The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland uses as its national flag the royal banner known as the Union Flag or, popularly, Union Jack. The current design of the Union Flag dates from the union of Ireland and Great Britain in 1801. It consists of the red cross of Saint George (patron saint of England), edged in white, superimposed on the Cross of St Patrick (patron saint of Ireland), which are superimposed on the Saltire of Saint Andrew (patron saint of Scotland).
The United Kingdom is made up of England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. The official name is actually the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. Great Britain is the name given to England, Scotland, and Wales. The United Kingdom, which has a population of 61m (UN, 2008) and an area of 242,000 square kilometres, is sometimes colloquially referred to as 'Britain'.
If asked, many people will say that the image they have of the UK is the Big Ben, the red telephone booths, the double-decker buses, The Beatles, the Queen and other stereotypical features. But the UK is much more than that.
Britain has a long history of immigration, with Liverpool having the oldest black population in the country, dating back to at least the 1730s, and the oldest Chinese community in Europe, dating to the arrival of Chinese seamen in the 19th century.
Since 1945, substantial immigration from Africa, the Caribbean and South Asia has been a legacy of ties forged by the British Empire. Migration from new EU member states in Central and Eastern Europe since 2004 has resulted in growth in these population groups, but, as of 2008, the trend is reversing and many of these migrants are returning home, leaving the size of these groups unknown. As of 2001, 92.1% of the population identified themselves as white, leaving 7.9% of the UK population identifying themselves as mixed race or ethnic minority.
Over 10% of the British population uses a language other than English at home. In addition to the use of traditional languages such as Welsh and Gaelic, this phenomenon is also due to a combination of second generation immigrants from around the world, especially South Asia, interacting with relatives who still feel more comfortable speaking their native languages, as well as more recent immigrants from the EU and elsewhere, who may not have mastered English since arriving in the UK.
Come with us and see the diversity of the UK, in terms of the countries that make up the UK and in terms of its ethnic and religious diversity, and the different profile and customs of its population.
The United Kingdom’s international organisation for cultural relations and educational opportunities.
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