Northwest Europe.

GMT (GMT + 1 from last Sunday in March to last Sunday in October).

242,514 sq km (93,788 sq miles).

60.8 million (official estimate 2007).

250.7 per sq km.

London. Population: 7.5 million (official estimate 2004).

The British landscape can be divided roughly into two kinds of terrain – highland and lowland. The highland area comprises the mountainous regions of Scotland, Northern Ireland, northern England and North Wales. The English Lake District in the northwest contains lakes and fells. The lowland area is broken up by sandstone and limestone hills, long valleys and basins such as the Wash on the east coast. In the southeast, the North and South Downs culminate in the White Cliffs of Dover. The coastline includes fjord-like inlets in the northwest of Scotland, spectacular cliffs and wild sandy beaches on the east coast and, further south, beaches of rock, shale and sand sometimes backed by dunes, and large areas of fenland in East Anglia.

Note: The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland consists of England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. Although they form one administrative unit (with regional exceptions), they have had separate cultures, languages and political histories. The United Kingdom section consists of a general introduction (covering the aspects that the four countries have in common) and sections devoted to the four constituent countries. The Channel Islands (Alderney, Guernsey, Jersey, Sark and Herm) and the Isle of Man are dependencies of the British Crown. These are included here for convenience of reference.

More detailed geographical descriptions of the various countries may be found under the respective entries.

Member since 1973.

Constitutional monarchy.

HM Queen Elizabeth II since 1953.

Prime Minister Gordon Brown.

Since his instalment as prime minister in 1997, Tony Blair became the longest-serving Labour premier of all time. Blair enjoyed huge parliamentary majorities for his party in the face of largely ineffective opposition from the Conservatives. It remains to be seen how the latest incumbent Tory leader, David Cameron, will fare since becoming leader in 2005.

One of the principal problems facing the government is the ongoing Iraq situation. Blair's decision to support the US invasion of the Middle Eastern country deeply divided the UK, and opinion as to the wisdom of the action remains polarised. Related to events in the Middle East, terrorist attacks in July 2005 brought London to a standstill, and security continues to be tight.

The Blair government would claim some credit for Northern Ireland's current more or less peaceful environment, which has prevailed since the ‘Good Friday Agreement' of 1998, which established the conditions for the ongoing cease-fire between the Republican and Loyalist factions. He also settled a power-sharing deal between Sinn Fein and the Democratic Unionist Party. Assembly elections in March 2007 led to the eventual swearing-in of the leaders of the power-sharing government on 8 May, ending five years of direct rule from London.

Another achievement of the Blair government was the 1999 introduction of devolved power for Scotland and Wales, giving the two nations a far greater say in matters directly affecting their parts of the UK.

Blair stood down on 27 June 2007 and his incumbent Chancellor of the Exchequer Gordon Brown took over the role.

English. Some Welsh is spoken in parts of Wales, Gaelic in parts of Scotland and Northern Ireland, and French and Norman French in the Channel Islands. The many ethnic minorities within the UK also speak their own languages (eg Cantonese, Greek, Hindi, Mandarin, Turkish, Urdu, etc).

Predominantly Christian (Church of England, Roman Catholic, Presbyterian, Methodist), sizeable Muslim, Sikh, Jewish and Hindu minorities. Around 15% of the population have no religion.

240 volts AC, 50Hz. Square three-pin plugs are standard.

The monarchy, though now only symbolic politically, is a powerful and often subconscious unifying force. Members of the Royal Family are the subject of unceasing fascination, with their every move avidly followed and reported by the popular press, both in the UK and abroad.

Handshaking is customary when introduced to someone for the first time. Normal social courtesies should be observed when visiting someone’s home and a small present such as flowers or chocolates is appreciated. It is polite to wait until everyone has been served before eating.

Clothing: Some nightclubs and restaurants do not allow jeans and trainers, otherwise casual wear is widely acceptable.

Use of public places: Topless sunbathing is allowed on certain beaches and tolerated in some parks. Smoking is banned in all enclosed public places, including stations, pubs and restaurants, throughout the UK.