Europe · Northern Europe
United Kingdom
Photo: Colin · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons
- Capital
- London
- Currency
- GBP
- British Pound Sterling
- Local time
- British Summer TimeUTC+01:00
- Calling code
- +44
- Driving
- On the left
- Plugs
- Type G
Facts
United Kingdom in figures
- Capital
- London
- Currency
- British Pound Sterling GBPToday's indicative rate: GBP 1 ≈ USD 1.33Indicative, from the day's reference rates; a bank or card will charge its own.
- Languages
- Official: EnglishOfficial in part of the country: Welsh, Irish and Scottish GaelicSpoken: English, Welsh and Scottish Gaelic
- Time zones
- British Summer TimeUTC+01:00
- Calling code
- +44
- Driving
- On the left
- Plugs
- Type G230 V · 50 HzAs recorded in Wikidata.
- Emergency numbers
- 112general emergency999general emergencyAs recorded in Wikidata. Check them locally on arrival; they are not the only safety information you need.
- Population
- 69,487,000 (2025, World Bank)
- Area
- 244,820 km²
- Internet domain
- .uk
- Land borders
- Ireland
When to go
Climate across United Kingdom
- Mild to warm and dry
- Mild to warm, humid or showery
- Hot
- Cool
- Wet
- Cold
| City | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sept | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| London | 7° | 7° | 10° | 14° | 17° | 20° | 23° | 22° | 20° | 15° | 10° | 7° |
| Edinburgh | 5° | 6° | 7° | 10° | 13° | 16° | 18° | 17° | 15° | 12° | 8° | 6° |
| Manchester | 6° | 6° | 8° | 12° | 15° | 18° | 19° | 19° | 17° | 13° | 9° | 6° |
| Liverpool | 7° | 7° | 9° | 11° | 14° | 17° | 19° | 18° | 17° | 13° | 10° | 7° |
| Glasgow | 5° | 5° | 7° | 10° | 13° | 16° | 17° | 17° | 15° | 11° | 8° | 5° |
| Birmingham | 6° | 7° | 10° | 13° | 16° | 19° | 21° | 21° | 18° | 14° | 9° | 7° |
| Cardiff | 7° | 7° | 9° | 12° | 16° | 18° | 20° | 20° | 18° | 14° | 10° | 8° |
| Belfast | 7° | 7° | 8° | 10° | 13° | 15° | 17° | 17° | 15° | 13° | 10° | 8° |
| Bristol | 7° | 7° | 10° | 13° | 16° | 19° | 22° | 21° | 19° | 15° | 10° | 8° |
| Leeds | 6° | 7° | 9° | 13° | 16° | 19° | 20° | 20° | 17° | 13° | 9° | 6° |
| Cities good for going, of 29 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 15 | 24 | 22 | 14 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Mean daily highs, modelled for an area about 50 km across: NASA POWER climatology, 2001–2020. A cell's swatch says what the month is like (key above).
On the map
Where United Kingdom is
The dashed box is the extent of the country's main landmass, from Natural Earth; outlying islands fall outside it. The dots are the cities with pages of their own.
Land borders
Cities
Cities in United Kingdom
- LondonCapitalGuideEngland8,961,989
- BirminghamEngland1,157,603
- GlasgowScotland626,410
- ManchesterEngland568,996
- SheffieldEngland556,500
- LeedsEngland536,280
- EdinburghGuideScotland514,990
- LiverpoolEngland496,770
- BristolEngland479,024
- CardiffWales372,089
- LeicesterEngland368,600
- BradfordEngland366,187
- BelfastNorthern Ireland348,005
- CoventryEngland345,324
- BirkenheadEngland325,264
- NottinghamEngland323,632
- ReadingEngland318,014
- HullEngland314,018
- PrestonEngland313,332
- SwanseaWales300,352
- Newcastle upon TyneEngland300,125
- SouthamptonEngland269,781
- AberdeenScotland198,590
- BournemouthEngland163,600
- DundeeScotland148,210
- NorwichEngland143,135
- ExeterEngland130,709
- LondonderryNorthern Ireland83,652
- InvernessScotland47,790
Smaller places with an airport · 6
Airports
Airports in United Kingdom
Large airports
- LGWLondon Gatwick AirportLondon
- LHRLondon Heathrow AirportLondon
- STNLondon Stansted AirportLondon
- BHXBirmingham AirportBirmingham
- GLAGlasgow AirportGlasgow
- PIKGlasgow Prestwick AirportGlasgow
- MANManchester AirportManchester
- LBALeeds Bradford AirportLeeds
- EDIEdinburgh AirportEdinburgh
- LPLLiverpool John Lennon AirportLiverpool
- BRSBristol AirportBristol
- CWLCardiff International AirportCardiff
- BFSBelfast International AirportBelfast
- EMAEast Midlands AirportNottingham
- NCLNewcastle International AirportNewcastle upon Tyne
- LTNLondon Luton AirportLuton
- ABZAberdeen International AirportAberdeen
Medium airports · 23
- LCY · London
- BHD · Belfast
- SEN · Southend-on-Sea
- SOU · Southampton
- BOH · Bournemouth
- DND · Dundee
- NWI · Norwich
- EXT · Exeter
- MME · Darlington
- HUY · Grimsby
- LDY · Londonderry
- INV · Inverness
- NQY · Newquay
- SYY · Isle of Lewis
- BEB · Balivanich
- BRR · Eoligarry
- CAL · Campbeltown
- EOI · Eday
- ILY · Isle of Islay, Argyll and Bute
- KOI · Kirkwall, Orkney Islands
- LSI · Lerwick, Shetland
- TRE · Balemartine, Argyll and Bute
- WIC · Wick
Photographs
United Kingdom in pictures
LondonPhoto: Ilya Grigorik · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons
EdinburghPhoto: 瑞丽江的河水 · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons
GlasgowPhoto: 瑞丽江的河水 · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons
CardiffNational Museum Cardiff · Photo: Ham II · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons
BelfastParliament Buildings · Photo: Johndmcdonald · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons
Guides
Our guides in United Kingdom
From the journal
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Visas and entry
Visas and entry
Entry rules depend on your passport and change often, so this page does not state them. Check the destination government's official immigration website, or ask our visa desk to check your case for you.
Plan it
Plan a trip to United Kingdom
Tell us where in United Kingdom, when and who is travelling, and a person puts the flights, the stays and the rest into one quote.