The United Kingdom is composed of Great Britain (England, Wales and Scotland) and Northern Ireland. It is the largest island in Europe and the eighth largest island in the world. The UK has a rich history, and the country is one of the most important economies in Europe. The capital, London, is a vibrant city and a popular destination for a city break in Europe. Nature lovers will also be in their element, as the country offers much to explore. From the green fields and hilly landscapes of central England to the impressive mountains of the Scottish Highlands.

Facts and figures

Map

The United Kingdom is an island state in Western Europe. It comprises the island of Great Britain (England, Scotland and Wales) and part of the island of Ireland (Northern Ireland). These two islands are also called the British Isles. Furthermore, there are other smaller island groups around the British Isles which also belong to the United Kingdom.

History

Prehistoric times
Stonehenge, one of the most famous megalithic monuments worldwide, and a popular attraction for tourists, was built during the Bronze age.

Roman times
In the year 43, the Roman emperor Claudius began the conquest of Britannia (the present-day Britain). Claudius defeated the local tribes within a few years and conquered much of the island's territory. The Romans went as far as the border of present-day Scotland. Britannia remained largely under Roman rule until the year 410, when the Romans withdrew from the island.

The anglo-saxon era
After the Romans withdrawal, a series of Germanic tribes invaded the country. The Jutes, the Angles and the Saxons. The name England is derived from the from the word ‘Angles’. These tribes settled on the island and pushed the locals to the peripheriy of the country. The new rulers created their own kingdoms on the island.

The Viking Age
As of 793 onwards, Anglo-Saxon England regularly suffered the attacks of the Vikings. Around the year 850, the Viking raids became conquests. That is, they no longer attacked just to pillage, but to actually settle in the British Isles. Around 865, the Vikings invaded England with the so-called ‘Great Heathen Army’ led by Ivar the Bone-less and Halfdan Ragnarsson. The Vikings crossed the sea from Denmark and quickly subdued the different kingdoms of the island. However, in in 878, before they could defeat the powerful kingdom of Wessex, king Alfred defeated the Vikings. However, King Alfred was obliged to grant the Vikings a part of the British island that later was called ‘Danelaw’. This was done on one condition: that the Vikings converted to Christianity.

The attack of the Normans
In 1066, there were three candidates for the English throne, thus a battle for the English throne began. William of Normandy was one of the three candidates claiming the throne. However, the English nobles proclaimed Harold Godswinson as king Harold II. Soon after, William of Normandy, proclaimed the war and attacked England. He defeated King Harold II in the famous battle of Hastings and he eventually conquered the whole of England.

The house of Tudor
Between 1485 and 1603, all the kings and queens of England and Wales belonged to the House of Tudor, an English dinasty. During their rule, the kingdom went from being an insignificant state to become a powerful nation. The beginning of the Tudor dynasty is considered the end of the Middle Ages in England. It marked the pinnacle of English culture, literature, architecture and trade.

The Industrial revolution
England is considered the country where the Industrial Revolution originated. This deep transformation started began around the year 1750 and had an influence on almost all aspects of the economic system. Production processes started to be increasingly carried out by machines. More and more goods were produced and then conveyed over an ever-expanding road network. Many factories were built at that time, and people moved from the countryside to the cities, which started to grow very quickly.

The nineteenth century
In the nineteenth century, England flourished economically. Industrialisation was in full swing. England was unparalleled at the technological level and it was a model for the rest of the western world. At the beginning of the nineteenth century, the British were also in war against Napoleon's France. After the British had destroyed Napoleon's fleet, he planned to weaken the British economy through a commercial blockade, which meant meant that all European ports were forbidden to trade with Britain.

By 1815, after Napoleon's defeat in Europe in 1814, England became the most powerful country in the world. Britain controlled all the oceans, and much of the world's population also lived in dependent territories or areas controlled by Britain. This period is known as the ‘pax Britannica’. The English colonies were at that time so vast that it was said that the sun never set on that empire.

The period between 1837 and 1901, when Queen Victoria ruled the kingdom, is called the Victorian era. During her rule, England's population grew rapidly. London was and remained the largest city in the world for a long time. Unfortunately, the industrial revolution not only had advantages. The living conditions of the population in English cities were often terrible. Heavy pollution, impure drinking water and diseases were common at that time.

In the second half of the nineteenth century, a number of political reforms were taken. At the same time, the emancipation of the working class begun.

The twentieth century
During this period, other European powers overtook Britain economically and militarily.

1914 was the year when the World War I broke out. The war lasted for four years and England was eventually on the victors' side. Nevertheless, the balance of power had changed. The era of undisputed English power had come to an end and some English colonies then began to declare their independence. The process of decolonisation had begun and remained a significant change throughout the 20th century.

After World War I, the English Labour Party took the place of the Liberal Party as one of the two major parties. The working class began to ask for more rights and influence. At the same time, the church was losing more and more influence, as people had a better education and they were harder to persuade.

In 1939 began the World War II. Britain was again on the winning side, but this war also had consequences for the country. It was no longer possible for Britain to control the British Empire. British India became independent in 1947 and during the second half of the 20th century almost all the other colonies followed. This was the end of the British Empire.

After World War II, the Labour Party obtained a clear victory resulting in major social changes. Some companies were nationalised and the National Health Service was created. This was the beginning of the welfare state.

In contrast, during the Margaret Thatcher's and the Conservative Party's government, between 1979 and 1989, neoliberal policies were put into place, like privatisations of companies. Thatcher is considered one of the most important political leaders of the 1980s.

The Labour Party came back to power between 1997 and 2010, under Prime Minister Tony Blair. During his government, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland obtained their own legislative parliaments, after citizens voted for them in referendums.

Twenty-first century
In 2016, the then prime minister ordered a referendum on the question of the UK's membership of the European Union. This referendum ended with a narrow majority of 51.89% in favour of leaving the European Union. On 31 January 2020, the UK officially left the European Union.

Culture

The United Kingdom's culture is influenced by many factors: its own history, the Christian religion, other European countries and even the colonies. British culture therefore is very diverse. Even in the former colonies, many aspects of British culture can still be found today.

Language
The English language has its origin in the early Middle Ages. It is the de facto official language of the UK. An estimated 95 per cent of the population speaks only English. However, seven other regional languages are recognised by the British government.

Pop music
The UK has also had an important influence in the music world. The pop group The Beatles, a pop group that was active in the 60s and 70s, is considered as the most influential band in pop history. It is also the best-selling band in history with estimated sales of more than 600 million records worldwide.

Literature
On the literary front, England has also had world-famous (stage) writers such as William Shakespeare. Born in 1564, he is considered the greatest writer England has ever produced. Shakespeare's plays became famous for their quality, but mostly because they had a great influence on the English language. Many expressions and words that were used in the English language today originally came from Shakespeare's texts.

Sport
The UK is known for numerous types of sports such as football, cricket, rugby, tennis, equestrian sports, table tennis and darts. Some of these sports were invented or made popular in England.

The British gastronomy
British cuisine has received several influences. On the one hand, it has been inspired by the Celts, the Vikings, the Romans, the Anglo-Saxons and the Normans. On the other hand, the impact from former colonies such as India, Pakistan and Bangladesh can also be seen in British gastronomy. The UK boasts a number of world-renowned top chefs, such as Jamie Oliver or Gordon Ramsay. Some well-known British dishes are:

• The traditional English breakfast with egg, white beans in tomato sauce, bacon, sausage and sometimes toast and black pudding.
• The sandwich: a stuffed bread. This is actually eaten almost everywhere in the world, and has its origins in the English borough of Sandwich.
• Fish and Chips: Fried fish with potato fries

Tea
Tea is also an important part of the British culture. Tea was first introduced in the UK from Asia In the seventeenth century, and became since increasingly popular in the country. At first it was a luxury product, but later it was drunk by people from all social classes. Today, the UK is one of the countries where most tea is drunk in Europe.

Special holidays: St.-Patricks’s Day
This UK holiday is only celebrated in Northern Ireland. St Patrick's Day falls on the 17 of March and it celebrates Saint Patrick, Ireland's patron saint. On St Patrick's Day, open-air concerts, fairs and large parades take place everywhere in Northern Ireland, and you can see green everywhere.

Climate

In general, the UK has a temperate, maritime climate with warm summers and relatively mild winters. There is also high rainfall throughout the year. The factors that influence the most the British climate are its position between the fiftieth and sixty-first degrees of latitude and the influence of the Atlantic Ocean, in particular the impact of the Gulf Stream. This current brings relatively warm water from the Gulf of Mexico to Europe. On its way, the Gulf Stream also passes by the British Isles and influences the local climate. The UK lies in a zone where cold polar air collides with warm tropical air.

As a consecuence, the weather in the British Isles can change quickly. However, temperature variations are relatively low throughout the year. Sunshine hours in the UK are relatively short. The sky is covered by clouds two thirds of the year, although the sun can be seen more often on the southern coast. Wind is also a typical feature of the local climate. This is partly due to the Atlantic Ocean. The highest temperature ever recorded in the UK was 40.3°C on 19 July 2022 in the villages of Coningsby and Waddington. The coldest temperature ever measured in the UK was -27.2 °C in Scotland.

Tourism

An estimated 41.2 million tourists visited the UK in 2024. This means that, for the first time since the COVID pandemic, more tourists came to the British Isles than before the coronoavirus (2019).

In 2022, most visitors came from the United States (4.6 million). France was second (2.8 million) and Ireland was third, with 2.5 million visitors.

Sightseeing and travel tips

London
The famous capital of England is located in the south-east of the island. The city has a rich history and hosts a lot of attractions. The Tower of London, Tower Bridge, Buckingham Palace, the Big Ben, the Palace of Westminster, the London Eye Ferris wheel and Windsor Castle are all popular sights in the London area. But even outside the capital, the UK has a lot to offer.

The city of Bath
Famous for its natural hot springs, the historic city of Bath is mainly built with the so-called Bath stone, a type of honey-coloured limestone found in south-west England. There is also a museum where visitors can see ancient Roman bathhouses and temples.

Stonehenge
The huge stone blocks of Stonehenge are worldwide famous, and they were recognised as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1986. There are many mysteries regarding this stone circle. Scientists believe the monument is around 5,000 years old. For this reason, very little information is available about its original function and construction process. Archaeologists suspect that the building process took at least 1,500 years and that the stone circle was rebuilt several times. To this day, it is not clear how, at that time, workers could bring the stone blocks from 300 km away to this site without modern machinery. The exact function is also unknown.

Lake District National Park
Located in the north-west of England, this national park covers an area of 2,362 km². Established in 1951, the park contains a number of crystal-clear lakes and all the English mountain peaks over 900 metres. This is a great area for hiking, enjoying the beautiful views and relaxing. A real must-see for travellers who love nature.

Lulworth Cove
This part of the southern English coast offers breathtaking views. Its unique shape was formed by meltwater from the last ice age. Lulworth Cove is very popular among tourists and is known as one of the most impressive natural wonders in the South-West England region. This part of the coast is part of the UNESCO Jurassic World Heritage Coast and has been a World Heritage Site since 2001.

Alnwick Castle
If you like Harry Potter, you can have the chance to see the filming set of the first and second Harry Potter films, at Alnwick Castle. This huge castle, built in the 10th century by the Normans, is located in north-east England, close to the Scottish border. In 2016 it was visited by 600,000 people.

The Glenfinnan viaduct: a ride on the Hogwarts Express
Another famous thing taken from the Harry Potter films is the train that Harry Potter and his friends take to go to Hogwarts, the magic school. This train route really exists and goes through the north-west of Scotland. Officially, the train is called the Jacobite Train During a ride on this steam train, between the town of Fort William and the village of Mallaig, you can enjoy the picturesque scenery.

The infamous Lake Loch Ness (Scotland)
You probably know the stories about the Loch Ness monster, which supposedly hides in this infamous lake. Loch Ness is 36 km long and it measures 1.6 kilometres at its widest point. Its maximum depth is not clear, but scientists think that the lake is about 270 metres deep. The area around the lake is a perfect place to walk in the Scottish Highlands or to take a tour of the ruins of the ancient Urquhart Castle.

Economy and currency

The UK is a rich country, ranking sixth among the countries with the highest gross domestic product (GDP) worldwide. The country's economy is based on the service sector, which accounts for 82% of the economy. Only 0.5% of GDP is generated by income coming from agriculture.

During the coronavirus pandemic in 2020, the economy contracted by 9.9% and shortly after, inflation rose to 11.1% a year. This caused many problems to the UK population and businesses. Energy in particular suddenly became much more expensive. The Russian attack on Ukraine was partly responsible for the price rise. There was even a cost-of-living crisis. In 2024, the UK economy grew by 0.9% and inflation was 3%.

Well-known, (partly) British companies include BP, Unilever, HSBC Holdings, Shell and AstraZeneca. The national currency in the UK is the British pound (GBP).

Health and safety

There are no particular risks associated with travelling to the UK. Nevertheless, it is important to always keep an eye on valuables in major cities.

Health
The United Kingdom has a National Health Service (NHS). Travellers with an EHIC card (European Health Insurance Card) can obtain medical care in case of need during a temporary stay in the UK. Travellers to the UK are advised to apply for an EHIC card from their health insurance before departure. The healthcare provider (e.g. doctor or hospital) will claim the costs from the health insurrance in the traveller's home country. The insurance will decide which costs will be paid by the traveller and which ones will be reimbursed.

Please note that this is not a medical website. Always contact your GP for information regarding vaccinations and medication before travelling to the UK.

Visa

As of 2 April 2025, European travellers will need an electronic travel authorisation (ETA) to travel to the UK. The UK comprises England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. You can apply for the ETA UK on this website. Travellers with UK or Irish passports do not need an ETA. An ETA allows you to enter in the UK multiple times during the 2-year validity period. However, each stay cannot exceed 6 months. The ETA UK allows you to travel for tourism of business, or for a short course of up to 6 months and transfers.