For centuries, Great Britain was largely a rural country. After the Industrial revolution many people moved out to the cities, which sparked urban growth. The second largest city in the UK Birmingham, England Glasgow, Scotland is the capital and the largest city

From Shakespeare to J.K. Rowling  Today nine out of ten Britons live in cities.  London the capital of the United Kingdom and England is by far the largest city with 7 million people. The houses of Parliament in London

From Shakespeare to J.K. Rowling  London is a multilevel city with a subway system below ground and skyscrapers above and is a global center of culture, commerce, and the center of tourism in the UK.

From Shakespeare to J.K. Rowling  Each region in the United Kingdom has its own customs and therefore culture.  English is Great Britain's official language, however some people speak Gaelic. The language brought to the British Isles by the Celtic people. A very popular sport played in the U.K. and especially by the Gaelic is Gaelic football

From Shakespeare to J.K. Rowling  In Wales about 1/5 of the population speaks Welsh another Celtic language.  Over the years the United Kingdom has welcomed immigrants from all nations from former colonies in South Asia, Africa, and the Caribbean.

From Shakespeare to J.K. Rowling  About 1 in ten people that live in the U.K. are an immigrant.  Great Britain is one of the most multicultural countries in the world.

From Shakespeare to J.K. Rowling  The official church of the United Kingdom is the Church of England, although in Northern Ireland about 2/5 of the population are Roman catholic.

From Shakespeare to J.K. Rowling  The United Kingdom has a very rich cultural past with authors such as William Shakespeare, Jane Austen, Charles Dickens, C.S. Lewis, J.R.R. Tolkien, and even J.K. Rowling  William Shakespeare is considered to be the finest writer of all time

From Shakespeare to J.K. Rowling  His plays have entertained audiences for over 400 years and all started in London, England with the world famous globe theatre.

From Shakespeare to J.K. Rowling  Most people in The U.K. are sports fans.  Soccer is the most popular sport which originated in the U.K.

From Shakespeare to J.K. Rowling  Cricket is also a popular sport which is played with a bat and a ball and Rugby is also popular within the U.K. which is somewhat a combination of American football and soccer.

From Shakespeare to J.K. Rowling  Music is an important part of England’s culture as well.  American teenagers went crazy for U.K. bands such as the Beatles and the Rolling Stones as well as British Bands today such as Coldplay.  Also in parts of the United kingdom Celtic music is still very popular.