UK– A Quick & Quirky Guide
Official name: United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland (aka “UK” if you don’t want to run out of breath)
Area: ~243,000 km² – about the size of Oregon
Population: ~67 million (2024)
Location: Northwestern Europe, just across the English Channel from France (yes, the one with the tunnel)
Form of government: Constitutional monarchy + parliamentary democracy (fancy way of saying “the King reigns, the Prime Minister rules”)
Head of State: King Charles III
Prime Minister: Rishi Sunak (since 2022)
Capital city: London (~9 million in the metro area)
Time zone: GMT (UTC+0) / BST in summer (UTC+1)
Official language: English (though Welsh, Scots Gaelic, and Irish Gaelic are also recognized in parts)
Currency: Pound sterling (£) – still stubbornly resisting the euro
EU member: No (Brexit 2020, cue dramatic music)
Schengen area: Also no (border checks galore)
Top 10 Largest Cities (metro population approx.)
- London – ~9 million
- Birmingham – ~3.6 million
- Manchester – ~2.8 million
- Leeds – ~1.9 million
- Glasgow – ~1.7 million
- Liverpool – ~1.5 million
- Newcastle – ~0.8 million
- Sheffield – ~0.7 million
- Bristol – ~0.7 million
- Edinburgh – ~0.6 million
Popular Tourist Cities & Regions
- London – Big Ben, Buckingham Palace, musicals, and way too many tourists.
- Edinburgh – Castles, whisky, and the world’s biggest arts festival (Fringe).
- Bath – Roman baths and Georgian elegance.
- Liverpool – Beatles, football, and a very loud accent.
- Oxford & Cambridge – Harry Potter vibes and fancy universities.
- Scottish Highlands – Loch Ness monster sightings not guaranteed.
Climate
In one word: moist. The UK is famous for its drizzle, fog, and endless chats about the weather. Winters are mild (rarely below 0 °C), summers are mild (rarely above 25 °C), and rain can happen anytime — usually when you left your umbrella at home.
Culture & Daily Life
- Tea time: The cure for all life’s problems, existential crises included.
- Queueing: A national sport. Cutting in line is social treason.
- Royal family: A global soap opera in real life.
- Humour: Dry, sarcastic, and often misunderstood abroad.
Food & Drink
- Classics: Fish & chips, full English breakfast, roast dinners.
- Regional goodies: Haggis (Scotland), Cornish pasties, Welsh rarebit.
- Drinks: Ale, cider, gin, Scotch whisky, and of course, endless tea.
- Modern UK: Curry has become just as British as bangers and mash.
Summary
The UK is a mix of tradition and modern chaos: royalty and rock’n’roll, rain and cricket, Shakespeare and Harry Potter. It left the EU but not the spotlight, and despite stereotypes, it’s not always raining — sometimes it’s just grey.