United Kingdom
a kingdom occupying the British Isles. The kingdom was formerly known as Great Britain and Ireland. The new name was adopted by Parliament upon the union of the British and Irish parliaments in 1801. The United Kingdom is, therefore, a union of kingdoms, as the United States is a union of states. The legislative power is vested in Parliament. The executive authority is vested nominally in the crown, that is to say, the king or queen, but practically it rests in a committee of ministers called a cabinet. The existence of the cabinet depends on having the support of a majority in the House of Commons. The area and population of the United Kingdom are as follows:
| Area sq. m. | Population April 1, 1905 |
| England and Wales . . . . . 58,324 | 34,152,977 |
| Scotland . . . . . 29,796 | 4,676,603 |
| Ireland . . . . . 32,605 | 4,390,208 |
| Total . . . . . 121,027 | 43,219,788 |
The population of the adjacent islands is included in the total.
The following statistics are the latest to be had from trustworthy sources:
| Land area, square miles | 121,391 |
| Population (1908) | 44,538,718 |
| London, registration area | 4,795,757 |
| London, Greater | 7,323,327 |
| Birmingham | 558,357 |
| Bradford | 292,136 |
| Bristol | 372,785 |
| Kingston-upon-Hull | 271,137 |
| Leeds | 477,107 |
| Leicester | 240,172 |
| Liverpool | 753,203 |
| Manchester | 649,251 |
| Newcastle | 277,257 |
| Nottingham | 260,449 |
| Portsmouth | 211,493 |
| Sheffield | 463,222 |
| Glasgow | 859,715 |
| Edinburgh | 350,524 |
| Dublin | 290,638 |
| Belfast | 349,180 |
| Emigrants (1907) | 395,680 |
| Deaths | 678,922 |
| Births | 1,148,573 |
| Peers, House of Lords | 615 |
| Members, House of Commons | 670 |
| Salary of King George | $2,350,000 |
| Revenue (1909) | $810,000,000 |
| Expenditure | $800,000,000 |
| Assessed valuation of property | $4,715,000,000 |
| Bonded indebtedness | $3,811,000,000 |
| Ships | 21,042 |
| Miles of railway | 23,108 |
| Miles of canal | 4,673 |
| Acres under plow | 18,800,000 |
| Agricultural Productions-- | |
| Barley, bushels | 62,000,000 |
| Wheat, bushels | 55,700,000 |
| Oats, bushels | 173,000,000 |
| Beans, bushels | 9,000,000 |
| Peas, bushels | 5,000,000 |
| Potatoes, bushels | 200,000,000 |
| Turnips, bushels | 990,000,000 |
| Wool, pounds | 133,700,000 |
| Flax, pounds | 20,000,000 |
| Domestic Animals-- | |
| Horses | 2,150,000 |
| Cattle | 11,700,000 |
| Sheep | 32,000,000 |
| Swine | 4,000,000 |
| Textile Industries-- | |
| Cotton imported, pounds | 2,061,000,000 |
| Wool imported, pounds | 792,000,000 |
| Flax imported, pounds | 215,000,000 |
| Spindles spinning cotton | 44,000,000 |
| Cotton looms | 683,620 |
| Cotton goods exported, yards | 5,532,000,000 |
| Woolen goods exported, yards | 163,000,000 |
| Linen goods exported, yards | 152,000,000 |
| Cotton yarn exported, pounds | 215,000,000 |
| Woolen yarn exported, yards | 51,000,000 |
| Linen yarn exported, yards | 14,000,000 |
| Cotton products, value | $600,000,000 |
| Woolen products, value | $275,000,000 |
| Linen products, value | $95,000,000 |
| Capital employed | $1,250,000,000 |
| Persons employed | 1,026,000 |
| Chief Exports (1908)-- | |
| Cotton products | $471,000,000 |
| Woolen products | $141,000,000 |
| Cotton cloth and yarn | $471,000,000 |
| Woolens and yarn | $141,000,000 |
| Linens and thread | $33,500,000 |
| Clothing | $38,000,000 |
| New ships | $50,000,000 |
| Iron and steel | $187,000,000 |
| Hardware and cutlery | $27,500,000 |
| Copper | $17,000,000 |
| Machinery | $155,000,000 |
| Coal | $208,000,000 |
| Chemicals, dyes, etc | $81,500,000 |
| Postoffices | 23,600 |
| Letters delivered | 2,864,000,000 |
| Post cards | 858,000,000 |
| Parcels (post) | 110,000,000 |
| Miles of public telegraph wire | 274,000 |
| Telegrams | 86,000,000 |
| Depositors in savings banks | 10,600,000 |
| Deposits | $787,500,000 |
| Elementary schools | 32,800 |
| Pupils | 7,500,000 |
| Annual expenditure per pupil | $16 |
See British Empire; Great Britain; England; Wales; Scotland; Ireland; Man; Wight; Jersey; Shetland; Hebrides; Postoffice; Army; Navy; Debt; George; Edward; Victoria; Parliament; Precedence; York; Liverpool; London; Birmingham; Manchester