History and heritage
A multicultural nation
Throughout history, many different races and cultures have had an influence on the UK and consequently played a role in creating the diverse society we live in today.
Germanic tribes such as the Angles and Saxons, the Romans, Scandinavian Vikings and the Normans all invaded and settled in the UK a thousand years or more ago. More recently, large numbers of South Asians, Africans, West Indians, Australians, South Africans and others have come to live in the UK's towns and cities.
Find out more about Britain's multicultural society in our People and Politics section.
Historic attractions in the UK
The range of people who have influenced British history over the years means we are now blessed with a huge variety of historic attractions. 1000s of people come to the UK every year to visit these places and learn about our past, contributing millions of pounds to the British economy in the process.
Some of the best-known attractions include:
Hadrian's Wall - built in AD122 in the north of England by the Roman Emperor, Hadrian, to prevent Scottish tribes from invading
Battle Abbey - the site of the Battle of Hastings in 1066, when the Norman king, William the Conqueror, claimed the throne of England
The Tower of London - the UK's most popular tourist attraction dates back to the time of William the Conqueror
York - a historic city dating back to Roman, Saxon and Viking times.
You can find information about visiting historic attractions in the UK on a number of websites, including:
VisitBritain
The National Trust
English Heritage
Historic Scotland
VisitNorthernIreland
VisitWales
Our economic history
Britain is littered with reminders of the way the UK economy has developed over the years.
You can still find farms in many areas of the country, providing a link to the time before the Industrial Revolution when agriculture was the dominant sector of the economy.
The Industrial Revolution changed the face of the UK, and later, the world, forever. Cities such as Liverpool and Bristol became incredibly prosperous during this period. You can still visit these cities and some of the mills, factories and mines that powered the revolution in places such as Salford in the north-west of England and Cornwall, in the south-west.
The UK's modern-day economy is characterised by tall skyscrapers such as the 'Gherkin' and Canary Wharf in the City of London - now one of the world's most important financial centres.
The UK Monarchy
The Royal Family has played a crucial role throughout British history. Find out more about the Monarchy in our People and politics section.
Famous annual events
Many famous annual events celebrating our history and heritage take place in the UK every year. Some of the best-known include:
Guy Fawkes Night - held on 5 November every year to celebrate the Gunpowder Plot to blow up the Houses of Parliament
The Braemar Gathering - arguably the most famous Highland Games event in the world
Burns Night - a night of celebration for Scotland's best-loved poet.
You can find information about many other historical events that take place throughout the year in the UK on the VisitBritain website.
Personal history - tracing your family tree
Large numbers of people in the UK have begun to take an interest infamily history in recent years, which has led to many people researching their family tree. Many of these people have discovered distant relatives in far-flung corners of the world.
A number of websites provide advice for people who are interested in tracing their family tree, including the:
National Archives
Society of Genealogists
Origins Info
BBC Family History
Local history
Research into local history has also increased in the UK in recent years, with people more eager to learn about events that have taken place in the past in their village or town.
Organisations that provide advice on this - such as the British Association for Local History and the Local Population Studies Society - have emerged in recent years. Local government records are also a good source of information, while the BBC Legacies website provides an overview of some of the local history projects taking place around the UK.
Morris dancing has its beginnings during the 16th century in England. This traditional dance is associated with the Moorish rule over Spain and Portugal from 711AD.