United Kingdom

Discover United Kingdom

Fun Foods

Fish & Chips, Bara Brith, Bread and Butter Pudding

The British drink 100 million cups of tea every single day. They don't grow a single tea leaf. This country built an empire partly to get its caffeine fix.

The United Kingdom includes England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland. Each has its own identity, accent, and opinions about the others. They've been arguing for centuries.

Romans built walls here to keep out the Scottish tribes. Vikings invaded and settled. In 1066, William the Conqueror crossed from France and took the throne by force at the Battle of Hastings.

King John signed the Magna Carta in 1215 because his nobles were fed up with him. It limited royal power and planted the seeds of democracy. Henry VIII later broke from the Catholic Church so he could divorce his wife. He went through six wives total.

The British Empire grew through trade, conquest, and colonization. It brought wealth to Britain and devastation to many colonized peoples. The Industrial Revolution started here, filling cities with factories and smoke.

Britain fought in both World Wars. German bombs flattened parts of London during the Blitz of 1940-1941. Winston Churchill rallied the nation through radio speeches.

The country survived but lost its empire as colonies gained independence.

London has more history per square mile than almost anywhere. The Tower of London held famous prisoners for 900 years. Buckingham Palace still houses the royal family.

Outside England, Edinburgh Castle towers over Scotland's capital. Giant's Causeway in Northern Ireland looks like a giant's stepping stones. Snowdonia in Wales has mountains that feel like Middle-earth.

Fish and chips is the national comfort food. A full English breakfast includes eggs, bacon, sausages, beans, toast, and probably more than you can finish. Afternoon tea means tiny sandwiches and scones with clotted cream.

Guy Fawkes Night on November 5th celebrates a failed attempt to blow up Parliament in 1605. People light bonfires and fireworks to remember. Hogmanay in Scotland throws the biggest New Year's party you'll ever see.

The British invented football, the world wide web, and the theory of evolution. They also invented queuing. Cutting in line here is basically a crime.

The UK gave the world Shakespeare, the Beatles, and Harry Potter. It went from tiny island to global empire to modern nation. That story still shapes the world today.