How Long Is The UK (And Why)?

Exact Answer: 300 – 600 Miles

The United Kingdom is called the UK in short. The UK is also commonly referred to as Britain. It is located in the northwestern region of the European continent. It is surrounded by not only the Atlantic ocean but also by the North Sea on the eastern side, the Celtic Sea on the southwestern side, and the English Channel to the southern region.

The UK has a land area of about 2,42,500 sq. km. It houses several ethnic groups like white, Asian, black, mixed, etc. Christianity forms a major religion of the people living in the UK. The UK consists of England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland.

The total area of the United Kingdom is considerably big and had a total population of about 68 million in 2020. The capital of the UK is its largest city, London. English forms the official as well as the national language of the UK.

How Long Is The UK?

The entire mainland of the United Kingdom is spread across 94,530 sq. miles. Geographically, the location of the UK could be described using latitudes and longitudes. It lies between latitudes 49 degrees and 61 degrees N, and longitudes 9 degrees W and 2 degrees E. The country of England occupies 53% of the total area of the UK. Thus, it could be safely said that England covers about half the entire UK.

Scotland is one of the countries constituting the United Kingdom which occupies only about 32% of the total land area. Thus, one-third of the UK is covered by Scotland. Wales on the other hand occupies as little as 9% of the total area of the United Kingdom.

If measured from the eastern end to the western end of the UK, it is about 300 miles i.e about 500 km long. However, from the northern part of the UK to its southern tip, The length of the United Kingdom is about 600 miles i.e about 1000 km. The United Kingdom ranks 78th in the world in terms of the total area. It is also known as the world’s second most powerful nation.

Why Is The UK This Long?

The UK is primarily divided into lowland and highland regions. The formation of the United Kingdom is quite complex and long. The name the United Kingdom was adopted in 1801 when Northern Ireland was brought into the union of the countries of England, Wales, and Scotland. Thus, the UK is a sovereign state that includes the aforementioned four countries and is collectively called the United Kingdom.

The constituents countries of the UK occupy the following areas of the United Kingdom. Out of the total area of the UK, England covers 1,30,439 sq. km, Wales with 20,768 sq. km, Scotland with 78,783 sq, km, and Northern Ireland with just 14,120 sq. km.

There are numerous island groups, several tiny, and individual islands that form part of the United Kingdom’s mainland. The UK has a coastline that is about 12,429 km long. In terms of miles, the United Kingdom has a 7,723 miles long coastline.

The 0-degree meridian of longitude also called the Greenwich meridian passes through the greater London. London, being the largest city of the state, forms the capital of the UK and is located in the southern part of Great Britain.

Thus, the extent of the United Kingdom’s land area from the north to the south is around 965 km or 600 miles whereas it is about 485 km or 300 miles from east to west. The total boundary length of the UK is approximately 7,947 miles. In terms of kilometers, the United Kingdom has a boundary length of about 12,789 km.

Conclusion

The UK stands for the United Kingdom in short. It consists of 4 countries; England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland. It could serve as an analogy for the USA but consists of only four countries as its states. The length of Britain’s coastline is approximately 7,000 miles. An 823-mile drive, being the quickest route, covers the distance of 600 miles from the UK’s northern-most tip to its southernmost point.

References

1. https://link.springer.com/article/10.1057/ijme.2000.16
2. https://rss.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/j.1467-985X.2007.00466.x