Ethnic divisions: English 81.5%, Scottish 9.6%, Irish 2.4%, Welsh 1.9%, Ulster 1.8%, West Indian, Indian, Pakistani, and other 2.8%
Principal languages: English, Welsh (about 26% of population of Wales), Scottish form of Gaelic (about 60,000 in Scotland)
Principal religions: Anglican 27.0 million, Roman Catholic 5.3 million, Presbyterian 2.0 million, Methodist 760,000, Jewish 410,000
Rank of affluence among U.N. members: 19/183
Archeological monuments such as Stonehenge confirm the existence of agrarian cultures in England dating back to at least 2000 B.C. The Romans invaded and colonized the island during the first century B.C., building modern cities with such amenities as central heating and elaborate community baths; the Roman era lasted over 400 years. The Norman conquest in 1066 restored an orderly political environment after centuries of barbarian rule, and the Magna Carta of 1215 laid the groundwork for a constitutional monarchy.
The United Kingdom, which today includes England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland, was created during the 17th and 18th centuries and formalized in 1801. In the 18th and 19th centuries Britain ruled the seas, and it was truthfully said that "the sun never sets on the British Empire." Following World War I the empire began to unravel as many colonies gained their independence, a trend which continued well into the second half of the 20th century.
Great Britain has had an incalculable influence on Western literature, science, and politics, but in recent decades has been struggling to find the best role for itself at a time in which it has changed from a somewhat isolated, racially homogeneous imperial island to a multiracial society. The adaptation has been difficult, made more so by the nation's deeply rooted class divisions.
