| Location： |
Lying off the north-western coast of the European mainland, the United Kingdom includes the island of Great Britain, the north-eastern part of the island of Ireland and many smaller islands. It is surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean, with the North Sea to its east, the English Channel to its south and the Celtic Sea to its south-southwest. The Irish Sea lies between Great Britain and Ireland. |
| Coastline： |
Approx. 11, 000 km |
| Area： |
Approx. 243,610 sq km |
| Population： |
Approx. 64.4 million |
| Capital： |
London |
| Language： |
English |
| Currency： |
Pound Sterling (GBP) |
| Climate： |
The climate in the United Kingdom is unpredictable and the temperature varies with the seasons. The United Kingdom has a temperate climate with plentiful rainfall all year round. Winter is cold, wet and windy, the average temperature seldom drops below -10℃. Summer is cool and dry, the average temperature rarely breaks 30℃. |
| Education System: |
Education is mandatory from the age of 5-16 in the United Kingdom. The majority of children are educated in state-sector schools, a small proportion of children are educated in the private schools. The education systems in England, Scotland, Wales and North Ireland are basically the same, while Scotland is slightly different from other areas in some respects. |
| Tax System： |
The United Kingdom has maintained a low tax system of business environment, in order to facilitate the development of the British business and attract foreign investment. Income tax forms the single largest source of revenues collected by the government, followed by National Insurance Contributions, value added tax and corporation tax. United Kingdom sourced income is generally subject to United Kingdom taxation no matter the citizenship nor the place of residence of the individual nor the place of registration of the company. |
| Welfare： |
The welfare system in the United Kingdom is broadly divided into 7 categories: child and maternity benefits, disability or sickness benefits, retirement benefits, widow benefits, unemployment benefits, welfare and social funds for low-income people. Public healthcare is provided to all UK permanent residents and is mostly free at the point of need, being paid for from general taxation. |
