In mid-1995, the United Kingdom's population was estimated at 60.2 million -- the fifth largest in Europe after Russia, Germany, France, and Italy. Its population density is one of the highest in the world. Almost one-third of the population lives in England's prosperous and fertile southeast and is predominantly urban and suburban -- with 7.5 million in the capital of London. The U.K.'s high literacy rate (99%) is attributable to the introduction of public primary education in 1870 and secondary education in 1900. Education is mandatory from ages 5 through 16. Approximately one-fifth of British students goes on to post-secondary education. The Church of England and the Church of Scotland are the official churches in their respective countries, but virtually all religious sects found in the world are represented in the U.K.

A group of islands close to continental Europe, the United Kingdom has been subject to many invasions and migrations, especially from Scandinavia and the continent, including Roman occupation for several centuries. Contemporary Britons are descended mainly from the varied ethnic stocks that settled there before the 11th century. The pre-Celtic, Celtic, Roman, Anglo-Saxon, and Norse influences were blended in Britain under the Normans, Scandinavian Vikings who had lived in northern France. Although Celtic languages persist in Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland, the predominant language has been English, primarily a blend of Anglo-Saxon and Norman-French.