Conventional Long Form Name of country - United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
Capital City- London
Type of Government - constitutional monarchy and Commonwealth realm
Date of Independence - 12 April 1927
National Holiday(s)- The UK does not celebrate one particular national holiday
Chief of State (official public face of government) - Queen ELIZABETH II
Head of Government (actual leader of government) -Prime Minister David CAMERON
Executive Branch/Powers - the monarchy is hereditary; following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party or the leader of the majority coalition usually becomes the prime minister
Legislative Branch/Powers - bicameral Parliament consists of House of Lords; note - membership is not fixed (788 seats; consisting of approximately 670 life peers, 92 hereditary peers, and 26 clergy.
Judicial Branch/Powers - Supreme Court of the UK (established in October 2009 taking over appellate jurisdiction formerly vested in the House of Lords is the final court of appeal); Senior Courts of England and Wales (comprising the Court of Appeal, the High Court of Justice, and the Crown Courts); Court of Judicature (Northern Ireland); Scotland's Court of Session and High Court of the Justiciary
Suffrage (who is allowed to vote) - 18 years of age; universal
Name of Ambassador to the U.S.- Ambassador Peter John WESTMACOTT
Location of embassy in the U.S.-Washington, DC Location(s) of consulate(s) in the U.S.- Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, San Francisco
U.S. Ambassador - Ambassador Louis B. SUSMAN
Location Of U.S. Embassy - London
Location of U.S. consulate there - Belfast, Edinburgh Representative to U.N. - Sir Mark Lyall Grant
National Symbols - lion (Britain in general); lion (England); lion, unicorn (Scotland); dragon (Wales); harp (Northern Ireland)
Chief of State: Queen ELIZABETH II
Head of Government: Prime Minister David CAMERON
blue field with the red cross of Saint George (patron saint of England) edged in white superimposed on the diagonal red cross of Saint Patrick (patron saint of Ireland), which is superimposed on the diagonal white cross of Saint Andrew (patron saint of Scotland); properly known as the Union Flag, but commonly called the Union Jack; the design and colors (especially the Blue Ensign) have been the basis for a number of other flags including other Commonwealth countries and their constituent states or provinces, and British overseas territories