The United Kingdom (UK) is comprised of four countries: England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland.

It is important not only to be aware of these geographical distinctions but also the strong sense of identity and nationalism felt by the populations of these four countries. The terms 'English' and 'British' are not interchangeable. 'British' denotes someone who is from England, Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland. 'English' refers to people from England. People from Scotland are referred to as 'Scots'. People from England are not likely to take offence at being called English, whereas a Welsh, Scots, or Northern Irish person will. UK has a population of about 60 million, with 7 million of those living in London. Older people account for an increasing proportion of the UKs population, with more than 30% being over 50. In 2001, the size of the ethnic minority population of the UK was 4.6 million (7.9% of the total population). 45% of non-white people live in London. People of Indian heritage are the largest minority group, followed by those from Pakistan, those of mixed ethnic background and Black Caribbeans. Cultural Diversity Formerly a very homogenous society, since World War II, Britain has become increasingly diverse as it has accommodated large immigrant populations. The mixture of ethnic groups and cultures make it difficult to define British as looking or acting in one particular manner. People may sound British and retain the cultural heritage of their forefathers while others may become more British than someone who can trace his/her lineage to the 5th century. The fact that the nations favorite dish is now a curry sums up the cultural mish-mash that is modern day Britain. A brief history of the British flag The British flag or Union Flag, more popularly known as the Union Jack marks two major constitutional changes. First: after England and Scotland were united under James VI of Scotland / James I of England.

Second: when Northern Ireland was joined to the United Kingdom in 1800. The new flag included the diagonal red and white cross of St Patrick.

Religion The UK is a predominantly Christian-based society. Of every 100 people in the UK 72 class themselves as Christian. However, only 4 out of every 100 would attend church every Sunday. Britain has the largest Muslim community in Western Europe, estimated to be about 1.5 million people, and has over 600 mosques and prayer centres. The other main religions in the UK are Hinduism, Judaism and Sikhism

Families Around 30% of British households are made up of only one person. Most parents only have one or two children. Grandparents often live separately to the nuclear family (nuclear meaning just parents and their children). it is estimated that about 1 in 3 British marriages end in divorce (however this rate has slowed down over the last 20 years www.news.bbc.co.uk). Many people remarry and therefore it is not uncommon for children to be brought up by step-parents or by one parent. Many British families also own pets. They are often seen as part of the family and are kept inside the house. People may be offended if you dont treat their pet kindly. Dogs and cats are the usual pets but some people may keep other animals, anything from a snake to a rat! Relationships & Gender Women and men have similar roles in UK society. Households vary, of course, but it is not unusual to find men, especially younger men sharing many chores that were traditionally female such as child-care, cleaning and cooking duties. This reflects the fact that increasing numbers of British women now work outside of the home. However, most of the domestic work is till done so real equality is yet to be achieved. Most women in the UK work outside the home even if just part-time. Fewer men work part-time. This is one of the major reason why women earn less than men. There are two laws in the UK that aim to prevent discrimination against women in the workplace: the 1975 Sex Discrimination Act and 1970 Equal Pay Act. Women on average however still earn about 20% less than the average hourly earnings of male full time employees (www.news.bbc.co.uk). You may see what some people call public displays of affection while you are in the UK. It is not socially unacceptable for people of the opposite sex to hold hands and kiss in public. It is very unusual for people of the same sex to hold hands in public, especially men. Some people might think you are gay. A lot of prejudice still exists in the UK against those who are gay, lesbian or bisexual. Many gay, lesbian or bisexual people are, however, open about their sexuality. There is legislation that protects the rights of gay, lesbian or bisexual people not to be discriminated against or victimised. In Britain, people may seem very informal. Lecturers want students to call them by their first names, and he/she may go drinking (to the pub) with the students. Style of dress depends more on personal choice than on position or rank.

Personal space and privacy An Englishmans home is his castle - You may not have heard of this term before but you may hear it in the UK. British people do like to spend some time by themselves and may feel uncomfortable if they are always surrounded by other people. This does not mean they dont like being with others just that sometimes they feel the need to do something alone eg. Go for a walk or read a book. To say you need to have some time for yourself in British culture is not seen as impolite. In many British houses you may also notice that the house is divided into small rooms and gardens tend to have fences or hedges around them. Again some would argue this is because people like to have some privacy. Some people think this love of privacy comes from the fact that we have 59 million people packed into a very small space, and that this is needed if we are to keep the peace! Although the British are generally seen as being quite reserved and like keeping themselves to themselves, you will find that people are usually quite friendly and are willing to help if you ask for assistance. They may not be so willing to talk to you if you ask too many personal questions, however. What might seem like a normal question - Where are you from?, may be considered nosey. Terry Tan in Culture Shock Britain recommends When you get one word answers, stop asking questions, and return to the safe ice-breaking subjects such as the weather, pets, gardens, children and their antics and community welfare. British people can be interested in foreign cultures and lifestyles, but often their sense of privacy and a fear of invading yours stops them being too curious.

Conversing with strangers! It is common, and considered entirely normal, for English commuters to make their morning and evening train journeys with the same group of people for many years without ever exchanging a word. After a while one commuter told me, if you see the same person every morning on the platform, and maybe quite often sit opposite them on the train, you might start to just nod to each other when you arrive, but thats about as far as it goes. How long is a while? I asked. Oh, maybe a year or so it depends; some people are more outgoing than others, you know? Time Time is seen as a precious resource that you can easily run out of. You will often hear people talking about saving time or not having enough hours in the day. If you are late for an appointment without a reason it may be perceived that you value your time more than someone elses and you may be seen to be disrespectful of that person. It is unusual to turn up to someones office without an appointment and expect them to be able to see you. Appointments are not only made at work, but often also in peoples free time when they are meeting someone. You may find UK culture is very task-focussed. People are expected to stick closely to agreed deadlines. If you miss them people may begin to think you are disorganised and unprofessional!

Communication Greetings and Goodbyes The British are a culture of quick Hi!s and short, sharp handshakes. Some people however have adopted the European approach and kiss people on one or both cheeks. Friends and family may hug and kiss when they meet each other. Hi!, Hello!, Good morning!, Good afternoon! and Good Evening! are all ways of greeting people Goodbye!, See you soon!, Take Care are ways of saying goodbye. The British have a reputation for coolness, so you may be surprised if you find yourself being called dear, love and darling, even by strangers

Doing business in the UK The British are rather formal. Many from the older generation still prefer to work with people and companies they know or who are known to their associates. Younger businesspeople do not need long-standing personal relationships before they do business with people and do not require an intermediary to make business introductions. Nonetheless, networking and relationship building are often key to long-term business success. Rank is respected and businesspeople prefer to deal with people at their level. If at all possible, include an elder statesman on your team as he/she will present the aura of authority that is necessary to good business relationships in many companies. British communication styles The British have an interesting mix of communication styles encompassing both understatement and direct communication. Many older businesspeople or those from the 'upper class' rely heavily upon formal use of established protocol. Most British are masters of understatement and do not use effusive language. If anything, they have a marked tendency to qualify their statements with such as 'perhaps' or 'it could be'. When communicating with people they see as equal to themselves in rank or class, the British are direct, but modest. If communicating with someone they know well, their style may be more informal, although they will still be reserved. Business meetings Punctuality is a very British trait. It is especially important in business situations. In most cases, the people you are meeting will be on time. Always call if you will be even 5 minutes later than agreed. If you are kept waiting a few minutes, do not make an issue of it. How meetings are conducted is often determined by the composition of people attending. If everyone is at the same level, there is generally a free flow of ideas and opinions. If there is a senior ranking person in the room, that person will do most of the speaking. In general, meetings will be rather formal and always have a clearly defined purpose, which may include an agenda. There will be a brief amount of small talk before getting down to the business at hand. If you make a presentation, avoid making exaggerated claims. Make certain your presentation and any materials provided appear professional and well thought out. Be prepared to back up your claims with facts and figures. The British rely on facts, rather than emotions, to make decisions. Maintain

eye contact and a few feet of personal space. After a meeting, send a letter summarising what was decided and the next steps to be taken. Basic Etiquette Tips: Business Dress * Business attire is * Men should wear a dark coloured, conservative * Women should wear either a business suit or a conservative dress. Greetings * Shake hands with everyone * Maintain eye contact during the greeting. Titles * Only medical doctors and the clergy use their professional or academic titles in business. * Most people use the courtesy titles or Mr, Mrs or Miss and their surname. (Mr and Mrs are words in the United Kingdom and do not require a period after them as they are not abbreviations.) * If someone has been knighted, they are called 'Sir' followed by their first and surnames or 'Sir' followed simply by their first name. * Wait until invited before moving to a first-name basis. People under the age of 35 may make this move more rapidly than older British. Business Cards * Business cards are exchanged at the initial introduction without formal ritual. * The business card may be put away with only a cursory glance. Business Gifts * Business gift giving is not part of the business culture. * If you choose to give a gift, make certain it is small and tasteful. * Good gifts include desk accessories, a paperweight with your company logo, or a book about your home country. * Inviting someone out for a meal can be viewed as a gift. at a meeting upon arrival. conservative. business suit.