United Kingdom
- Region
- Europe
- Area
- 242,900 km²
- Capital
- London
- ISO
- GB
What the flag means
The red cross of Saint George on white stands for England, and the white diagonal cross on blue for Saint Andrew of Scotland. The red diagonal cross stands for Saint Patrick of Ireland. It took its current form in 1801.
Fun facts
- FlagThe Union Jack, the flag of the United Kingdom, combines 3 crosses and has no element representing Wales.
- GeographyAt an international conference in 1884, the meridian passing through the Royal Observatory in Greenwich, London, was chosen as the standard for 0° longitude.
- CultureThe world’s first postage stamp, the “Penny Black,” was issued in the United Kingdom in 1840.
- CultureThe original form of today’s football rules was created by the Football Association (FA), founded in London in 1863.
