For most people, the right amount of income tax is automatically taken from their income from employment by their employer and paid directly to HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC), the government department that collects taxes.

In England, Wales and Northern Ireland, most minor criminal cases are dealt with in a Magistrates’ Court. In Scotland, minor criminal offences go to a Justice of the Peace Court.

In the UK, people often enjoy a gamble on sports or other events. There is a National Lottery for which draws are made every week. You can enter by buying a ticket or a scratch card. People under 16 are not allowed to participate in the National Lottery. Note: As of April 2021, the minimum age to buy a lottery ticket or scratch card has been increased to 18.

As well as plays, Shakespeare wrote many sonnets (poems which must be 14 lines long) and some longer poems.

Everyone in the UK with a TV, computer or other medium which can be used for watching TV must have a television licence. One licence covers all of the equipment in one home, except when people rent different rooms in a shared house and each has a separate tenancy agreement - those people must each buy a separate licence.

The UK offers: freedom of belief and religion, freedom of speech, and freedom from unfair discrimination.

Many local authorities appoint a mayor, who is the ceremonial leader of the council. In some towns, a mayor is elected to be the effective leader of the administration.

Democracy is a system of government where the whole adult population gets a say. This might be by direct voting or by choosing representatives to make decisions on their behalf.

There are people in the UK with ethnic origins from all over the world. In surveys, the most common ethnic description chosen is white, which includes people of European, Australian, Canadian, New Zealand and American descent. Other significant groups are those of Asian, black and mixed descent.

The symbol of the House of Tudor was a red rose with a white rose inside it as a sign that the Houses of York and Lancaster were now allies.

The UK is historically a Christian country. In the 2011 Census, 59% of people identified themselves as Christian.

In 1837, Queen Victoria became queen of the UK at the age of 18. She reigned until 1901, almost 64 years. Her reign is known as the Victorian Age.

Henry VIII established the Church of England. In this new Church, the king, not the Pope, would have the power to appoint bishops and order how people should worship.

The UN was set up after the Second World War and aims to prevent war and promote international peace and security.

At the coronation of William and Mary, a Declaration of Rights was read. This confirmed that the king would no longer be able to raise taxes or administer justice without agreement from Parliament. The balance of power between monarch and Parliament had now permanently changed.

Sir Chris Hoy is a Scottish cyclist who has won six gold and one silver Olympic medals. He has also won 11 world championship titles.

In England, parents and other community groups can apply to open a free school in their local area.

It was during the 3rd and 4th centuries AD that the first Christian communities began to appear in Britain.

The television was developed by Scotsman John Logie Baird (1888-1946) in the 1920s. In 1932 he made the first television broadcast between London and Glasgow.

Britain was part of the Allied Powers, which included (amongst others) France, Russia, Japan, Belgium, Serbia - and later, Greece, Italy, Romania and the United States. The Allies fought against the Central Powers - mainly Germany, the Austro-Hungarian Empire, the Ottoman Empire and later Bulgaria.

Festival season takes place across the UK every summer, with major events in various locations. Famous festivals include Glastonbury, the Isle of Wight Festival and the V Festival. Many bands and solo artists, both well-known and up-and-coming, perform at these events.

The jet engine was developed in Britain in the 1930s by Sir Frank Whittle (1907-96), a British Royal Air Force engineer officer.

Charles Il had no legitimate children. He died in 1685 and his brother, James, who was a Roman Catholic, became King James Il in England, Wales and Ireland and King James VIl of Scotland. James favoured Roman Catholics and allowed them to be army officers, which an Act of Parliament had forbidden.

People vote in elections at places called polling stations, or polling places in Scotland.