Western Europe islands including the northern one-sixth of the island of Ireland between the North Atlantic Ocean and the North Sea northwest of France
Mostly rugged hills and low mountains; level to rolling plains in east and southeast
Climate
Temperate; moderated by prevailing southwest winds over the North Atlantic Current; more than one-half of the days are overcast
Natural Hazards
Mostly rugged hills and low mountains; level to rolling plains in east and southeast
Note:
Lies near vital North Atlantic sea lanes; only 35 km from France and linked by tunnel under the English Channel; because of heavily indented coastline no location is more than 125 km from tidal waters
As the dominant industrial and maritime power of the 19th century the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland played a leading role in developing parliamentary democracy and in advancing literature and science. At its zenith the British Empire stretched over one-fourth of the earth's surface. The first half of the 20th century saw the UK's strength seriously depleted in two World Wars and the Irish republic withdraw from the union. The second half witnessed the dismantling of the Empire and the UK rebuilding itself into a modern and prosperous European nation. As one of five permanent members of the UN Security Council a founding member of NATO and of the Commonwealth the UK pursues a global approach to foreign policy; it currently is weighing the degree of its integration with continental Europe. A member of the EU it chose to remain outside the Economic and Monetary Union for the time being. Constitutional reform is also a significant issue in the UK. The Scottish Parliament the National Assembly for Wales and the Northern Ireland Assembly were established in 1999 but the latter was suspended until May 2007 due to wrangling over the peace process. Read more on Wikipedia
