Conventional Long Form Name of country-United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
Capital City(ies)-London
Type of Government-constitutional monarchy and Commonwealth realm
Date of Independence-12 April 1927
National Holiday(s): the UK does not celebrate one particular national holiday
Chief of State (official public face of government)-Queen ELIZABETH II
Head of Government (actual leader of government)-Prime Minister David CAMERON
Description of Executive Branch/Powers- the monarchy is hereditary; following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party or the leader of the majority coalition usually becomes the prime minister; Cabinet of Ministers appointed by the prime minister
Description of Legislative Branch/Powers-bicameral Parliament consists of House of Lords; note - membership is not fixed (780 seats; consisting of approximately 667 life peers, 88 hereditary peers, and 25 clergy - as of 13 January 2014) and House of Commons (650 seats since 2010 elections; members elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms unless the House is dissolved earlier)
Description of Judicial Branch/Powers-Supreme Court (consists of 12 justices including the court president and deputy president);judge candidates selected by an independent committee of several judicial commissions, followed by their recommendations to the prime minister, and appointed by Her Majesty The Queen; justices appointed during period of good behavior;
Suffrage (who is allowed to vote)- 18 years of age; universal
Name of THEIR Ambassador to the U.S.-Ambassador Peter John WESTMACOTT
Location of THEIR embassy in the U.S.-3100 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008
Location(s) of THEIR consulate(s) in the U.S.-Dallas, Orlando (FL)
Name of U.S. Ambassador to THEM-Ambassador Matthew W. BARZUN
Location of U.S. embassy THERE-24 Grosvenor Square, London, W1K 6AH
Location(s) of U.S. consulate(s) THERE-Belfast, Edinburgh
Name of THEIR representative to UN-Mark Justin LYALL GRANT
Description of the Symbolism of flag- blue field with the red cross of Saint George (patron saint of England) edged in white superimposed on the diagonal red cross of Saint Patrick (patron saint of Ireland), which is superimposed on the diagonal white cross of Saint Andrew (patron saint of Scotland); properly known as the Union Flag, but commonly called the Union Jack; the design and colors (especially the Blue Ensign) have been the basis for a number of other flags including other Commonwealth countries and their constituent states or provinces, and British overseas territories
Video or audio of their national anthem being played- "God Save the Queen"
National Symbol(s)-lion (Britain in general); lion, Tudor rose (England); lion, unicorn, thistle (Scotland); dragon, daffodil, leek (Wales); harp, flax (Northern Ireland)
Descriptions of International Disputes-
in 2002, Gibraltar residents voted overwhelmingly by referendum to reject any "shared sovereignty" arrangement between the UK and Spain; the Government of Gibraltar insisted on equal participation in talks between the two countries; Spain disapproved of UK plans to grant Gibraltar greater autonomy; Mauritius and Seychelles claim the Chagos Archipelago (British Indian Ocean Territory); in 2001, the former inhabitants of the archipelago, evicted 1967 - 1973, were granted U.K. citizenship and the right of return, followed by Orders in Council in 2004 that banned rehabitation, a High Court ruling reversed the ban, a Court of Appeal refusal to hear the case, and a Law Lords' decision in 2008 denied the right of return; in addition, the United Kingdom created the world's largest marine protection area around the Chagos islands prohibiting the extraction of any natural resources therein; UK rejects sovereignty talks requested by Argentina, which still claims the Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas) and South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands; territorial claim in Antarctica (British Antarctic Territory) overlaps Argentine claim and partially overlaps Chilean claim; Iceland, the UK, and Ireland dispute Denmark's claim that the Faroe Islands' continental shelf extends beyond 200 nm
Quantity of refugees inside country AND country(ies) of origin of refugees-
11,249 (Somalia); 10,302 (Zimbabwe); 11,368 (Iran); 10,010 (Eritrea); 9,166 (Afghanistan) (2013)
Quantity of Internally Displaced Persons-N/A
Quantity of Stateless Persons-205 (2012)
Description of current human trafficking-N/A
issues related to this country-N/A
Description of Illicit Drug trafficking/use-
producer of limited amounts of synthetic drugs and synthetic precursor chemicals; major consumer of Southwest Asian heroin, Latin American cocaine, and synthetic drugs; money-laundering center
Capital City(ies)-London
Type of Government-constitutional monarchy and Commonwealth realm
Date of Independence-12 April 1927
National Holiday(s): the UK does not celebrate one particular national holiday
Chief of State (official public face of government)-Queen ELIZABETH II
Head of Government (actual leader of government)-Prime Minister David CAMERON
Description of Executive Branch/Powers- the monarchy is hereditary; following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party or the leader of the majority coalition usually becomes the prime minister; Cabinet of Ministers appointed by the prime minister
Description of Legislative Branch/Powers-bicameral Parliament consists of House of Lords; note - membership is not fixed (780 seats; consisting of approximately 667 life peers, 88 hereditary peers, and 25 clergy - as of 13 January 2014) and House of Commons (650 seats since 2010 elections; members elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms unless the House is dissolved earlier)
Description of Judicial Branch/Powers-Supreme Court (consists of 12 justices including the court president and deputy president);judge candidates selected by an independent committee of several judicial commissions, followed by their recommendations to the prime minister, and appointed by Her Majesty The Queen; justices appointed during period of good behavior;
Suffrage (who is allowed to vote)- 18 years of age; universal
Name of THEIR Ambassador to the U.S.-Ambassador Peter John WESTMACOTT
Location of THEIR embassy in the U.S.-3100 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008
Location(s) of THEIR consulate(s) in the U.S.-Dallas, Orlando (FL)
Name of U.S. Ambassador to THEM-Ambassador Matthew W. BARZUN
Location of U.S. embassy THERE-24 Grosvenor Square, London, W1K 6AH
Location(s) of U.S. consulate(s) THERE-Belfast, Edinburgh
Name of THEIR representative to UN-Mark Justin LYALL GRANT
Description of the Symbolism of flag- blue field with the red cross of Saint George (patron saint of England) edged in white superimposed on the diagonal red cross of Saint Patrick (patron saint of Ireland), which is superimposed on the diagonal white cross of Saint Andrew (patron saint of Scotland); properly known as the Union Flag, but commonly called the Union Jack; the design and colors (especially the Blue Ensign) have been the basis for a number of other flags including other Commonwealth countries and their constituent states or provinces, and British overseas territories
Video or audio of their national anthem being played- "God Save the Queen"
National Symbol(s)-lion (Britain in general); lion, Tudor rose (England); lion, unicorn, thistle (Scotland); dragon, daffodil, leek (Wales); harp, flax (Northern Ireland)
Descriptions of International Disputes-
in 2002, Gibraltar residents voted overwhelmingly by referendum to reject any "shared sovereignty" arrangement between the UK and Spain; the Government of Gibraltar insisted on equal participation in talks between the two countries; Spain disapproved of UK plans to grant Gibraltar greater autonomy; Mauritius and Seychelles claim the Chagos Archipelago (British Indian Ocean Territory); in 2001, the former inhabitants of the archipelago, evicted 1967 - 1973, were granted U.K. citizenship and the right of return, followed by Orders in Council in 2004 that banned rehabitation, a High Court ruling reversed the ban, a Court of Appeal refusal to hear the case, and a Law Lords' decision in 2008 denied the right of return; in addition, the United Kingdom created the world's largest marine protection area around the Chagos islands prohibiting the extraction of any natural resources therein; UK rejects sovereignty talks requested by Argentina, which still claims the Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas) and South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands; territorial claim in Antarctica (British Antarctic Territory) overlaps Argentine claim and partially overlaps Chilean claim; Iceland, the UK, and Ireland dispute Denmark's claim that the Faroe Islands' continental shelf extends beyond 200 nm
Quantity of refugees inside country AND country(ies) of origin of refugees-
11,249 (Somalia); 10,302 (Zimbabwe); 11,368 (Iran); 10,010 (Eritrea); 9,166 (Afghanistan) (2013)
Quantity of Internally Displaced Persons-N/A
Quantity of Stateless Persons-205 (2012)
Description of current human trafficking-N/A
issues related to this country-N/A
Description of Illicit Drug trafficking/use-
producer of limited amounts of synthetic drugs and synthetic precursor chemicals; major consumer of Southwest Asian heroin, Latin American cocaine, and synthetic drugs; money-laundering center