The United Kingdom

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, or UK, is in Western Europe. It comprises the
island of Great Britain (England, Scotland and Wales) and the northern one-sixth of the island of Ireland
(Northern Ireland), together with many smaller islands.
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The mainland areas lie between latitudes 49N and 59N (the Shetland Islands reach to nearly 61N), and
longitudes 8W to 2E. The Royal Greenwich Observatory, near London, is the defining point of the Prime
Meridian. The United Kingdom has a total area of approximately 245,000 km.
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The UK lies between the North Atlantic Ocean and the North Sea, and comes within 35 km (22 miles) of the
northwest coast of France, from which it is separated by the English Channel.
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Northern Ireland shares a 360 km international land boundary with the Republic of Ireland. The Channel
Tunnel ("Chunnel"), bored beneath the English Channel, now links the UK with France.
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London
London containing the City of London is the capital of the United Kingdom
and of England and is recognised as one of the key "world cities".

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With over seven million inhabitants (Londoners) in Greater London, it is the second-most populous
conurbation in Europe, after Moscow.
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Founded as Londinium, the capital of the Roman province of Britannia, it later rose to become the centre of
the British Empire.

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Today it generates over 17% of the GDP of the UK's economy, the world's fourth largest, and is a major
financial centre along with New York and Tokyo.
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For several centuries, London has been one of the most influential powers in politics, finance, arts and
fashion and remains so today.
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Birmingham
Birmingham is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands of England. It is
the UK's second largest and most ethnically diverse city and continues to be considered
the country's "second city". The City of Birmingham has a population of 992,100 (2003
estimate); the Birmingham metropolitan area (the West Midlands county) has a
population of 2,575,768. More than five million people live in the surrounding region.
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The city is commonly known by its nickname Brum (from the local name Brummagem), and its people as
Brummies. Birmingham is home to the distinctive Brummie accent and dialect.
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Birmingham is one of the most culturally diverse cities in the UK, with large populations from the Caribbean
and Indian subcontinent: according to the 2001 census, 25.6% of the population of Birmingham is non-white.
The city hosts the largest number (140033) of Muslims in Britain, with regard to the percentage (14,3) it ranks
sixth among the country's local authorities. Birmingham also has a large Irish community, and the city hosts
the third largest St. Patrick's Day parade in the world, after Dublin and New York. Birmingham's balti
restaurants produce some of the finest 'Indian' cuisine in the UK.
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About 22 million people visit Birmingham every year and the city was voted second best place to shop in
England 2004 after the West End of London. Its top attractions include Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery,
Millennium Point, Bull Ring, Selfridges Building, Cadbury World, Tolkien Trail, Birmingham Royal Ballet, and
the National Sea Life Centre.
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Birmingham has 35 miles (60 km) of canals within the city boundaries, of which most are navigable; the canals
were once the lifeblood of the city's industries during the Industrial Revolution but are now used mainly for
pleasure. It is often quoted that Birmingham has more miles of canal than Venice. This is in fact true (Venice
has 26 miles) although Birmingham is much larger than Venice.
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