The UK has a population of over 63 million.
The British Isles were constantly invaded from continental Europe. Romans, Saxons, Danes, Normans and others occupied the low-lying part of Britain, driving the indigenous population north and west into the mountainous regions of the country. Thus, the British Isles were divided into low-lying (Anglo-Saxon) and mountainous (Celtic) zones. Due to this division, the inhabitants of Cornwall, Wales, Ireland and Scotland still use different dialects of the Celtic language in their speech.
The national composition of Great Britain is represented by:
- the British (81.5%);
- Scots (9.6%);
- Irish (2.4%);
- Welsh (1.9%);
- other nations (4, 6%).
On average, 245 people live per 1 km2, but the most densely populated are the southeastern and central parts of England, the central part of Wales, and the northern regions of Scotland.
The official language is English, but Scottish and 2 Celtic languages (Welsh, Gaelic) are widespread.
Major cities: London, Edinburgh, Leeds, Sheffield, Glasgow, Liverpool, Bristol.
Most of the inhabitants of Great Britain are Protestant, but here you can find Catholics, Hindus, Buddhists, Muslims.
Life span
Men live on average to 76 years, and women to 81 years.
The British live 2 years less than the Swiss, Japanese and Italians. The UK spends only 9.7% of its annual GDP (roughly $ 3700) on health care. But this amount cannot be called sufficient expenses, because the cost of living in the UK is very high.
Residents of the UK suffer from cardiovascular diseases, malignant tumors, obesity (26, 1% of the population: this figure is 17% higher than the European average).
Traditions and customs of the inhabitants of Great Britain
The British are proud of their significant difference from the representatives of other nations of the world: they strictly adhere to such traditions as cricket and left-hand traffic to this day.
The British can be called a cold-blooded people - they never show their feelings (approval, as a rule, they express by the phrase: "not bad"). But, nevertheless, the British are sociable and have a good sense of humor.
An interesting British tradition is dressing up for dinner; participation in competitions on the ability to build ugly grimaces and races with rolling cheese …
Interesting traditions and customs are related to festivals, for example, the most popular one takes place in Chelsea (May), and the most solemn and grandiose holiday in the country is the Queen's Birthday.
When you come to the UK, you will be able to understand why it is called a country of traditions. So, you will have the opportunity to see the changing of the guard at Buckingham Palace, the ceremony of keys (the ritual of closing the Tower), royal gun salutes (they are produced on special occasions) …
