Britain comprises Great Britain (England, Scotland, Wales) and Northern Ireland. One of the 15 members states of the European Union (EU), its full name is the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. The full name of Ireland is the Republic of Ireland or Éire.

Population of Britain:	59,755,700 England: 49,997,100 Wales: 2,946,200 Scotland: 5,114,600 Northern Ireland: 1,697,800
Population of Republic of Ireland:	3,960,000
National Capital (Britain):	London
National Capital (Republic of Ireland):	Dublin
Land Area of Britain:	242,000 sq.km
Land Area of Republic of Ireland:	69,000 sq. km
Coastline of Great Britain:	14,549 kms
England/Wales Coastline (incl. islands):	5,214 km
Scotland Coastline (incl. islands):	9,335 km
Highest Point:	Most Northerly Point: Dunnet Head, Scotland Most Southerly Point: Lizard Point, Cornwall Britain is just under 1,000 km from the south coast to the extreme north of Scotland and just under 500 km across at the widest point.

AD	200	Romans unite England & Wales as one - Britannia
	410	Romans withdraw from England and Wales
	925	Accession of Athelstan, first King of all England
	1005	Accession of Malcolm II, first King of (practically) all mainland Scotland
	1066	Battle of Hastings. William, Duke of Normandy, defeats Harold II and becomes William I, of England.
	1086	Domesday Book is completed in England
	1099	Crusaders capture Jerusalem
	1171	Henry II proclaims himself Lord of Ireland
	1266	Norwegian Kingdom of the Hebrides ceded to Scotland
	1282	England annexes Wales - last independent Price of Wales recognised by the English is killed.
	1301	Tradition of heir to English throne being invested as Prince of Wales begins.
	1485	Henry VII of the Welsh House of Tudor becomes King of England
	1509	Henry VII becomes king of England
	1534	Henry VII declared supreme head of the Church of England
	1541	Henry VII takes the title of king of Ireland
	1603	James VI of Scotland becomes James I of England
	1707	Union of English and Scottish Parliaments sitting at Westminster
	1801	Union of Great Britain & Ireland
	1919	Irish Parliament (Dail Eireann) created in Dublin
	1920	Government of Ireland Act creates Irish Free State and Northern Ireland
	1922-23	Civil War in Ireland
	1931	Statute of Westminster formalises relationship between UK & Dominions, including Irish Free State, as the Commonwealth.
	1931	Nth Ireland Parliament (Stormont)created in Belfast
	1949	Ireland formally becomes the Republic of Ireland and leaves the Commonwealth
	1986	UK & Ireland become signatories to the Single European Act.
	1999	Creation of a Scottish Executive answerable to a Scottish Parliament
	1999	Creation of a National Assembly for Wales.
	2002	Ireland adopts the Euro

1.609 kilometres = 1 mile (0.621 miles = 1 km)
4.546 litres = 1 gallon (0.220 gallons = 1 litre)


English and Welsh are the two official languages of Britain. Scottish Gaelic, although not official, is spoken in some parts of Scotland, as well as English. English and Gaelic are spoken in the Republic of Ireland.


Greenwich Mean Time operates except for British Summer Time, when clocks go forward 1 hour at 1 am on 27 March 2005 and go back 1 hour at 1 am on 30 October 2005.


Generally, weekday opening hours are 9.30am to 4.30pm. Opening hours are decided by the individual banks and may vary widely from branch to brach depending on location. Many branches have 24-hour banking lobbies where many services may be obtained through machines. Overseas visitiors should check with their own bank if they will be able to access these facilitites. Some banks open all day on Saturday and a few on Sundays for limited hours. All banks are closed on public holidays. Some banks in Scotland close for an hour at lunchtime.


Post offices are generally open weekdays from 9am to 5.30pm. Main post office are also open on Saturday from 9am to 12.30pm. Individual post office opening times vary depending on the size and location of the branch. For details, phone Post Office Enquiries on +44 (0) 8457 223344.


Shops in Britain are generally open Monday to Saturday, 9am to 5.30pm. Many department stores are open until 6pm and have a 'late night' on Wednesday or Thursday until 7pm or 8pm. Larger shops in major cities and towns also open for 6 hours on Sunday between 10am and 6pm, although opening hours vary. In small towns and villages, many shops close for one afternoon a week (often Wednesday) and some close for an hour at lunchtime. In many cities and towns, some large supermarkets (such as Tesco and Sainsburys) are open 24 hours a day, Monday to Friday.


British money is based on the decimal system: 100 pence (p) = 1 pound sterling (£). Notes are in £50, £20, £10 and £5 values. Coins are in £2, £1, 50p, 20p, 10p, 5p, 2p and 1p values. Scottish £1 notes are still in use in Scotland. The Channel Islands and the Isle of Man have some different coins and notes form the mainland but the monetary system is the same. The currency of the Republic of Ireland is the Euro: 100 cents (c) = 1 euro.


Credit cards showing the Visa, MasterCard or American Express symbols are widely accepted in Britain. Visitors with other cards should ask in advance or check if that symbol is displayed where they wish to use it. Retailers may now charge more for goods and services bought using credit card, but they are obliged to display clearly if different pricing applies.


Hotels: Most hotel bills include a service charge of 10-12%. Where a service charge is not included in a hotel restaurant, it is customary to give 10-15% of the restaurant billl and for rooms an optional amount to room staff.

Restaurants: Some restaurant bills include a service charge. Where a service charge is not included it is customary to leave a tip of 10-15% of the bill. Some restaurants include a suggested tip in the bill total.

Porterage: 50-75p per suitcase.

Taxis: 10-15% of the fare.

Hairdressers: £2.


100 Operator (free advice on domestic services)
118 500 Britain Directory Enquiries
118 505 International Directory Enquiries
999 Emergency Services: police, fire, ambulance
+353 Republic of Ireland dialling code


A single rate for UK calls from a payphone applies at all times: 11p per minute (20p min). Only unused coins are returned, so try to avoid using 50p, £1 or £2 coins for short calls. International calls and mobiles and information/entertainment services are more expensive. For more details visit BT payphones. Due to the wide use of mobile phones, British Telecom has ceased using pre-paid phonecards, so payment options are cash, credit card (£1 connection fee) and Country calling card (available at outlets worldwide).


Whatever the season, British weather is liable to change from day to day, so if you're wondering what to pack, a good ideal is to bring layers of clothing, a waterproof coat or jacket and an umbrella.

Autumn (September - November)
In Autumn there can be very warm days, but also very cold ones too! Temperatures fluctuate between aeound 7° to 14°C but are likely to be much warmer in September than November.

Winter (December - early March)
Winter sees Britain's shortest and coldest days (about 7-8 hours of daylight) but these can be crisp and bright. Temperatures fluctuate from around 1° to 5°C.

Spring (March - May)
In Spring, one might enjoy wonderful sunny weather but then, it may equally be cold and wet. Temperatures range from about 6° to 11° C. May can have warm days up to around 18°C.

Summer (June - August)
Most summer days are warm but evenings can be cool. Temperatures average from 14° to 20°C, although it can be up to 28°C on some days.

Temperatures vary significantly between Scotland and Southern England. Generally, the further north, the colder it is likely to be.

New Year's Day	January 1, 3
Bank Holiday (S)	January 4
St. Patrick's Day (NI, RI)	March 17
Good Friday	March 25
Easter Monday	March 28
May Day	May 2
Spring Bank Holiday	May 30
Bank Holiday (RI)	June 6
Orangemen's Day (NI)	July 12
Summer Bank Holiday (S, RI)	August 1
Summer Bank Holiday	August 29
Bank Holiday (RI)	October 31
Christmas Day	December 25, 27
Boxing Day	December 26
St.Stephen's Day (RI)	December 26

The main summer holiday is from mid-July to early September. Children also have 2 weeks holidays at Christmas and Easter, plus 1 week in mid-October and mid-February. Actual dates vary between education authorities.


Britain's standard electrical voltage is 240v AC, 50Hz. (230v AC, 50Hz in Republic of Ireland). A three square-pronged adapter plug and/or converter for appliances is required.


Australian citizens travelling to Britain are able to receive emergency medical treatment through a reciprocal agreement between Medicare and the British National Health Service. Medicare Australia's website has more details. You are strongly advised to take out adequate travel insurance before travelling to Britain. Your travel agent will be able to suggest a suitable policy.