People and Society of United Kingdom

Nationality

noun: Briton(s), British (collective plural) adjective: British

Ethnic Groups

White 87.2%, Black/African/Caribbean/black British 3%, Asian/Asian British: Indian 2.3%, Asian/Asian British: Pakistani 1.9%, mixed 2%, other 3.7%

Population

61,274,806

Population (Male / Female)

male: 34,005,445 female: 34,453,610

Population Distribution

the core of the population lies in and around London, with significant clusters found in central Britain around Manchester and Liverpool, in the Scottish lowlands between Edinburgh and Glasgow, southern Wales in and around Cardiff, and far eastern Northern Ireland centered on Belfast

Urban Population

urban population: 84.6% of total population rate of urbanization: 0.8% annual rate of change

Population in Major Urban Areas

9.648 million LONDON (capital), 2.791 million Manchester, 2.665 million Birmingham, 1.929 million West Yorkshire, 1.698 million Glasgow, 952,000 Southampton/Portsmouth

Age Structure

0-14 years: 16.7% (male 5,872,937/female 5,592,665) 15-64 years: 63.9% (male 22,062,643/female 21,702,401) 65 years and over: 19.3% (male 6,069,865/female 7,158,544)

Median Age

total: 40.8 years male: 40.1 years female: 41.5 years

Sex Ratio at Birth

at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female 0-14 years: 1.05 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.02 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.85 male(s)/female total population: 0.99 male(s)/female

While medical services are widely available, free care under the National Health System (NHS) is allowed only for UK residents and certain EU nationals. Tourists and short-term visitors will be charged for medical treatment in the United Kingdom. Charges may be significantly higher than those assessed in the United States. Travelers to the United Kingdom should ensure they have adequate medical insurance to cover the cost of any treatment received - please see additional insurance information below. You can find detailed information on vaccinations and other health precautions on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) website. For information about outbreaks of infectious diseases abroad, consult the World Health Organization (WHO) website, which also contains additional health information for travelers, including detailed country-specific health information. Hiking in higher elevations can be treacherous. Several people die each year while hiking, particularly in Scotland, often due to sudden changes in weather. We encourage visitors, including experienced hikers, to discuss their intended routes with local residents familiar with the area and to adhere closely to recommendations.

Life Expectancy at Birth

total population: 82.2 years male: 80.1 years female: 84.4 years

Infant Mortality Rate

total: 3.8 deaths/1,000 live births male: 4.2 deaths/1,000 live births female: 3.3 deaths/1,000 live births

Major Infectious Diseases

note: on 31 August 2023, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued an updated Travel Alert for polio in Europe; the United Kingdom is currently considered a high risk to travelers for circulating vaccine-derived polioviruses (cVDPV); vaccine-derived poliovirus (VDPV) is a strain of the weakened poliovirus that was initially included in oral polio vaccine (OPV) and that has changed over time and behaves more like the wild or naturally occurring virus; this means it can be spread more easily to people who are unvaccinated against polio and who come in contact with the stool or respiratory secretions, such as from a sneeze, of an “infected” person who received oral polio vaccine; the CDC recommends that before any international travel, anyone unvaccinated, incompletely vaccinated, or with an unknown polio vaccination status should complete the routine polio vaccine series; before travel to any high-risk destination, the CDC recommends that adults who previously completed the full, routine polio vaccine series receive a single, lifetime booster dose of polio vaccine

Drinking Water Source

improved: urban: 100% of population rural: 100% of population total: 100% of population unimproved: urban: 0% of population rural: 0% of population total: 0% of population

Sanitation Facility Access

improved: urban: 99.8% of population rural: 99.8% of population total: 99.8% of population unimproved: urban: 0.2% of population rural: 0.2% of population total: 0.2% of population

Tobacco Use

total: 15.4% male: 17.3% female: 13.5%

Alcohol Consumption

total: 9.8 liters of pure alcohol beer: 3.53 liters of pure alcohol wine: 3.3 liters of pure alcohol spirits: 2.35 liters of pure alcohol other alcohols: 0.61 liters of pure alcohol

Literacy Definition

age 15 and over has completed five or more years of schooling

Total School Life Expectancy

total: 17 years male: 17 years female: 18 years

Classroom

The state school system is free to students in the United Kingdom. Even all writing materials, textbooks, and other needs are provided for the students, unlike most countries that claim to provide free education but actually charge for a range of things, such as textbooks and other similar learning materials. The condition of the schools depends mostly on the community they are in. Schools in older areas with high unemployment and lower family incomes are often quite rundown. In schools filled with students from high-income families, the buildings and grounds are nicely maintained. Although all classrooms have at least one computer, additional computers are more likely to be found in schools in upscale neighborhoods. The classrooms themselves are decorated by the teachers and can be quite colorful if the teacher is particularly creative. In primary school, the class size is normally kept to about 30 students in each class. Because teachers do a fair amount of small group learning activities, it is quite normal for the students to sit around tables rather than at desks, with five or six students at each group table. As students get older, and subjects are taught by different teachers, the students change classrooms to attend the right teacher’s class. Because of shootings in several schools a few years ago, all doors in primary schools and all classrooms in secondary schools are locked during school hours. This is true throughout the United Kingdom.

Education Culture

Although each division of the United Kingdom has its own system of state education, run by its own department of education, they are all being increasingly guided by national curriculum guidelines. (Scotland’s educational system is independent of those in the rest of the United Kingdom.) By law, children aged 5 through 11 attend elementary school (in Northern Ireland, children begin at 4 years of age). From 12 to 16, they attend secondary school, and then all students must take and pass a general test called the General Certificate of Secondary Education, or GCSE. After passing the test, those students who want to continue their education may take an additional two years of secondary school, which prepares them for higher education. Most state-run schools are free. About 95% of all schoolchildren will attend the state school system. The remainder attend independent schools funded by parents or private gifts of money. These independent boarding schools emphasize discipline, character, and scholarship, and have developed very impressive reputations (for example, Eton, Harrow, and Winchester). Although it sounds odd to American readers, the schools funded and supported by the government are known as “state” schools, whereas the independent schools are called “public” schools. Some primary schools also offer nursery schools for children three and four years of age. Others may offer such classes for ages four and five-year-old preschool children. The school year is broken into three “semesters.” The first begins in early September and ends in mid-December, with a one-week break in late October. The second semester begins in early January and ends in late March, with a one-week break in mid-February. The third begins in mid-April and ends in late July, with a one-week break in late May or early June. The breaks are called “holidays.” Students total 190 days in school each year, and it is not normally acceptable for families to take their children out of school for personal vacations when school is in session. No discussion of schools in the United Kingdom would be complete without mentioning boarding schools. Students attending these schools live at the school while classes are in session. Students will usually go home during the holiday, although it is also common for students to invite their classmates home to spend the holiday with them. For those students whose families are unavailable (because of personal travel or distance from the school), arrangements can be made for them to stay at the school or travel to a local “host” family. Boarding schools provide a good breakfast each day, a healthy lunch (such as a salad buffet or a fish, pork, or chicken meal), and a good dinner in the evening. Saturday mornings will bring classes, but that afternoon is often filled with sports activities, and Sundays are free for relaxing all day.

Learning

Both state and public school students wear uniforms, but the uniform might consist of a sweatshirt with the school name and logo on it, accompanied by conservative pants or skirts. Wealthier public schools with high standards may require more formal uniforms, including blazers and ties for boys, and white blouses and conservative blouses for girls. Since 1988, the government has dictated a national curriculum for teachers to follow, with standard books and course materials for all students. School generally begins at 9:00 a.m. The day begins with a daily assembly. Two subjects are taught in the morning, with a playtime break at about 10:30, and then lunch comes at noon. Students often bring a packed lunch from home, and they have an hour’s break for eating and playing. For students who choose to eat at school in the “canteen,” each meal usually has a meat, chicken, or fish portion, at least two portions of fruits and vegetables, and a bread, potato, or cereal. Parents usually pay a modest fee for lunch, although they can pay less or nothing if they qualify for low-income assistance. At about 1:00, school begins again, with two more subjects in the afternoon. At 3:15 the school day is over. Computers are introduced to students from the beginning, including four- and five-year-olds. Language classes are required beginning at age 11, the most common being French and German. Because there are high numbers of immigrant families in the >United Kingdom, English is required for those who are not native to the U.K. Primary schools teach English, math, science, technology, history, geography, art and design, music, and physical education. Schools also have to teach religious education, although parents have the right to pull their children from a religious class if they want. The courses taught in secondary schools will vary according to the emphasis each school has on either particular vocations or academic pursuits.

To School

Primary school begins at 9:00 a.m., so students gather shortly before then to ensure they are on time. Students up to age 8 must walk to school if they live within two miles of the school. Students aged 8 and older must walk if they live within three miles of the school. If a child lives more than this distance from a suitable school, he or she is entitled to free transportation on a bus. Bicycles are also an option for getting to school. Some wealthier families may send their children to school by car. After school, students return home the same way they came.

• Christian72.0%
• None16.0%
• Other12.0%

English note: the following are recognized regional languages: Scots (about 30% of the population of Scotland), Scottish Gaelic (about 60,000 in Scotland), Welsh (about 20% of the population of Wales), Irish (about 10% of the population of Northern Ireland), Cornish (some 2,000 to 3,000 in Cornwall)

English

• English
• scottish
• Welsh

• Winston Churchill

  Government Leader

• Boudicca (died c.AD 60)

  Boudicca was queen of the Iceni people of Eastern England and led a major uprising against occupying Roman forces. Boudicca was married to Prasutagus, ruler of the Iceni people of East Anglia.

• Jane Austen (1775 - 1817)

  Jane Austen was an English novelist whose books, set amongst the English middle and upper classes, are notable for their wit, social observation and insights into the lives of early 19th century women.

• Geoffrey Chaucer

  Author · 1328

  Geoffrey Chaucer, English poet and author of The Canterbury Tales, was born in London, England on Oct. 25, 1328.

• William Shakespeare

  Author · 1564

  William Shakespeare, English playwright and poet, was born in Stratford-Upon-Avon, England on April 23, 1564.

• 

  Isaac Newton

  Scientist · 1642

  Isaac Newton was born in 1642 in England. His father had died two months before his birth. When Isaac was three his mother remarried, and Isaac remained with his grandmother. He was not interested in the family farm, so he was sent to Cambridge University to study. Isaac was born just a short time after the death of Galileo, one of the greatest scientists of all time. Galileo had proved that the planets revolve around the sun, not the earth as people thought at the time. Isaac Newton was very interested in the discoveries of Galileo and others. Isaac thought the universe worked like a machine and that a few simple laws governed it. Like Galileo, he realized that mathematics was the way to explain and prove those laws. Isaac Newton was one of the world’s great scientists because he took his ideas, and the ideas of earlier scientists, and combined them into a unified picture of how the universe works. Isaac explained the workings of the universe through mathematics. He formulated laws of motion and gravitation. These laws are math formulas that explain how objects move when a force acts on them. Isaac published his most famous book, Principia, in 1687 while he was a mathematics professor at Trinity College, Cambridge. In the Principia, Isaac explained three basic laws that govern the way objects move. He then described his idea, or theory, about gravity. Gravity is the force that causes things to fall down. If a pencil falls off a desk, it will land on the floor, not the ceiling. In his book Isaac also used his laws to show that the planets revolve around the suns in orbits that are oval, not round. Isaac Newton used three laws to explain the way objects move. They are often call Newton’s Laws. The First Law states that an object that is not being pushed or pulled by some force will stay still, or will keep moving in a straight line at a steady speed. It is easy to understand that a bike will not move unless something pushes or pulls it. It is harder to understand that an object will continue to move without help. Think of the bike again. If someone is riding a bike and jumps off before the bike is stopped what happens? The bike continues on until it falls over. The tendency of an object to remain still, or keep moving in a straight line at a steady speed is called inertia. The Second Law {force = mass x acceleration; f = ma} explains how a force acts on an object. An object accelerates in the direction the force is moving it. If someone gets on a bike and pushes the pedals forward the bike will begin to move. If someone gives the bike a push from behind, the bike will speed up. If the rider pushes back on the pedals the bike will slow down. If the rider turns the handlebars, the bike will change direction. The Third Law states that if an object is pushed or pulled, it will push or pull equally in the opposite direction. If someone lifts a heavy box, they use force to push it up. The box is heavy because it is producing an equal force downward on the lifter’s arms. The weight is transferred through the lifter’s legs to the floor. The floor presses upward with an equal force. If the floor pushed back with less force, the person lifting the box would fall through the floor. If it pushed back with more force the lifter would fly into the air. When most people think of Isaac Newton, they think of him sitting under an apple tree observing an apple fall to the ground. When he saw the apple fall, Newton began to think about a specific kind of motion—gravity. Newton understood that gravity was the force of attraction between two objects. He also understood that an object with more matter –mass- exerted the greater force, or pulled smaller object toward it. That meant that the large mass of the earth pulled objects toward it. That is why the apple fell down instead of up, and why people don’t float in the air. Isaac thought about gravity and the apple. He thought that maybe gravity was not just limited to the earth and the objects on it. What if gravity extended to the moon and beyond? Isaac calculated the force needed to keep the moon moving around the earth. Then he compared it with the force the made the apple fall downward. After allowing for the fact that the moon is much farther from the earth, and has a much greater mass, he discovered that the forces were the same. The moon is held in an orbit around earth by the pull of earth’s gravity. Isaac Newton’s calculations changed the way people understood the universe. No one had been able to explain why the planets stayed in their orbits. What held them up? Less that 50 years before Isaac Newton was born it was thought that the planets were held in place by an invisible shield. Isaac proved that they were held in place by the sun’s gravity. He also showed that the force of gravity was affected by distance and by mass. He was not the first to understand that the orbit of a planet was not circular, but more elongated, like an oval. What he did was to explain how it worked.

• Edmund Halley

  Scientist · 1656

  Edmund Halley, English astronomer, was born in Haggerston, Shoreditch, London, England on Nov.8, 1656.

• Edward Jenner

  Scientist · 1749

  Edward Jenner, discovered scientific basis of vaccination, was born in Berkeley, Gloucestershire, England on May 17, 1749.

• William Blake

  Author · 1757

  William Blake, English poet, was born on Nov. 28, 1757 in Golden Square, Soho, London, England.

• 

  John Dalton

  Scientist · 1766–1844

  John Dalton was born in England in 1766, ten years before the U.S. Declaration of Independence was signed. His family lived in a small thatched cottage. As a small child, John worked in the fields with his older brother, and helped his father in the shop where they wove cloth. Although they had enough to eat, they were poor. Most poor boys at that time received no education, but John was lucky to attend a nearby school. In 1766, only about one out of every 200 people could read. John was a good student and loved learning. His teachers encouraged him to study many things. When he was twelve, he opened his first school in a nearby town, but there was very little money. He had to close his school and work in his uncle’s fields. Three years later, he joined his older brother and a friend to run a school in Kendall, England. They taught English, Latin, Greek, French, and 21 math and science subjects. John studied the weather and the nature around him. He collected butterflies, snails, mites, and maggots. He measured his intake of food and compared it to his production of waste. He discovered he was color-blind and studied that, too. In 1793, John moved to Manchester as a tutor at New College, and began observing the behavior of gases. He began to think about different elements and how they are made. He had a theory that each element is made up of identical atoms and that all elements are different because they are each made of different atoms. He thought that each element had a different weight, because it was made of different atoms. In 1808, Dalton published a book, A New System of Chemical Philosophy, which listed the atomic weights of many known elements. His weights were not all accurate, but they formed the basis for the modern periodic table. Not everyone accepted Dalton’s theory of atomic structure at the time, however. He had to defend his theory with more research. When John Dalton died in 1844, he was buried with honors in England. More than 400,000 people viewed his body as it lay in state. As his final experiment, he asked that an autopsy be performed to find out the cause of his color-blindness. He proved that it was not caused by a problem with his eyes, but with his perception-the way his brain worked. Even in death, he helped expand scientific knowledge. Today, scientists everywhere accept Dalton’s theory of atomic structure. A simple country boy showed the world a new way of thinking about the universe and how it is made.

• Sir Walter Scott

  Author · 1771

  Sir Walter Scott, Scottish author of Ivanhoe, was born in Edinburgh, Scotland on Aug. 15, 1771.

• 

  Michael Faraday

  Scientist · 1791

  Born in 1791 to a poor family in England, Michael Faraday was extremely curious, questioning everything. He felt an urgent need to know more. At age 13, he became an errand boy for a bookbinding shop in London. He read every book that he bound, and decided that one day he would write a book of his own. He became interested in the concept of energy, specifically force. Because of his early reading and experiments with the idea of force, he was able to make important discoveries in electricity later in life. He eventually became a famous chemist and physicist. Faraday built two devices to produce what he called electromagnetic rotation: that is a continuous circular motion from the circular magnetic force around a wire. Ten years later, in 1831, he began his great series of experiments in which he discovered electromagnetic induction. These experiments form the basis of modern electromagnetic technology. In 1831, using his "induction ring", Faraday made one of his greatest discoveries - electromagnetic induction: the "induction" or generation of electricity in a wire by means of the electromagnetic effect of a current in another wire. The induction ring was the first electric transformer. In a second series of experiments in September he discovered magneto-electric induction: the production of a steady electric current. To do this, Faraday attached two wires through a sliding contact to a copper disc. By rotating the disc between the poles of a horseshoe magnet he obtained a continuous direct current. This was the first generator. From his experiments came devices that led to the modern electric motor, generator and transformer. Faraday continued his electrical experiments. In 1832 he proved that the electricity induced from a magnet, voltaic electricity produced by a battery, and static electricity were all the same. He also did significant work in electrochemistry, stating the First and Second Laws of Electrolysis. This laid the basis for electrochemistry, another great modern industry. Michael Faraday, one of the world’s greatest experimental physicist, is known as the father of the electric motor, electric generator, electric transformer, and electrolysis. He wrote the "Law of Induction" and is known for the "Faraday Effect". Two units in physics were named in his honor, the farad (for capacitance) and the faraday (as a unit of charge).

• Percy Bysshe Shelley

  Author · 1792

  Percy Bysshe Shelley, English poet, was born new Sussex, England on Aug. 4, 1792.

• Mary Wollstonecraft Godwin Shelley

  Author · 1797

  Mary Wollstonecraft Godwin Shelley, English author of Frankenstein, was born on Aug. 30, 1797 in London, England.

• Alfred, Lord Tennyson

  Author · 1809

  Alfred, Lord Tennyson, English poet, was born in Somersby, Lincolnshire on Aug. 6, 1809.

• Charles Dickens

  Author · 1812

  Charles Dickens, English author, was born Feb. 7, 1812 in Portsea, England.

• Edward Lear

  Author · 1812

  Edward Lear, English poet, was born in London, England on May 12, 1812.

• Robert Browning

  Author · 1812

  Robert Browning, English poet, was born in Camberwell, England on May 5, 1812.

• 

  James Prescott Joule

  Scientist · 1818

  Joule was born in 1818 in England. A physicist, he shared in discovering the law of the conservation of energy. The law states that energy used in one form reappears in another and is never lost. In 1840, he stated a law, now called Joule’s Law, that heat is produced in an electrical conductor. The international unit of energy, the joule, is named in his honor.

• Edward James Muggeridge

  Scientist · 1830–1904

  Eadweard Muybridge, born Edward James Muggeridge in Kingston-upon-Thames, England

• 

  James Clerk Maxwell

  Scientist · 1831

  James Clerk Maxwell was born in Scotland in 1831. He is generally considered the greatest theoretical physicist of the 1800s, if not the century’s most important scientist. He combined a rigorous mathematical ability with great insight into the nature of science. This ability enabled him to make brilliant advances in the two most important areas of physics at that time (electromagnetism and a kinetic theory of gases), in astronomy, and in biology as well. Maxwell was a physicist who is best known for his work on the connection between light, electricity, magnetism, and electromagnetic waves (traveling waves of energy). "Maxwell’s Equations" are the group of four equations that show his greatness. This simple group of equations, together with the definitions of the quantities used in them and auxiliary relations defining material properties, fully describe classical electromagnetism. He discovered that light consists of electromagnetic waves. He not only explained how electricity and magnetism are really electromagnetism, but also paved the way for the discovery and application of the whole spectrum of electromagnetic radiation that has characterized modern physics. Physicists now know that this spectrum also includes radio, infrared, ultraviolet, and X-ray waves, to name a few. Maxwell’s second greatest contribution was his kinetic theory, especially the part dealing with the distribution of molecular speeds. In developing the kinetic theory of gases, Maxwell gave the final proof that the nature of heat resides in the motion of molecules. The kinetic theory of gases explains the relationship between the movement of molecules in a gas and the gas’s temperature and other properties. Maxwell also made important contributions in several other theoretical and experimental fields. Early in his career he figured out and then demonstrated the principles governing color, color vision, and how eyes work. He used a green, red and blue striped bow in making the world’s first color photograph of an object. He hypothesized that the rings of the planet Saturn were made up of many small particles, and was proven right when satellites visited Saturn in the 1970’s and later.

• Charles Lutwidge Dodgson (Lewis Carroll)

  Author · 1832

  Charles Lutwidge Dodgson (Lewis Carroll), English author, was born in Daresbury, Cheshire, England on Jan. 27, 1832.

• Randolph Caldecott

  Artist · 1846

  Randolph Caldecott, English artist, was born in Chester, U.K. on March 22, 1846.

• Alexander Graham Bell

  Inventor · 1847

  Alexander Graham Bell, inventor of the telephone was born in Edinburgh, Scotland on March 3.1847.

• Robert Lewis Balfour Stevenson

  Author · 1850

  Robert Lewis Balfour Stevenson, Scottish author and poet, was born in Edinburgh, Scotland on Nov. 13, 1850.

• Sir James Matthew Barrie

  Author · 1860

  Sir James Matthew Barrie, author of Peter Pan, was born in Scotland on May 9, 1860.

• Beatrix Potter

  Author · 1866

  Beatrix Potter, English artist and author of the Tales of Peter Rabbit, was born in London, England on July 28, 1866.

• Arthur Rackham

  Artist · 1867

  Arthur Rackham, English illustrator, was born in London, England on Sept. 19, 1867.

• Roald Dahl

  Author · 1916

  Roald Dahl, English author, was born in Llandaff, Wales, UK on Sept. 13, 1916.

• Margot Fonteyn (Margaret Hookham)

  Entertainer · 1919

  Margot Fonteyn (Margaret Hookham), British ballerina, was born in Reigate, Surrey, England on May 18, 1919.

• Prince Philip Mountbatten

  Government Leader · 1921

  Prince Philip Mountbatten , was born in June 10, 1921 in Isle of Corfu, Greece. He is the husband of Queen Elizabeth II.

• Elizabeth Alexandra Mary Windsor

  Government Leader · 1926

  Elizabeth Alexandra Mary Windsor, The Queen of Great Britain, was born on April 21, 1926 in London, England. Elizabeth II has been the United Kingdom’s reigning monarch since 1952. She was proclaimed queen on 6 February 1952 following the death of her father, George VI; she was formally crowned the next year, on 2 June 1953.

• Princess Diana Frances Spencer

  Government Leader · 1961–1997

  Princess Diana Frances Spencer, was born in Norfolk, England on July 1, 1961.

• Prince William Arthur Philip Louis Windsor

  Government Leader · 1982

  Prince William Arthur Philip Louis Windsor, son of and Prince Charles and Princess Diana of Great Britain. He was born in London, England on June 21, 1982. He is heir to the throne of Britain.

Crime Information

The United Kingdom and Gibraltar benefit from generally low crime rates. Overall crime rates have decreased over the past decade; however, according to Metropolitan Police statistics, serious crime (i.e. assault, robbery, burglary, gun-enabled crimes, and rape) in some London boroughs has increased. As with any major metropolitan city, U.S. citizens are urged to be cautious and aware of their surroundings. Typical criminal incidents include pick pocketing, mugging, and “snatch and grab” theft of mobile phones, watches, and jewelry. Theft of bags left unattended in restaurants, pubs, hotel lobbies and parked cars is common. Thieves often target unattended cars parked at tourist sites and roadside restaurants, looking for laptop computers and handheld electronic equipment - especially global positioning satellite (GPS) equipment. Pickpockets target tourists, especially at crowded public and historic sites, restaurants, and bus stops, as well as on buses, trains, and the London Underground. U.S. citizens should also be alert to other criminal schemes, such as imposters posing as undercover police officers and "fining" tourists for bogus minor offenses (littering or not having ID documents, for example). A legitimate Metropolitan Police Services officer will never demand an immediate cash payment from a citizen or tourist. You should avoid walking alone in isolated areas, including public parks, especially after dark, as these are advantageous venues for muggers and thieves. You should be especially careful using underground pedestrian tunnels at night or when there is little foot traffic. As a general rule, either walk the extra distance to use a surface crossing or wait until there are other adult pedestrians entering the tunnel. In London, you should use only licensed Black Cabs or car services recommended by hotels or tour operators. Unlicensed taxis or private cars posing as taxis may offer low fares, but are often uninsured and may have unlicensed drivers. In some instances, travelers have been robbed and/or raped while using these cars. You can access 7,000 licensed Black Cabs using one telephone number: 087-1871-8710. This taxi booking service combines all six of London’s radio taxi circuits, allowing you to telephone 24 hours a day if you need a cab. Alternatively, to find a licensed minicab, text HOME to 60835 on your mobile phone to get the telephone number to two licensed minicab companies in the area. If you know in advance when you will be leaving for home, you can pre-book your return journey. The Safe Travel at Night partnership among the Metropolitan Police, Transport for London, and the Mayor of London maintains a website with additional information on cabs and car services. Don’t leave your drink unattended in bars and nightclubs. There have been some instances of drinks being spiked with illegal substances, leading to incidents of robbery and rape. U.S. citizens should take steps to ensure the safety of their U.S. passports. Visitors in the United Kingdom and Gibraltar are not expected to produce identity documents for police authorities and thus may secure their passports in hotel safes or residences. ATM Fraud: You don’t need to carry a passport to cash a traveler’s check. There are many ATMs that link to U.S. banking networks. When using ATMs in the United Kingdom, you should use the same common-sense personal security measures you would use in the United States. ATM fraud in the United Kingdom is very sophisticated and incorporates technologies that surreptitiously record customer ATM card and PIN information. Avoid using ATMs that look in any way temporary in structure or location, or are located in isolated areas. Be aware that in busy public areas, thieves use distraction techniques, such as waiting until the PIN has been entered and then pointing to money on the ground or attempting to hand out a free newspaper. When the ATM user is distracted, a colleague will quickly withdraw cash and leave. If you are distracted in any way, cancel the transaction immediately. Don’t use an ATM if there is anything attached to the machine or if it looks unusual in any way. If the machine does not return your card, report the incident to the issuing bank immediately. If you need to visit an ATM always try to use the machines inside the bank, as they are monitored by CCTV and are the least likely to be targeted by thieves. Don’t buy counterfeit and pirated goods, even if they are widely available. Not only are the bootlegs illegal to bring back into the United States, but you may also be breaking local law. Scams: Financial crimes conducted over the Internet have increased dramatically in the United Kingdom as scammers attempt to convince you to send them money. These fraudulent schemes can include lotteries, online dating/social networking services, inheritance notices, work permits/job offers, bank overpayments, or schemes that make it appear you are helping a loved one or a friend in trouble. In many cases, scammers troll the Internet for victims, and spend weeks or months building a relationship. Once they have gained their victim's trust, the scammers create a false situation and ask for money. Scammers can be very clever and deceptive, creating sad and believable stories that will make you want to send them money. A current scheme involves someone posing as a member of U.S. Special Forces who establishes a romantic relationship via online dating services, and then starts to ask for money once that relationship is established. A number of U.S. citizens are lured to the United Kingdom each year in the belief that they have won a lottery or have inherited from the estate of a long-lost relative. U.S. citizens may also be contacted by persons with whom they have become acquainted over the Internet – or even receive an email purportedly from a friend or family member – who now need funds urgently to pay for hospital treatment, hotel bills, taxes, or airline security fees. Invariably, the person contacted becomes a victim of fraud. If you receive an email from family or friends requesting assistance you should first try calling them, as that person may not know their e-mail account has been hacked.You should view any unsolicited invitations to travel to the United Kingdom to collect winnings or an inheritance with skepticism. Many of these e-mails will contain grammatical and spelling errors. Also, there are no licenses or fees required when transiting a UK airport, emergency medical treatment is never withheld pending payment of fees, and hotels in the UK will not detain guests for lack of funds without involving the police. A claim that a hospital or hotel will not let someone depart until their bill is settled is usually a red flag for a scam.

Criminal Penalties

While you are traveling in the United Kingdom, you are subject to its laws even if you are a U.S. citizen. Foreign laws and legal systems can be vastly different than our own. If you break local laws in the United Kingdom, your U.S. passport won’t help you avoid arrest or prosecution. It’s very important to know what’s legal and what’s not where you are going. Penalties for possessing, using, or trafficking in illegal drugs in the United Kingdom are severe, and convicted offenders can expect long jail sentences and heavy fines. Engaging in sexual conduct with children or using or disseminating child pornography in a foreign country is a crime prosecutable in the United States. Many pocket knives and other blades, and mace or pepper spray canisters, although legal in the United States, are illegal in the United Kingdom and will result in arrest and confiscation if detected. Please refer to “ A UK Customs Guide," detailing which items visitors are prohibited from bringing into the United Kingdom. Air travelers to and from the United Kingdom should be aware that penalties against alcohol-related and other in-flight crimes (“air rage”) are stiff and are being enforced with prison sentences. Please also see our information on customs regulations that pertain when returning to the United States. Drivers of non-UK-registered vehicles may have to provide an on-the-spot deposit of up to 900 pounds (approximately $1400) if stopped for a motoring offense. If the driver cannot pay due to lack of cash or credit, the vehicle may be impounded until payment is made, and a release fee will be charged in addition to the deposit. Non-UK-resident drivers charged with motoring offenses are often unable to provide a verifiable address where a summons (subpoena) to appear in court can be delivered and/or enforced, or fail to return for court if released on bail. U.S. citizens may be detained and arrested if they cannot provide a UK address to receive a subpoena or are about to depart the United Kingdom and have to be brought to court quickly for a motoring offense. If alleged offenders attend court and are found not guilty, the deposit is returned. UK authorities nearly always promptly notify the U.S. Embassy or a consulate if a U.S. citizen is detained or arrested in the UK, but to ensure the State Department is aware of your circumstances, request that the police and prison officials notify the U.S. Embassy or nearest consulate as soon as you are arrested or detained in the UK.