United Kingdom
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CultureGramsTM World Edition 2020 United Kingdom etc.) date back to 3000 BC. After reaching Britain in 55 BC BACKGROUND and invading it in AD 43, the Romans incorporated the area into their empire and stayed until 410, when two Germanic Land and Climate tribes—the Angles and the Saxons—drove them out. Located in the British Isles, northwest of continental Europe, Vikings raided the islands in the late eighth century and the United Kingdom (UK) is slightly larger than Uganda and dominated Britain for two centuries. Other groups also about the same size as the U.S. state of Oregon. The UK invaded. The last invasion was in 1066, when William of encompasses the entire island of Great Britain (England, Normandy won the Battle of Hastings. The Norman Conquest Scotland, and Wales) and an area in the northeastern part of ushered in a new period of great political and social change. the island of Ireland (Northern Ireland). The Scottish Through acts of union, Wales (1535), Scotland (1707), and Highlands are home to the country's highest peak, Ben Nevis, Ireland (1801) joined England in a political union that became which extends 4,412 feet (1,345 meters), as well as the known as the United Kingdom (UK). England established country’s deepest lake, Loch Morar, which is 1,017 feet (310 itself as a great naval power by defeating the mighty Spanish meters) deep. The UK is bound by several bodies of water, Armada in 1588. In 1689, Parliament passed the Bill of including the North Sea, the Irish Sea, and the English Rights, which established a constitutional monarchy with coastline parliamentary limits on the king and queen. Channel. About 20 percent of Northern Ireland's The Colonial Era and World Wars The first nation to industrialize and one of the first to acquire experiences erosion every year. colonies around the globe, Britain became the most powerful The climate, which is moderated by Gulf Stream currents, country in the world. Although Britain lost its U.S. colonies is temperate and wet. Weather changes are frequent. In the in 1776, it subsequently acquired new lands in the winter, temperatures rarely drop much below freezing, and Mediterranean, North America, the Caribbean, Africa, Asia, summer temperatures average 60 to 70°F (15–21°C). and Oceania. The vastness of the empire during Queen Humidity levels, ranging from medium to high, can make it Victoria's reign (1837–1901) was reflected in the saying “The sun never sets on the British Empire.” seem colder or warmer than temperatures indicate. After World War I, most British colonial expansion stopped. During World War II, under the leadership of Prime History Minister Winston Churchill, the British withstood intense Foreign Invasions and the United Kingdom Nazi bombings. After the war, the UK acceded to the The earliest signs of human presence in Britain date back to demands of most of its colonies for independence and formed 5000 BC; the oldest remaining structures (stone monuments, the Commonwealth of Nations. The majority of colonies 1 TM CultureGrams United Kingdom remained voluntarily in the Commonwealth, and some even percent), the UK's colonial heritage has brought many chose to retain Queen Elizabeth II as a nominal head of state. ethnicities together, especially in cities like London, The UK was a founding member of the North Atlantic Birmingham, and Bradford. The biggest minority populations Treaty Organization (NATO) in 1949. It joined the precursor include black (3 percent), Indian (2 percent), and Pakistani (2 to the European Union (EU) in 1973. The UK established percent). The UK’s membership in the European Union (EU) itself as a modern welfare state between 1945 and 1951. also contributed to its diverse population; as the EU expanded Irish Conflict to include more countries, many immigrants from Eastern In the late 1960s, Northern Ireland entered a prolonged period Europe moved to the UK. However, as in other Western of violence known as “The Troubles.” Essentially, this was an European countries, the government has recently passed laws intensification of a longstanding conflict between Catholics in to limit immigration. Migration from EU countries has Northern Ireland who wanted to unite with the Ireland (Irish declined since the UK initiated its plan to withdraw from the Republicans, or Nationalists) and Protestants who supported arrangement, but the number of migrants from non-EU the existing union with the UK (Unionists, or Loyalists). With countries has increased. no peace in sight, the British government began ruling The majority of the UK's inhabitants live in England. Northern Ireland directly in 1972. Scotland has the next largest population, followed by Wales After many failed negotiations between the two sides, the and Northern Ireland. London is the capital of the UK, while Good Friday Agreement in 1998 brought relative calm to the the regional capitals are Edinburgh (Scotland), Cardiff region along with the potential of a devolved power-sharing (Wales), and Belfast (Northern Ireland). More than 9 million government. In 2005, the main Republican paramilitary group people live in London. (the Irish Republican Army, or IRA) took the significant step of declaring an end to its armed campaign. In 2007, the IRA's Language political wing, Sinn Féin, and the main Unionist party, the English is the main language of the United Kingdom. It often Democratic Unionists, agreed to share power. differs from the English used in the United States in terms of Modern Politics spelling, pronunciation, idiom, and intonation. A standard Despite its reduced role since World War II, the UK, with one pronunciation—what is formally known as Received of the world's biggest economies and most power militaries, Pronunciation—has become much less common, as people has remained influential on the world stage in the 21st now feel comfortable using their regional accents and century. Yet the nation has experienced significant domestic dialects, of which there are dozens. Many Britons have come hardships in recent years. The 2008 global financial crisis and to prefer the authenticity of a local accent. the deep economic recession that followed hit the UK hard. In In addition to English, various regional languages are response, the government implemented a deficit-reduction spoken: Welsh (Cymraeg) in Wales, Irish Gaelic (Gaeilge) in program, which cut funding for social-welfare programs as Northern Ireland, and Scottish Gaelic (Gàidhlig) and Scots in well as local governments and increased taxes on most goods Scotland. In general, these are first languages only among a and services. Although the austerity measures helped stabilize small percentage of the rural population, though a growing the nation's finances, many people saw their quality of life number of people are choosing to learn them as second deteriorate, and dissatisfaction with the UK's political languages. Scots, however, is spoken widely and often establishment grew. interchangeably with English in Scotland. This public frustration also fueled bitter division over the UK’s membership in the EU. Those who opposed Religion membership saw the EU as a foreign bureaucracy threatening In the 16th century, during the reign of Henry VIII, England the UK's sovereignty, particularly in areas such as industry split from the Roman Catholic Church to form the Church of regulations and immigration. Those who supported England (Anglican Church). The Church of England no membership saw the EU as vital to the health of the UK longer has political power, but the monarch is still officially economy. In a contentious national referendum in 2016, a the head of the church. The monarch does not, however, head narrow majority of British voters supported Britain’s the Church of Wales (an Anglican church with its own departure from the EU, known popularly as Brexit. Following archbishop) or the Church of Scotland (a Presbyterian the vote, the country spent several years in political debate church). over the terms of a withdrawal agreement before officially Today, Anglicans and other Christians make up the leaving the EU in January 2020. After the withdrawal, the UK majority of the population. About 4 percent of the United government continues to renegotiate its relationships with the Kingdom's population is Muslim and 1 percent is Hindu. EU and with other economic partners and to manage Brexit’s Other religions include Sikhism and Judaism. About 26 economic and cultural effects at home. percent claim no religion, and few of those that do are regular churchgoers. There is no longer a significant divide between Catholic THE PEOPLE and Protestant in England and Wales, but relations between the two religions remain a point of tension in Scotland and Population Northern Ireland. In recent years, conflicts have also surfaced The United Kingdom (UK) is a highly urbanized nation. between reformed, more liberal wings of Christian churches Although the population is still predominantly Caucasian (87 and orthodox, more traditional congregations. 2 TM CultureGrams United Kingdom General Attitudes Gestures In general, Britons value moderate behavior and emotional The British are in general a reserved people. They do not reserve. They may be embarrassed by displays of emotion or approve of loud or demonstrative behavior (except in very excessive enthusiasm. The British tend to be rather informal gatherings). However, the younger generations are self-deprecating with a somewhat cynical worldview and are often perceived to be far more boisterous and uninhibited than known for a wry sense of humor. They are inclined to be previous generations. People respect each other's personal suspicious of exaggerations and absolute statements. space and feel uncomfortable when someone stands too close The dominance of the United Kingdom's traditional class to them during conversation. British people often wave and system has begun to decline in the last generation.