Here are some fascinating titbits of information about the world's 79th largest nation - the UK.
Did you know that the British Isles consists of 6,289 islands, most of them uninhabited?
And did you know that Britain, the largest of the British Isles, is the world's ninth largest island, and the largest in Europe, as well as being the world's third most crowded island?
Did you know that the UK could fit into Russia, the world's largest country, 70 times and into France twice? Or that, on the other hand, Monaco, the world's second-smallest country, could fit in the UK 124,564 times?
Did you know that the British are, by some dstance, the world's largest consumers of baked beans, and that while we account for a mere 0.91 per cent of the world's population, we are responsible for 6 per cent of its tea consumption?
Did you know that the highest temperature ever recorded in the UK was 101.3F in Faversham, Kent in 2003?
Well you do now, and if you want more tantalising titbits about the world's 79th largest nation, read on.....
Eight out of ten Brits: Tantalising titbits about the world's 79th largest nation (us!)
By Daily Mail Reporter
21st August 2009
Daily Mail
Brit breakfast: We eat twice as many baked beans as anyone else on Earth
Of course we should be careful with statistics. We must treat them like a drunk uses a lamp-post - for support rather than illumination. But a new book reveals some mind boggling facts and figures about the British. Did you know the average gym member covers 468 miles each year, but the average dog walker does an impressive 676? Here are the best of the rest...
The UK is the world's 79th largest country, able to fit into Russia 70 times and France twice. It consists of 6,289 islands, the largest of which is also the ninth largest in the world.
FAMILY LIFE
The average age of the first-time grandparent is 49
The average length of marriage is 11.5 years
92 per cent of couples stick to the same side of the bed each night
On average, men sleep for eight hours and four minutes and women for eight hours and 18 minutes
In the course of a lifetime, the average Briton will have sex 4,239 times
Women still do the majority of household chores, spending nearly three hours a day on housework. Men spend only 1 hour and 40 minutes. This may explain why men on average have 30 minutes more free time each day - but women spend an average of 14 minutes more in bed
Sixty-three per cent of people choose a shower rather than a bath - the preference is more marked among men (72 per cent) than women (53 per cent).
As for the average time taken in the bathroom in total, women spend 27.5 minutes and men 20.7 minutes
Five per cent of men admit having used their toothbrush after it fell down the toilet
Before getting into bed, 22 per cent of people charge electrical appliances, while 10 per cent pray
It is estimated there are 4.5 million gym members in the UK. Only 27 per cent of them exercise on a regular basis
Family life: Five per cent of men admit having used their toothbrush after it fell down the toilet
Britons, on average, watch 219 minutes of TV a day. This is slightly more than the French (206 minutes) and Germans (211 minutes), but less than the Italians (237 minutes), Americans(271 minutes) and Japanese (311 minutes)
Twenty per cent of men claim they can do DIY jobs better than any professional. Yet householders spend £850million every year calling in professionals to repair damage caused by botched DIY
One survey found that 55 per cent of the population spend two or more hours a week gardening, while another found that one in four women prefers it to sex
MUSIC
The top three songs played for the first dance at a wedding are:
1. I Don't Wanna Miss A Thing (Aerosmith)
2. (Everything I Do) I Do it for You (Bryan Adams)
3. Amazed (Lonestar)
Top UK albums of all time:
1. Queen: Greatest Hits (more than 5.4 million copies)
2. Beatles: Sgt Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (more than 4.8 million copies)
3. Oasis: (What's the Story) Morning Glory? (more than 4.3 million copies)
Top three artists with most No 1 singles in the UK:
1. Elvis Presley: 21
2. The Beatles: 17
3. Cliff Richard and Westlife: both 14
TRAVEL
Music: Queen's Greatest Hits album is one of the top UK albums of all time
Britain's roads total 248,968 miles. If stretched end to end, they would reach the moon
Two hundred and seventy-three hedgehogs are killed on our roads each day
An estimated 300,000 accidents a year are caused by satnavs
The most overcrowded train service last year was the 07.15 from Cambridge to London King's Cross, with 76 passengers standing for every 100 seated
Heathrow is the world's third busiest passenger airport. In 2007, it saw 68,068,304 passengers. The airport is six times the size of Monaco and has seven chaplains (Anglican, Catholic, Free Church, Jewish, Muslim, Hindu and Sikh). Ten per cent of Britain's perfume sales take place at Heathrow
FOOD
There were only six Indian restaurants in Britain in 1950, but by 2004 their number had grown to around 9,000. They account for two-thirds of all eating out
We eat at least twice as many baked beans per person as any other nationality
Each week, the average person scoffs three chocolate bars, three packets of crisps, one cereal bar, one bag of nuts, one muffin, four biscuits and six sweets
We drink 165 million cups of tea a day - around three cups a day for every man, woman and child. While we account for a mere 0.91 per cent of the world's population, we are responsible for 6 per cent of its tea consumption
Eighty-eight per cent of breakfasts are eaten at home. But 15 per cent of Londoners eat them at work
BODIES
The British female bottom measures 34in - two inches behind the female Italian bottom, which is the largest in the world
Four thousand men in 2006 had their 'man boobs' - or 'moobs' - removed
Our cosmetic surgery industry was worth £359million in 2005. It grew by 242 per cent between 2000 and 2005
Nearly one in ten under-35s would consider giving Botox as a Christmas present to their partner
PETS
Forty-three per cent of the population own a pet
Sixty per cent of single people buy a pet for companionship
The Queen has owned more than 30 corgis, most of them being descendants of the first, Susan
The average cat costs its owner £7,000 over its lifetime (compared with £20,000 for a dog)
The most expensive breed is the Great Dane (£31,840), with an average lifespan of ten years. The cheapest, despite a greater life expectancy of 12 years, is the Jack Russell (£17,476)
The labrador retriever is the most popular breed of dog, followed by the cocker spaniel
Pets: The most expensive breed of dog is the Great Dane (£31,840) (right), with an average lifespan of ten years. The cheapest, despite a greater life expectancy of 12 years, is the Jack Russell (£17,476) (left)
FASHION
The typical woman has more than 100 items of clothing in her wardrobe, but wears fewer than a third of them regularly
Eleven per cent of women have more than 21 pairs of shoes
The average clothes size is 16; bra size is 36C (as compared with 34B in the late 1990s); and shoe size 6
When we shop, the average time spent looking at an expensive item of clothing before buying is 22 minutes. This compares with 18 minutes spent looking at a property before buying
We think the worst fashion items of all time are the shell suit, the poncho, leg warmers, clogs and braces
Fashion crime: We think the worst fashion items of all time are the shell suit, the poncho, leg warmers, clogs and braces
HEALTH
The top five reasons for visits to the doctor are:
1. Hypertensive diseases
2. Dermatitis and eczema
3. Other skin disorders
4. Upper-respiratory infections
5. Eye disorders
The best teeth are to be found in Brighton, where people have an average of just two fillings and two missing teeth
People in Southampton have the worst breath, while those in Birmingham have the best
More people are killed each year by MRSA than by road accidents
The emergency number 999 is called 80,000 times a day. The busiest time is between 10.30pm and midnight (around 6,000 calls per hour), and the busiest day is New Year's Day (up to 12,000 calls per hour)
MONEY
We have more credit cards than any other European country - and 13 million more credit cards than there are people
If your surname is Patel, you are seven times more likely to be a multi-millionaire than if it is Smith
Sixty-nine per cent of English land is owned by 0.6 per cent of the population - mostly families who have held it since Victorian times
One hundred and three people in Scotland own 30 per cent of its land
RELIGION
Number of churches:
1961: 55,000
2005: 47,600
2020 (estimate): 43,000
Churches are now closing faster than new mosques are opening
Britain's first mosque was recorded in 1860, at 2 Glyn Rhondda Street in Cardiff. By 1961, there were seven mosques and, by 1985, 338
Religion: Churches are now closing faster than new mosques are opening
LITTLE BRITAIN
Britain covers 94,526 square miles, making us the 79th largest country in the world
You could fit the UK into Russia 70 times, Australia 31 times and France twice. On the other hand, we could house eight Belgiums, 345 Singapores and 124,564 Monacos
The British Isles is made up of 6,289 islands. With 11,072 miles of coastline, we are the ninth largest island in the world (the largest is Greenland). We are the third most populated island, after Java in Indonesia and Honshu in Japan
The furthest point from the sea in Britain is just outside the village of Coton in Derbyshire. From there, the nearest part of coast is Fosdyke Wash, on the edge of the Wash, south of Boston in Lincolnshire - 70 miles away
WEATHER
Our highest temperature: 101.3F in Faversham, Kent, on August 10, 2003
Lowest temperature: -81F, Braemar, Aberdeenshire, February 11, 1895 and January 10, 1982, and Altnaharra, Highland, December 30,1995
Highest 24-hour rainfall: 11in, Martinstown, Dorset, July 18, 1955
The heaviest hailstones (5oz) fell on September 5, 1958 at Horsham, West Sussex
...AND FINALLY
Nearly one in four of those born in 2001 will reach the age of 100
• Extracted from 8 Out Of 10 Brits: Intriguing And Useless Statistics About The World's 79th Largest Nation by Charlie Croker, published by Random House Books on September 3 at £10. Copyright ° 2009, Charlie Croker. To order a copy (p&p free), call 0845 155 0720.
dailymail.co.uk
Did you know that the British Isles consists of 6,289 islands, most of them uninhabited?
And did you know that Britain, the largest of the British Isles, is the world's ninth largest island, and the largest in Europe, as well as being the world's third most crowded island?
Did you know that the UK could fit into Russia, the world's largest country, 70 times and into France twice? Or that, on the other hand, Monaco, the world's second-smallest country, could fit in the UK 124,564 times?
Did you know that the British are, by some dstance, the world's largest consumers of baked beans, and that while we account for a mere 0.91 per cent of the world's population, we are responsible for 6 per cent of its tea consumption?
Did you know that the highest temperature ever recorded in the UK was 101.3F in Faversham, Kent in 2003?
Well you do now, and if you want more tantalising titbits about the world's 79th largest nation, read on.....
Eight out of ten Brits: Tantalising titbits about the world's 79th largest nation (us!)
By Daily Mail Reporter
21st August 2009
Daily Mail
Brit breakfast: We eat twice as many baked beans as anyone else on Earth
Of course we should be careful with statistics. We must treat them like a drunk uses a lamp-post - for support rather than illumination. But a new book reveals some mind boggling facts and figures about the British. Did you know the average gym member covers 468 miles each year, but the average dog walker does an impressive 676? Here are the best of the rest...
The UK is the world's 79th largest country, able to fit into Russia 70 times and France twice. It consists of 6,289 islands, the largest of which is also the ninth largest in the world.
FAMILY LIFE
The average age of the first-time grandparent is 49
The average length of marriage is 11.5 years
92 per cent of couples stick to the same side of the bed each night
On average, men sleep for eight hours and four minutes and women for eight hours and 18 minutes
In the course of a lifetime, the average Briton will have sex 4,239 times
Women still do the majority of household chores, spending nearly three hours a day on housework. Men spend only 1 hour and 40 minutes. This may explain why men on average have 30 minutes more free time each day - but women spend an average of 14 minutes more in bed
Sixty-three per cent of people choose a shower rather than a bath - the preference is more marked among men (72 per cent) than women (53 per cent).
As for the average time taken in the bathroom in total, women spend 27.5 minutes and men 20.7 minutes
Five per cent of men admit having used their toothbrush after it fell down the toilet
Before getting into bed, 22 per cent of people charge electrical appliances, while 10 per cent pray
It is estimated there are 4.5 million gym members in the UK. Only 27 per cent of them exercise on a regular basis
Family life: Five per cent of men admit having used their toothbrush after it fell down the toilet
Britons, on average, watch 219 minutes of TV a day. This is slightly more than the French (206 minutes) and Germans (211 minutes), but less than the Italians (237 minutes), Americans(271 minutes) and Japanese (311 minutes)
Twenty per cent of men claim they can do DIY jobs better than any professional. Yet householders spend £850million every year calling in professionals to repair damage caused by botched DIY
One survey found that 55 per cent of the population spend two or more hours a week gardening, while another found that one in four women prefers it to sex
MUSIC
The top three songs played for the first dance at a wedding are:
1. I Don't Wanna Miss A Thing (Aerosmith)
2. (Everything I Do) I Do it for You (Bryan Adams)
3. Amazed (Lonestar)
Top UK albums of all time:
1. Queen: Greatest Hits (more than 5.4 million copies)
2. Beatles: Sgt Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (more than 4.8 million copies)
3. Oasis: (What's the Story) Morning Glory? (more than 4.3 million copies)
Top three artists with most No 1 singles in the UK:
1. Elvis Presley: 21
2. The Beatles: 17
3. Cliff Richard and Westlife: both 14
TRAVEL
Music: Queen's Greatest Hits album is one of the top UK albums of all time
Britain's roads total 248,968 miles. If stretched end to end, they would reach the moon
Two hundred and seventy-three hedgehogs are killed on our roads each day
An estimated 300,000 accidents a year are caused by satnavs
The most overcrowded train service last year was the 07.15 from Cambridge to London King's Cross, with 76 passengers standing for every 100 seated
Heathrow is the world's third busiest passenger airport. In 2007, it saw 68,068,304 passengers. The airport is six times the size of Monaco and has seven chaplains (Anglican, Catholic, Free Church, Jewish, Muslim, Hindu and Sikh). Ten per cent of Britain's perfume sales take place at Heathrow
FOOD
There were only six Indian restaurants in Britain in 1950, but by 2004 their number had grown to around 9,000. They account for two-thirds of all eating out
We eat at least twice as many baked beans per person as any other nationality
Each week, the average person scoffs three chocolate bars, three packets of crisps, one cereal bar, one bag of nuts, one muffin, four biscuits and six sweets
We drink 165 million cups of tea a day - around three cups a day for every man, woman and child. While we account for a mere 0.91 per cent of the world's population, we are responsible for 6 per cent of its tea consumption
Eighty-eight per cent of breakfasts are eaten at home. But 15 per cent of Londoners eat them at work
BODIES
The British female bottom measures 34in - two inches behind the female Italian bottom, which is the largest in the world
Four thousand men in 2006 had their 'man boobs' - or 'moobs' - removed
Our cosmetic surgery industry was worth £359million in 2005. It grew by 242 per cent between 2000 and 2005
Nearly one in ten under-35s would consider giving Botox as a Christmas present to their partner
PETS
Forty-three per cent of the population own a pet
Sixty per cent of single people buy a pet for companionship
The Queen has owned more than 30 corgis, most of them being descendants of the first, Susan
The average cat costs its owner £7,000 over its lifetime (compared with £20,000 for a dog)
The most expensive breed is the Great Dane (£31,840), with an average lifespan of ten years. The cheapest, despite a greater life expectancy of 12 years, is the Jack Russell (£17,476)
The labrador retriever is the most popular breed of dog, followed by the cocker spaniel
Pets: The most expensive breed of dog is the Great Dane (£31,840) (right), with an average lifespan of ten years. The cheapest, despite a greater life expectancy of 12 years, is the Jack Russell (£17,476) (left)
FASHION
The typical woman has more than 100 items of clothing in her wardrobe, but wears fewer than a third of them regularly
Eleven per cent of women have more than 21 pairs of shoes
The average clothes size is 16; bra size is 36C (as compared with 34B in the late 1990s); and shoe size 6
When we shop, the average time spent looking at an expensive item of clothing before buying is 22 minutes. This compares with 18 minutes spent looking at a property before buying
We think the worst fashion items of all time are the shell suit, the poncho, leg warmers, clogs and braces
Fashion crime: We think the worst fashion items of all time are the shell suit, the poncho, leg warmers, clogs and braces
HEALTH
The top five reasons for visits to the doctor are:
1. Hypertensive diseases
2. Dermatitis and eczema
3. Other skin disorders
4. Upper-respiratory infections
5. Eye disorders
The best teeth are to be found in Brighton, where people have an average of just two fillings and two missing teeth
People in Southampton have the worst breath, while those in Birmingham have the best
More people are killed each year by MRSA than by road accidents
The emergency number 999 is called 80,000 times a day. The busiest time is between 10.30pm and midnight (around 6,000 calls per hour), and the busiest day is New Year's Day (up to 12,000 calls per hour)
MONEY
We have more credit cards than any other European country - and 13 million more credit cards than there are people
If your surname is Patel, you are seven times more likely to be a multi-millionaire than if it is Smith
Sixty-nine per cent of English land is owned by 0.6 per cent of the population - mostly families who have held it since Victorian times
One hundred and three people in Scotland own 30 per cent of its land
RELIGION
Number of churches:
1961: 55,000
2005: 47,600
2020 (estimate): 43,000
Churches are now closing faster than new mosques are opening
Britain's first mosque was recorded in 1860, at 2 Glyn Rhondda Street in Cardiff. By 1961, there were seven mosques and, by 1985, 338
Religion: Churches are now closing faster than new mosques are opening
LITTLE BRITAIN
Britain covers 94,526 square miles, making us the 79th largest country in the world
You could fit the UK into Russia 70 times, Australia 31 times and France twice. On the other hand, we could house eight Belgiums, 345 Singapores and 124,564 Monacos
The British Isles is made up of 6,289 islands. With 11,072 miles of coastline, we are the ninth largest island in the world (the largest is Greenland). We are the third most populated island, after Java in Indonesia and Honshu in Japan
The furthest point from the sea in Britain is just outside the village of Coton in Derbyshire. From there, the nearest part of coast is Fosdyke Wash, on the edge of the Wash, south of Boston in Lincolnshire - 70 miles away
WEATHER
Our highest temperature: 101.3F in Faversham, Kent, on August 10, 2003
Lowest temperature: -81F, Braemar, Aberdeenshire, February 11, 1895 and January 10, 1982, and Altnaharra, Highland, December 30,1995
Highest 24-hour rainfall: 11in, Martinstown, Dorset, July 18, 1955
The heaviest hailstones (5oz) fell on September 5, 1958 at Horsham, West Sussex
...AND FINALLY
Nearly one in four of those born in 2001 will reach the age of 100
• Extracted from 8 Out Of 10 Brits: Intriguing And Useless Statistics About The World's 79th Largest Nation by Charlie Croker, published by Random House Books on September 3 at £10. Copyright ° 2009, Charlie Croker. To order a copy (p&p free), call 0845 155 0720.
dailymail.co.uk
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