TheUnitedKingdomisanislandcountry.Itismadeupof4parts:England,Scotland,WalesandNorthernIreland.TheUKisinthenorthwestofEurope.Itsareaisabout240,000squarekilometers.ItisthelargestEuropeanislandandtheninthlargestislandintheworld.
ThecapitalofUKisLondon.Itisthebiggestcityinthecountry.Thereareabout60millionpeopleinUK.Mostpeoplearewhite.ItsofficiallanguageisEnglish.TheUKhasaverylonghistory.Itisaverypowerfulcountryintheworld.
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TheUnitedKingdomwascreatedbytheActofUnion1800andconstitutesthegreaterpartoftheBritishIsles,agroupofislandslyingoffthenorthwestcoastofEurope.ThelargestoftheislandsisGreatBritain,whichcomprisesEngland,WalesandScotland.NextlargestisIreland,comprisingNorthernIreland,whichispartoftheUnitedKingdom,and,inthesouth,theRepublicofIreland.
CultureintheUnitedKingdomisrichanddiverse,withastrongtraditionofliterature,theatre,popularandorchestralmusicandtheperformingarts.These,togetherwithcollectionsinUKmuseumsandgalleries,actasamagnetforoverseasvisitorsandmakeasubstantialcontributiontotheeconomy.AccordingtoeconomicestimatesmadebytheDepartmentforCulture,MediaandSport(DCMS),thecreativeindustriesaccountedfornearly8percentofUKgrossdomesticproductin2000,andprovidednearly2millionjobsinDecember2001.ColorbrochuresareavailablehereonvariousaspectsofUKculture,includingthearts,architecture,dance,thevisualarts,andliteratureandpoetry.
Fourdifferentnations(England,Scotland,WalesandNorthernIreland)madeuponestate,TheUnitedKingdom.WhichislocatedofftheNorth-westcoastofmainlandEurope.ThecentralgovernmentisinLondon,butScotland,WalesandNorthernIrelandeachhavetheirseparateassembliesforinternalaffairs.
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