Government Wales is a part of the United Kingdom of Great Britain (which includes England, Scotland, and Wales) and Northern Ireland. The United Kingdom is a constitutional monarchy and Commonwealth realm which means that it has a sovereign monarch, currently Queen Elizabeth II, who is head of state of all of the Commonwealth countries. With a parliamentary government, the UK has two houses: a House of Commons that is elected and a House of Lords that is appointed. Bills require Royal Assent to be passed into law.
Wales also has a National Assembly that handles issues pertaining to economic development, education, housing, health, social services, local government, industry, agriculture, tourism, Welsh language, and tourism. The head of the Welsh government is the First Minister of the National Assembly for Wales, who is elected by the largest party in the assembly.
Economy The United Kingdom has one of the world’s biggest economies. It is a mixed economy (both public and private) which has been reducing public ownership over the last two decades. While it was the first to industrialize in the 18th century, the United Kingdom’s economy has shifted more towards the service sector over the years, particularly insurance, tourism, business services, and banking. The UK also has significant oil, gas, and coal reserves, but they are steadily declining. The economy of the United Kingdom is globalized and in 2009 had a GDP per capita of $35,200 |