21 Important facts about the United Kingdom

The national anthem “God Save the King” has the “King” replaced with “Queen” whenever the monarch happens to be a woman. Tweet This

The UK does not have a codified constitution. Tweet This

Britannia is the national symbol of Great Britain. Tweet This

The bulldog is also sometimes used as a symbol of the United Kingdom, associated with Winston Churchill’s defiance of Nazi Germany. Tweet This

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The House of Lords lost most of its power in 1911, and now it chiefly revises legislation. Tweet This

The union between England and Wales started in 1284. Tweet This

In 1707, England and Scotland joined permanently as Great Britain. Tweet This

Great Britain and Ireland united in 1801. In 1921, the independent Ireland seceded. Tweet This

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In 1936, King Edward VIII abdicated as he wanted to marry an American divorcée. Tweet This

Margaret Thatcher became UK’s first female prime minister in 1979. Tweet This

In 1982, UK was involved in a war 13,000 km (8,000 miles) away from London. Britain subdued Argentina and took back the Falklands. Tweet This

Britain returned its former colony Hong Kong to China in 1997. Tweet This

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At age of 16, one is deemed fit for voluntary military service. Tweet This

Stonehenge was erected around 2550 BC. Tweet This

British ships transported over two million slaves from Africa to the West Indies. Tweet This

The Battle of Waterloo put an end to the Napoleon’s Wars and marked the start of Pax Britannica. Tweet This

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After the WWI, the UK was covering 20% of the world’s land surface and 25% of the population. Tweet This

After having its membership twice vetoed by France, Great Britain entered the European Economic Community in 1973. Tweet This

The British Parliament could, in theory, abolish the Scottish Parliament, Welsh Assembly and Northern Ireland Assembly. Tweet This

UK has three distinct systems of law: English law, Northern Ireland’s law and Scottish law. Tweet This

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In Scotland, three possible verdicts for a criminal trial are possible: “guilty”, “not guilty” and “not proven”. Tweet This