The United Kingdom is an island state in western Europe, separated from the mainland by the English Channel. The land has a total area of 243,610 km² and a total coastline of 12,429 km. This area is approximately 60% of the area of California. In addition to the main island, around 1,000 other small islands still belong to the country. Ireland ist the only directly neighbouring country of the United Kingdom. The distance between New York City and the Capital London is about 5,570 km.With an Human Development Index (HDI) of 0.920 the United Kingdom counts as one of the high developed economies by UN-definition. The IMF also shares this classification.

The climate in the United KingdomA moderate climatic zone determines the weather in the United Kingdom. As usual in the northern hemisphere, the days in the summer months are not only warmer but also longer. Depending on the season, the average daytime temperatures range between 7 and 19 degrees. In some parts of the country the temperature raises up to 21 °C. In the colder months and depending in the region, the temperature lowers down to 2°C in a month's average. Average daytime and nighttime temperaturesDetailed climate data for the United Kingdom and 4 geographic spots of the countryEarthquakesTsunamis