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Great Britain, the dominant industrial and maritime power of the 19th century, played a leading role in developing parliamentary democracy and in advancing literature and science. At its zenith, the British Empire stretched over one-fourth of the earth's surface. The first half of the 20th century saw the UK's strength seriously depleted in two World Wars. The second half witnessed the dismantling of the Empire and the UK rebuilding itself into a modern and prosperous European nation. As one of five permanent members of the UN Security Council, a founding member of NATO, and of the Commonwealth, the UK pursues a global approach to foreign policy; it currently is weighing the degree of its integration with continental Europe. A member of the EU, it chose to remain outside the European Monetary Union for the time being. Constitutional reform is also a significant issue in the UK. The Scottish Parliament, the National Assembly for Wales, and the Northern Ireland Assembly were established in 1999.. LOCATION: Western Europe, islands including the northern one-sixth of the island of Ireland between the North Atlantic Ocean and the North Sea, northwest of France CLIMATE: Temperate; moderated by prevailing southwest winds over the North Atlantic Current; more than one-half of the days are overcast BORDERS: Ireland 360 km Occupying an area of 129,720 square kilometres, England is home to more than 48 million people. Stretching from the Lake District in the north to the Channel Islands off the south coast and from the rolling hills and green hedgerows in the east to the wild magic of Cornwall in the extreme southwest, England offers a huge diversity of landscapes. During the 18th century, England developed a huge empire that stretched from America to India and encompassed Australia and Canada. The country was also one of the key players in the Industrial Revolution when steam power, steam trains, coalmines and water power suddenly changed the means of transport and production. The worlds first industrial cities appeared in the British Midlands.