Shakespeare's "Sceptred Isle...this other Eden," the United Kingdom (not so united in the Bard's day, but that's another story) draws many of us as if to a homecoming. England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland: "This earth of Majesty."

• TOTAL AREA: 244,820 sq km

• LAND AREA: 241,590 sq km

• WATER AREA: 3,230 sq km

• POPULATION: 60,609,153

• RELIGIONS: Christian (Anglican, Roman Catholic, Presbyterian, Methodist) 71.6%, Muslim 2.7%, Hindu 1%, other 1.6%, unspecified or none 23.1%

• LANGUAGES: English, Welsh (about 26% of the population of Wales), Scottish form of Gaelic (about 60,000 in Scotland)

• GOVERNMENT TYPE: Constitutional Monarchy

• CAPITAL CITY: London

• OFFICIAL CURRENCY: British pound (GBP)

• TIME ZONE: GMT +0