UNITED KINGDOM

The United Kingdom is made up of England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. It has a long history as a major player in international affairs and fulfills an important role in the EU, UN and NATO.
The economy - one of the largest in the world - is no longer manufacturing but services-based, with e-commerce of growing significance. The City of London is a global financial centre.
Many of the country's people have never been richer, but a recent international study says the UK has the second highest child poverty rate in the European Union.

• Capital City: London
  
• Population: 59.2 million (UN, 2003)
  
• Major language: English
  
• Major religion: Christian
  
• Life exp Monetary unit: 1 pound sterling = 100 pence
  
• Life expectancy: 76 years (men), 81 years (women) (UN) ity
  
• Main exports: Manufactured goods, chemicals, foodstuffs
  
• Average annual income: US $25,120 (World Bank, 2001)
  
• Internet domain: .uk
  
• International dialling code: +44

THE MEDIA

The British media are free and able to report on all aspects of British life. The variety of publications on sale reflects the full spectrum of political opinion, as well as the British public's voracious appetite for newspapers.

• The Press
  
  • Daily Telegraph - broadsheet
    
  • Financial Times - daily business broadsheet
    
  • The Guardian - daily broadsheet
    
  • The Independent - daily broadsheet
    
  • The Times - daily broadsheet
    
  • The Sun - daily tabloid
    
  • The Mirror - daily tabloid
    
  • The Scotsman - daily broadsheet
    
  • The Daily Mail - tabloid
    
  • The Daily Express - daily tabloid
    
• Television
  
  • BBC TV - operates BBC1, BBC2 and digital services including BBC News 24
    
  • ITV - major commercial network, organised around regional franchises
    
  • Channel 4 - national commercial station
    
  • Five - national entertainment-based channel
    
  • Independent Television News (ITN) - supplier of news to ITV, Channel 4, Five
    British Sky Broadcasting (BSkyB) - operator of digital satellite TV platform and provider of film, entertainment channels and rolling news channel Sky News
    
• Radio
  
  • BBC Radio - national services include new-music station Radio 1, adult music station Radio 2, arts and culture station Radio 3, flagship speech station Radio 4 and news and sport station Five Live
    
  • BBC Radio Scotland
    
  • BBC Radio nan Gaidheal - Gaelic-language station for Scotland
    
  • BBC Radio Ulster - for Northern Ireland
    
  • BBC Radio Wales
    
  • BBC Radio Cymru - Welsh-language
    
  • BBC Asian Network - for Asian communities in the UK
    
  • BBC World Service - major international broadcaster, heard worldwide via shortwave and increasingly on local FM relays, programmes in more than 40 languages
    
  • Virgin Radio - national commercial pop/rock station
    
  • Talk Sport - national commercial sports station
    
  • Classic FM - national commercial classical music station
    
• News Agency
  
• The Press Association