- 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.
- This section will tell you about the different parts of the UK and some of the important places.
- It will also explain some of the UK’s traditions and customs and some of the popular activities that take place.
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The nations of the UK
- 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.
- It is 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.
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Cities of the UK
- England: London, Birmingham, Liverpool, Leeds, Sheffield, Bristol, Manchester, Bradford, Newcastle upon Tyne, Plymouth, Southampton and Norwich.
- Wales: Cardiff, Swansea and Newport.
- Northern Ireland: Belfast.
- Scotland: Edinburgh, Glasgow, Dundee and Aberdeen.
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Capital cities
- The capital city of the UK is London.
- The capital city of Scotland is Edinburgh.
- The capital city of Wales is Cardiff.
- The capital city of Northern Ireland is Belfast.
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UK currency
- The currency in the UK is the pound sterling (symbol £).
- There are 100 pence in a pound.
- The denominations (values) of currency are:.
- Coins: 1p, 2p, 5p, 10p, 20p, 50p, £1 and £2.
- Notes: £5, £10, £20, £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.
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Languages and dialects
- There are many variations in language in the different parts of the UK.
- The English language has many 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 (again, a different language) is spoken in some parts of the Highlands and Islands, and in Northern Ireland some people speak Irish Gaelic.
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Population
- The table below shows how the population of the UK has changed over time.
- Population growth in the UK.
- Year Population.
- 1600 Just over 4 million.
- 1700 5 million.
- 1801 8 million.
- 1851 20 million.
- 1901 40 million.
- 1951 50 million.
- 1998 57 million.
- 2005 Just under 60 million.
- 2010 Just over 62 million.
- 2017 Just over 66 million.
- Source: National Statistics.
- Population growth has been faster in more recent years.
- Migration into the UK and longer life expectancy have played a part in population growth.
- The population is very unequally distributed over the four parts of the UK.
- England more or less consistently makes up 84% of the total population, Wales around 5%, Scotland just over 8%, and Northern Ireland less than 3%.
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An ageing population
- People in the UK are living longer than ever before.
- This is 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.
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Ethnic diversity
- The UK population is ethnically diverse and changing rapidly, especially in large cities such as London.
- It is not always easy to get an exact picture of the ethnic origin of all the population.
- There are people in the UK with ethnic origins from all over the world.
- In surveys, the most common ethnic description chosen is white, which includes people of European, Australian, Canadian, New Zealand and American descent.
- Other significant groups are those of Asian, black and mixed descent.
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An equal society
- 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.
- If they are married, both parents are equally responsible for their children.
- Women in Britain today make up about half of the workforce.
- On average, girls leave school with better qualifications than boys.
- More women than men study at university.
- Employment opportunities for women are much greater than they were in the past.
- Women work in all sectors of the economy, and there are now more women in high-level positions than ever before, including senior managers in traditionally male-dominated occupations.
- Alongside this, men now work in more varied jobs than they did in the past.
- It is no longer expected that women should stay at home and not work.
- Women often continue to work after having children.
- In many families today, both partners work and both share responsibility for childcare and household chores.
✅ Self-check — can you explain each of these?