which part of the world is the uk in
United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK)[14] or Britain,[note 10] is a sovereign country lying off the north-western coast of the European mainland. The United Kingdom includes the island of Great Britain, the north-eastern part of the island of Ireland and many smaller islands.[15] Northern Ireland is the only part of the United Kingdom that shares a land border with another sovereign state‍—‌the Republic of Ireland. Apart from this land border, the United Kingdom is surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean, with the North Sea to its east, the English Channel to its south and the Celtic Sea to its south-south-west, giving it the 12th-longest coastline in the world. The Irish Sea lies between Great Britain and Ireland. With an area of 242,500 square kilometres (93,600 sq mi), the United Kingdom is the 78th-largest sovereign state in the world. It is also the 22nd-most populous country, with an estimated 66.0 million inhabitants in 2017.
Economy of the United Kingdom The service sector dominates the UK economy, contributing around 80% of GDP;[32] the financial services industry is particularly important, and London is the world's largest financial centre.[33] Britain's aerospace industry is the second-largest national aerospace industry.[34] Its pharmaceutical industry, the tenth-largest in the world,[35] plays an important role in the economy. Of the world's 500 largest companies, 26 are headquartered in the UK.[36] The economy is boosted by North Sea oil and gas production; its reserves were estimated at 2.8Â billion barrels in 2016,[37] although it has been a net importer of oil since 2005.[38] There are significant regional variations in prosperity, with South East England and North East Scotland being the richest areas per capita. The size of London's economy makes it one of the largest cities by GDP in Europe.[39]