Tag: UK facts

The Peak District: Facts and Information

James Leave a comment

Here are some facts about the Peak District.

  • The Peak District is one of 15 national parks in the UK. It covers an area of about 1,440 square km and lies between Manchester, Sheffield and Stoke on Trent.
  • It was the UK’s first national park, established in 1951. It is still one of the most popular, attracting over 10 million visitors each year.

  • The Pennine Way, the UK’s first long distance footpath, begins in the Peak District, near Edale. There are also over 100 km of cycling trails and over 2,000 km of public footpaths and trails.
  • Holmfirth is the area’s best known village, and was featured in the long running television comedy, Last of the Summer Wine.
  • The medical drama Peak Practice was filmed in the Peak District.
  • The spa town of Buxton is one of the most popular Peak District towns. It is home to the UK’s highest opera house, and several festivals, including a well dressing festival.
  • The Peak District is known for its spectacular caverns and is popular with potholers. Walking, cycling, horse riding and paragliding are also popular outdoor activities.
  • The most extensive caves, Peak Caverns, are over 400 metres below the ground and can be seen by boat. Up until 1910, people still lived in the caves.
  • The Blue John cavern is one of only a few places where the mineral of the same name can be found. Vases made from Blue John mineral were excavated at the Roman city of Pompeii, in Italy.
  • The town of Bakewell is famous for a sweet cake known as a Bakewell tart. Several of the town shops claim to have the original recipe for the cake.
  • Some of the most challenging rock climbing in the world can be found in the Peak District. Kinder Scout is the park’s highest peak, at just over 600 metres.

United Kingdom: Facts and Interesting Information

James 8 Comments

United Kingdom Fact File

Location: The United Kingdom (UK) is located to the north-west of continental Europe. The UK is made up of the island of Great Britain (including England, Scotland and Wales), and part of the island of Ireland – the area called Northern Ireland. Northern Ireland has a border with the Republic of Ireland, but apart from this, the rest of the UK is surrounded by water (the Atlantic Ocean, the North Sea, the Irish Sea and the English Channel.

Capital: London (also the UK’s largest city)

Population: 63 million (approx)

Area: 243,610 km sq

Currency: Pound Sterling

Official Language: English

The Flag of the United Kingdom

Flag of the United Kingdom

Often called the Union Jack or Union Flag, the flag of the United Kingdom combines the flags of the the patron saints of England, Ireland and Scotland -the red cross of Saint George, the Cross of St Patrick and the St Andrew’s Cross (the Saltire). Wales is not represented in the flag because when the flag design was put together, Wales was part of England.

Union Flag

 

Other Facts About The United Kingdom

  • The United Kingdom is described as a set of countries (England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland) within a country (United Kingdom). To add to the confusion, the term Britain is often used instead of United Kingdom. Strictly speaking, Britain (short for Great Britain) should only be used to describe the island of Great Britain (England, Wales and Scotland). Click here to learn more about the differences between the terms United Kingdom, British Isles, Great Britain and England.
  • The official name of the United Kingdom is the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
  • The people who live in the UK are referred to as British.
  • People have been living in the UK for about 30 thousand years. It has been the home of the Celts, the Picts, the Romans, the Anglo-Saxons, the Vikings, and the Normans.
  • The UK fought against Germany in both World War 1 and World War 2.
  • The Channel Tunnel connects the UK to France. It is the world’s longest underground tunnel (38 km underwater).
  • The Channel Islands (Jersey and Guernsey) and the Isle of Man do not form part of the United Kingdom.
  • The Summer Olympic Games have been held in London on three occasions: 1908, 1948 and 2012. The United Kingdom team is referred to as Team GB.

To learn more about the four countries within the United Kingdom, please follow the links below: