Until It Sticks Open the app ›The UK & its Geography
What the UK actually is trips more people up than any history date. Lock in the UK / Great Britain / dependencies distinction first.
What is the UK?
- The UK = England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland
- Great Britain = England, Scotland and Wales only — NI is not part of GB
- Location: north-west of Europe
- Crown dependencies (own governments, not part of UK): Channel Islands & Isle of Man
- British overseas territories (linked, not part of UK): St Helena & the Falkland Islands
GB = the big island only. Close to home = Crown dependencies; far away = overseas territories. Neither is “part of the UK”.
Capitals
- England: London · Scotland: Edinburgh
- Wales: Cardiff · N. Ireland: Belfast
- Swansea and Snowdonia are in Wales
Money
- Currency: pound sterling (£)
- Not a real coin: 25p · not a real note: £25
- “£100 is the highest note” — False (it’s £50)
- Scotland & NI print their own banknotes — valid everywhere in the UK
No quarter: the UK has no 25-anything — no 25p, no £25.
National parks & nature
- National parks in England, Wales & Scotland: 15 — areas of protected countryside
- England’s largest national park: the Lake District — its Wastwater voted Britain’s favourite view (2007)
- Loch Lomond & the Trossachs: Scotland · Snowdonia: Wales
- Charity preserving buildings, coastline, countryside: the National Trust
- Environmental charity: Friends of the Earth
Landmarks
- Big Ben — the bell at the Houses of Parliament
- Tower of London — built by William the Conqueror (the White Tower); holds the Crown Jewels; guides are Beefeaters (Yeoman Warders)
- Cenotaph — a war memorial in Whitehall, designed by Sir Edwin Lutyens
- Stonehenge: Wiltshire · Eden Project: Cornwall
- Giant’s Causeway (volcanic columns, ~50m yrs old): Northern Ireland
- Skara Brae (best-preserved prehistoric village): Orkney, Scotland
- Crathes Castle: Scotland · Theatreland: London’s West End · Tate galleries: London
One landmark per nation: Causeway = NI, Skara Brae = Scotland, Snowdonia = Wales, Stonehenge/Eden/Lakes = England.
People of the UK
- Share of population with a parent or grandparent born abroad: about 10%
- Women today make up about half the workforce
- Most shops open seven days a week (shorter hours Sundays/holidays)
The four nations at a glance
| Nation | Capital | Patron saint | Saint’s day | Flower | Extras |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| England | London | St George | 23 April | Rose | — |
| Scotland | Edinburgh | St Andrew | 30 November | Thistle | Haggis · Hogmanay (31 Dec) · saint’s day is a holiday |
| Wales | Cardiff | St David | 1 March | Daffodil | — |
| N. Ireland | Belfast | St Patrick | 17 March | Shamrock | Ulster fry · saint’s day is a holiday |
Test yourself: free practice questions on uk & geography. In Until It Sticks every question you miss links back to its card here. Start free.