Short Description of UNITED KINGDOM

       United Kingdom (UK) is country having long history and geopolitics view which is progressive enough by their territorial enlargement and expansion.[1]  Basically, UK’s geostrategy dependent on its geographic conditions. As archipelago country, UK is more focus to build maritime armada as important asset of territorial defense and to help expansion to the other countries. Strength  of UK armada is great  and accounted in the world also inspire geopolitical view like Mahan’s sea power theory which emphasize to sea for conquering the world by supporting strong armada and navy in 1793-1815. After that is Mackinder’s theory with his heartland theory.  Mackinder think that heartland is center of the world which has many potency and must be conquered by UK to maintain its hegemony. In air power (Seversky’s theory) UK is also potential because of its sophisticated technology. One of UK geopolitic  implementation strategy is when Dutch occupy indies where Dutch position in South East Asia is underling of UK to restrain  France, European giant, which become the prominent enemy of UK in the sea.

       Long by long,       power of UK is bigger and bigger. No wonder if UK always win in every war at that time, its victory, using British as international language and pound sterling as international  money make UK as hegemony and stabilizer at once. Below, there are some war which involve UK[2]:

1689-1815: UK and France’s war, by supporting from its strong navy, UK can supply and fight in the land for one decade, like Admiral Jervis said that i can not guarantee that France will not attack us but I absolutely believe that they will not come through sea. Climax of this conflict is UK’s army do important role in bear downing Napoleon’s troops in Waterloo war.  Peace consensus, Entente Cordiale, is made in 1904 which is initiated by King of UK, Edward VII, which has good respond from France government.

1940          : a) Egypt and Somaliland, fighting in north of Africa is begun when some of UK’s armada in Egypt counter attack Italy and Libya’s armada which head for arrogating Egypt especially Suez canal which is strategic. UK, India, and Australian army fight until they are moved to the greek for defending Germany’s attack.

b) Battle of Britain, air war between Germany’s air force and UK in 1940 to fight over UK’s air control.

1943–1945  : Attack of  Japan  in Asia and Pacific is stopped by UK’s army by guerrilla tactic which is well known. In this time also moment of Hitler shellacking which stopping second world war.

             After end of world war,[3] there are many decolonization in most of UK’s colony. Independency of the third world country makes UK’s position decline, so UK’s hegemony can not maintain anymore and US as new great power replace this position. This failure is not because UK is weak but UK fails to combine between its hard and soft power when conquer the other countries.[4] In post war era, there is change in government policy which brings people from all over the Commonwealth to create a multiethnic Britain and most comprehensive public health services. Although the new postwar limits of Britain's political role were confirmed by the Suez Crisis of 1956, the international spread of the English language meant the continuing influence of its literature and culture, while from the 1960s its popular culture also found influence abroad.

Following a period of global economic slowdown and industrial strife in the 1970s, the 1980s saw the inflow of substantial North Sea oil revenues and economic growth. The premiership of Margaret Thatcher marked a significant change of direction from the post-war political and economic consensus; a path that has continued under the New Labor governments of Tony Blair and Gordon Brown since 1997.

The United Kingdom was one of the 12 founding members of the European Union at its launch in 1992 with the signing of the Maastricht Treaty. Prior to that, it had been a member of the EU's forerunner, the European Economic Community (EEC), from 1973. The attitude of the present Labor government towards further integration with this organization is mixed, with the Official Opposition, the Conservative Party, favoring fewer powers and competencies being transferred to the EU. The end of the 20th century saw major changes to the governance of the UK with the establishment of devolved national administrations for Northern Ireland, Scotland, and Wales following pre-legislative referenda.

UK which has complete name The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland has population in mid-2008 was estimated to be 51.44 million. It is one of the most densely populated countries in the world with 383 people resident per square kilometer in mid-2003, with a particular concentration in London and the South East. In 2008, the average total fertility rate (TFR) across the UK was 1.96 children per woman. While a rising birth rate is contributing to current population growth, it remains considerably below the 'baby boom' peak of 2.95 children per woman in 1964, below the replacement rate of 2.1, but higher than the 2001 record low of 1.63. There are some issue faced by UK’s government like victim of HIV/Aids, unemployment rate, Population below poverty line and migration. National Insurance data suggests that 2.5 million foreign workers moved to the UK to work (including those moving for short periods), the majority from EU countries, between 2002 and 2007. The UK government is currently introducing a points-based immigration system for immigration from outside of the Area that will replace existing schemes, including the Scottish Government's Fresh Talent Initiative. Majority people believe Christian and from white ethnic group.[5]  

            In politic aspect, type government of UK is constitutional monarchy which has executive branch with King or Queen as chief of states and prime minister as
head of government.  Cabinet of Ministers appointed by the prime minister. There is no
election because the monarchy is hereditary; following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party or the leader of the majority coalition is usually the prime minister. For legislative branch, the system is bicameral. Parliament comprised of House of Lords  and House of Commons. Judicial branch is consist of House of Lords, Supreme Courts of England, Wales, and Northern Ireland, and Scotland's Court of Session and Court of the Justiciary. here are some parties there. During this century government is always from three prominent parties, labor party, conservative and democratic liberal party. Coalition is seldom happent in UK’s history.

UK as part of sovereign and developing country joins many international organizations, like AfDB, Arctic Council (observer), AsDB, Australia Group, EU, FAO, G- 5, IAEA, IBRD, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, WTO, etc. UK also ever undergoes international dispute in 2002,Gibraltar residents voted overwhelmingly by referendum to reject any "shared sovereignty" arrangement between the UK and Spain, UK also rejects sovereignty talks requested by Argentina, which still claims the Falkland Islands and South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands; territorial claim in Antarctica (British Antarctic Territory) overlaps Argentine claim and partially overlaps Chilean claim; Iceland, the UK, and Ireland dispute Denmark's claim that the Faroe Islands' continental shelf extends beyond 200 nm. The other issue is drugs abuse with major consumer of Southwest Asian heroin, Latin American cocaine, and synthetic drugs, UK also become center of money laundering.

Foreign policy of UK is influenced by domestic policy, the leader who is in command, and world order. US and UK relations is close, especially when led by Blair which is called by golden boy of US so automatically it impacts to UK’s policy like war of terrorism. UK’s position in UE is consistent enough and has strong influence. UK identify itself as leader who helps European Union better. IN EU, UK always put its interest in politic, social, and culture aspect. UK also initiative of European Security Defense Policy (ESDP).[6]  

Reference

Asprey, Robert. 2000. The Rise of Napoleon Bonaparte. New York: Basic Books. ISBN 0-465-04879-X.

Defence White paper 2009 of UK

Harsawaskita, A. 2007.Great Power Politics di Asia Tengah Suatu Pandangan Geopolitik, in Huntington, https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/fp.html

Microsoft ® Encarta ® 2008. © 1993-2007 Microsoft Corporation

Samuel. 1996. The Clash of Civilization. hal 51

Transformasi dalam Studi Hubungan Internasional. Bandung: Graha Ilmu

---

[1] Harsawaskita, A. 2007.Great Power Politics di Asia Tengah Suatu Pandangan Geopolitik, in Transformasi dalam Studi Hubungan Internasional. Bandung: Graha Ilmu.

[2]  Asprey, Robert. 2000. The Rise of Napoleon Bonaparte. New York: Basic Books. ISBN 0-465-04879-X.

[3] Microsoft ® Encarta ® 2008. © 1993-2007 Microsoft Corporation

[4] Huntington, Samuel. 1996. The Clash of Civilization. hal 51

[5] https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/fp.html

[6] Defence White paper 2009 of UK

M e i g :City w:st="on">Oxford: Blackwell, 1997.

[3]   Prof Dr CS Kansil, Catatan Perjalanan Wisata di negara Pasifik Selatan

[4] https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/fp.html

[5] Op cit Encarta

[6] Spriggs, Matthew. The Island Melanesians. Oxford: Blackwell, 1997.