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About 38% of the United Kingdom population has a university or college degree, which is the highest percentage in Europe, and among the highest percentage in the world. [415] The United Kingdom is home to many universities, including the University of Oxford and University of Cambridge which often achieve first place on global rankings. [416] [417]
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland – sovereign country in Europe, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK), or Britain. [ 1 ] [ 2 ] [ 3 ] Lying off the north-western coast of the European mainland , it includes the island of Great Britain —a term also applied loosely to refer to the whole country—the north-eastern part ...
The United Kingdom had an estimated population of over 68.2 million people in 2023. The capital and largest city of both England and the United Kingdom is London, whose wider metropolitan area is the largest in Western Europe, with a population of 14.9 million.
The government of the United Kingdom, officially His Majesty's Government, abbreviated to HM Government, is the central executive authority of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. [2] [3] The government is led by the prime minister (Keir Starmer since 5 July 2024) who selects all the other ministers.
Since the late 20th century the administration of the United Kingdom has moved towards devolved governance in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. [83] England and Wales continues to exist as a jurisdiction within the United Kingdom. [84] Devolution has stimulated a greater emphasis on a more English-specific identity and patriotism. [85]
The history of the United Kingdom begins in 1707 with the Treaty of Union and Acts of Union. The core of the United Kingdom as a unified state came into being with the political union of the kingdoms of England and Scotland, [1] into a new unitary state called Great Britain. [a] Of this new state, the historian Simon Schama said:
The UK prime minister's website has used the phrase "countries within a country" to describe the United Kingdom. [8] Although the United Kingdom is a unitary sovereign country, it contains three distinct legal jurisdictions in Scotland, England and Wales, and Northern Ireland, each retaining its own legal system even after joining the UK. [9]
The population of the United Kingdom was estimated at 67,596,281 in 2022. [1] It is the 21st most populated country in the world and has a population density of 279 people per square kilometre (720 people/sq mi), with England having significantly greater density than Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland. [1]