The UK Today

The UK today is a more diverse society than it was 100 years ago, in both ethnic and religious terms. Post-war immigration means that nearly 10% of the population has a parent or grandparent born outside the UK. The UK continues to be a multinational and multiracial society with a rich and varied culture, and it welcomes those who want to make a positive contribution to society.

The UK is located in the north west of Europe. The longest distance on the mainland is from John O’Groats on the north coast of Scotland to Land’s End in the south-west corner of England — about 870 miles (approximately 1,400 kilometres). Most people live in towns and cities but much of Britain is still countryside. Many people continue to visit the countryside for holidays and for leisure activities such as walking, camping and fishing.

The major cities of England are London, Birmingham, Liverpool, Leeds, Sheffield, Bristol, Manchester, Bradford, Newcastle upon Tyne, Plymouth, Southampton and Norwich. In Wales, the main cities are Cardiff, Swansea and Newport. The main city of Northern Ireland is Belfast. Scotland’s major cities are Edinburgh, Glasgow, Dundee and Aberdeen.

The capital city of the UK is London. The capital of Scotland is Edinburgh, the capital of Wales is Cardiff, and the capital of Northern Ireland is Belfast.

The currency in the UK is the pound sterling (symbol £). There are 100 pence in a pound. Coins come in denominations of 1p, 2p, 5p, 10p, 20p, 50p, £1 and £2. Notes come in denominations of £5, £10, £20 and £50. Northern Ireland and Scotland have their own banknotes, which are valid everywhere in the UK. However, shops and businesses do not have to accept them.

There are many variations in language in the different parts of the UK. The English language has many different accents and dialects. In Wales, many people speak Welsh — a completely different language from English — and it is taught in schools and universities. There is also a Welsh-language television channel. In Scotland, Gaelic is spoken in some parts of the Highlands and Islands. In Northern Ireland, some people speak Irish Gaelic.

The official handbook population milestones are: just over 4 million in 1600, 5 million in 1700, 8 million in 1801, 20 million in 1851, 40 million in 1901, 50 million in 1951, 57 million in 1998, just under 60 million in 2005, just over 62 million in 2010, and just over 66 million in 2017. Population growth has been faster in more recent years. Migration into the UK and longer life expectancy have both played a part in population growth.

The population is very unequally distributed over the four parts of the UK. England accounts for more or less consistently 84% of the total population, Scotland just over 8%, Wales around 5%, and Northern Ireland less than 3%.

People in the UK are living longer than ever before due to improved living standards and better health care. There are now a record number of people aged 85 and over. This has an impact on the cost of pensions and health care.

The UK population is ethnically diverse and changing rapidly, especially in large cities such as London. Within the UK, it is a legal requirement that men and women should not be discriminated against because of their gender or because they are, or are not, married. They have equal rights to work, own property, marry and divorce. Women in Britain today make up about half of the workforce. On average, girls leave school with better qualifications than boys, and more women than men study at university. It is no longer expected that women should stay at home and not work, and women often continue to work after having children.

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