| Area Total | 243,610 sq km |
| Climate | temperate; moderated by prevailing southwest winds over the North Atlantic Current; more than one-half of the days are overcast |
| Natural Resources | coal, petroleum, natural gas, iron ore, lead, zinc, gold, tin, limestone, salt, clay, chalk, gypsum, potash, silica sand, slate, arable land |
| Imports | $602.5 billion (2017 est.) partners: Germany 13.7%, US 9.5%, China 9.3%, Netherlands 8%, France 5.4%, Belgium 5% (2017) |
| Exports | $436.5 billion (2017 est.) partners: US 13.2%, Germany 10.5%, France 7.4%, Netherlands 6.2%, Ireland 5.6%, China 4.8%, Switzerland 4.5%, (2017) |
| Government | parliamentary constitutional monarchy; a Constitutional realm |
| Capital | London |
| Population | 65.6 million (July 2017 est.) |
| Ethnicity | 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.) |
| Language | English; recognized languages are: 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 people in Cornwall) (2012 est.) |
News about United Kingdom
- UK weather map: Where heavy rain is expected to hit after Storm Chandraby Shaheena Uddin (The Independent UK) on January 29, 2026
Storm Chandra continues to cause chaos as two weather warnings issued for rain on Friday and another on Saturday
- Starmer urged to bring ‘arbitrarily detained’ British citizen Jimmy Lai back to UK from China tripby David Lynch (The Independent UK) on January 29, 2026
Jimmy Lai, 78, has been in detention in Hong Kong for more than five years after his arrest in 2020
- Reform demands Badenoch apologises to Braverman over mental health claim - or face legal actionby Harriette Boucher (The Independent UK) on January 29, 2026
Reform says Kemi Badenoch has until Friday afternoon to publicly apologise
- Anthony Joshua pays tribute to friends killed in car cashby UK News - The latest headlines from the UK | Sky News on January 29, 2026
Anthony Joshua has paid tribute to his two close friends killed in a car cash in Nigeria last year.
- Scotland's first deputy first minister Lord Jim Wallace dies, aged 71by BBC News on January 29, 2026
The former Scottish Liberal Democrat leader was undergoing a procedure at the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh.
- Scotland's first deputy first minister Lord Jim Wallace dies, aged 71by BBC News on January 29, 2026
The former Scottish Liberal Democrat leader was undergoing a procedure at the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh.
- Woman dead after fatal crash closes tunnelby BBC News on January 29, 2026
Police said the woman, in her 40s, had been in a car involved in a crash with a heavy goods vehicle.
- Watch: 14-year-old killer of Leo Ross pretends to be passer-by after murderby Holly Patrick (The Independent UK) on January 29, 2026
The teenage killer of Leo Ross gave a false account of finding the schoolboy already injured, police bodycam video shows.
- Desperate search for missing British girl, 7, swept out to sea on holiday in Moroccoby Harriette Boucher (The Independent UK) on January 29, 2026
Inaayah Makda was with her family on holiday in Morocco when she was swept out to sea
- Girl, 7, swept out to sea on holiday in Moroccoby BBC News on January 29, 2026
Inaayah Makda remains missing after being caught out by a rapidly incoming tide, a relative has said.
- 'He enjoyed hurting people': Teen attacked others before murdering schoolboy, 12by BBC News on January 29, 2026
Det Insp Joe Davenport says the killer attacked his victims in Birmingham for "violence sake".
- Teens rescue unequipped walkers from snowy mountainby BBC News on January 29, 2026
A group of walkers in jeans and trainers were escorted to safety from Helvellyn by two teenagers.
- Scotland’s first-ever deputy first minister Jim Wallace dies aged 71by Katrine Bussey (The Independent UK) on January 29, 2026
His family confirmed the news in a short statement
- Britons travelling to China will no longer need visas, No 10 announces after Starmer meeting with Xiby David Maddox (The Independent UK) on January 29, 2026
Britons will be able to travel to China for 30 days without a visa under the new deal, which will apply to both tourists and business travellers
- Millions of Waspi women ‘betrayed’ as government refuses to grant compensation over state pension age changesby David Maddox and Kate Devlin (The Independent UK) on January 29, 2026
Labour work and pensions secretary Pat McFadden apologised that women born in the 1950s were not sent individual letters about their state pension changes earlier, but said a flat-rate scheme could have cost £10bn
- ‘Not moral’: Martin Lewis takes student loan repayment swipe at Rachel Reevesby Luke Reevey (The Independent UK) on January 29, 2026
Martin Lewis has issued a stark message to Chancellor Rachel Reeves over the decision to freeze the student debt repayment threshold.
- Navy introduces new alcohol limits for sailors while on shipby BBC News on January 29, 2026
The new policy is in line with the UK chief medical officer's health advice.
- Paedophile nursery worker admits 30 new sexual offencesby Dan Haygarth (The Independent UK) on January 29, 2026
Vincent Chan is facing years behind bars for molesting girls aged three and four while working at a London nursery
- Family of missing kayaker informed after body found in riverby UK News - The latest headlines from the UK | Sky News on January 29, 2026
A body has been found in the search for a missing kayaker in Devon.
- ‘Madonna is my idol – now she’s a regular at my Margate restaurant’by Holly Evans (The Independent UK) on January 29, 2026
Bottega Caruso in the Kent seaside town has been named by the singer as her ‘favourite Italian restaurant’
- Graduates being ‘squeezed’ for cash-strapped government, experts warn amid fury over student loansby Tara Cobham (The Independent UK) on January 29, 2026
Anger grows as chancellor insists current system is ‘fair’
- Paedophile nursery worker admits crimes against schoolgirlsby UK News - The latest headlines from the UK | Sky News on January 29, 2026
A paedophile nursery worker has admitted 30 new charges, including filming up the skirts of girls in a classroom.
- Grey squirrels could be given contraceptives to control invasive speciesby Emily Beament (The Independent UK) on January 29, 2026
Native red squirrel numbers have meawnhile plummeted to just 38,900,
- Archbishop of York to face no action over sexual abuse caseby BBC News on January 29, 2026
The Church's president of tribunals says Stephen Cottrell "had no power to remove or suspend David Tudor from ministry".
- Witness who saw Noah Donohoe cycling naked thought it was a 'prank'by BBC News on January 29, 2026
Kerry Fraser was in a house on Northwood Road when, through the window, she saw the undressed teenager riding his bike.
- Ex-Labour MP's lobbying firm offered photo with minister and VIP dinner for £30kby BBC News on January 29, 2026
Jim Murphy's company Arden Strategies apologises for "errors" in promotional material for tech event.
- Baby born in serious condition after pregnant mother struck by e-bike in hit-and-runby Harriette Boucher (The Independent UK) on January 29, 2026
The e-bike hit-and-run happened in Poole, Dorset, on Monday
- MHRA issues warning after seizing illegal fillers worth up to £4mby Rebecca Whittaker (The Independent UK) on January 29, 2026
The medicines agency warned unlicensed fillers could ‘put your health at risk’ as they have not passed safety standards
- Girl, 12, tells court she was strangled and then rapedby BBC News on January 29, 2026
Ahmad Mulakhil and Mohammad Kabir deny offences against the youngster in Nuneaton.
- Russian cargo ship anchors over trans-Atlantic cables in Bristol Channelby Bryony Gooch (The Independent UK) on January 29, 2026
Sinegorsk anchored in Minehead for 14 hours while reportedly under surveillance by HM Coastguard and the Royal Navy



























