It is interesting to know :The UK

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland

 

1. London’s transport system might be bigger than you think

London has one of the oldest transport systems in the world – and also one of the largest. The 270 functioning stations of the London Underground boast over 400 escalators (the longest is at Angel in North London), but there are another 40 stations that aren’t even used anymore – and that’s before we even mention the famous red buses

2. Stonehenge is older than the Pyramids

That’s right, located in the south of England and one of the UK’s most famous tourist attractions – Stonehenge was believed to be created in around 3000BC, meaning it’s older than Egypt’s pyramids

3. Great Britain isn’t the United Kingdom

This is commonly mistaken, but Great Britain and the United Kingdom are actually two different things. The United Kingdom includes Northern Ireland – but Great Britain doesn’t.

4. London has the largest library in the world

The towering British Library in King’s Cross, London, has over 170 million items in its catalogue. The British Library is a major research library, with items in many languages and in many formats, both print and digital: books, manuscripts, journals, newspapers, magazines, sound and music recordings, videos, play-scripts, patents, databases, maps, stamps, prints, drawings.

 5. Golf is Scotland’s national sport

The sport was invented in St. Andrews in the 15th century. In 1457, it was famously banned by King James II because it was interrupting archery practice. Scotland still boasts the finest ‘links’ courses in the world

6. Scotland also has a famous monster

The Loch Ness Monster (known affectionately as ‘Nessie’) supposedly dwells in Loch Ness – the largest lake in the UK. While this creature is of course mythological, many people have claimed to have sighted her in recent decades.

 7. Royal weddings are public holidays

The UK loves a good ceremony, and it certainly makes a big deal out of royal weddings. The most recent major event took place in 2011 when Prince William married Catherine Middleton. The day of their wedding was declared a national holiday, which meant an extra day off work.

8. Ancient languages are still spoken – albeit not widely

The UK has four surviving Celtic languages that are still officially recognized in the modern day. These are Scottish Gaelic, Irish Gaelic, Welsh and Breton.

9. Britons drink too much tea

Well, that’s not too far from the truth. It is said that the UK is ranked third worldwide in tea consuming. But that doesn’t mean every British citizen drinks tea. Some statistics note that on average 165 million cups of teas are consumed in the UK.