National Flag

Area

244,820 sq km

Population

over 61.7 million -  81.5% English, 9.6% Scottish, 1.9% Welsh, 2.4% Irish, 1.8% Ulster

Capital

London (city 7,825,000, metropolitan area 13.945 million)

Other towns

Birmingham (city 1.036 million, metropolitan area 2.248 million), Leeds (population 779,000), Glasgow (city 593,000, metropolitan area 2.55 million), Sheffield (population 555,000), Liverpool (city 445,000, conurbation 1.103 million),  Edinburgh (486,000)

Currency

pound sterling = 100 pence  (L)

Languages

English (official), Welsh, Gaelic

Life expectancy

men 74, women 79

GDP

$39,604 per capita (2011 estimate)

Head of state

Queen Elizabeth II 

Head of government

Prime Minister - David Cameron (since 2010)