How long did UK stay as a member of EU?

     Countries band together to promote trade, defend human rights, protect the environment and repel threats. They sign treaties and join international groups, and each time they do, they give up a bit of independence. That happened in a big way with the creation of the European Union, a freetrade zone and global political force forged from the fractious states of Europe. The question always was, could this extraordinary experiment hold together? Faced with the choice in a June 23 referendum, the U.K. shocked the world by voting to leave the bloc it joined in 1973. The way many Britons saw it, the trade-offs they'd made to be part of the club — notably control over immigration — no longer served their interests. They chose what's become known as Brexit. 

     Voters supported the split by 52 percent to 48 percent after a rancorous 10-week campaign that divided the nation. The result prompted Prime Minister David Cameron, who had pushed for the U.K. to remain in the 28-nation bloc, to say he'll resign by October. The vote jolted financial markets, sending the U.K. currency tumbling. As the vote plunged the country into political turmoil, Scotland's devolved government paved the way for a second referendum on breaking away so it can remain part of the EU. The U.K. will have two years to negotiate the terms of an exit once it takes the legal steps to leave the bloc, with talks to unwind agreements in areas as diverse as fishing quotas, financial services and health and safety standards. Cameron had warned that a withdrawal would trigger a recession and a decade of uncertainty for jobs, trade and the broader economy. Advocates of a split, including the country’s leading tabloid newspapers, want Britain to regain control of its borders, laws and finances. Because the free movement of citizens is a basic tenet of EU law, leaving the bloc is the only sure way to stem a larger-than-expected influx of immigrants. Young voters were keen to remain in the EU, while older ones preferred to leave.

(In: http://www.bloomberg.com/quicktake/will-uk-leave-eu. Adaptado)