The United Kingdom is a sovereign country located off the northwestern coast of continental Europe. It is made up of four countries - England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland. With a population of over 66 million, the United Kingdom is the 22nd most populous country in the world. London, the capital city, is the largest city in the UK and one of the most important financial centers in the world. The United Kingdom has a long and fascinating history. It has been inhabited by various groups of people over the centuries, including the Celts, Romans, Anglo-Saxons, and Normans. It has also played a significant role in world history, particularly during the colonial era when the British Empire was one of the most powerful forces in the world. Today, the United Kingdom is a modern, diverse, and multicultural society with a thriving economy and a rich cultural heritage. It is a member of the European Union, the United Nations, the Commonwealth of Nations, and NATO.

This is a general introduction to the United Kingdom focusing on contemporary times. It's also a short history of the UK. The work looks at all the countries which constitute the UK: England, Wales, Scotland,and Northern Ireland. The book starts with a chapter on the general background of the United Kingdom, followed by several others. A chapter is devoted to each of the countries, or constituent parts, of the United Kingdom addressing a variety of subjects including demographic composition, social life, cities, cultural differences including other languages - besides English - spoken in different parts of the UK, for example, Welsh. Also an entire chapter is devoted to London because of the importance of this city in the history and contemporary life of the United Kingdom, and even of Europe, if not of the whole world. The book also looks at the ethnic and racial diversity of the United Kingdom, a result of demographic changes which taken place because of the large number of immigrants who have entered the UK during the past few decades. Other subjects covered include geography, the economy of each of the countries of the United Kingdom,and much more. The book should be very helpful to tourists, immigrants, students and anybody else interested in learning basic facts and many other things about this island nation.

First published as part of the best-selling The Oxford Illustrated History of Britain, Christopher Harvie and Colin Matthew's Very Short Introduction to Nineteenth-Century Britain is a sharp but subtle account of remarkable economic and social change and an even more remarkable political stability. Britain in 1789 was overwhelmingly rural, agrarian, multilingual, and almost half Celtic. By 1914, when it faced its greatest test since the defeat of Napoleon, it was largely urban and English. Christopher Harvie and Colin Matthew show the forces behind Britain's rise to its imperial zenith, and the continuing tensions within the nations and classes of the 'union state'. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable.

British Civilization: A Student's Dictionary is an invaluable reference guide to the British way of life.It explains the often puzzling and confusing terms and phrases used routinely in Britain and by British people. This easy-reference alphabetical guide sheds light on a comprehensive selection of words, phrases, organizations and institutions. All these are fundamental features of British civilization and society, and include aspects of: * politics and government * the Law, economics and industry * education * the media * religion and social welfare * health and housing * leisure and transport.

This volume provides an introduction to the United Kingdom's constitution that recognises and embraces its historical, social, political, and legal dimensions. It critically examines the radical changes to the UK constitution that have occurred over the last thirty years, paying particular attention to the revival of the constituent territories of the UK - Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland, and England - and to the increasing role played by the judges in constitutional disputes. The UK constitution is presented as being shaped by a set of constitutional principles, including state sovereignty, separation of powers, democracy, subsidiarity, and the rule of law, principles which set the overall structure of the constitution and inform statutes and the decisions of judges. Adopting a principled approach to the UK constitution allows us to see both the clarity of the constitution's structure and also helps explain its complexities.

British Culture explores the highly varied nature of culture and the arts in Britain today. Each chapter focuses on key themes of recent years, and gives special emphasis to outstanding artists within each area.

Speakers of British and American English display some striking differences in their use of grammar. In this detailed survey, John Algeo considers questions such as: •Who lives on a street, and who lives in a street? •Who takes a bath, and who has a bath? •Who says Neither do I, and who says Nor do I? •After 'thank you', who says Not at all and who says You're welcome? •Whose team are on the ball, and whose team isn't? Containing extensive quotations from real-life English on both sides of the Atlantic, collected over the past twenty years, this is a clear and highly organized guide to the differences - and the similarities - between the grammar of British and American speakers. Written for those with no prior knowledge of linguistics, it shows how these grammatical differences are linked mainly to particular words, and provides an accessible account of contemporary English in use.