* Eight thousand torchbearers are carrying the torch across the country.
* The Olympic Torch will visit more than a thousand cities, towns and villages in the UK.
* The torch will travel to within an hour of 95 per cent of the population of the UK, including Guernsey, Jersey and the Isle of Man.
* The Olympic Torch is lit from the sun’s rays at the Temple of Hera, in Greece, in a traditional ceremony among the ruins of the home of the Ancient Games.
* The London 2012 Olympic flame has been carried by celebrities including David Beckham, musician Will.i.am and footballer Didier Drogba.
* The torch relay will take 70 days and will culminate with the lighting of a cauldron at the Olympic Stadium, in London, on July 27.
* The Olympic torch weighs 800 grams, is 800mm high and is made from a lightweight aluminium alloy.
* The Olympic flame is said to represent peace, unity and friendship.
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