UK Business, Taxation and Offshore Information
The United Kingdom forms part of the British Isles, a group of islands situated in the north-west of Europe. Officially called the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, the three jurisdictions that make up “Great Britain” are England, Scotland and Wales.
The UK population is estimated to be just over 63m in 2012. The main language is English, although around a quarter of the population of Wales speaks Welsh, and Gaelic is spoken by some 60,000 Scots.
The UK government consists of a constitutional monarchy and a bicameral parliament, the House of Commons and the House of Lords. The current head of church, state and the Commonwealth (which is made up of former British colonies) is Queen Elizabeth II.
Members of the House of Commons are elected by popular vote for a period of four-five years. The current prime minister is David Cameron. More »