Location:
Western Europe, islands - including the northern one-sixth of the island of Ireland - between the North Atlantic Ocean and the North Sea; northwest of France

Geographic coordinates:
54 00 N, 2 00 W

Map references:
Europe

Area:
total: 243,610 sq km
[see also: Area - total country ranks ]
land: 241,930 sq km
[see also: Area - land country ranks ]
water: 1,680 sq km
[see also: Area - water country ranks ]
note: includes Rockall and Shetland Islands
country comparison to the world: 80

Area - comparative:
twice the size of Pennsylvania; slightly smaller than Oregon
Area comparison map: twice the size of Pennsylvania; slightly smaller than Oregon

Land boundaries:
total: 443 km
border countries (1): Ireland 443 km
[see also: Land boundaries country ranks ]

Coastline:
12,429 km
[see also: Coastline country ranks ]

Maritime claims:
territorial sea: 12 nm
exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm
continental shelf: as defined in continental shelf orders or in accordance with agreed upon boundaries

Climate:
temperate; moderated by prevailing southwest winds over the North Atlantic Current; more than one-half of the days are overcast

Terrain:
mostly rugged hills and low mountains; level to rolling plains in east and southeast

Elevation:
mean elevation: 162 m
[see also: Mean Elevation country ranks ]
elevation extremes: lowest point: The Fens -4 m highest point: Ben Nevis 1,343 m

Natural resources:
coal, petroleum, natural gas, iron ore, lead, zinc, gold, tin, limestone, salt, clay, chalk, gypsum, potash, silica sand, slate, arable land

Land use:
agricultural land: 71% arable land 25.1%; permanent crops 0.2%; permanent pasture 45.7%
[see also: Land use - agricultural land country ranks ]
forest: 11.9%
[see also: Land use - forest country ranks ]
other: 17.1% (2011 est.)
[see also: Land use - other country ranks ]

Irrigated land:
950 sq km (2012)
[see also: Irrigated land country ranks ]

Population - distribution:
the core of the population lies in and around London, with significant clusters found in central Britain around Manchester and Liverpool, in the Scotish lowlands between Endinburgh and Glasgow, southern Wales in and around Cardiff, and far eastern Northern Ireland centered on Belfast

Natural hazards:
winter windstorms; floods

Environment - current issues:
continues to reduce greenhouse gas emissions; by 2005 the government reduced the amount of industrial and commercial waste disposed of in landfill sites to 85% of 1998 levels and recycled or composted at least 25% of household waste, increasing to 33% by 2015

Environment - international agreements:
party to: Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Air Pollution-Sulfur 94, Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds, Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic-Marine Living Resources, Antarctic Seals, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands, Whaling
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Geography - note:
lies near vital North Atlantic sea lanes; only 35 km from France and linked by tunnel under the English Channel (the Channel Tunnel or Chunnel); because of heavily indented coastline, no location is more than 125 km from tidal waters