Great Britain, also known as Britain is an island in the North Atlantic off the north-west coast of continental Europe. With an area of 209,331 km 2 (80,823 sq mi), it is the largest island in Europe and the ninth-largest in the world. In 2011 the island had a population of about 61 million people, making it the third- most populous island in the world, after Java in Indonesia andHonshu in Japan. It is part of the British Isles archipelago along with over 1,000 smaller surrounding islands, including the island of Ireland to its west.islandNorth Atlanticcontinental Europelargest island in Europeninth-largest in the worldthird- most populous islandJavaHonshuBritish Isles1,000 smaller surrounding islandsIreland

Great Britain lies on the European continental shelf, part of the Eurasian Plate. Situated off the north-west coast of continental Europe, it is separated from the mainland by theNorth Sea and by the English Channel, which narrows to 34 km (18 nmi; 21 mi) at the Straits of Dover. It stretches over about ten degrees of latitude on its longer, north-south axis and occupies an area of 209,331 km 2 (80,823 sq mi), excluding the smaller surrounding islands. The North Channel, Irish Sea, St George's Channel and Celtic Seaseparate the island from the island of Ireland to its west. The island is physically connected with continental Europe via the Channel Tunnel, the longest undersea rail tunnel in the world, completed in The island is marked by low, rolling countryside in the east and south, while hills and mountains predominate in the western and northern regions. It is surrounded by over 1,000 smaller islands and islets. The greatest distance between two points is km ( mi) (between Land's End, Cornwall and John o' Groats,Caithness), 838 miles (1,349 km) by road.Eurasian Platecontinental EuropeNorth SeaEnglish ChannelStraits of DoverlatitudeNorth ChannelIrish SeaSt George's ChannelCeltic SeaIrelandChannel TunnelislandsisletsLand's EndCornwallJohn o' GroatsCaithness Geography

Flag of Great Britain The flag of Great Britain, commonly known as the Union Jack or Union Flag, was a maritime flag of Great Britain from 1606 to The design was ordered by King James VI and I to be used on ships on the high seas, and it subsequently came into use as a national flag following the Treaty of Union and Acts of Union 1707, gaining a regularized status as "the Ensign armorial of theKingdom of Great Britain", the newly created state. It was later adopted by land forces, although the blue field used on land-based versions more closely resembled that of the blue of the flag of Scotland.Union JackGreat BritainKing James VI and ITreaty of UnionActs of Union 1707EnsignarmorialKingdom of Great Britain The flag consists of the red cross of Saint George, patron saint of England, superimposed on the Saltire of Saint Andrew, patron saint of Scotland. Its correct proportions are 1:2.red crossSaint Georgepatron saintEnglandSaltireSaint AndrewScotland The flag's official use came to an end in 1801 with the creation of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland. At that time Saint Patrick's Flag was added to the flag of Great Britain to create the present-day Union Flag.United Kingdom of Great Britain and IrelandSaint Patrick's Flagpresent-day Union Flag

From 21 April 1944 until her accession, Elizabeth's arms consisted of a lozenge bearing the royal coat of arms of the United Kingdom differenced with a label of three pointsargent, the centre point bearing a Tudor rose and the first and third a cross of St George. Upon her accession, she inherited the various arms her father held as sovereign. The Queen also possesses royal standards and personal flags for use in the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Jamaica, Barbados, and elsewhere.lozengeroyal coat of arms of the United KingdomlabelargentTudor rosecross of St Georgeroyal standardsthe United KingdomCanadaAustraliaNew ZealandJamaicaBarbadoselsewhere Arms

Continuing evolution of the Commonwealth From Elizabeth's birth onwards, the British Empire continued its transformation into the Commonwealth of Nations. By the time of her accession in 1952, her role as head of multiple independent states was already established. Spanning 1953–54, the Queen and her husband embarked on a six- month around-the-world tour. She became the first reigning monarch of Australia and New Zealand to visit those nations. During the tour, crowds were immense; three-quarters of the population of Australia were estimated to have seen her.Throughout her reign, the Queen has undertaken state visits to foreign countries and tours of Commonwealth ones and she is the most widely travelled head of state.British EmpireCommonwealth of Nationsmonarch of AustraliaNew Zealandstate visitstours of Commonwealth ones

The island was first inhabited by people who crossed over the land bridge from the European mainland. Human footprints have been found from over 800,000 years ago inNorfolk ] and traces of early humans have been found (at Boxgrove Quarry, Sussex) from some 500,000 years ago [34] and modern humans from about 30,000 years ago.European mainlandHuman footprintsNorfolkearly humansBoxgrove Quarry [34]modern humans Until about 14,000 years ago, Great Britain was joined to Ireland, and as recently as 8,000 years ago it was joined to the continent by a strip of low marsh leading to what are nowDenmark and the Netherlands. In Cheddar Gorge, near Bristol, the remains of animal species native to mainland Europe such as antelopes, brown bears, and wild horseshave been found alongside a human skeleton, 'Cheddar Man', dated to about 7150 BC. Thus, animals and humans must have moved between mainland Europe and Great Britain via a crossing. Great Britain became an island at the end of the last glacial period when sea levels rose due to the combination of melting glaciers and the subsequentisostatic rebound of the crust.Irelanda strip of low marshDenmarkNetherlandsCheddar GorgeBristolantelopesbrown bearswild horsesCheddar Manlast glacial periodglaciersisostatic rebound Great Britain's Iron Age inhabitants are known as Britons; they spoke Celtic languages.Iron AgeBritonsCeltic languages History

Politically, Great Britain refers to the whole of England, Scotland and Wales in combination but not Northern Ireland; it includes islands, such as the Isle of Wight, Anglesey, the Isles of Scilly, the Hebrides and the island groups of Orkney and Shetland, that are part of England, Wales, or Scotland. It does not include the Isle of Man and the Channel Islands, which are self- governing dependent territories.Northern IrelandIsle of WightAngleseyIsles of ScillyHebridesOrkneyShetlandIsle of ManChannel Islandsdependent territories The political union that joined the kingdoms of England and Scotland happened in 1707 when the Acts of Union ratified the 1706Treaty of Union and merged the parliaments of the two nations, forming the Kingdom of Great Britain, which covered the entire island. Prior to this, a personal union had existed between these two countries since the 1603 Union of the Crowns under James VI of Scotland and I of England.EnglandScotlandActs of UnionTreaty of UnionKingdom of Great BritainUnion of the CrownsJames VI of Scotland and I of England Political definition

ChristianityChristianity has been the largest religion by number of adherents since the Early Middle Ages: it was introduced under the ancient Romans, developing as Celtic Christianity. According to tradition, Christianity arrived in the 1st or 2nd century. The most popular form isAnglicanism (known as Episcopalism in Scotland). Dating from the 16th century Reformation, it regards itself as both Catholic andReformed. The Head of the Church is the monarch of the United Kingdom, as the Supreme Governor. It has the status of established church in England. There are just over 26 million adherents to Anglicanism in Britain today, although only around one million regularly attend services. The second largest Christian practice is the Latin Rite of the Roman Catholic Church, which traces its history to the 6th century with Augustine's mission and was the main religion for around a thousand years. There are over 5 million adherents today, 4.5 million in England and Wales and 750,000 in Scotland, although fewer than a million Catholics regularly attend mass.Early Middle AgesCeltic Christianity1st2nd centuryAnglicanismEpiscopalismReformationCatholicReformedSupreme Governorestablished churchLatin RiteRoman Catholic ChurchAugustine's missionEngland and WalesScotlandmass Religion

Big Ben is the nickname for the Great Bell of the clock at the north end of the Palace of Westminster in London, and often extended to refer to the clock and the clock tower. The tower is officially known as Elizabeth Tower, renamed to celebrate the Diamond Jubilee of Elizabeth II in 2012; previously it was known simply as the Clock Tower. The tower holds the second largest four-faced chiming clock in the world (after Minneapolis City Hall). The tower was completed in 1858 and had its 150th anniversary on 31 May 2009, during which celebratory events took place. The tower has become one of the most prominent symbols of the United Kingdom and is often in theestablishing shot of films set in London.BellclockPalace of WestminsterLondonclock towerDiamond Jubilee of Elizabeth IIMinneapolis City Hallestablishing shot