United Kingdom

Despite its relatively small size, the United Kingdom is one of the most culturally diverse countries on Earth, peopled by four main ‘native’ nationalities, plus later arrivals from all over the world. The United Kingdom consists of Great Britain (England, Scotland and Wales), plus Northern Ireland. The Isle of Man and the Channel Islands (principally Jersey and Guernsey) are also parts of the British Isles, but somewhat confusingly not officially part of the UK.

The UK is also a topically diverse country, with such landscapes as the rolling moors of Yorkshire, the lakes and mountains of the Lake District and Scotland, and the ancient forests of Nottinghamshire or the stunningbeaches of Wales. All this, as well as genteel villages with chocolate-box cottages or vibrantcities at the forefront of modernity, means the UK has something to offer everyone.

London is the natural starting point for visitors and is a great introduction to this varied country, with famous sights such as the Houses of Parliament and the London Eye and renowned exhibitions in the National Gallery, Natural History Museum and Tower of London.

Not far out from the capital are the university cities of Oxford and Cambridge, with their elegant architecture, and Windsor, home to the Queen’s famous castle residence.

The British seaside is at its best in the south coast resorts of Brighton and Bournemouth or the harbour villages in Cornwall, Dorset and Devon. For more beautiful, wilder, windswept beaches, head to the Pembrokeshire coast of Wales or the Scottish islands of Skye, Shetland and Orkney.

Walkers have no end of choice with hundreds of miles of hiking trails in the hilly Peak District, the mountainous Lake District, Wales and Scotland or along the coastal paths of southern England. For more gentle pursuits, pretty villages of the Cotswolds and Suffolk offer endless photo opportunities of thatched cottages or leaning timber-framed houses.

Northwest Europe.

Area

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

Population

60.8 million (official estimate 2007).

Population Density

250.7 per sq km.

Capital

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

Government

Constitutional monarchy.

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.

Language

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).

Religion

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

Time

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

Social Conventions

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.

Electricity

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

Head of Government

Prime Minister Gordon Brown.

Head of State

HM Queen Elizabeth II since 1953.

Passport Note

(a) A passport is not required for travel between Great Britain and Ireland, Northern Ireland, the Channel Islands or the Isle of Man. (b) Passengers transiting the UK destined for the Republic of Ireland are advised to hold return tickets to avoid delay and interrogation.

Passports

Passport valid for at least three months beyond length of stay required by all nationals of countries referred to in the chart above except:
1. EU nationals holding a valid national ID card.

Note: EU nationals are only required to produce evidence of their EU nationality and identity in order to be admitted to any EU Member State. This evidence can take the form of a valid national passport or national identity card. Either is acceptable. Possession of a return ticket, any length of validity on their document, sufficient funds for the length of their proposed visit should not be imposed.

Visas

Not required by nationals of countries referred to in the chart above for stays of up to six months.

Visa Note

(a) Nationals not requiring visas are advised to be in possession of either a return ticket or, if arriving on a one-way ticket, proof of sufficient funds to accommodate and support themselves for the duration of stay. (b) Nationals of countries not referred to in the chart above are advised to contact the embassy to check visa requirements (see Contact Addresses).

Currency

See the individual Money sections within the Jersey, Guernsey, Isle of Man and Northern Ireland sections for information on currency specific to these regions.

Pound (GBP; symbol £) = 100 pence. Notes are in denominations of £50, 20, 10 and 5. Additional bank notes issued by Scottish banks (including £1 notes) are accepted in all parts of the UK, although some smaller shops outside Scotland may prefer English banknotes. Coins are in denominations of £2 and 1, and 50, 20, 10, 5, 2 and 1 pence.

Currency Exchange

Money can be exchanged in banks, exchange bureaux, some post offices and many hotels. The exchange bureaux are often open outside banking hours but charge higher commission rates. All major currencies can be exchanged.

Credit/Debit Cards and ATMs

American Express, MasterCard and Visa are all widely accepted. Cash can be obtained from a multitude of ATMs available across the country.

Traveller's Cheques

Widely accepted. To avoid additional exchange rate charges, travellers are advised to take traveller’s cheques in Pounds Sterling.

Banking Hours

Mon-Fri 0930-1630 (there may be some variations in closing times). Some banks are open Saturday morning; some all day Saturday.

Exchange Rate Indicators

Introduction

This section is a general introduction to transport within the UK. Further information is given in the individual Getting Around/There sections for England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland, the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man.

Getting Around By Air

British Airways(BA) (website: www.britishairways.com) operates a shuttle service from London to Edinburgh, Glasgow, Manchester and Newcastle amongst other cities. Other internal operators include bmi (BD) (website: www.flybmi.com), flybe (BE) (website: www.flybe.com), easyJet (EZY) (website: www.easyjet.com) and Ryanair (FR) (website: www.ryanair.com).

Getting Around by Water

Information on travel to the Channel Islands, Ireland, the Isle of Man and the Scottish islands are given in the relevant Getting Around/There sections for those countries.

Getting Around by Rail

The UK is served by an excellent network of railways. Intercity lines provide fast services between London and major cities, and there are services to the southeast and to major cities in the Midlands, the north and south Wales and between Edinburgh and Glasgow. Some rural areas are less well served (eg the north coast of the west country, parts of East Anglia, Northern Ireland, Northumberland and North Yorkshire, parts of inland Wales, and southern and northern Scotland), although local rail services are generally fairly comprehensive.

For information about UK train services and fares, contact National Rail Enquiries (tel: 0845 748 4950, in the UK only; website: www.nationalrail.co.uk). It can be much cheaper to purchase rail tickets in advance.

Rail Passes

BritRail: offers a range of passes giving unlimited travel. This is available to visitors from overseas and is not available in the UK; tickets must be purchased in the visitor’s home country, although tickets can be collected in the UK. Further details can be obtained from BritRail (website: www.britrail.com).

InterRail’s One-Country Pass: offers travel for three, four, six or eight days in one month within the UK. Travel is not allowed in the passenger’s country of residence. Travellers under 26 years receive a reduction. Children’s tickets are reduced by about 50%. Supplements are required for some high-speed services, seat reservations and couchettes. Discounts are offered on Eurostar and some ferry routes. Available from Rail Europe (website: www.raileurope.co.uk/inter-rail).

Railcards: discount cards available to young people (aged 16 to 25), senior travellers (aged 60 and over), families (up to four adults and four children) and disabled travellers, offering a third off rail fares. Valid for one year (website: www.railcard.co.uk).

Getting Around by Road

Traffic drives on the left. Distances are measured in miles. There are trunk roads (‘A’ roads) linking all major towns and cities in the UK. Roads in rural areas (‘B’ roads) can be slow and winding, and in upland areas may become impassable in winter. Motorways radiate from London and there is also a good east–west and north–south network in the north and the Midlands. The M25 motorway circles London and connects at various junctions with the M1, M3, M4, M10, M11 and M40. The only motorway that leaves England is the M4 from London to South Wales. Access to Scotland is by the A1/A1(M) or the A68 to Edinburgh, or the M6 to Carlisle followed by the A74 to Glasgow. Within Scotland, motorways link Edinburgh, Glasgow and Perth. In Northern Ireland, motorways run from Belfast to Dungannon and from Belfast to Antrim. For further information on roads within each country, see the respective sections.
 
Coach: Every major city has a coach terminus: in London, it is Victoria coach station, about 1km (0.7 miles) from the train station. National Express (tel: 0870 580 8080, in the UK only; website: www.nationalexpress.com) is the main operator, running services to all parts of the country. Private coaches may be hired by groups.

Regulations: Speed limits are 48kph (30mph) in urban areas, 113kph (70mph) on motorways and dual carriageways, elsewhere 80kph (50mph) or 97kph (60mph) as marked. Seat belts must be worn by the driver and front seat passenger. Where rear seat belts have been fitted, they must also be worn. It is illegal to use a hand-held mobile phone while driving. The minimum driving age is 17.

Emergency breakdown services: The AA (website: www.theaa.com) and RAC (website: www.rac.co.uk) are able to provide a full range of services to UK members touring the UK. These organisations can also assist people who are travelling from abroad with maps, tourist information and specially marked routes to major events or places of interest.

Documentation: National driving licences are valid for one year. Drivers must have Third Party insurance and vehicle registration documents.

Getting Around Towns and Cities

All cities and towns have bus services of varying efficiency and cost. Glasgow, Liverpool, London and Newcastle have underground railways. The urban areas of Birmingham, Cardiff, Glasgow, Liverpool and Manchester are also well served by local railway trains. Manchester has a tram service.

Taxis: Licensed taxi operators are generally metered; small supplements may be charged for weekends, bank holidays, excess baggage and late-night travel. In the larger cities, unlicensed operators offer a cheaper (but less efficient and knowledgeable) unmetered service with fares based loosely on elapsed clock mileage; these taxis are called mini-cabs and can be booked by telephone.

Food and Drink

See individual country sections for details.

Tipping: In hotels, a service charge of 10 to 12% is usual, which may be added to the bill. 10 to 15% is usual for restaurants; if this has already been added to the bill, a further tip is not required.

Statistics

• GDP: US$2.2 trillion (2005).
•Main exports: Manufactured goods, food, beverages and tobacco.
•Main imports: Manufactured goods, machinery and fuels, and food.
• Main trade partners: Germany, USA, France, Ireland and Netherlands.

Economy

The UK is a member of the G8 group of the world’s leading industrial nations. Engineering (especially of military products), chemicals, electronics, construction and textiles are the main components of the industrial sector. Among service industries, tourism, media, retail, financial services, telecommunications and computer services are the most important and have undergone rapid growth, while heavy industries have suffered relative decline. Unemployment in 2006 stood at 2.8%.

The UK’s external economic relations are now dominated by the EU (which accounts for 70% of all UK trade), and the overriding issue facing the government is the extent to which they are willing to integrate into the European economy.

The argument is now focused on whether Britain should adopt the Euro. Many political and business leaders favour membership, but there is huge opposition in the country at large. The conclusion of the debate may be decisive to Britain’s economic future.

Business Etiquette

Businesspeople are generally expected to dress smartly (suits are the norm). Appointments should be made and the exchange of business cards is customary. A knowledge of English is essential.

Office hours: Mon-Fri 0900-1700/1800.

Commercial Information

The British Chambers of Commerce
65 Petty France, St James’s Park, London SW1H 9EU, UK
Tel: (020) 7654 5800.
Website: www.chamberonline.co.uk

British Association of Conference Destinations
6th Floor, Charles House, 148-149 Great Charles Street, Birmingham B3 3HT, UK
Tel: (0121) 212 1400.
Website: www.bacd.org.uk

VisitBritain has an online venue search facility (website: www.visitbritain.com/business).

Conferences & Conventions

The UK conference scene is well organised with several publications comprehensively listing every possible kind of venue (including dedicated centres, hotels, universities, football grounds, race courses, manor houses, castles and theatres). Birmingham and London have an international reputation; there are several excellent conference venues.

There are other towns with facilities of near comparable size. Bristol, Glasgow, Manchester and Newcastle are among the cities offering a variety of venues, whilst smaller towns such as Chester, Inverness, Llandudno, Salisbury and York offer uniquely attractive environments. The large political parties of the UK traditionally hold their conferences in seaside towns during the winter; locations include Blackpool (the famous Winter Gardens), Bournemouth and Brighton.

Those looking for convention venues will find the maximum seating capacity (19,000 persons) in London; however, if organisers wished to book Wembley Stadium they could probably do it, so, effectively, there is no upper limit. All parts of the UK are easily accessible by rail and air from London. The British Conference Destinations Directory gives brief regional details and is published by the British Association of Conference Destinations.

Telephone

Country code: 44. There are numerous public call boxes. Some boxes take coins, others phonecards or credit cards.

Mobile Telephone

Roaming agreements exist with most international mobile phone operators. Coverage is mostly good, but can be patchy in rural areas.

Internet

There are Internet cafes and centres in most urban areas. Some multimedia phone booths, often located at main railway stations and airports, offer touch-screen access.

Media

The British media are free and able to report on all subjects. The variety of publications reflects the full spectrum of political opinion.

Post

Stamps are available from post offices and many shops and stores. There are stamp machines outside some post offices. Post boxes are red. First-class internal mail normally reaches its destination the day after posting (except in remote areas of Scotland), and most second-class mail the day after that. International postal connections are good.

Post office hours: Mon-Fri 0900-1730 and Sat 0900-1230, although some post offices are open much longer hours.

Press

Dominated by about 10 major newspapers, UK circulation figures are amongst the highest in the world.
• Broadsheets are The Daily Telegraph, The Financial Times, The Guardian, The Independent, The Observer (on Sunday) and The Times.
• The more popular tabloid newspapers are The Daily Express, The Daily Mail, The Daily Mirror and The Sun.
• Most papers have an associated Sunday newspaper, though there are some independents.
• There are also daily regional newspapers.
• The London Evening Standard is produced in several editions daily, the first being at midday.

Radio

•BBC Radio’s national services include music stations Radio 1 and Radio 2, cultural network Radio 3, flagship speech station Radio 4 and news and sport station Five Live.
•BBC Radio also has regional broadcasts (see individual country sections).
•BBC Asian Network targets Asian communities in the UK.
•BBC World Service can be heard worldwide via shortwave and increasingly on FM relays; it has programmes in more than 40 languages.
• Commercial stations include music station Virgin Radio,sports station Talk Sport and classical music station Classic FM.
•There are hundreds of privately owned radio stations.

Owing to it being an island, the UK is subject to very changeable weather. Extremes of temperature are rare but snow, hail, heavy rain and heatwaves can occur. For detailed descriptions, see Climate in the respective country sections.

Required Clothing

Waterproofing throughout the year. Warm clothing is advisable at all times, and is essential for any visits to upland areas.

Below are listed Public Holidays for the January 2007-December 2008 period.

2007
1 Jan New Year’s Day.
6 Apr Good Friday.
9 Apr Easter Monday (except Scotland). 
7May Early May Bank Holiday.
28 May Spring Bank Holiday.
27 Aug Summer Bank Holiday (except Scotland).
25 Dec Christmas Day.
26 Dec Boxing Day.

2008
1 Jan New Year’s Day. 
21 Mar Good Friday. 
24 Mar Easter Monday (except Scotland). 
5May Early May Bank Holiday. 
26 May Spring Bank Holiday.
25 Aug Summer Bank Holiday (except Scotland).
25 Dec Christmas Day.
26 Dec Boxing Day.

Note

Public holidays are usually referred to as ‘bank holidays’ in the UK.

Please see the individual Public Holiday sections for details of additional holidays in each country.