United Kingdom

The United Kingdom represents the nations of Wales, Scotland, England and Northern Ireland.  United Kingdom as a whole is known for being an economic and military power with great political and cultural influence around the world. It is also known as the home of both modern parliamentary democracy and the Industrial Revolution. Furthermore, the UK voted to leave the European Union in the 2016 referendum and on the 1st January 2021 this took place.

The country of England shares its borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west. It is separated from continental Europe by the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south. The name “England” is derived from the Old English name Englaland, which means “land of the Angles”.England is known to have a high cost of living but it is also known for being a thriving and diverse county to live in. England has a free healthcare and education system for its inhabitants with 93% of children attending a state funded school. England is a highly industrialised country and it is an important producer of textiles and chemical products. Agriculture contributes to around 2% of GDP and around two thirds of production is devoted to livestock and one third to arable crops. The country is working on its sustainability and the government is following ’The UK Sustainable Development Strategy’ which recognises the need for a new, more environmentally sound approach to development, especially with regard to transport, energy production and waste management.

The Climate Change Act of 2008 seeks to reduce carbon emissions by 80% (from 1990 levels) by 2050.  Through the education curriculum climate science is being taught at all levels with a broad focus on global and environmental factors.  A survey of 8-16yr olds in 2020 commissioned by the British broadcaster (BBC) found that 4 out of 5 young people said that the problem of climate change is important to them and more than half don’t think that their voice is being heard.