The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, or "UK" for short, is a country located in Western Europe. Situated between the North Atlantic Ocean and the North Sea, it is a medium-sized country, ranked 80th in the world based on its area of ​​243,610 km2 (CIA 1). Its climate is temperate, with steep hills and low mountains. The Fens are the lowest point in the UK, four meters below sea level (CIA 4). On the other hand, the highest point is at Ben Nevis, at 1,364 meters above sea level (CIA 9). To the east and southeast, the territory is mainly made up of plains. Only around a quarter of the UK's land is suitable for growing crops, but the region has plenty of natural resources. Some of these resources include coal, oil, gold, etc. (CIA 12). The United Kingdom's diverse resources help maintain the stability of its economy. There are many agricultural industries and products in the UK which, alongside natural resources, contribute to the economy. Some industries include shipbuilding, machine tools, and many others. Agricultural products produced in the UK include crops such as vegetables and potatoes, as well as livestock such as poultry and cattle (CIA 10). Around 1.4% of the UK's 32.07 million working people are concentrated in agriculture. Of the remaining percentage, 18.2% work in industry and the remaining 80.4% work in services (CIA 11). Fortunately, the UK's unemployment rate is relatively low, at just 8%, with only 14% of the population living below the poverty line (CIA 14). The United Kingdom's budget is approximately $986.1 billion in revenue and $1.186 trillion in expenditure. This imbalance between income and spending has led to the current national debt of $10.0...... middle of paper ...... voluntary service age ranges from sixteen to thirty-three, with mandatory parental consent for minors. eighteen years old. Women are also allowed to participate in the military. However, the United Kingdom currently lives in peace. The United Kingdom is also part of the United Nations to help maintain world peace and order. Works cited by the BBC. "United Kingdom." BBC News. BBC and Web. February 20, 2014. >.CIA. "United Kingdom." The World Factbook. CIA, January 28, 2014. Web. February 20, 2014. .Highbeam Research, LLC. "United Kingdom." Info please. Info please, and Web. February 20, 2014. Kramer, Jürgen. Great Britain and Ireland: a concise history. London: Routledge, 2007. Print.