how come the brits have a little island but they are very powerful?

Question

they have a really tiny island near europe yet there considered to be one of the wealthiest country in the world im confused :?

Answer 1

We really started to make it big in the 18th century due to being the first country to have an industrial revolution. Added to that was the bonus that the country wasn't devastated by wars on 'home turf' every decade or so unlike our continental neighbours. This gave us a secure home base which, together with the wise investment in a big navy to keep the French out, allowed us to expand the Empire and rule half the world. That is until we were bankrupted by winning two World Wars (the World Cup cost much less) and gave it all back.

Answer 2

Britain became a wealthy world power due to trade, commerce and colonisation (and yes, the Navy helped protect the trade routes, but the army was also kind of useful in this as well).

What we have left in the UK is the residual and result of Empire, which has been in decline since the end of the Second World War. The discovery of oil in the North Sea happily held off that decline, but UK plc now tends to be largely a services institution (financial sector mainly) rather than the manufacturing powerhouse it used to be, so we are very vulnerable to the world economy.

Answer 3

Britain used to have a huge empire and immense wealth, over the years we have gradually given up most of the countries/land however we are a very well developed country with a low poverty rate. This is also why we get so many refugees coming into the country because we are politically stable and we have the nhs so we don't pay for any medical treatment. We are also good allies with america which is a vast place and also very wealthy.

Answer 4

Britain lucked onto the winning technique for building a global power.

It lies in the use of sea power, and was largely done by accident - the strategy wasn't really understood, and certainly not enunciated, until the American admiral Mahon published "The Influence of Seapower Upon History,1660-1783" in 1890.

Answer 5

When will you Americans learn that it is not quantity that matters but quality?

In almost every aspect of life that is of real importance, things like government and representation, education, health and welfare, housing, law, banking and finance, and transport and communication, we demand higher standards of everybody, and better quality from everybody, than you do.......and I'm glad to say we get it.

I should point out that Britain is not only near the Continent of Europe geographically, Britain has been part of Europe both politically and economically for thousands of years. It is America that has parted company with the rest of the world which it has then (unsuccessfully) tried to dominate.

America always reminds we British of a giant dinosaur, very large, very powerful, but with a very small brain.... and shocking table manners.

Answer 6

It isn't necessary to be big.
It became powerful because it had the raw materials and talent to industrialise very early.
And a strong navy to protect its overseas trade and spread British power.

Answer 7

We have alot of ports and the sea is all around us which is excellent for trading and recieving the maximum price for our exports, we have and did have large quantities of raw materials for industry such as coal and Iron and our population is largely intelligent and enterprising

Answer 8

Britain is just a little island and its true.
But their economy is strong because all euro countries combine there economy as one...
Almost all use the same euro currency.

Answer 9

Their navy was supreme