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What is the UK — explainers

Every name, date and concept from What is the UK in the official handbook, written as a short, focused page with related practice questions.

All chapters · 202 Values & Principles · 25 What is the UK · 29 British History · 66 Modern Society · 45 Government & Law · 37
What is the UK

What "the United Kingdom" Actually Means

The legal name of the country, the four nations it contains, and why "Britain" and "the UK" are not interchangeable.

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What is the UK

The Four Capital Cities of the UK

London, Edinburgh, Cardiff and Belfast — the seats of government for the four nations.

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What is the UK

The Union Flag (Union Jack), Explained

How three saints' crosses combine to form the flag of the United Kingdom — and why Wales is missing.

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What is the UK

The Four Patron Saints and Their Days

St George, St Andrew, St Patrick and St David — and the dates each is celebrated across the UK.

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What is the UK

The Population of the UK

How many people live in each nation, the latest census results, and how the population has changed.

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What is the UK

The Main Languages of the UK

English, Welsh, Scottish Gaelic, Irish, Ulster Scots and the place each holds in modern Britain.

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What is the UK

The UK's Currency: Pound Sterling

Pound sterling, the symbols, the notes and coins, and why Scotland and Northern Ireland print their own banknotes.

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What is the UK

The UK's Longest Rivers and Highest Mountains

The Severn, the Thames, Ben Nevis, Snowdon and Scafell Pike — geographic facts that come up in the test.

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What is the UK

National Parks Across the United Kingdom

The Lake District, the Peak District, Snowdonia and Britain's 15 protected landscapes.

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What is the UK

Major UK Cities Outside London

Birmingham, Manchester, Leeds, Glasgow and the country's other regional centres.

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What is the UK

Crown Dependencies: Jersey, Guernsey and the Isle of Man

Why the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man are linked to the King but are not part of the UK.

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What is the UK

British Overseas Territories

Gibraltar, the Falkland Islands and the 14 territories that remain under UK sovereignty.

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What is the UK

Multicultural Britain

Why Britain is one of the most ethnically diverse societies in Europe and the modern history that shaped it.

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What is the UK

The Main Religions in the UK

Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, Sikhism, Judaism, Buddhism — and the role of the Church of England.

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What is the UK

The Church of England

England's established church, the role of the monarch as Supreme Governor, and how it differs from the Church of Scotland.

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What is the UK

The Church of Scotland (the Kirk)

Scotland's national Presbyterian church and how it differs from the Church of England.

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What is the UK

Islam in Britain

The UK's second-largest religion, where it is most concentrated, and how British Muslims practise their faith.

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What is the UK

Hinduism in Britain

The faith of around one million UK residents, the festival of Diwali, and where British Hindus live.

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What is the UK

Sikhism in Britain

The faith founded by Guru Nanak, the role of the gurdwara, and Vaisakhi.

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What is the UK

Judaism in Britain

A Jewish community of around 270,000, the synagogue, Hanukkah and the festivals of the Jewish year.

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What is the UK

Buddhism in Britain

The faith of around a quarter of a million UK residents, Buddhist temples, and Wesak.

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What is the UK

The Climate of the UK

A maritime climate shaped by the Atlantic — mild, wet and famously unpredictable.

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What is the UK

Dover, the Channel and Britain as an Island

How the English Channel has shaped British history and how the Channel Tunnel connects Britain to mainland Europe.

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What is the UK

Farming and Rural Britain

Why agriculture only employs about 1% of the workforce yet still shapes the British landscape.

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What is the UK

The Main Cities of Northern Ireland

Belfast and Derry/Londonderry — the urban heart of the smallest UK nation.

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What is the UK

Why Britain's Geography Made It the First Industrial Nation

Coal, ports, canals and a mild climate — the geography that powered the Industrial Revolution.

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What is the UK

The Commonwealth of Nations

The voluntary association of 56 countries with historical ties to Britain, headed by the King.

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What is the UK

The UK and the European Union

A short history of the UK's membership of the EU, the 2016 referendum, and the post-Brexit relationship.

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What is the UK

The UK at the United Nations and NATO

How the UK is one of five permanent members of the UN Security Council and a founding member of NATO.

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