Updated: March 2009
United Kingdom
Overview | World Vision's history in United Kingdom | World Vision in United Kingdom today
OverviewOfficially referred to as the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, the United Kingdom is located in Western Europe to the north of France. It includes England, Wales, Scotland, and the northern tip of Ireland. In the west, the Irish Sea separates the main island from Ireland. To the north lies the North Atlantic Ocean; to the west, the North Sea; and to the south, the English Channel. Meadows, pastures, and hills cover the country with some mountains and forested areas. With typically cool temperatures, the climate is often cloudy and the weather is subject to sudden changes. Natural resources include coal, petroleum, natural gas, iron ore, lead, zinc, gold, tin, limestone, salt, clay, chalk, gypsum, slate, and arable land.As a union of several European countries, the United Kingdom has the third highest population in the European Union. In its early years, the island was a focal point for a variety of settlers, including Celts, Anglo-Saxons, Normans, and Romans. Today, more than 90 percent of Britons are Caucasian, with English, Scottish, Welsh, or Northern Irish heritage. Other ethnic groups include Indian and Pakistani. |  |
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| Roughly a third of the population lives in England, and more than 80 percent of the United Kingdom’s Caucasian population is English. The primary language is English, a blend of Anglo-Saxon and French. Welsh is spoken by a small percentage of those in Wales, and some in Scotland speak a Scottish form of Gaelic. The unification of England, Wales, Scotland, and Ireland was a slow process that began in the late 1200s, and faced pushback into the early 20th century. In 1282, following an English invasion, Wales became the first of these countries to lose independence. Scotland fell under English rule in 1603, though the two countries were not joined to create Great Britain until 1707. The conquest of Ireland, which had been waged since 1170, finally succeeded in the early 17th century, and Ireland fell under British control. The United Kingdom saw its start in 1801, when the unification of Great Britain and Ireland became official. Later, the United Kingdom would loose control of all but the northern Irish colonies. During the 1800s, the United Kingdom focused strongly on colonization, extending the British Empire to include more than one-fourth of the world’s area. Britain also spearheaded much of the industrial revolution, and technological advances brought dramatic changes in the late 1800s. With strong expansion both at home and oversees, the U.K.’s economy flourished. However, this powerful empire began to weaken during the 20th century in the midst of two World Wars and global economic decline. By the mid-1900s, most British colonies had been granted some degree of independence. Despite the decline of the British Empire, the United Kingdom remains a world power. In 1973 it joined the European Community (now the European Union) and it is currently a member of the G8. Today, the U.K. has the fifth largest economy in the world. The country participates in international trade and is an important energy exporter. Industries—which spurred British growth—are on a continual decline, replaced by a strengthening service sector. Services such as banking, insurance, and business account for 75.7 percent of the gross domestic product. Britons maintain a high standard of living, with a near 100 percent literacy rate and a low unemployment rate. Education is required from age 5 to age 16, close to one-fifth of students obtain a secondary education, and the average citizen receives 16.6 years of schooling. Back to top World Vision’s history in United KingdomIn 1982, World Vision registered as a charity in the United Kingdom, with the goal of helping needy families throughout the world. Efforts included initiating relief and development programs in Ethiopia, supporting impoverished farmers in Mozambique, rehabilitating flood-damaged properties and rebuilding lives in Bangladesh, clearing landmines in Afghanistan, and providing food programs in drought-stricken Thailand and Laos.During the 1980s, nearly 100,000 young people from the United Kingdom participated in World Vision’s annual 24 Hour Famine (known as the 30 Hour Famine in the U.S.). During the 1990s, support from United Kingdom donors allowed World Vision to drill water holes in Senegal, protect the environment in Mali, rehabilitate war victims in Cambodia, create community health care in Kenya, and provide agricultural assistance in Tanzania. In addition, emergency assistance was provided to thousands during the aftermath of famine, floods, and conflict in Sudan, Bangladesh, the Philippines, India, and Rwanda. Back to top World Vision in United Kingdom todayWorld Vision’s partnership with the people of the United Kingdom enables children and communities in more than 40 countries to break free from poverty. Currently, people in the United Kingdom support approximately 100,000 children and their communities through child sponsorship.For more information on World Vision’s work in the United Kingdom, please contact the United States office. Back to top | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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