- published: 23 Sep 2014
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The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland uses as its national flag the royal banner known as the Union Flag or, popularly, Union Jack.The term Union Jack is used in colloquial speech and comes from the written name of James I of England[citation needed]. The latin form of the name James is Jacobus and the British version of Jacobus is Jack. The current design of the Union Flag dates from the union of Ireland and Great Britain in 1801. It consists of the red cross of Saint George (patron saint of England), edged in white, superimposed on the Cross of St Patrick (patron saint of Ireland), which are superimposed on the Saltire of Saint Andrew (patron saint of Scotland). Wales, however, is not represented in the Union Flag by Wales' patron saint, Saint David, as at the time the flag was designed Wales was part of the Kingdom of England.
Its correct proportions are 1:2. However, the version officially used by the British Army modifies the proportions to 3:5, and additionally two of the red diagonals are cropped.
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland (commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK, or Britain) is a sovereign state located off the north-western coast of continental Europe. The country includes the island of Great Britain, the north-eastern part of the island of Ireland and many smaller islands. Northern Ireland is the only part of the UK that shares a land border with another sovereign state—the Republic of Ireland. Apart from this land border the UK is surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean, the North Sea, the English Channel and the Irish Sea.
The United Kingdom is a unitary state governed under a constitutional monarchy and a parliamentary system, with its seat of government in the capital city of London. It is a country in its own right and consists of four countries: England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales. There are three devolved administrations, each with varying powers, based in Belfast, Edinburgh and Cardiff, the capitals of Northern Ireland, Scotland, and Wales. Associated with the UK, but not constitutionally part of it, are three Crown Dependencies. The United Kingdom has fourteen overseas territories. These are remnants of the British Empire which, at its height in 1922, encompassed almost a quarter of the world's land surface and was the largest empire in history. British influence can still be observed in the language, culture and legal systems of many of its former territories.
There's a gang I've just joined
There's a gang I've just joined
Three million strong you'd agree
Four million strong you'd agree
Enrollment was easy, so easy
Getting out proves to be the difficulty
From land's end to john o'groats
From land's end to john o'groats
They are making ends meet
Mending holes in their coat
Fasting and feasting on bread and margarine
Burning dreams build upon buried hopes
United kingdom - you'd better ring them
You've a solution - you better bring them
United kingdom - united kingdom
You've a solution - you better bring them
Opportunity, I guess they all came and went
Finding it hard
Finding the rent you'll find it funny
With your finger running down
Situations vacant
In school he was an athlete
Now he's not so self-assured
"after all of these o-levels is this my reward? "
There's a silent majority, that's seen and
Never heard from charles i, charles ii
To charles iii
United kingdom - you'd better ring them
You've a solution - you better bring them
United kingdom - united kingdom
This busted, rusted, upper-crusted
Bankrupted done and dusted
No-man-to-be-trusted united kingdom
Proud to stand beneath the union jack?
Happy dealing up a no ace pack?
Polishing black boots
Priming the riot squad
There go I but for the grace of god
Covering up the agony with mindless entertainment
You'll be happy when they're ripping up the pavement
Bringing down the axe on steelworks and foundries
Someone said love knows no boundaries
Close your eyes and think of england
Lie back and think of her
United kingdom - you better ring them