United Kingdom — Capital, Flag and Country Facts

Explore United Kingdom: capital London, population, flag, geography, languages, history and culture.

United Kingdom is in Europe. Its capital is London.

Climate

Temperate maritime with mild winters and cool summers. Rainfall is frequent year-round, especially in the west and north.

Mostly low-lying and rolling in England, with uplands in Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland. The Scottish Highlands contain the highest peaks.

The UK invented the World Wide Web, the jet engine, and the ATM.

London's Underground is the oldest metro system in the world, opening in 1863.

Big Ben is actually the name of the bell inside the tower, not the tower itself (now called Elizabeth Tower).

1066: Norman Conquest: William the Conqueror defeats Harold II at the Battle of Hastings

1215: Magna Carta signed, laying foundations for constitutional government

1707: Acts of Union unite England and Scotland into Great Britain

1837: Queen Victoria ascends to the throne; British Empire reaches its zenith

1948: National Health Service (NHS) established

2020: United Kingdom formally leaves the European Union (Brexit)