How many countries make up the United Kingdom?
And the answer: four.
The United Kingdom consists of England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
More than tea-drinkers, metric-users and drivers of the left side of the road, a colorful milieu of diverse life comprises the face of the United Kingdom. As a major player on the world stage, most are familiar with the UK, but here are a couple fun facts you may not know about the Land of the Rose:
- In London alone, there are an estimated 8 million citizens who communicate via different languages. In fact, around 300 languages are estimated to be spoken in London every day!
- The mysterious monument of Stonehenge is claimed to be one of the oldest monuments in the world. Scientists believe it was built around 3,000 BCE.
- A town in Wales has the longest name of any city in the world. Ready for it? Llanfairpwllgwyngyll-gogerychwyrndrobwlllllandysiliogogogoch can be visited year-round (we won't be offended if you want to Google this one to make sure we're not fibbing).
5. All horses in the UK must possess a passport. (No, not fibbing this time either.)
6. French was the official language in the UK – from 1066 to 1362. That's almost 300 years!
7. Golf was invented in Scotland in 1457. However, it was banned by King James II for a period in time, as he believed it interfered with the army's training! A number of other sports, such as soccer (football), cricket and rugby were also created in the UK.
Need more fun facts? Check out the video below for your fill of UK.
