Famous landmarks in the United Kingdom
19 landmarks · 2 animals · 6 places to discover
The United Kingdom on My Earth Toy, the free 3D toy globe for kids: 19 landmarks, 2 animals, 6 places to discover. Here you can see its flag, capital and size, then fly to every place on the globe.
The flag of the United Kingdom, the Union Jack, is dark blue with a red cross edged in white over red and white diagonal crosses.
Read about this flag →the United Kingdom at a glance
- Capital
- London
- Continent
- Europe
- Area
- 242,495 km²
- Population
- 69.1 million
The United Kingdom (UK) is an island country in north-western Europe. It is made up of four nations: England, Scotland and Wales on the island of Great Britain, and Northern Ireland on the island of Ireland, where it borders the Republic of Ireland. It is surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean, the North Sea, the English Channel and the Irish Sea. The capital is London.
The UK is known for its castles, royal history, rolling countryside and famous writers, music and sport. On the globe you can find Big Ben, the Tower of London, Tower Bridge, Stonehenge, Edinburgh Castle, Hadrian's Wall, the Roman Baths, the Kelpies and London's skyscrapers, plus the red fox, the mute swan and the legend of the Loch Ness Monster.
Geography and nature
Southern and eastern England is mostly low, with green fields, chalk hills and the white cliffs of Dover. The north and west are hillier, with the Lake District, the mountains of Wales and the Scottish Highlands, where Ben Nevis, about 1,345 metres, is the highest peak. Scotland is dotted with long, deep lakes called lochs, including Loch Ness. On Northern Ireland's coast, the Giant's Causeway is made of tens of thousands of six-sided basalt columns. The weather is mild and changeable, with plenty of rain.
People, languages and culture
English is spoken everywhere, and Welsh, Scottish Gaelic, Scots and Irish are also used. Christianity is the largest religion, and many people follow no religion or other faiths. The UK gave the world William Shakespeare, the Beatles and Harry Potter, and modern football, rugby and tennis rules took shape here. Favourite foods include fish and chips, a Sunday roast and afternoon tea with scones. The monarch is head of state, but laws are made by Parliament in Westminster.
History in a nutshell
Stonehenge was built in stages starting around 5,000 years ago. The Romans arrived in 43 CE and built Hadrian's Wall across northern Britain. Anglo-Saxons and Vikings followed, and in 1066 the Normans conquered England and began the Tower of London. England and Scotland united in 1707, forming Great Britain. In the 1700s and 1800s the Industrial Revolution began here, and Britain built a huge empire. After the world wars most of its colonies became independent, many joining the Commonwealth.
Fun facts
- 'Big Ben' is actually the name of the great bell; the tower itself has been called the Elizabeth Tower since 2012.
- The London Underground, opened in 1863, is the oldest underground railway in the world.
- The Tower of London has kept ravens for centuries, and legend says the kingdom will fall if they ever leave.
- The Kelpies in Scotland are two giant steel horse heads, each about 30 metres tall.
Famous landmarks in the United Kingdom
Big Ben
United Kingdom · Europe
The nickname for the great bell in the clock tower of the Palace of Westminster, an icon of London.
Tower of London
United Kingdom · Europe
William the Conqueror’s fortress around the White Tower, home of the Crown Jewels.
Stonehenge
United Kingdom · Europe
A prehistoric ring of massive standing stones, aligned with the midsummer sunrise.
Tower Bridge
United Kingdom · Europe
A combined bascule and suspension bridge over the Thames, with twin Victorian Gothic towers.
Windsor Castle
United Kingdom · Europe
The oldest and largest occupied castle in the world, with the Round Tower on its mound and St George’s Chapel.
Westminster Abbey
United Kingdom · Europe
The Gothic abbey church where English and British monarchs are crowned, fronted by twin west towers.
St Paul's Cathedral
United Kingdom · Europe
Christopher Wren’s Baroque cathedral, built after the Great Fire, whose dome has crowned London for three centuries.
Hadrian's Wall
United Kingdom · Europe
The 118 km frontier wall of Roman Britain, snaking along the crags of the Whin Sill.
The Shard
United Kingdom · Europe
Renzo Piano's 95-storey 'vertical city' at London Bridge, the tallest building in the UK: eight sloping glass shards that never quite meet, opening into a jagged crown at the top.
Edinburgh Castle
United Kingdom · Europe
A historic fortress on an extinct volcano's crag, towering over Edinburgh.
30 St Mary Axe (The Gherkin)
United Kingdom · Europe
Foster + Partners' 41-storey office tower in the City of London: a bullet-shaped steel diagrid clad in diamond-shaped glass, with dark bands of glass spiralling up around its light wells.
20 Fenchurch Street (Walkie-Talkie)
United Kingdom · Europe
Rafael Viñoly's top-heavy tower whose floors grow larger toward the top, crowned by the three-storey Sky Garden under a curved glass roof; its concave south face once focused sunlight onto the street below.
The Kelpies
United Kingdom · Europe
Two 30 m steel horse heads by a canal, named after the shape-shifting water spirits of Scottish legend.
Angel of the North
United Kingdom · Europe
Antony Gormley's steel angel with a 54 m wingspan, a symbol of North East England.
Roman Baths, Bath
United Kingdom · Europe
A Roman bathing complex fed by hot springs; its green Great Bath is overlooked by Bath Abbey.
122 Leadenhall Street (The Cheesegrater)
United Kingdom · Europe
Rogers Stirk Harbour + Partners' 48-storey wedge whose south face slopes about 10° to keep the protected views of St Paul's Cathedral clear; a white steel megaframe braces the glass, and the offices start 28 m above an open public space.
London Eye
United Kingdom · Europe
A giant observation wheel on the South Bank of the Thames with sweeping views over London.
University of Oxford
United Kingdom · Europe
The oldest university in the English-speaking world, with teaching going back to about 1096.
University of Cambridge
United Kingdom · Europe
Founded in 1209 by scholars who left Oxford, Cambridge is the alma mater of Newton, Darwin and many other great scientists.
Animals in the United Kingdom
Places to discover in the United Kingdom
Questions
What is the capital of the United Kingdom?
The capital of the United Kingdom is London.
Which continent is the United Kingdom in?
The United Kingdom is in Europe.
How big is the United Kingdom?
The United Kingdom covers about 242,495 km².
How many people live in the United Kingdom?
About 69.1 million people live in the United Kingdom.
What are the most famous landmarks in the United Kingdom?
Some of the best-known landmarks in the United Kingdom are Big Ben, Tower of London, Stonehenge, Tower Bridge and Windsor Castle. My Earth Toy has 19 landmarks from the United Kingdom on its free 3D globe, each with a photo and quick facts.
Which animals can you find in the United Kingdom on My Earth Toy?
On the globe you can find Red fox and Mute swan in the United Kingdom.
Sources
Updated: 2026-10-30