United Kingdom

"In The Four Nations, Frank Welsh offers a lively narrative history of the four component parts of the British Isles - England, Ireland, Scotland, and Wales. Moving from the Roman period, which first defined many of the current internal boundaries, through the present day, Welsh describes the history of each nation, their interactions, and the impacts of crises ranging from the Norman Invasion to the Protestant Reformation to the two world wars of the twentieth century. Along the way, Welsh questions many cherished illusions and poses some awkward questions: to what extent were Scotland, Ireland, and Wales victims of predatory English aggression? How serious is the frequently invoked specter of national fragmentation?"--BOOK JACKET.Title Summary field provided by Blackwell North America, Inc. All Rights Reserved

The United Kingdom is a sovereign country located off the northwestern coast of continental Europe. It is made up of four countries - England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland. With a population of over 66 million, the United Kingdom is the 22nd most populous country in the world. London, the capital city, is the largest city in the UK and one of the most important financial centers in the world. The United Kingdom has a long and fascinating history. It has been inhabited by various groups of people over the centuries, including the Celts, Romans, Anglo-Saxons, and Normans. It has also played a significant role in world history, particularly during the colonial era when the British Empire was one of the most powerful forces in the world. Today, the United Kingdom is a modern, diverse, and multicultural society with a thriving economy and a rich cultural heritage. It is a member of the European Union, the United Nations, the Commonwealth of Nations, and NATO.

A member of the EU since 1973, the United Kingdom is made up mostly of England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland. The UK has long been one of the most powerful countries in the world. Today, the UK struggles with issues like immigration and the global financial crisis, but it continues to have a lot of influence around the globe. Discover more about this exciting, modern nation!

“A salient, measured, and illuminating study of history with reflections on what Britain’s past means for its present and future, highly recommended.” —Midwest Book Review John Grainger examines the long and erratic process by which the British Isles was gradually (and as it turns out, temporarily) unified over the course of eighteen centuries, and the subsequent beginnings of the process of disintegration, manifested in an independent Ireland and increasing devolution to, and nationalism in, Scotland and Wales. Taking the Roman (partial) conquest and forming of the province of Britannia as his starting point, he outlines the major stages by which unification was brought about, through invasions (or in reaction to the threat thereof) and the vagaries of dynastic succession. James I was the first monarch to reign simultaneously over the whole British Isles but full political union was not completed until the Act of Union that came into effect on 1 January 1801, against the backdrop of war with France. It was maintained for just 122 years before the Republic of Ireland gained independence in 1922. John Grainger sees the granting of their own parliaments to Wales and Scotland as further stages in the process of disintegration, which may be accelerated by “Brexit.” “The story of the United Kingdom is a mixture of myth, mystery and fact. This book provides a fact-based appraisal—Very Highly Recommended.” —Firetrench “This excellent treatise on how the United Kingdom became the UK following years of Dark Ages invasions and through the middle ages unification with Scotland makes for a very interesting read.” —Books Monthly

This is a general introduction to the United Kingdom focusing on contemporary times. It's also a short history of the UK. The work looks at all the countries which constitute the UK: England, Wales, Scotland,and Northern Ireland. The book starts with a chapter on the general background of the United Kingdom, followed by several others. A chapter is devoted to each of the countries, or constituent parts, of the United Kingdom addressing a variety of subjects including demographic composition, social life, cities, cultural differences including other languages - besides English - spoken in different parts of the UK, for example, Welsh. Also an entire chapter is devoted to London because of the importance of this city in the history and contemporary life of the United Kingdom, and even of Europe, if not of the whole world. The book also looks at the ethnic and racial diversity of the United Kingdom, a result of demographic changes which taken place because of the large number of immigrants who have entered the UK during the past few decades. Other subjects covered include geography, the economy of each of the countries of the United Kingdom,and much more. The book should be very helpful to tourists, immigrants, students and anybody else interested in learning basic facts and many other things about this island nation.

The human geography of the UK is currently being reshaped by a number of forces - such as globalisation, transition in the organisations of production, the changing character of state intervention, and changing relationships with Europe. A consideration of the impacts of these forces on economic, social and political landscapes is, therefore, an urgent task. At the same time, enduring institutional features of the British economy and polity are also having important influences on socio-economic processes. The result is a complex mosaic of uneven development, which belies the notion of simplistic regional contrasts. Rather than simply mapping spatial inequality, 'A United Kingdom?' charts the processes underpinning uneven development at a range of scales and for a number of key topics. The book draws upon and synthesises the latest contemporary research findings and places emphasis on the interrelated nature of economic, social and political geographies. It treats the human geographies of the UK in a coherent and integrated way, and asks whether contemporary processes of change are tending towards the reduction of socio-spatial divisions or their reproduction in new forms.