British Prime Minister David Cameron has talked boldly of closing a British budget deficit now equal to 11 per cent of its gross domestic product.STEFAN WERMUTH/Reuters
Kesterton's United Kingdom
- Britain is the world's sixth-largest economy. The country's overall population density is one of the highest in the world. London remains the largest city in Europe. The major ethnic groups, according to the U.S. state department, are British, Irish, West Indian and South Asian.
- Tourism is the fifth-biggest industry. Scottish whisky is among Britain's top five export earners, contributing more than £2-billion (British) a year to the country's trade balance.
- The country's economic problems threaten a return to its "sick man of Europe" reputation. Every day, Britons guzzle 165 million cups of their favourite elixir, tea. In a London City University poll last year, seven out of 10 people said putting on the kettle was their most common way of reacting to a problem; a quarter needed a cup of tea after an argument and two out of five said tea could soothe the pain of a broken heart.
- Last year, a record 2,500 British university students travelled to the United States for their post-graduate degrees, in search of greater academic choice, well-financed R & D and a chance to stand out in the job market.
- Britain ranked 17th -- tied with Japan -- in last year's worldwide Corruption Perceptions Index. Bribery of domestic or foreign public officials is a criminal offence in the United Kingdom, and corrupt payments are not tax deductible.
World Cup
(England)
- Odds: 5:1
- Team nickname: Three Lions
- Star players: Wayne Rooney, Frank Lampard and Steven Gerrard
- Globe Sports: Group C news archive
Culture
Top cultural exports: the English language; Parliamentary democracy (Westminster system); British literature and drama ( Charles Dickens, William Shakespeare, Jane Austen, Robert Louis Stevenson - Scottish, Robert Burns - Scottish, Dylan Thomas - Welsh, Chaucer, Nick Hornby; J.K. Rowling - resides in Scotland); Rock and pop music, including the British invasion, punk, glam rock, new wave; Golf.
Food: fish and chips, meat pies, bangers and mash, haggis, roast joint or Sunday roast, Ulster fry, Scotch and Irish whisky, Guiness and English-style beer, gin
Notable Canadian relations: Tony Clement, politician; John Robert Stobo Prichard, lawyer and economist; Kiefer Sutherland, actor; Owen Nolan, hockey player
Speed Limit: Maximum on highways is 70 mph or 113 km/hour (US State Department)
National pastimes: Soccer, rugby and cricket
Politics
Prime Minister: David Cameron
- Elected: May 6, 2010
- Age: 43
- Party: Conservative Party
- Political System: Parliamentary
- Legislature: Bicameral, elected House of Commons, appointed House of Lords
Background: Cameron was elected on May 6, and after a period of uncertainty, took over from Gordon Brown when he formed a coalition government with the Liberal Democrats and leader Nick Clegg.
Carmeron is untried and unknown on the world stage. His challenge is to match outgoing PM Brown's knowledgeable and serious reputation.
G20 Plans: Last year, Mr. Brown pushed for a "global financial levy," otherwise known as the global bank tax. It has been a contentious issue that countries like Canada have vehemently opposed. It will likely continue to be one of the top issues raised in June.
It appears, much to Stephen Harper's chagrin, Cameron is poised to support the bank tax concept. It is doubtful that Cameron will follow through on Brown's push for African aid.
Economy
Gross Domestic Product: $2.65-trillion
Jobless rate: 8%
Gross government debt (as a percentage of GDP)
- 2000: 40.9
- 2009: 68.2
- 2015 (projected): 90.6
Sources: Bloomberg, IMF
NATION PROFILES
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