Britannica Student Encyclopedia - 2010

gas. The country also produces chemicals,

clothing, cement, metals, food

products, and minerals.

History

For hundreds of years the region was

divided among many tribes and kingdoms.

In the 1800s the main tribal rulers

signed peace agreements, or truces,

with Great Britain. The region then

became known as the Trucial States. The

British left the region in 1971. Six emirates

then joined together to form the

United Arab Emirates. In 1972 a seventh

emirate joined the country.

..More to explore

Abu Dhabi • Arabs • Middle East

Boys get ready for a camel race in the

United Arab Emirates.

Facts About

UNITED ARAB

EMIRATES

Population

(2008 estimate)

4,660,000

Area

32,280 sq mi

(83,600 sq km)

Capital

Abu Dhabi

Form of

government

Federation of

seven emirates

Major cities

Dubayy, Abu

Dhabi, Ash-

Shariqah,

Al-!Ayn, !Ajman

BRITANNICA STUDENT ENCYCLOPEDIA United Arab Emirates 15

 

United Kingdom

The United Kingdom is a country of

western Europe. It is made up of four

parts: England, Scotland, Wales, and

Northern Ireland. The country’s full

name is the United Kingdom of Great

Britain and Northern Ireland. Sometimes

the country is called Great Britain,

or just Britain. The capital of the United

Kingdom is London, in southeastern

England.

Geography

The United Kingdom is an island

country in the Atlantic Ocean. It lies off

the northwestern coast of mainland

Europe. The country has land on two

main islands. The island of Great Britain

contains England, Scotland, andWales.

England covers most of the southern two

thirds of Great Britain. Scotland takes up

the northern third.Wales lies on the

southwestern part of Great Britain.

The island of Ireland is west of Great

Britain. Northern Ireland is in the

northeastern part of this island. The

country called Ireland takes up the rest

of the island. It is not part of the United

Kingdom.

Plants and Animals

The United Kingdom has forests in

northeastern Scotland and southeastern

England. Common trees include oak,

elm, ash, beech, pine, and birch. Some

parts of Scotland and Northern Ireland

have large areas of peat moss and

heather.

The United Kingdom has quiet villages, but

most of its people live in large cities.

16 United Kingdom BRITANNICA STUDENT ENCYCLOPEDIA

 

Deer, badgers, otters, foxes, and weasels

live in rural areas. Rabbits, rodents,

hedgehogs, moles, and shrews are common.

Birds include sparrows, blackbirds,

chaffinches, and starlings.

People

The people of the United Kingdom are

called the British. Most of them are

descendants of early settlers from mainland

Europe. More than four fifths of

the people live in England. The population

also includes people from places

that the United Kingdom once ruled as

colonies. Many of these people have

roots in India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, the

West Indies, and Africa.

English is the most common language in

the United Kingdom. Some people

speakWelsh, Scottish Gaelic, or Irish

Gaelic.

About two thirds of the people are

Christian. Of these, most belong to

Protestant churches. The United Kingdom

also has groups of Muslims, Hindus,

Sikhs, and Jews.

Economy

International trade, finance, and

insurance are important to the United

Kingdom’s economy. The country

before

300 BC AD 927 1536 1707 1801 1921 1999

Celts settle in

Great Britain

and Ireland.

The first united

English

kingdom is

established.

Wales is united

with England.

Scotland is

united with

England and

Wales.

Ireland is

added, forming

the United

Kingdom.

Most of Ireland

splits from the

United

Kingdom.

Wales,

Scotland, and

Northern

Ireland get

parliaments.

T I M E L I N E

The Scottish Exhibition and Conference

Centre in Glasgow, Scotland, attracts visitors

from all over the United Kingdom. It

hosts business meetings and public events,

including concerts and dance performances.

BRITANNICA STUDENT ENCYCLOPEDIA United Kingdom 17

 

exports, or sells to other countries,

electrical equipment, automobiles,

aircraft, petroleum (oil), and iron and

steel products. The United Kingdom

also has important paper, printing, and

publishing industries. The main crops

include barley, wheat, sugar beets, and

potatoes. Farmers also raise cattle,

sheep, and pigs.

History

The United Kingdom was invaded

many times in its early history. By

about 300 BC people called Celts had

arrived on the islands of Great Britain

and Ireland. They came from mainland

Europe. The Romans came in the 1st

century BC. England and Wales were

part of the Roman Empire until the AD

400s. Then peoples called Angles,

Saxons, and Jutes invaded from

northern Germany. They settled

throughout England. Eventually all the

people of England came to be known as

Anglo-Saxons.

In the 700s and 800s Vikings from

northern Europe raided the coasts of

England. In the late 800s the Anglo-

Saxons defeated the Vikings. Then, in

the 900s, the Anglo-Saxons established a

united English kingdom for the first

time.

Growth of the Kingdom

The English kingdom grew through

conquests over hundreds of years. In the

late 1200s the king of England seized

Wales. Before that,Wales had been a

collection of Celtic kingdoms. In 1536

the English Parliament, a group of lawmakers,

officially unitedWales with

England.

The ruins of a Roman Catholic abbey stand