Travel Alert Status
Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution
Time Difference
UTC 0 (5 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)
time zone note: the time statements apply to the United Kingdom proper, not to its crown dependencies or overseas territories
Travel Climate
Prevailing southwesterly winds, influenced by the Gulf Stream, make Britain's climate temperate and equable year round. Weather patterns frequently change, but few temperature extremes occur. Temperatures range from a mean of 40°F in winter to about 60°F in summer. A low of 20°F sometimes occurs in winter, and a high of 90°F may rarely occur in summer. Average annual rainfall is 30-50 inches, usually distributed evenly throughout the year. Cloud cover is persistent, however, limiting sunshine to an average of about 6-7 hours a day in summer and 1-2 hours a day in winter.
Travel Currency
British pound (GBP)
Language Spoken
English
Languages
English
note: the following are recognized regional languages: Scots (about 30% of the population of Scotland), Scottish Gaelic (about 60,000 in Scotland), Welsh (about 20% of the population of Wales), Irish (about 10% of the population of Northern Ireland), Cornish (some 2,000 to 3,000 in Cornwall)
Ethnic Groups
White 87.2%, Black/African/Caribbean/black British 3%, Asian/Asian British: Indian 2.3%, Asian/Asian British: Pakistani 1.9%, mixed 2%, other 3.7%
National Holiday
the UK does not celebrate one particular national holiday
Geographic Coordinates
54 00 N, 2 00 W
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
Airports
271