The United Kingdom is one of the world's economic powerhouses, and its GDP ranked fifth in the world in 2007. The share of manufacturing in the national economy has declined; the share of services and energy has been increasing, with commerce, finance and insurance growing faster. Tourism is one of the most important economic sectors in Britain. With an annual output value of more than 70 billion pounds sterling, tourism revenue accounts for about 5% of the world's tourism revenue. Unlike countries that focus on scenic tourism, Britain's royal culture and museum culture are the biggest attractions of the tourism industry. The main tourist spots are London, Edinburgh, Cardiff, Brighton, Greenwich, Stratford, Oxford, Cambridge and so on. Britain is the world's fourth-largest trading nation, with trade accounting for more than 5% of total world trade and exports of goods and labor accounting for about 25% of GDP. Britain mainly exports machinery, automobiles, aviation equipment, electrical and electronic products, chemical products and petroleum, mainly imports of raw materials and food. Britain is also the world's sixth largest overseas investor and the sixth largest foreign aid donor. London is the world's financial and trade center. Tourism is one of the most important economic sectors in the UK. In 2001, the output value of tourism amounted to 72.8 billion pounds sterling; in terms of tourism revenue, the UK was the world's seventh largest tourist country in 2001, with revenues accounting for 3.4% of the world's tourism revenues.In March 2002, the number of employees was 2,056,000, with about 148,000 freelancers.The value of the UK's domestic tourism in 2001 was about 59.5 billion pounds sterling.In 2001, visits to the UK by In 2001, foreign tourists to the UK amounted to 22.8 million, 9% less than in 2000. Among them, Western European tourists decreased by 8% compared with the previous year to 12.87 million, North American tourists decreased by 13% compared with the previous year to 4.23 million, and tourists from other regions decreased by 9% compared with the previous year to 3.75 million, and the total revenue from overseas tourism was ￡11.3 billion. Business tourism revenue of 3.4 billion pounds, accounting for 30% of the total revenue of overseas tourism, and there is a continuing trend of development. 2001, the domestic tourist revenue of 59.5 billion pounds. 2000, the total turnover of the hospitality industry in the United Kingdom for 56.6 billion pounds, an increase of 7.2% compared with 2000. 2001, there are more than 60,000 hotels of various types in the United Kingdom; registered food and beverage industry, there are 51,500 enterprises, the total turnover of 18.2 billion pounds, an increase of 7.2% compared with 2000. In 2001, there were more than 60,000 hotels of all kinds; 51,500 registered catering enterprises with a total turnover of 18.2 billion pounds sterling, an increase of 12.1% over 2000; and there were about 49,500 pubs of all kinds***, a decrease of 8% since 1990. The outbreak of mad cow disease in February 2001 and the "9-11 incident" seriously affected the British tourism industry, with losses amounting to 15 billion pounds sterling. The service sector includes finance and insurance, retail trade, tourism and business services (providing legal and consultancy services, etc.). It has been developing rapidly in recent years, with 22.8 million employees by the end of 2001, accounting for 77.5% of the total employed population, and its gross output value increased by 1% in 2001 compared with that of 2000, and its added value accounted for 71.4% of the added value of the GDP. London is a world-famous financial center, engaged in cross-border bank lending, foreign exchange transactions, international bond issuance, fund investment and other businesses, but also the world's largest insurance market, the largest gold spot trading market and the ship loan market as well as an important non-precious metals trading center. The financial industry is the main force of the British balance of trade, the output value accounted for more than 5% of the gross domestic product, more than 1 million employees, reaching a record 13.2 billion pounds. The Labour government first reformed financial regulation after coming to power and established the Financial Services Authority (FSA) in June 1998 to replace the regulatory functions of the Bank of England. The British Government encourages foreign investment in Britain and regards it as an effective way to introduce new technology, new products, new management methods and to improve employment and increase exports. In recent years, the United Kingdom has become the first choice for foreign investment in Europe; in 2001, the United Kingdom attracted a total of 53.8 billion U.S. dollars in foreign investment, ranking third in the world. The United States is the largest investor in the United Kingdom, accounting for 48.4% of the investment, followed by Germany, Canada and Japan, accounting for 8.2%, 6.4% and 5.9% respectively. Investment areas include automobiles, communications, information, electronics, medical equipment, financial services, food and beverages. Investment in the form of acquisitions, mergers and acquisitions of existing enterprises, the expansion of existing production plants, the establishment of research bases or regional headquarters of multinational corporations, etc. In 2000, foreign direct investment in the United Kingdom of 86.2 billion pounds sterling, portfolio investment of 174.6 billion pounds sterling, and other investment of 281.8 billion pounds sterling. By the end of 2000, the cumulative foreign direct investment in Britain was ￡323.5 billion, portfolio investment totaled ￡1,032.1 billion, and other investment was ￡1,685.3 billion, totaling ￡304.8 billion. VI. Military [edit] The army was founded around the middle of the 17th century. The Queen was the nominal supreme commander of the British army. The highest military decision-making body is the "Committee on Defense and Overseas Policy", chaired by the Prime Minister, with the Secretary of State for Defense, the Foreign Secretary, the Home Secretary, the Chancellor of the Exchequer and so on; the Chiefs of Defense Staff and the Chiefs of Staff of the three armed forces attend the meetings when necessary. The Ministry of Defense (MoD) is the executive agency for national defense and is both the executive branch of government and the military high command. The UK is a founding and leading member of the NATO group, with an independent nuclear force. The core of the UK's national strategy is: to participate actively in world affairs and to safeguard the UK's international standing; to rely on and draw on the collective defense strength of NATO to safeguard Europe and the UK homeland and to expand the UK's influence in Europe; and to actively strengthen its ties with Commonwealth countries and to protect its wide-ranging overseas interests. In July 2004, the British government announced the largest military adjustment plan in the past decade or so, to adjust the military structure and military equipment of the army, navy and air force, in order to increase the flexibility and mobility of the troops in long-distance operations, so as to better adapt to the needs of modern warfare and effectively respond to the global threats of the 21st century. According to the figures provided by the British Ministry of Defense, the total strength of the British army is about 205,600 people, of which 109,500 are in the army, 42,400 are in the navy, and 53,700 are in the air force. the defense budget for the fiscal year of 2004-2005 is about 29.7 billion pounds, and it is expected to grow to 33.4 billion pounds in the fiscal year of 2007-2008. . VII. Culture[edit] Religion Everyone in the UK enjoys freedom of religion, and as a result, a wide range of different religious beliefs have developed and flourished in the various centers of the UK. There are two "official" churches in the UK: the Church of England (Anglican) and the Church of Scotland (Presbyterian), but in addition to these, a wide range of different religions and countless denominations are represented in the UK. The vast majority of Britons are Christian, although the number of believers currently attending church is not large, at around 1.1 million per week. Muslims are the largest non-Christian group within the UK (over 1.5 million people), while Hinduism, Sikhism and Judaism also have large and growing numbers of followers. Another product of the long and diverse religious history of Britain is the breathtaking array of churches, monasteries and abbey buildings that dot the country. Glastonbury Abbey, where Celtic religious services were held in the past, played an important role in the legend of King Arthur; Canterbury Cathedral is also very dramatic, as it is said that St. Augustine came to Britain from Rome to preach the gospel in 597 AD, and five years later, he presided over the construction of Canterbury Cathedral. There are a number of distinctive historical figures drawn from Britain's religious history, including Henry VIII, who initiated the Protestant Reformation in England; the enigmatic St. Patrick, whose feast day is now celebrated around the world every year; and Richard the Lionheart from the twelfth-century Robin Hood legend, to name but a few. Museums and galleries Today's generation and their descendants are fortunate that Britain has a long history of collecting and cataloging works of art. Britain's many museums and galleries hold and display a wide range of artifacts and are a rare source of knowledge about art, culture and history, both ancient and modern. Britain's museums include the major national collections as well as about 1,000 independent museums, nearly 800 of which are sponsored by local governments. The British Museum in London has the largest collection of artifacts in the United Kingdom and is an inexhaustible source of knowledge on almost every major subject. It is also a treasure trove of art from ancient Egypt, the Assyrian Kingdom and ancient Greece, among the thousands of valuable artifacts on display to the public. The British Museum also organizes a variety of thematic exhibitions and displays, and provides various types of guided tours. In addition, the British Museum's recently completed courtyard and dome are outstanding works of art in their own right. Another fascinating place to visit is the National Museum of Science and Industry, which includes the Science Museum and its regional branches, the National Railway Museum in Yorkshire and the National Museum of Photography, Film and Television in Bradford. The National Museums of Scotland and the National Gallery also have rich collections of art. The new Museum of Scotland, dedicated to artifacts related to the country's history, is quickly gaining a reputation for its imaginative displays. Other museums in Scotland are thematic, including the Museum of Flight, the Museum of Costume, the War Museum and the Agricultural Museum. The collections of the National Museum of Wales in Cardiff and the Northern Ireland Art Gallery include not only fine art, but also art and artifacts that represent the culture of the region. The independent museums and galleries in the UK collect and display an extremely wide range of subjects, including even a lawnmower museum for those who are passionate about taking care of their lawns. Many cities in the UK, including London, Birmingham, Coventry, Manchester, Ipswich, Grampian and Belfast, have thematic museums focusing on the history of transportation, as well as displaying many vintage twentieth-century automobiles. However, the number of thematic museums themed on the amazing history of aviation is even greater in the UK.