Head of state: Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II
Head of government: David Cameron
Type of state: parliamentary monarchy with bicameral parliament
Land area: 242,000 km2
Capital: London
Population: 61.4m
Religion/s: 35m Anglicans (Church of England), 0.2 million other Protestants, 5.6 million Catholics, 2 million Moslems, 1.4 million Hindus and Sikhs, 300,000 Jews, 11m others
Language/s: English, Welsh, Gaelic and Cornish
Currency: British pound (GBP)
Gross domestic product (GDP) 2011: USD 2,417bn
Change over previous year: +1.7%
Per capita GDP 2011: USD 38,592
Swiss colony 2011: 29,778 people
Swiss exports 2011: CHF 9,953 million 
Change over previous year: -17.3%
Swiss imports 2011: CHF 6,362 million 
Change over previous year: -10.7%