The UK is a sovereign state that consists of the counties of Great Britain, Wales, Northern Ireland and Scotland. It has a temperate climate and experiences rain throughout the year. Its main manufacturing industries include the aerospace,automotive and pharmaceutical industries.
Agriculture also plays a leading role in the UK’s economy, with the sector producing some 60% of the country’s food requirements. In addition, the UK is a global leader in scientific research and development, with many of the country’s universities setting up science parks to facilitate collaboration with industry. A number of leading scientific journals, such as The Lancet and Nature, are published in the UK.