Lesson video

Hello, my name is Chloe and I'm a geography field studies tutor.

This lesson is called "The Place of the UK "in the Wider World," and it forms part of the economic futures in the UK unit of work.

It's gonna be looking at how the UK is connected to other countries and other regions, and how deep those connections are.

Let's get started.

By the end of this lesson, you will be able to compare the UK's links with the wider world.

There are some keywords to think about first of all.

Firstly, there's Commonwealth.

This is an international association of 56 countries that were previously part of the British Empire.

International migration is the movement of people from one country to another.

And interdependence is where two or more countries rely on each other.

Interdependence can mean relationships between two or more of anything, but in this context, we're going to be looking at countries, so the UK and other countries.

There are three parts to this lesson.

Let's look at the questions we're going to be trying to answer.

Firstly, how important are economic links with the world? How important are social links with the world? And then finally, how important are political links with the world? Let's start with that first one, all about our economic links to the rest of the world.

So the UK links to the wider world in a number of different ways.

We've just mentioned the three main areas.

So economic, that's trade and transport.

We're gonna be looking at social links, things like communication and culture.

And finally, political links, how we are linked to the EU and how we are linked to the Commonwealth.

Let's start with that first one about the economy.

So the UK has strong trade links with the EU, the USA and China.

Sofia is studying this trade data.

What key points of understanding could she take from it? So let's take a look at this data first of all.

We've got two columns representing the amount of imports and exports that the UK has with different countries and different regions.

Now, three have been highlighted in particular, our three main trade links.

That's the EU, USA and China.

And then we've got the rest of the world making up the rest of the bar there.

You can see it's a percentage, so we can see relative amounts of imports and exports.

So what kind of understanding could Sofia take from this chart? Well, the first thing she notices is that the UK's most important trade relationship is with the EU.

It is the largest block of colour in both the imports and the exports.

Then she notices that the UK exports a greater value of goods to the USA than it imports from it.

So if we look at our pink section of those column charts there, in the exports column, you can see that it is much larger than it is in the imports column.

That pink section is much larger.

So we can see that the UK exports more goods to the UK than it imports from it in terms of their value.

Now, the opposite is true in China.

She says, "The value of imported goods from China is roughly double that of the goods the UK exports to China." So we get a lot more value in our imported goods from China that we export to China.

Now, let's look a little bit more at those goods in particular.

So significant goods are imported to and exported from the UK.

Let's start with the EU, and we're looking here at some of the main exports and imports.

So in terms of exports, fuel and oil is one of the key things that the UK exports to the EU.

And what we get back in return is a lot of our food and chemicals, which are used in all kinds of industrial processes here in the UK.

If we then look to China, so we're exporting a lot of transport equipment, so things like engines and turbines and that kind of thing, which are making forms of transport over in China.

What we're receiving from China, well, there's lots of things, but one of the main things we need to think about is office and consumer electronics.

Now, what's a consumer electronic? Well, you might have one in your pocket right now.

A mobile phone would be a great example of a piece of consumer electronics.

And then finally, the USA.

So what are we exporting to the USA? Yeah, pharmaceuticals.

Things like vaccines and medications.

And what will we import from the USA? Things like aircraft and power generators.

It's important to remember that the UK trades in services, as well as goods.

In fact, you can see from our chart here that actually services makes up the majority of our exports and imports.

The value of exports of services in 2023 was 470 billion compared to 377 billion for goods.

So the export of services is actually a key part of our economy.

Our first check for understanding.

Which of the following statements is true? So we're coming back to the graph that we saw initially with Sofia.

First of all, the UK exports goods to just four countries.

Is it B, together, imports from the EU, the USA and China make up 75% of the value of the UK's total imports? Or is it C? The UK has a higher import value of goods from the USA than export value.

Pause the video and have another really close look at this graph and then decide which of those statements are true.

Well, well done if you recognised that A instantly isn't because, of course, the rest of the world covers possibly another 180 something countries.

So no, the UK does not just export goods to four countries.

It exports goods all over the world.

Now, C, the UK has a higher import value of goods from the USA than its export value, let's look at that pink band again.

It's saying that there's more import than there are exports.

No, it's the other way round.

We export more to the USA than we import from it.

So we know that C is not right, so let's just check that B is our correct statement.

Together, imports from the EU, the USA and China make up 75% of the value of the UK's total imports.

We go to our import column there and we look at EU, USA and China and we can see, yeah, pretty much, it's on the mark there.

For 75% of the value is coming through those three countries and regions.

So that's gonna be the correct one.

It is B.

Well done if you got that.

The UK has international transport links through things like air, Heathrow Airport being a good example, rail, such as the Channel Tunnel, and in our marine transport system, such as Felixstowe container port.

London Heathrow is one of the busiest airports in the world.

It flies goods, or freight, and passengers to 84 countries, and it has around 535 flights a day.

Here we can see a departure board and it shows the five most busiest destinations in terms of London Heathrow, so Dubai in the United Arab Emirates, New York in USA, Madrid in Spain, Dublin in the Republic Island and Doha in Qatar.

The Channel tunnel links Folkestone in Kent with Calais in France.

We can see it in our map here.

Foot passengers can use it to travel by train between London St Pancras station and a variety of destinations in northern Europe.

Cars and freight can board a separate train at Folkestone.

So there are two ways of using the Channel Tunnel to get over to Europe.

As the UK is a number of islands, ports form an important part of its historical links to the rest of the world.

The UK has 120 commercial ports that handle both freight and passengers travelling internationally.

In the picture here, you can see an example of one.

The Liverpool2 port is the UK's largest transatlantic port.

95% of the UK's imports and exports are handled by its ports.

We maybe think that a lot of our freight or goods will come in by air, but actually no, it's still the ports, just as it was some 200 years ago.

Now a check for our understanding.

Complete the sentences with the missing words.

Do pause the video here so you can have a look at the paragraph and see what you can remember from that last section.

So let's see what you got here.

London Heathrow airport handles around 535 flights a day.

It flies goods.

You might have put freight, that's even better, and passengers to 84 different countries and it is an international transport hub internationally.

It is well worth remembering that Heathrow is a little unusual just because of its size and how well connected it is.

Let's look at our first practise task of this lesson.

Sam is considering whether the UK has more international links through trade or through transport.

First part of the task suggests some data she could research and use to find an answer to this.

Then suggest a problem with this data, and why it may not give a completely accurate picture of the nature of the UK's international links.

Do pause the video.

This is gonna take some thought and you might wanna have a chat with somebody nearby as well to see what their ideas are.

So pause the video and then come back to me.

So let's look at your answers now.

We first need to think about the kind of research that Sam could do and the kind of data that she could investigate.

Your answers may include something like this.

Sam could compare the number of countries that are linked to the UK through trade and the number of countries that are linked to the UK through transport.

But then we need to think about any problems with that kind of data.

And what Sam said here is that the UK may have a very strong trading relationship to a single country, like the USA, or a very weak relationship.

Data, such as the number of countries that the UK trades with, does not tell us how frequently that trade happens or how strong that international link is.

So if we just take the data as it is, the number of countries that the UK is trading with, it could be that in a single year, the UK trades one item with another country once.

Or it could be that they have a continual process of import and export with another country.

And in terms of the data, it would look like exactly the same relationship when, of course, it's not.

Now let's look at the second part of today's lesson about the social links that the UK has with the rest of the world.

And we're going to be looking at two key areas here: communication and culture.

The UK has advanced electronic communication systems that allow it to link socially with other countries.

So things like international phone lines, we have email, social media, and online video conferencing.

All of those things can take place from the comfort of our own home.

And then we can link to people in other countries through those means.

This communication is not just about socially connecting with friends and family.

International communication links allow for information to be shared, for distance learning, and education to take place, and for entertainment to be created and to reach people.

To what extent do you think the UK engages with social media? We've got some data here to think about.

It shows the percentage of the population that engages with at least one social media platform.

You can see the UAE here is leading the way.

97% of its population is on at least one social media platform.

In South Korea, it's 93%, in China, 74%, and in the USA, 70%.

So do you think the UK is higher or lower than the USA's value? Well, it's 83%.

So somewhere between China and South Korea in value.

Now, that means that a vast majority of the UK's population is engaging possibly with people in other countries on a regular basis.

Let's check our understanding now.

True or false, advanced electronic communications, such as email and social media, only allows greater social connections between friends and family.

Is that the only purpose of advanced electronic communication or is there something else going on? Pause the video and have a think.

Is that true or false? Come back to me with the right answer.

Well, let's see what we thought.

It's false, but why is it a false statement? Well done if you recognise that this electronic communication also creates opportunities to receive education and be entertained.

It's not just about chatting with friends and family.

The UK has a long and strong history of cultural diversity as a result of international migration.

We've had centuries of migration coming to the UK.

New migrants bring aspects of their cultures with them when they come to this country.

That means that today's UK is a cultural mix of different foods, fashions, music, religions, and festivals.

It is a huge melting pot of lots of different cultures.

Let's see what Alex says about this.

He says, "When I think about my family's cultural links to the world, we cover a lot of places.

My mom and dad were born in different countries, and I was born in the UK.

I grew up speaking English while my father still wishes I spoke his language! Generally we eat food from all over the world, but on special festival days, mum cooks food from her homeland and I love it! I will always think of myself as British but I dip into lots of different cultures all the time.

I think I get the best of all the world!" Alex is really lucky there.

He's able to see those cultural connections that he has with other parts of the world through his family and his day-to-day life.

Something for us to think about ourselves here.

Think about how different foods, languages, music, festivals have a place in your own cultural experience.

The UK has also created cultural connections to other countries through the spread of TV, music and film.

These connections are multi-directional.

The UK influences and is influenced by media from other countries.

Many of the UK's most popular programmes are exported to other countries, things like "Doctor Who" is a huge export for the UK and is watched all over the world.

This creates international audiences of many millions of people.

Let's check our understanding of one of the points that was just raised.

Why might a geographer describe the UK's cultural influences as multi-directional? Is it because the UK influences many countries or is it that the UK is influenced by many countries? Is it because the UK directs or controls the spread of culture? Or is it that the UK both influences and is influenced by different cultures? Pause the video.

Hope this one isn't too difficult.

Come back to me with the right answer.

Yeah, well done if you picked up on the idea that multi-directional, it's going back and forth.

So yeah, it means that the UK is influenced by different cultures, and is an influence itself on different cultures.

Our second task, let's see what Lucas says here.

He says, "I don't think I've got any cultural connections to anything outside the UK." Oh dear.

We need to help Lucas here.

Write a list of five possible areas that Lucas might want to look into further so he can see where his cultural connections lie.

So an example of this is styles of food that Lucas likes to eat that originate from other countries.

So that's one way in which Lucas is culturally connecting to other places outside the UK.

Try and come up with five other areas that Lucas might need to think about if he's trying to think of new cultural connections.

Pause the video and again, have a chat with people nearby and see what they think.

And then come back to me.

Well, there's lots of things you could have answered here.

Here's some of the ideas that I had.

Lucas could think about the origins of different music that he listens to.

He could look at the origins or the settings of films or TV shows that he likes.

He could look at his own family history to see if there are any stories of migration to the UK within his family, looking at his clothing styles that Lucas likes to wear, and thinking about which countries those kind of styles kind of originate from, any languages that Lucas speaks, and which countries also speak those languages.

And now the final part of the lesson, how important are political links with the world? So here we're gonna be thinking about two particular areas, the European Union and the Commonwealth.

The UK joined Europe politically in 1973.

Of course, the UK already had some political links with Europe going way back before then.

But there was something very special that happened in that year.

The UK joined something called the European Economic Community or the EEC.

This meant there was a political alliance between the member countries there.

It also meant that they would trade without tariffs or taxes.

In theory, it meant that the price of goods would come down for all of the countries within the EEC because it would remove all of the customs, all of the taxes that would be placed on goods as they would move between countries.

In 1993, the EEC was enlarged.

It started taking many, many more countries and it formed something called the European Union.

You will have heard of that.

Laws made in the EU parliament were upheld in the UK.

So there was the UK Parliament, which would create laws for our country, but then there was also the EU parliament.

So there were laws that would apply across Europe, making Europe basically have the same political standpoint on certain issues.

In 2016, the UK voted to leave the EU in a referendum.

This meant the political alliance was loosened.

There was still a relationship with the EU, of course, but the UK was no longer tied to EU law or to its funding.

You might have heard of this in another way.

It was known as Brexit.

There are now 27 countries in the EU.

Being part of the EU meant certain things for the UK.

It meant that trading between the UK and the EU was tariff free.

It allowed for the free movement of people between the UK and the EU.

You wouldn't necessarily have had to shown your passport when you were moving between those countries and crossing over borders.

This meant there was greater cultural diversity coming into the UK because of course, lots of Europeans came to the UK to live, to work, and to raise families.

It also allowed EU funds through something called the European Regional Development Fund to be spent in deprived areas of the UK.

And this had the aim of encouraging economic growth.

All of the countries in the EU would be donating, if you like, money to a central pot, which could then be divvied out again, and given to places in the EU that needed most assistance.

And the UK had a number of places that were being recipients of that pot of money.

The EU is a good example of interdependence between countries where countries were relying on each other in order to make good for everybody.

We've got a a check for our understanding here.

Complete the sentences with the missing words.

You're going to want to pause the video again so you can have a good look at the paragraph below.

See if you can fill in the blanks and then I'll tell you what I think in a moment.

Right, let's have a look at your answers.

The UK was in a political and economic alliance with some European countries between 1973 and 2016.

This allowed for tariff-free trading.

If you've put tax-free trading, that's fine as well.

And the free movement of people while the UK also had to uphold EU laws.

Well done if you got those points.

Now we're gonna look at the Commonwealth.

The UK has political ties to 55 other countries through the Commonwealth.

You can see them shaded in blue here.

These countries were held under British rule during the time of the British Empire.

Sometimes when we think of the term British Empire, we think it's way back in history, but it's really important to remember that it was still in operation in relatively recent times.

Here you can see a photo of Jomo Kenyatta.

He was the first prime minister of Kenya and he's celebrating independence in 1963.

These countries are now independent, but they retain cultural and some political ties to the UK.

Kenya is a great example.

Although Swahili is one of the main languages spoken, English is also widely spoken throughout the country.

So although, of course, the British Empire is no more, there is something called the Commonwealth Secretariat.

It's an organisation that helps member countries achieve sustainable development and economic prosperity.

Member countries have shared common values and uphold and strive for free democratic rights.

There's also something called preferential migration.

This means that there's greater chance of moving between Commonwealth countries because you share that common history.

You might have seen the monument, which is in the photograph here.

It's in Waterloo Station in London.

It's the National Windrush Monument, and it pays tribute to the pioneering spirit of Caribbean migrants who came to the UK after World War II.

And, of course, many Caribbean countries were part of the Commonwealth.

So that preferential migration link was really important at that point.

There's also other ways that the member countries are linked together.

There's preferential trade and, of course, aid as well is more likely to flow between Commonwealth Secretariat members.

There's also shared cultural and sporting events.

The Commonwealth Games is a great example of this.

It sees the Commonwealth countries compete against each other every four years.

Let's check our understanding now.

True or false, the Commonwealth of today is a cultural link between countries.

Is that true or false? Well done if you recognised that is a false statement.

Now tell me why it's false.

So while cultural links do exist, the Commonwealth Secretariat aims to promote trade, democratic rights and aid donations between members.

It is not just a cultural link.

It's far more than that now.

Our final task of the day.

Do you think it would be more beneficial for a country to be a member of the EU or the Commonwealth Secretariat? There's obviously advantages and disadvantages in both.

So explain your reasons for your choice.

This will take quite a bit of thought and time.

So do pause the video now, and I'll come back to you with some ideas that I've got.

Right, so your answer may include some of these ideas.

I'm gonna start off with the EU.

So if you believe that the EU is gonna be more beneficial, this is the kind of answer you might have given.

I believe it would be more beneficial for a country to be a member of the EU.

Though there are fewer member countries than in the Commonwealth, the trade agreement between the 27 members means a lot of goods can be traded freely, which benefits the economic growth of all countries.

Remember that word interdependence.

Having the freedom to live and work across Europe means there is huge flexibility and greater choice of employment and the ability to fill skills gaps more easily.

Now, let's look at the other side of things.

Some of you might have chosen the Commonwealth Secretariat as the organisation that you'd rather be a member of.

Now, you could have said, "I believe it would be more beneficial for a country to be a member of the Commonwealth.

There are a lot more member countries in this alliance and they are spread out over a greater amount of the world, making the membership more diverse, inclusive, and therefore possibly more outward looking.

The common values that link the Commonwealth are important for countries socially and economically, as well as politically." Let's now summarise our learning from today's lesson.

The UK has economic, social, and political links to the wider world.

Trade, transport links, electronic communication and political alliances have been ways of increasing the number and the depth of connections.

The UK's connection to the wider world have been felt through its cultural diversity, the changing political relationship it has with other countries, and the nature of the goods and media imports it receives.

Well done.

There was a lot of important learning there.

I think it's really easy to get caught in the idea that the UK's links with other countries are kind of beyond us.

They're political, they're to do with trade and economics, and it doesn't really affect our day-to-day lives.

But, of course, those things do affect us.

The kind of people we are and the kind of people we interact with, the kind of goods we buy, the way we look sound, sound and how we use media are all to do with our links with our countries.

Have a look around you and see how well you're linked to the rest of the world.