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Flag of the United Kingdom
Flag of the United Kingdom
Coat of Arms for the United Kingdom
Coat of Arms for the United Kingdom
Map of the United Kingdom in the British Isles.

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Northwestern Europe, off the coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland. The UK includes the island of Great Britain, the north-eastern part of the island of Ireland, and most of the smaller islands within the British Isles, a total area of 94,354 square miles (244,376 km2). Northern Ireland shares a land border with the Republic of Ireland; otherwise, the United Kingdom is surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean, the North Sea, the English Channel, the Celtic Sea, and the Irish Sea. The country had an estimated population of 67.6 million people in 2022. The capital and largest city of both England and the United Kingdom is London, whose wider metropolitan area is the largest in Western Europe, with a population of 14.9 million. The cities of Edinburgh, Cardiff, and Belfast are the national capitals of Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland, respectively.

The lands of the UK have been inhabited continuously since the Neolithic. In AD 43 the Roman conquest of Britain began; the Roman departure was followed by Anglo-Saxon settlement. In 1066, the Normans conquered England. With the end of the Wars of the Roses the English state stabilised and began to grow in power, resulting by the 16th century in the annexation of Wales, the domination of Scotland, and the establishment of the British Empire. Over the course of the 17th century, the role of the British monarchy was reduced, particularly as a result of the English Civil War. In 1707, the Kingdom of England and the Kingdom of Scotland united under the Treaty of Union to create the Kingdom of Great Britain. The Acts of Union 1800 incorporated the Kingdom of Ireland to create the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland in 1801. Most of Ireland seceded from the UK in 1922 as the Irish Free State, and the Royal and Parliamentary Titles Act 1927 created the present United Kingdom.

The UK became the first industrialised country and was the world's foremost power for the majority of the 19th and early 20th centuries, particularly during the "Pax Britannica" between 1815 and 1914. At its height in the 1920s, the British Empire encompassed almost a quarter of the world's landmass and population, and was the largest empire in history. However, its involvement in the First World War and the Second World War damaged Britain's economic power and a global wave of decolonisation led to the independence of most British colonies. (Full article...)

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Bruce Castle's south facade

Bruce Castle is a Grade I listed 16th-century manor house in Lordship Lane, Tottenham, London. It is named after the House of Bruce who formerly owned the land on which it is built. Believed to lie on the site of an earlier building, about which little is known, the current house is one of the oldest surviving English brick houses. It was remodelled in the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries. The house has been home to Sir William Compton, Richard Sackville, the Barons Coleraine and Sir Rowland Hill, among others. After serving as a school during the 19th century, when a large extension was built to the west, it was converted into a museum exploring the history of the areas which constitute the present London Borough of Haringey and the history of the postal service. The building also houses the archives of the London Borough of Haringey. Since 1892 the grounds have been a public park, Tottenham's oldest. The building was Grade I listed in 1949 and the 17th-century southern and western boundary walls of the park were Grade II listed in 1974. In 1969, the castle additionally became home to the regimental museum of the Middlesex Regiment. (Full article...)

Bernard Sumner

Joy Division was an English rock band formed in 1976 in Salford, Greater Manchester. The band, primarily consisting of Ian Curtis (vocals and occasional guitar), Bernard Sumner (pictured) (guitar and keyboards), Peter Hook (bass guitar and backing vocals) and Stephen Morris (drums and percussion), rapidly evolved from their initial punk rock influences to develop a sound and style that pioneered the post-punk movement of the late 1970s. Their self-released 1978 debut EP, An Ideal for Living, caught the attention of the Manchester television personality Tony Wilson. Their debut album, Unknown Pleasures, was released in 1979 on Wilson's independent record label Factory Records and drew critical acclaim. Despite the band's growing success, Curtis was beset with depression and personal difficulties, including a dissolving marriage and his diagnosis with epilepsy. He found it increasingly difficult to perform at live concerts, and often had seizures during performances. On the eve of the band's first American tour in 1980, Curtis, overwhelmed with depression, committed suicide. Joy Division's posthumously released second album, Closer, and the single "Love Will Tear Us Apart" became the band's highest charting releases. After the death of Curtis, the remaining members reformed as New Order, achieving critical and commercial success. (Full article...)

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In the news

Wikinews UK

15 September 2024 – English Channel migrant crossings
At least eight illegal immigrants are killed and ten others are hospitalized after a boat capsizes while attempting to cross the English Channel. (Al Jazeera)
13 September 2024 – Russia–United Kingdom relations
Russia revokes the accreditation of six British diplomats and accuses them of espionage. (BBC News)
13 September 2024 –
Bedfordshire Police arrest an 18-year-old man on suspicion of murder after three people are found dead in flat in a tower block in Luton, England, United Kingdom. (BBC News)
12 September 2024 –
The British government announces that a ban on junk food adverts on television before 9 PM will enter force in October 2025 under plans to tackle childhood obesity. (Sky News)
12 September 2024 – Jordan–United Kingdom relations
The United Kingdom suspends visa-exempt status for Jordanian nationals traveling to the UK due to an increase in asylum claims made by Jordanians. (The Jerusalem Post)
11 September 2024 – Russian invasion of Ukraine
The United Kingdom reportedly approves the use of Storm Shadow cruise missiles to strike targets inside Russian territory. (The Kyiv Independent)

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