United Kingdom

Did you know?

The full name for the UK is the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. It includes the island of Great Britain, the northern part of Ireland and many small islands. The many names relating to this country (England, UK, Great Britain, British Isles, Britain) can be confusing.

The UK economy is made up of the economies (in descending order of size) of England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

The UK was the world’s first industrialized county and its foremost power during the 19th and 20th centuries.

Over 300 languages are spoken in London, which has more than 50 communities with foreign origins. The city will host the Olympic and Paralympic Games in 2012.

The word “office” comes from “in the offing”, which was used to describe a ship that could be seen from land and was about to enter a port. The phrase now means about to happen or likely to take place. The “office” is therefore a place where things are expected to happen.

According to a UK Business Forum survey, British office workers spend roughly 150 hours a year looking for misplaced information.