The United Kingdom is one of the world’s most popular and visited countries. It is the location of small and big, old and new landmarks and home of Queen Elizabeth II. So if you are planning a trip to Britain and you don’t know what to expect here are sixteen interesting facts that you would like to know.
The United Kingdom covers an area of 242.495 square kilometres while the British Overseas Territories spread over an area of 1.727.570 square kilometres. This means that Queen Elizabeth II is the legal owner of 1/6 of Earth’s landmass.- The British are known for their accents. Studies show that the English dialect in the United Kingdom changes noticeably at approximately every 40 kilometres. This means that while you may understand the residents of London you may have a hard time communicating with people who live in the town of Reading in the county of Berkshire.
- All British passports are issued in the name of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. Oddly, the queen herself doesn’t own a passport which is quite impressive given the fact that she is recognised as history’s most widely traveled head of state. Another interesting thing is that people aren’t the only subjects of the United Kingdom who are obligated to own personal documents. According to the local law, all horses, donkeys and mules within the British territories must own a passport.
- Believe it or not but there is an abundance of strange laws in the British juridical system.
- It is illegal to carry a plank along a pavement
- It is illegal to shake or beat any type of carpet or rug in any street within the United Kingdom
- It is illegal to be drunk on licensed establishments (public houses, bars, nightclubs and so on). It is also illegal to be in charge of a horse while intoxicated.
- It is illegal to handle salmon in suspicious circumstances
- It is illegal for a male to urinate in public, unless it is on the rear wheel of a vehicle or cart and his right hand is on touching the vehicle or cart
- Queen Elizabeth II is the longest ruling British monarch in history. She ascended the throne on the 6th of February, 1952 and surpassed Queen Victoria (Britain’s former longest ruling monarch) on the 9th of September, 2015. Or said in other words she has been the head of the United Kingdom for 64 years.
Westray and Papa Westray are two neighbouring islands which are located in the northernmost parts of the United Kingdom. Both island are served by their own airports and are linked with regular flights. The flight between Westray and Papa Westray is recognised as the shortest in the world as it lasts approximately 120 seconds.- The above mentioned island of Papa Westray is home to Knap of Howar, a Neolithic farmstead which is considered to be the oldest preserved stone house in the Northern parts of Europe. Radiocarbon dating shows that the edifice was inhabited from 3700 BC to 2800 BC which means that it is at least 6.000 years old. The most amazing feature of the house are its stone furnishings which are remarkably well preserved.
- The United Kingdom and Portugal are the longest lasting alliance in the world. Their coalition commenced with the ratification of the Treaty of Windsor in 1386. However some historians claim that the alliance is even older as the first treaty between England and Portugal was recognised in 1373. Since then, the two countries have helped each other in numerous armed conflicts such as the Iberian Peninsula War, Napoleonic Wars and the First World War.
- The United Kingdom and more especially London is known for being the location of some of the world’s most expensive hotels. It is because of this that people who are traveling on a low budget prefer to rent studios, flats and vacation homes instead. This phenomenon has led to an increase in the demand for affordable and reliable house clearance services as most tourists prefer to delegate their moving out rubbish removal duties to licensed contractors.
- International laws obligates all countries to inscribe their name in Latin letters on their postal stamps. The only state that is free from this law (exempted in 1874 by the Universal Postal Union) is the United Kingdom. It is like this because Britain was the first country in history to produce and use postage stamps.
- Presently there are 58 countries in the world whose independence day celebrates their independence from the United Kingdom. At its peak the British Empire covered a vast portion of eastern Africa, southern Asia, North America and Australia. In terms of landmass, the empire covered as much surface area as Earth’s natural satellite, the moon.
- Everybody knows the never ending rivalry between the United Kingdom and the United States of America. An interest aspect of their opposition is that American eggs are deemed illegal in Britain as they are being washed. The other side of the coin is that British eggs are illegal in the United State due to the fact that they haven`t been washed.
The British adore automobiles. Numerous researched show that the residents of the United Kingdom are much more enthusiasts about cars then their continental European counterparts. This is extremely strange given the fact that the average British car remains parked for most of its lifetime (approx. 96%).- British citizens who become centenarians (reach the age of 100) receive a personalised letter of congratulation by the ruling British monarch.
- The United Kingdom is one of the four countries in the world, the others being Israel, Saudi Arabia and New Zealand which don’t have a written constitution.
- Until the early 1830s, there were only two universities in England. The University of Oxford which was founded during the late 11th century and the University of Cambridge which dates back to the early 13th century. Both institutions are considered to be among the finest in the world.
