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The United Kingdom is located in Western Europe on the islands including Great Britain and the Northern part of Ireland, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean just Northwest of France. The UK is slightly smaller than Oregon and covers an area of 244,820 sq. kilometers. The total population is 61.1 million and is growing at a rate of 0.279% with 90% living in urban areas. The capital of London has a population of 7.56 million with other main cities including Birmingham, Leeds, Glasgow, and Sheffield. The people are governed by a constitutional monarchy and are predominantly Christian. The primary language used is English, with other languages including Welsh, Scottish Gaelic, and Irish Gaelic. The UK joined the EU in 1973; however they are not in the Euro zone yet and still use the British Pound as currency. The UK was also a founding member of NATO.The UK has one of the strongest economies in Western Europe and in the world. It is one of the world?s leading trading power and a world financial center. The UK’s main trade partners are mostly in the EU including Germany, France, Ireland, Netherlands, Belgium, Spain, and Italy, but also include the US, China, and Norway Its primary imports are manufactured goods, machinery, fuels, and foodstuffs. Exports include manufactured goods, fuels, chemicals, food, beverages, and tobacco. The UK’s GDP (Purchasing Power Parity) is $2.231 trillion and is growing at a real rate of 0.7% with an inflation rate of 3.8%. The UK ranked 6th out of 181 countries in the World Bank Group’s Ease of Doing Business Ranking.

CURRENCY EXCHANGE RATE

05/18/09 $1 = 0.65 GBP