Background:Great Britain, the dominant industrial and maritime power of the 19th century,
played a leading role in developing parliamentary democracy and in advancing
literature and science. At its zenith, the British Empire stretched over
one-fourth of the earth's surface. The first half of the 20th century saw the
UK's strength seriously depleted in two World Wars. The second half witnessed
the dismantling of the Empire and the UK rebuilding itself into a modern and
prosperous European nation. As one of five permanent members of the UN Security
Council, a founding member of NATO, and of the Commonwealth, the UK pursues a
global approach to foreign policy; it currently is weighing the degree of its
integration with continental Europe. A member of the EU, it chose to remain
outside the Economic and Monetary Union for the time being. Constitutional
reform is also a significant issue in the UK. The Scottish Parliament, the National Assembly for Wales, and the Northern
Ireland Assembly were established in 1999, but the latter is suspended due to
bickering over the peace process.
Location: Western Europe, islands including the northern one-sixth of the island of
Ireland between the North Atlantic Ocean and the North Sea, northwest of France
Population: 60,441,457 (July 2005 est.)
Age structure: 0-14 years: 17.7% (male 5,490,592/female 5,229,691)
15-64
years: 66.5% (male 20,329,272/female 19,855,862)
65 years and
over: 15.8% (male 4,063,357/female 5,472,683) (2005 est.)
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