions occupy a high place in the world. Cultural and artistic activities are well developed. Its scientific development is among the best in the world. Of course the UK has its problems, such as high prices and high wages and it is becoming less and less competitive. It will have to improve and renew itself in the face of globalization.
(Part of the materials is from the website of the British Consulate in Hong Kong) |
Getting to know about the UK