A GEOLYCEUM COUNTRY FACT SHEET
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom and colloquially Great Britain or simply Britain, is a sovereign country in western Europe governed as a constitutional monarchy. Lying off the north-western coast of the European mainland, the United Kingdom includes the island of Great Britain (with its three countries: England, Wales, and Scotland), the north-eastern part of the island of Ireland and many smaller islands.
The UK is a diverse patchwork of native and immigrant cultures reflecting its colonial past. It possesses a fascinating history and dynamic modern culture, both of which make it an overwhelmingly popular destination for tourists. The UK’s culture is hugely influential in the wider world, and its capital and largest city of London is a global center of finance.
Basic Facts about United Kingdom
Area: 243,610 sq km Capital: London (51 30 N, 0 05 W, UTC 0) Population: 64,088,222 (July 2015 est.) Annual Population Growth Rate: 0.54% (2015 est.) Adult Literacy Rate: no data available Urban Population: 82.6% of total population (2015) GDP (Gross Domestic Product) is the sum total of the value of all the goods and services produced in the country in one year. GDP: $2.865 trillion (2015 est.) GDP Real Growth Rate: 2.5% (2015 est.) Per Capita GDP: $41,200 (2015 est.) GDP composition, by sector of origin: agriculture: 0.6%, industry: 19.7%, services: 79.6% (2015 est.) Exports: $442 billion (2015 est.) Chief Exports: manufactured goods, fuels, chemicals; food, beverages, tobacco Major Foreign Markets: US 12.7%, Germany 10.5%, Netherlands 7.6%, France 6.5%, Ireland 6.2%, Belgium 4.2% (2014) Chief Imports: manufactured goods, machinery, fuels; foodstuffs Major Suppliers: Germany 14.6%, China 8.9%, Netherlands 8%, US 6.8%, France 6.1%, Belgium 5.1%, Italy 4% (2014) United Kingdom A GEOLYCEUM COUNTRY FACT SHEET
How United Kingdom Scores on International Indicators
The Human Development Index from the United Nations Development Programme is a summary measure of average achievement in key dimensions of human development: a long and healthy life, being knowledgeable and have a decent standard of living. The HDI is the geometric mean of normalized indices for each of the three dimensions.
United Kingdom = 0.907 (rank = 14) What this means to you: Britons are healthy, safe, and well-educated.
Data from http://hdr.undp.org/en/content/human-development-index-hdi
The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) has the Better Life Index for determining quality of life, ranking countries on these factors on a scale from 1 to 10. Housing: 6.1 Income: 4.6 Jobs: 7.4 Community: 7.8 Education: 6.0 Environment: 8.4 Civic engagement: 6.9 Health: 7.8 Life satisfaction: 7.3 Safety: 9.7 work-life balance: 6.1
Data from http://www.oecdbetterlifeindex.org/
The Corruption Perceptions Index from Transparency International measures the perceived levels of public sector corruption in 175 countries and territories. It is a composite index, a combination of surveys and assessments of corruption, collected by a variety of reputable institutions.
United Kingdom score = 81 (2015) United Kingdom rank (out of 175) = 10 What this means to you: Corruption is not just illegal in this country, it is socially unacceptable. If you feel that you’ve been subject to corruption and report it to the authorities, you are highly likely to receive redress.
Data from http://www.transparency.org/
Freedom House evaluates the state of freedom in 195 countries and 15 territories during 2014. Each country and territory is assigned two numerical ratings—from 1 to 7—for political rights and civil liberties, with 1 representing the most free and 7 the least free. The two ratings are based on scores assigned to 25 more detailed indicators. The average of a country or territory’s political rights and civil liberties ratings determines whether it is Free, Partly Free, or Not Free.
United Kingdom = political rights 1, civil liberties 1 What this means to you: Britons have a mature, well-functioning democracy that respects the rights of both citizens and visitors.
Data from https://freedomhouse.org/
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