United Kingdom

Flag of the UK

United Kingdom

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland (commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain) is a sovereign state located off the north-western coast of continental Europe. The country includes the island of Great Britain, the north-eastern part of the island of Ireland and many smaller islands. Northern Ireland is the only part of the UK that shares a land border with another sovereign state—the Republic of Ireland. Apart from this land border the UK is surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean, the North Sea, the English Channel and the Irish Sea.

Royal Coat
of Arms
of the UK

The United Kingdom is a unitary state governed under a constitutional monarchy and a parliamentary system, with its seat of government in the capital city of London. It is a country in its own right and consists of four countries: England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales. There are three devolved national administrations, each with varying powers, situated in Belfast, Cardiff and Edinburgh; the capitals of Northern Ireland, Wales and Scotland respectively. Associated with the UK, but not constitutionally part of it, are three Crown Dependencies. The United Kingdom has fourteen overseas territories. These are remnants of the British Empire which, at its height in 1922, encompassed almost a quarter of the world's land surface and was the largest empire in history. British influence can still be observed in the language, culture and legal systems of many of its former territories.

The UK is a developed country and has the world's sixth-largest economy by nominal GDP and seventh-largest economy by purchasing power parity. It was the world's first industrialised country and the world's foremost power during the 19th and early 20th centuries. The UK remains a great power with leading economic, cultural, military, scientific and political influence. It is a recognised nuclear weapons state and its military expenditure ranks third or fourth in the world. The UK has been a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council since its first session in 1946; it is also a member of the Commonwealth of Nations, the Council of Europe, the European Union, the G7, the G8, the G20, NATO, the OECD and the World Trade Organization.

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British/English Proverbs

Action

¶ The shortest answer is doing.

Advice

¶ A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush.

¶ Do as you would be done by.

¶ It never rains but it pours.

¶ One man sows and another man reaps.

¶ One rotten apple spoils the barrel.

¶ Spare the rod and spoil the child.

¶ Too many cooks spoil the broth.

Beauty

¶ A rose is sweeter in the bud than full blown.

Care

¶ Care killed the cat.

Cat

¶ A cat has nine lives.

Children·Youth

¶ Children are a poor man's riches.

Endeavor

¶ Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery.

Failure

¶ A small leak will sink a great ship.

Friends

¶ A friend in need is a friend indeed.

July

¶ If the first of July be rainy weather, It will rain, more of less, for four weeks together.

Happiness

¶ If you want to be happy for a year, plant a garden; if you want to be happy for life, plant a tree.

Knowledge·Wisdom

¶ We never know the worth of water till the well is dry.

Money

¶ Drop by drop fills the tub.

Time

¶ Time flies like an arrow.

Wisdom

¶ All is not gold that glitters.

Writing·Reading

¶ Do not judge a book by its cover.

Youth

¶ An idle youth，a needy age.

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http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uk
United Kingdom
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/England
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/English_people
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/English_language
England and English