The United Kingdom, with its capital at London, consists of Great Britain (England, Scotland and Wales), plus Northern Ireland. The Isle of Man and the Channel Islands (primarily Jersey and Guernsey) are also parts of the British Isles, but not officially part of the UK. It is spread in an area of 242,514 sq km (93,788 sq miles). The language spoken is predominantly English. In Wales, some Welsh is spoken, Gaelic is still used in parts of Scotland and Northern Ireland, and in the Channel Islands, French and Norman French still hold out. Many ethnic minorities speak their own languages (e.g. Cantonese, Greek, Hindi, Mandarin, Turkish, Urdu, etc).

In spite of its relatively small size, the United Kingdom is one of the most culturally diverse countries on Earth, peopled by four main nationalities, plus later arrivals from all over the world.

The UK is also a topographically diverse country, and you will find the rolling moors of Yorkshire, the lakes and mountains of the Lake District and Scotland, the forests of Nottinghamshire and the stunning beaches of Wales. All this, as well as genteel villages with lovely, old-world cottages and cities that are vibrant and modern,—the UK has something to offer everyone.

Quiet close to London are the university cities of Oxford and Cambridge, with their elegant architecture, and Windsor, home to the Queen’s famous castle residence.

The British landscape can be divided roughly into two kinds of terrain – highland and lowland. The mountainous regions of Scotland, Northern Ireland, northern England and North Wales are the highland area, with the lowlands being the English Lake District in the northwest. The area is broken up by sandstone and limestone hills, long valleys and basins such as the Wash on the east coast. The North and South Downs, in the southeast, culminate in the White Cliffs of Dover.