Connected to mainland Europe by a landbridge called Doggerland until 9,000 years ago,[9] Great Britain has been inhabited by modern humans for around 30,000 years. In 2011, it had a population of about 61 million, making it the world's third-most-populous island after Java in Indonesia and Honshu in Japan.[10][11]
The term "Great Britain" is often used to refer to England, Scotland and Wales, including their component adjoining islands.[12] Great Britain and Northern Ireland now constitute the United Kingdom.[13] The single Kingdom of Great Britain resulted from the 1707 Acts of Union between the kingdoms of England (which at the time incorporated Wales) and Scotland.
The United Kingdom, with a total population of 63,047,162 as of July 2010, is an island nation located in Western Europe. The country covers a total area of 243,610 km2 and has a temperate climate.
UK is the third largest economy in Europe and is a leading financial center and trading power. In 2011, the country’s GDP was $2.29 trillion, and it was the second largest in Europe.
The country has oil, coal and natural gas resources, though it became a chief importer of energy in 2005 due to a steep decline in its natural gas and oil reserves. In 2008, UK’s economic status was severely hit by the global recession and the government introduced a number of measures to stabilize the country’s financial condition.
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