In this topic
What to be able to answer
- Recall UK capitals and major city groupings.
- Recognise pound sterling denominations and Scottish/Northern Irish banknote nuance.
- Use the population milestones and country shares as exact recall numbers.
- Connect languages to the right part of the UK.
Learn
Geography, cities, currency, languages and population
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.
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.
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.
Capital Cities
The test usually asks for the capital-country pair, not a long city list.
United Kingdom
London
UK-wide capital
Scotland
Edinburgh
Scottish capital
Wales
Cardiff
Welsh capital
Northern Ireland
Belfast
Northern Irish capital
Read the country and capital together: London, Edinburgh, Cardiff, Belfast.
Pound Sterling
Remember the money fact as value, coins, notes and regional banknotes.
£1
= 100p
The pound is sterling; pence are the smaller units.
Coins in circulation
Notes to recognise
Banknote nuance
Scottish and Northern Irish notes are valid UK money.
Shops and businesses still do not have to accept them.
Scottish and Northern Irish banknotes are valid across the UK, but shops do not have to accept them.
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. In Scotland, Gaelic is spoken in some parts of the Highlands and Islands. In Northern Ireland, some people speak Irish Gaelic.
UK Population Growth: Handbook Figures
The test pattern is steady early growth, then a sharp 19th-century rise.
Growth drivers named in the handbook: migration into the UK and longer life expectancy.
England
84%
Scotland
just over 8%
Wales
around 5%
Northern Ireland
less than 3%
Remember the order: 84-8-5-3. England first, then Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland.
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. 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.
Do not mix up
Practise
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