UK Information

Government: Parliamentary monarchy.

Head of State: Sovereign, Hereditary title; Queen Elizabeth II.

Head of Government: Prime minister, Tony Blair, elected by the House of Commons.

Legislature: House of Commons - 651 members, elected by direct ballot.
House of Lords - 1,294; includes a Prince, Earls, Archbishops, Marquesses,
Viscounts, certain judges & Bishops of the Church of England.

Highest Courts: House of Lords, Highest Court of Justiciary(Scottish criminal cases only).

Voting: 18 and over.

Armed Services: Army, Navy, Air Force around 274,8000 troops.

Climate: England has moderate weather; fogs, mists & overcast skies are frequent; October most precipitation. Annual temperature south 52° F & northeast 48° F; January(coldest) 40° F & July(hottest) 61° F.

Animals: Deer, fox, hare, rabbit & badger; birds - meadow pipit, sparrows, grouse, crow, pigeons, rook, starling and thrust; fish - trout and salmon.

Plants: Oak, beech, pine & birch; fruit trees - cherry, apple & plum; gorse(spiny shrub fragrance yellow flowers).

Natural Resources: Some agriculture & minerals; iron ore(Cumbria, Staffordshire & Lancashire) & waterpower.

England(local government) is divided in 39 non-metropolitan counties, 6 metropolitan counties & Greater London. The counties are subdivided into a total around 330 districts, further divided into around 10,000 parishes. Level of local government is controlled over by the council; council are elected to four year term. Districts that have the designation of city or borough, chairperson of the council is the Mayor.