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(Last updated: 7 Apr 2009)
Watch G'Day UK 2009 Launch Video
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For more information on G'Day UK, please see the news section or visit the G'day UK website.
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Country facts
| Capital city: |
London |
| Surface area: |
243,000 sq km |
| Population: |
61.5 million |
| Official language(s): |
English |
| Head of State: |
H.M. Queen Elizabeth II |
| Head of Government: |
Prime Minister The Rt. Hon. Gordon Brown |
| Australian exports to the UK: |
A$11,508 million |
| Australian imports from the UK: |
A$9,024 million |
| The UK's principal export destinations: |
USA, Germany, Netherlands |
| The UK's principal import sources: |
Germany, USA, China |
(Source: Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade - Country economic fact sheet)
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Economic climate
The UK, like all economies is in the grip of the global economic downturn. This has caused the economy to fall into recession in the last quarter of 2008. Sectors particularly hard hit are banking, finance and automotive.
To combat the impact of downturn, the UK has led the world with a stimulus package of approximately 3.5 per cent of GDP and quantitative easing of the money supply to unblock the credit markets. This stimulus is aimed a large infrastructure projects, accelerating the low carbon economy and boosting consumer confidence by a 2.5 per cent reduction in VAT.
For the latest key economic indicators and statistics, please see the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade country economic fact sheet.
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Political climate
The UK has a stable parliamentary democracy, and is a constitutional monarchy, with Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II as the head of state. Gordon Brown is the current Prime Minister, with a popularly elected House of Commons and selective House of Lords.
While they are considered to be one country (and known collectively as the UK), Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland each have devolved governments, but also elect representatives to the House of Commons in London. Scotland has separate powers for education, health, justice and finance.
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