UK Information

Here is some information about how things are run in the United Kingdom, which is where I live.

The nations included in the United Kingdom are:-

There are a several thousand small islands which are included, a bit like Japan.

British Commonwealth

Formerly known as the British Empire, it contains about seventy (70) countries. There is a Commonwealth Games which is a bit like a miniature Olympics, limited to these seventy nations.

British Education

The structure of our education system differs slightly from many other nations and is difficult to find out unless someone actually tells you. So that is what I shall do here:

Enrolement Age Range Description
Infant School Compulsory 5 to 7 Foundation level education for literacy and numeracy.
Primary School Compulsory 7 to 11 Some exams are taken in the penultimate year to identify if you need extra help.
Secondary School Compulsory 11 to 16 General Certificate of Secondary Education (GCSE) are taken in the final year here.
College Voluntary 16 to 18+ A-levels (AS and A2), GNVQ and NVQ are taken here.
University Voluntary 18+ to 21+ Basically the same as all modern Universities I am aware of.

United Kingdom Government

The system of government in the UK is many centuries old. In 1707, the Act of Union was passed to bring England, Wales and Scotland together under one Monarch and Parliament. In 1800CE, a new Act of Union brought Ireland into the UK. Before that, there were several kingdoms.

During the centuries around 0CE the Roman Empire controlled much of the land. Earlier still, it was tribal with no overall controlling authority. The earliest settlement I am aware of in the UK is from around 10,000BCE.

The major modern bodies of government are:

Royal Family Largest landowner in the UK and estimated to be billionaires. Still theoretically at the top of the governmental heirarchy but cannot exercise much power due to inevitable legal challenges.
House of Lords Experts appointed by the Prime Minister, or members of the aristocracy who have inherited their title. None are elected by the public.
House of Commons Elected representatives of the “common” population by small regions called “constituencies”. Nearly anyone can try to become a Member of Parliament (MP).
County Councils There are 47 counties in England, 32 in Scotland, 22 in Wales and 6 in Northern Ireland. Hampshire County Council is the one in which I live, in England.
District Councils These are areas within counties and the one I live in is governed by Hart District Council.

For a more complete set of links about government and politics, check my Links > Factual page.

International Institutes

European Parliament Elected representatives from each region of each member country. They are called Members of European Parliament (MEPs).
EEC Appointed but must be approved by the European Parliament.
European Union There are currently 25 countries in this, ten of which joined in 2004CE.
North Atlantic Treaty Organisation Created to help co-ordinate and control European and American military activity, in order to prevent a third World War.
United Nations With around 200 members, the United Nations help co-ordinate humanitarian and security concerns throughout the world.