United Kingdom
About United Kingdom Vacation
The United Kingdom is a union of four nations: England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland, each with its own history, culture, and identity.
Quick Facts
England – birthplace of Shakespeare and The Beatles – is home to the capital, London, a globally influential centre of finance and culture. England is also site of Neolithic Stonehenge, Bath’s Roman spa and centuries-old universities at Oxford and Cambridge.
Places of interest
1 London
London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a 50-mile estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a major settlement for two millennia. The City of London, its ancient core and financial centre, was founded by the Romans as Londinium and retains its medieval boundaries. The City of Westminster, to the west of the City of London, has for centuries hosted the national government and parliament. Since the 19th century, the name “London” has also referred to the metropolis around this core, historically split between the counties of Middlesex, Essex, Surrey, Kent, and Hertfordshire, which since 1965 has largely comprised Greater London, which is governed by 33 local authorities and the Greater London Authority.
2 Edinburgh
Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland and one of its 32 council areas. The city was historically part of the county of Midlothian, but was administered separately from the surrounding county from 1482 onwards. It is located in Lothian on the southern shore of the Firth of Forth. Edinburgh is Scotland’s second-most populous city, after Glasgow, and the seventh-most populous city in the United Kingdom.
3 Isle of Wight
The Isle of Wight is an island in the English Channel, two to five miles off the coast of Hampshire, across the Solent. It is the largest and second-most populous island in England. Referred to as ‘The Island’ by residents, the Isle of Wight has resorts that have been popular holiday destinations since Victorian times. It is known for its mild climate, coastal scenery, and verdant landscape of fields, downland, and chines. The island is historically part of Hampshire and is designated a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve.
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