Travelling and tourist information

    The UK & England is one of the most expensive tourist destinations in the world, and along with France, the most popular. London in particular can be very expensive for the budget traveller.

The United Kingdom, consisting of Great Britain (England, Wales, and Scotland) and Northern Ireland, is twice the size of New York State. England, in the southeast part of the British Isles, is separated from Scotland on the north by the granite Cheviot Hills; from them the Pennine chain of uplands extends south through the center of England, reaching its highest point in the Lake District in the northwest. To the west along the border of Wales—a land of steep hills and valleys—are the Cambrian Mountains, while the Cotswolds, a range of hills in Gloucestershire, extend into the surrounding shires. The seven of the most popular destinations outside London are Bath, Cambridge, The Cotswolds, the Lake District, Oxford, Stratford-upon-Avon and York. Apart form London, the largest cities and their urban area populations include Birmingham, 3,400,000; Liverpool, 3,300,000; Leeds, 1,500,000; Sheffield, 1,100,000; Glasgow, 1,000,000; Edinburgh, 650,000; Bristol, 600,000; Manchester, 400,000;

Capital is London city.

Currency: Pound Sterling (GBP)

Climate: The United Kingdom has a mild and temperate climate which is influenced by the North Atlantic Drift and the southwesterly winds. Rainfall is fairly evenly distributed throughout the year with March to June the driest period and September to January the wettest. Average annual precipitation varies from 1,600 mm (63 inches) in the mountainous areas of the north and west to less than 800 mm (32 inches) over central and eastern areas. Average temperature ranges in London are from 2 to 6 degrees Celsius (36 to 43 degrees Fahrenheit) in January to 13 to 22 degrees Celsius (55 to 72 degrees Fahrenheit) in July.