Culture and Demographics of UK
The history of the merged countries, including its historically Christian religious life, its interactions with European cultures, the customs of England, Wales, Scotland, and Ireland, as well as the effects of the British Empire, all have an impact on British culture. The cultures of England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland are all unique and have varying amounts of overlap and distinctiveness, even though British culture is a distinct entity.
Particularly appreciated is British literature. British playwrights, poets, and authors are among the country's most well-known cultural figures. The contemporary novel was invented there. In addition, Britain has made significant contributions to television, art, music, film, and other fields. In addition, the Church of England, the mother church of the Anglican Communion, the third-largest Christian denomination, is headquartered in the UK. In addition to having some of the oldest colleges in the world, Britain has made significant contributions to philosophy, science, technology, and medicine. It is also home to several well-known inventors and scientists. Beginning in the UK, the Industrial Revolution had a significant impact on global family, socioeconomic, and cultural situations.
Significant British influence can be seen as a result of the British Empire in the language, laws, cultures, and institutions of its former colonies, the majority of which are now Commonwealth of Nations members. A subset of these nations make up the Anglosphere and are among Britain's closest allies. British colonies and dominions also had an impact on British culture, particularly on British cuisine. Sport is a significant aspect of British culture, and many sports like cricket, football, and rugby have their roots in the United Kingdom.
People, Language, and Tradition in the UK
An estimated 95% of Britons speak only English, which was first used in early medieval England. Seven other languages, including Welsh, Scottish Gaelic, Scots, Cornish, Irish, Ulster Scots, and British Sign Language, are also recognized by the British government under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages.
In Wales, the Welsh Language Act of 1993 and the Government of Wales Act of 1998 stipulates that the Welsh and English languages should be treated equally in the public sector, to the extent that is reasonable and practicable, and that all students in state schools must either be taught in Welsh or study it as a second language until the age of 16. Irish and Ulster Scots are only occasionally used alongside English in Northern Ireland, mostly in translations that were paid for by the government. The Gaelic Language (Scotland) Act, approved by the Scottish Parliament in 2005, recognized Gaelic as an official language of Scotland and mandated the drafting of a national strategy for Gaelic to give the language a strategic direction for growth.
The Cornish language was extinct as a primary language in Cornwall by the late 18th century, although it has since been restored.
Social Demography
Over 67.0 million people were predicted to live in the UK by 2020. England has a significantly higher population density than Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland, with 270 people per square kilometer (700 people per square mile), making it the 21st most populous nation in the world. Nearly 9 million people live in London, the nation's capital, which has a population density of just over 5,200 per square kilometer (13,468 per square mile).
The UK population has gone through a demographic transition, or the change from a population that was (typically) pre-industrial, with high birth and mortality rates and slow population growth, to one that had falling mortality and faster rates of population growth, and finally to one that had low birth and mortality rates and slower rates of growth. Alongside this rise through natural change, net migration into the United Kingdom has increased over the previous 20 years, surpassing natural change since 1999.
The introduction of universal state education at the primary level in 1870 (Scotland 1872, free 1890), and the secondary level in 1900, is what's responsible for the high literacy rate in the United Kingdom (99% at age 15 and above). From the age of five to sixteen (18 in England as of 2013), parents must provide for their children's education. After that, they are free to continue their education for free through A-Levels, apprenticeships, and other forms of vocational training until they are eighteen.
History of Land and People
At the end of the second century AD, between 2.8 million and 3 million people were living in Roman Britain. Roman Britain had a population of about 3.6 million at the end of the fourth century, of which 125,000 were members of the Roman army and their families and dependents. At that time, there were also about 240,000 people living in urban areas. Londinium, the capital of Roman Britain, is thought to have had a population of about 60,000.
After the Romans left Britain, Germanic tribes from continental Europe, including the Angles, Saxons, and Jutes, began to migrate significantly to the southeast of the island, bringing with them their language, Old English. Nevertheless, the overall population is thought to have fallen precipitously due to political upheavals and plagues. By the time the Domesday Book was compiled in the eleventh century, there may have been between one and two million people living there.
Due to civil war, famines, and plagues, the English population fluctuated between the years 1086 and 1750. By the end of the 13th century, the population was thought to have reached between four and six million people, but a combination of factors, including widespread famine and disease in the following century, dramatically reduced the population. The population was reduced by more than a third of its pre-existing number and the growth rate was due to an agricultural crisis from 1315 to 1322 and the Black Death from 1348 to 1350. By 1377, the population was estimated by a poll tax of all people aged 14 and over to be between 2.2 million and 3.1 million, depending on the population of those under 14.
Migration and Economy in the UK
Since 1945, there has been a significant amount of immigration to the UK under British nationality law, particularly from the Republic of Ireland and the former British Empire, particularly from India, Bangladesh, Pakistan, the Caribbean, South Africa, Nigeria, Ghana, Kenya, and Hong Kong. Since 1992–1993, when the EU was founded, immigrants have come from EU member states, exercising one of the EU's Four Freedoms. Since Brexit took effect in 2021, former EU citizenship's entitlement to travel and live in the EU permanently no longer applies. A smaller number have arrived as asylum seekers, who are not considered immigrants but who are looking for protection as refugees under the 1951 Refugee Convention of the United Nations.
Between the 2001 and 2011 censuses, immigration of foreign-born people accounted for about 70% of the population growth. Although the census makes no mention of their immigration status or intended stay, 7.5 million persons (11.9% of the population at the time) were born abroad. According to preliminary data, 314,000 people left the UK in 2013 and 526,000 people moved there to live, resulting in net inward migration of 212,000. Between 2012 and 2013, the number of people moving to the UK climbed by 28,000, while the number leaving decreased by 7,000.
The British economy is a highly advanced social market and market-driven economy. When assessed by nominal gross domestic product (GDP), it is the eighth-largest national economy in the world, ninth when measured by purchasing power parity (PPP), and twenty-fifth highest when measured by GDP per capita, making up 3.3% of nominal world GDP.
England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland make up the United Kingdom, one of the most globally integrated economies. [a] In 2020, the UK was the fifth-largest exporter and importer in the world. Additionally, it had the fifth-largest outbound and third-largest inward foreign direct investments. In 2020, 49% of the UK's exports and 52% of its imports were attributed to trade with the EU's 27 member states.
The financial services business is particularly significant, and London is the second-largest financial center in the world. The service sector dominates, accounting for 81% of GDP. For its financial services sector, Edinburgh was ranked 17th globally and 6th in Europe in 2021. Britain's aircraft industry is the second-largest national aerospace industry, behind the United States and China, with a US$1 trillion market value. Its pharmaceutical business, the tenth-largest in the world, is significant to the economy. 26 of the 500 largest corporations in the world have their headquarters in the UK.
The extraction of oil and gas from the North Sea boosts the economy; in 2016, its reserves were estimated to reach 2.8 billion barrels, even though it has been a net importer of oil since 2005. The wealthiest regions per capita are South East England and North East Scotland, with large regional differences in prosperity. London is the greatest city in Europe in terms of GDP per capita due to the magnitude of its economy.