What Do I Need To Know About The United Kingdom?
The United Kingdom (UK) or Britain is a sovereign state in Europe. Lying off the north-western coast of the European mainland, UK consists of four countries: England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland. The United Kingdom is a developed country and also ethnically diverse due to successive waves of migration. The UK has a temperate climate, with plentiful rainfall all year round.
Population, Demography & Economy (2015)
Population: 64.1 million
Urbanization: 90.8%
Current GDP: 2.8 trillion USD (in Q2 2015)
GDP Growth Rate: 2.5%
Average Income: $43,390 per household (2014)
Unemployment Rate:Â 5.0%
Weather & Climate
The climate in the UK is defined as a temperate oceanic climate. Regional climates are influenced by the Atlantic Ocean and latitude. Northern Ireland, Wales and western parts of England and Scotland, being closest to the Atlantic Ocean, are generally the mildest, wettest and windiest regions of the UK, and temperature ranges here are seldom extreme. Eastern areas are drier, cooler, and less windy and also experience the greatest daily and seasonal temperature variations. Northern areas are generally cooler, wetter and have slightly larger temperature ranges than southern areas. The southeast of England is generally sunnier and warmer than the rest of the United Kingdom, but resorts along the coast get crowded during the summer.
Education
UK is home to some of the best Universities in the world. In terms of numbers of international students, the UK overall lags only behind USA and this popularity is unsurprising given the strong global reputation enjoyed by UK universities. A shortage of exciting options will not be an issue if you’re looking to study in the UK.
UK is home to the University of Cambridge, University of Oxford, UCL (University College London), London Business School and Imperial College London. Other top universities in UK include London School of Economics, University of St. Andrews, Durham University and University of Warwick.
Employment Prospects
The UK is highly globalized meaning the job market is competitive. Top three industries in the UK include services, production and agriculture. The services sector dominates the UK economy with banking, insurance and business services all key drivers of the country’s growth.
The hospitality and retail industries often recruit all year round due to a high turnover of staff. The creative arts and design sector, although highly competitive, often recruit in London, while marketing and PR thrive in cities such as Birmingham and Manchester. In demand occupations exist in sectors such as arts and entertainment, engineering, healthcare, IT, and teaching.
Things To Do
The United Kingdom has long been a favorite European tourist destination for many because of its beautiful countryside, historic cities, topnotch museums and outstanding theaters. From medieval castles to stately mansions and the awe-inspiring scenery of the Lake District and the Scottish Highlands, there are a diverse set of places to visit in the UK.
Top ten places to visit in UK are:
Food & Drinks
The UK offers its residents an appetizing array of food and drink choices. Students from all over the world are attracted to the country because of its cosmopolitan landscape – one that delivers a variety of culinary tastes, flavors, aromas, and ingredients.
British food has traditionally been based on beef, lamb, pork, chicken and fish and generally served with potatoes and one other vegetable. The most common and typical foods eaten in Britain include the sandwich, fish and chips, pies like the cornish pasty, trifle and roasts dinners. Iconic cakes, splendid sandwiches and heart-warming stews all hail from the United Kingdom.
British cuisine has absorbed the cultural influence of those who have settled in Britain, producing many hybrid dishes, such as the Anglo-Indian chicken tikka masala. Other popular British food items include Salmon Kedgeree, Haggis, Lemon Curd, Welsh Rarebit, Cornish Pasties, Toad in the Hole, Jellied eels, etc.
To conclude, UK is a welcoming, diverse and popular destination for international students as well as potential employees. The country provides you world-class teaching and job prospects to help develop great skills for success in the global workforce.