Antibiotic resistance has been selected as the focus for a £10m prize set up to tackle a major challenge of our time.

Six themes were initially identified by organisers of the Longitude Prize; these were then put to a public vote.
The winning theme was announced on the BBC's One Show, broadcast on Wednesday evening.
The World Health Organization (WHO) has warned of a "post-antibiotic era" where key drugs no longer work and people die from previously treatable infections.
The competition is based on the 1714 Longitude Prize won by John Harrison.
Harrison's clock allowed sailors to pinpoint their position at sea for the first time.
Speaking on the One Show, BBC science presenter Alice Roberts said: "There were some amazing challenges, but this is such an important one facing us at the moment.
"From here, the Longitude Committee will reconvene and they will tighten up exactly what the challenge is going to be. We know it's going to be something about how we tackle antibiotic resistance; it could be a new way of diagnosing a bacterial infection versus a viral infection.
"They want to narrow down that challenge so we'll really know when someone has won it."
Dr Jeremy Farrar, director of medical research charity the Wellcome Trust, said he was "delighted" by the result.
"Antibiotics, and indeed the multitude of drugs used daily to treat infection, are the bedrock on which much of modern medicine is built.
"Yet rapidly emerging drug resistance threatens the medical successes - from transplant surgery to cancer treatment - we currently take for granted. It is crucial we focus our collective global research efforts on this, one of the greatest public health threats of our time."
By James Gallagher, Health editor, BBC news online
In the war between bacteria and medicine, bacteria are winning. Drug resistant tuberculosis, gonorrhea and Klebsiella are popping up around the world.
Antibiotic resistance would not be a problem if there was a continuous supply of fresh antibiotics, but there has not been a new class of the drugs discovered since the 1980s.
It means there is a terrible future on the horizon - a world without antibiotics.
The World Health Organization has warned that "many common infections will no longer have a cure and, once again, could kill unabated".
Cutting open the body in surgery and cancer treatments, which weaken the immune system, will both be more deadly without antibiotics.
Reversing the tide of this war will be a huge challenge and worthy of a £10m prize.
Analysis: The Antibiotic Apocalypse
Lord Martin Rees, chair of the Longitude Committee and Astronomer Royal, said he hoped the prize would "speed up progress towards meeting the challenge of resistance to antibiotics by stimulating invention and innovation - especially 'out of the box' thinking".
And the chief medical officer for England, Prof Dame Sally Davies - who has previously warned of the threat posed by resistance - said the development of a rapid diagnostic test would "help to conserve the antibiotics we have and thus ensure they remain effective for as long as possible".
The £10m prize fund has been offered by the innovation charity Nesta and the government-funded Technology Strategy Board.
The original £20,000 prize was set by the British government to solve the most vexing issue of the 18th Century: how to determine a ship's longitude at sea.
For sailors to pinpoint their position on the waves, two clocks were required: one that was set each day, using the the height of the sun in the sky, and another that kept the time back at port.
The problem with the latter was that the pitch and roll of the oceans, and the humidity and temperature changes at sea would damage the delicate mechanisms of a timepiece.
But Mr Harrison, a clockmaker from Yorkshire, created a chronometer that overcame these problems.
It took several prototypes and decades of battling with the scientific elite before he was finally deemed the winner. His work revolutionised navigation and saved countless lives.
The original six categories on which the public was asked to vote were:
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Italian club Bologna have signed Nigerian striker Orji Okonkwo on a long-term deal from FC Abuja Academy.

The 18-year-old starred at the 2015 Under-17 World Cup, helping Nigeria to win a record fifth title.
"I'm excited to have the opportunity to prove myself at a top club," Okonkwo told BBC Sport.
He is the third player from the 2015 Nigeria U17 side to join European clubs after Victor Osimhen went to Wolfsburg and Kelechi Nwakali joined Arsenal.


A body has been discovered in a river following the search for a missing man from Swansea.

The body was found in the River Loughor, between Garnswllt and Pontarddulais, at about 13:10 GMT on Thursday.
Dyfed-Powys Police said the family of Gary Dunn, 38, has been informed along with the coroner.
Mr Dunn, who was last seen in Ammanford, Carmarthenshire, has been missing since 12 December 2016.


Australia's deputy prime minister has threatened US actor Johnny Depp with perjury charges in a new instalment of the "war on terrier".

The Pirates of the Caribbean star and then-wife Amber Heard failed to declare their dogs to Australian customs after arriving by private jet in 2015.
Ms Heard escaped conviction and the pair released an unusual apology video.
But legal documents filed in a US court allegedly show Mr Depp was "fully aware" he was breaking Australian laws.
His former business managers, The Management Group (TMG), claimed the actor had "pressured one of his long-term employees to 'take the fall'," in papers obtained by People.
Australian Deputy Prime Minister Barnaby Joyce subsequently hinted that the government may reinvestigate Depp.
"If the allegation is correct, there's a word for that - it is called perjury," Mr Joyce told the Australian Broadcasting Corp.
"We're an island continent and we take biosecurity very seriously and it doesn't matter if you think that you're Mr Who's Who of Hollywood, you're going to obey our laws."
Mr Joyce made international headlines two years ago when he said the dogs - Pistol and Boo - should "bugger off back to the United States" or risk being put down.
Mr Depp fired back referring to Mr Joyce as some kind of "sweaty, big-gutted man from Australia".
Last year, Ms Heard pleaded guilty to falsifying her immigration papers and was placed on a A$1000 (Â£600, $760) one-month good behaviour bond.
Her lawyer argued the actress thought Mr Depp's assistants had already sorted out the dogs' travel documents for their journey to Queensland two years ago.
Australia's tough quarantine laws are designed to keep disease at bay.
Earlier this week, Mr Depp apologised for remarks which appeared to threaten US President Donald Trump during a speech at the UK's Glastonbury Festival.


The "bizarre" back-story of Royal Marine turned dissident republican bomb maker, Ciarán Maxwell, takes up most of Tuesday's front pages.

He has been jailed for 18 years after stockpiling one of the most significant arms caches in recent years.
The Daily Mirror quotes a senior PSNI officer admitting that if a member of the public had not spotted one of the hides, Maxwell may never have been caught.
The News Letter says the case raises serious questions for the armed forces.
"How did he get away with it?," the paper's headline asks, alongside a photo of a smiling Maxwell posing with cannabis plants he had grown.
The case is likely to lead to changes in military recruitment and monitoring, Ulster Unionist MLA and Army veteran, Doug Beattie, tells the News Letter.
The Irish News takes a different angle on the story, pointing out that Maxwell will serve more time in prison than the combined punishment given to three soldiers who were convicted of murder during the Troubles.
The paper's security correspondent, Allison Morris, describes the Larne man's story as "bizarre, even by Northern Ireland standards".
Elsewhere on its front page, the Irish News speculates that Taoiseach (Irish Prime Minister) Leo Varadkar "may attend" Belfast's gay pride festival.
The paper says he is expected to visit Northern Ireland later this week - his first trip over the border since taking the top job.
At Dublin's gay pride parade in June, Mr Varadkar vowed to campaign for same-sex marriage rights across the island of Ireland.
Meanwhile, the Alliance Party is facing questions after one of its party workers posed as the lord mayor of Belfast for a Facebook poke at the DUP.
The Belfast Telegraph says Micky Murray posted a photo of himself, standing in the Lord Mayor's Parlour, wearing the chains of office.
"My first act as First Gay of Belfast is banning the DUP from the city and making rainbows compulsory," he joked.
The Alliance Party declined to comment when contacted by the paper, but its leader Naomi Long was among 450 Facebook users who "liked" the post.
The DUP said the post insulted their voters and Belfast City Council confirmed it has received a complaint.
Ongoing controversy over republican anti-interment bonfires burns on in Tuesday's papers.
A photo of threatening graffiti, aimed at contractors removing materials from dangerous bonfires, appears in the Belfast Telegraph.
"Our wood goes... your vans go!!! Take at your own risk," warns a sign daubed on a wall in the New Lodge Area of Belfast.
Sinn Féin tells Irish News that the New Lodge bonfires were built close to homes and a nursery unit, adding that threats against workers are "completely unacceptable".
Staying in the north of the city, the Belfast Telegraph leads with a claim that Stormont lost £1m in "needless land deals".
The paper says land was bought for a limited stock of social housing in predominately Protestant areas, despite lengthy waiting lists in predominantly Catholic areas.
Most of the land was acquired before the 2007 property crash, but Stormont bought one site for £90,000 in 2014 and sold it for £20,000 last year - a £70,000 loss.
Efforts to support breast-feeding mothers have led to plans for Belfast's newest festival - aptly named 'Breastival'.
The Irish News reports the one-day event will be staged in the Metropolitan Arts Centre (Mac) on Saturday.
Campaigner Dr Jennifer Hanratty tells the paper that breastfeeding is "biologically normal and it needs to become socially and culturally normal again".
She added: "It's part of everyday life, so why not shout it from the rooftops with a big celebration?"
In Crossgar, County Down, heartless thieves have really taken the biscuit by stealing an "honesty box" sign belonging to a young man with special needs.
Star baker Ryan Bogue sells cookies from the honesty box outside the driveway of his parents' home.
The 23-year-old, who has Down's Syndrome, raises about £900 a month for charity with the baked goods, according to the Daily Mirror.
But the overnight theft of his sign has caused him "a lot of upset and hurt".
The PSNI has shared the family's story and appealed for the sign to be returned.


The world's poorest nations say the Paris climate agreement is their "lifeline" and must be strengthened.

The Climate Vulnerable Forum, (CVF) representing 48 countries, said the deal was crucial to their survival.
In a swipe at President Trump's oft-used phrase, they said that "no country would be great again" without swift action.
Thousands of delegates are meeting here in Bonn to develop the rule book for the Paris deal.
Around one billion people live in countries that are part of the CVF.
The group firmly supports the idea, enshrined in the Paris agreement, that countries would do all in their power to keep temperatures from increasing more than 1.5C above pre-industrial levels.
"Keeping to 1.5 degrees is quite simply a matter of survival," said Debasu Bayleyegn Eyasu from Ethiopia, which holds the presidency of the CVF.
"For all of us, the Paris agreement is our lifeline."
Other speakers highlighted the fact that there is widespread dissatisfaction with the current US position on climate change.
President Trump is expected to decide on future US participation in the Paris accord after the G7 summit in Italy next week.
Picking up on Mr Trump's "make America great again," election battle-cry, Emmanuel Guzman from the Philippines said: "Without increased climate action, no country will be great again."
"The measure of greatness is how you are able to increase and enhance your climate action."
Mr Guzman said he was calling on all world leaders to increase their ambition and not just Mr Trump.
"I would not like to point a finger at someone, but it is a call for action by all big or small.
"If we don't achieve the goals of the Paris agreement there are irreversible damages and consequences."
"It's a grim scenario - that's really unacceptable to us."
The group highlighted some of the important differences between keeping temperature rises under 2 degrees or under 1.5.
The Greenland ice sheet would enter irreversible long-term decline, with significant impacts on sea levels at 1.6 degrees one delegate said.
Warming beyond 1.5 would also "appreciably increase the prevalence of extreme storms that have already been capable of large-scale loss of life and cutting a year's GDP in half for some of our members."
At the last major conference of negotiators in Marrakech last November, members of the CVF committed themselves to moving towards 100% renewable energy as soon as possible.
"Costa Rica produces 100% renewable energy most of the year," said William Calvo, the country's adjunct chief negotiator.
"But we won't stop there: we are tackling now the transport sector and hope to even export renewable power more widely in the region."
The idea that other countries are capable of picking up the slack if the Americans pull out of Paris gained support this week with the release of an analysis showing that India and China are likely to overshoot existing targets to cut carbon.
President Trump's actions to revitalise the coal industry in the US and to de-regulate oil and gas are unlikely to rapidly increase emissions before 2030 says the study from the Climate Action Tracker.
Between 2013 and 2016 Chin's coal use declined each year and a continued slow decline is expected. India says that planned coal-fired power plants may not be needed if recently announced green policies are effective.
"You have to have the U.S. on board ultimately to meet the goals set by the Paris Agreement," Bill Hare from Climate Analytics told news agencies.
"But if there's a hiatus for four years it doesn't mean it's the end of the game."
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A Wisconsin company is to become the first in the US to microchip employees.

Three Square Market is offering to implant the tiny radio-frequency identification (RFID) chip into workers' hands for free - and says everyone will soon be doing it.
The rice grain-sized $300 (£230) chip will allow them to open doors, log in to computers and even purchase food.
And so far, 50 employees have signed up for the chance to become half-human, half-walking credit card.
But far from being some sort of dystopian nightmare, Three Square Market's Patrick McMullan believes everyone will soon be wanting their own microchip.
"The international market place is wide open and we believe that the future trajectory of total market share is going to be driven by whoever captures this arena first," Mr McMullan said.
The company, which provides self-service "micro markets" to businesses around the world, was inspired by the micro-chipping already taking place in Sweden, where so-called "bio-hackers" have been inserting the tiny devices into willing participants for at least three years.
Three Square Market are even working with a Swedish company, BioHax, to deliver the new technology, which they see as one day being simply another payment and identification method - only instead of a credit card or phone, there would be a microchip between your thumb and finger.
While a large proportion of the world might think twice before putting a tiny chip in their hand, it seems those at Three Square Market had no such worries.
Out of 85 employees at the company's head office, 50 have come forward, vice-president of international development Tony Danna told the BBC.
"The people that wanted it were like yes, no hesitation," he said.
"That is going to be the inevitable reaction," Mr Danna acknowledged.
"But there is no GPS tracking ability to it. It is really the same thing as the chip that is in your credit card."
The entire point of the chip is convenience, Mr Danna explained.
Eventually, he hopes it will replace everything you might have in your wallet - from your key fob to your credit card and ID. For now, it is just aiming to make life easier for those using Three Square Market's facilities.
But the convenience also stretches to installing and removing the chip.
"It takes about two seconds to put it in and to take it out," he told the BBC. Putting it in is "like getting a shot" using a syringe, while taking it out it like removing a splinter.
"Easy in, easy out," Mr Danna said.
Like everything in life, it could happen.
But, says Mr Danna, at least it is all in one place, making it easier to cancel all those cards.


A woman from Staffordshire has died at a lake in Gwynedd, police have said.

The incident, which happened at Blue Lake quarry, at Friog near Fairbourne, on Wednesday, is being treated as an accident.
North Wales Police said a file was now being prepared for the coroner.
"Our early investigations have shown the lake is not a safe location to swim or jump into the water and our advice at this time is to stay away," said Sgt Helen Gallop.


Two men arrested on suspicion of trafficking young girls for sexual exploitation by officers investigating child sex abuse in Rotherham have been released on bail.

The men were arrested on Wednesday in Bradford as part of the National Crime Agency's investigation into historical child sexual exploitation and abuse.
The offences are said to have taken place against two girls aged 16 and 17.
Nine people have now been arrested as part of the NCA's Operation Stovewood.
It was launched at the request of South Yorkshire Police.
Its aim is to investigate non-familial sexual abuse in Rotherham, between 1997 and 2013, after a report found at least 1,400 girls were abused in the town during that period.


This article is designed to be an easy-to-understand guide to the UK's vote to leave the European Union.

It is a word that has become used as a shorthand way of saying the UK leaving the EU - merging the words Britain and exit to get Brexit, in a same way as a possible Greek exit from the euro was dubbed Grexit in the past.
A referendum - a vote in which everyone (or nearly everyone) of voting age can take part - was held on Thursday 23 June, to decide whether the UK should leave or remain in the European Union. Leave won by 52% to 48%. The referendum turnout was 71.8%, with more than 30 million people voting.
Get the results in full.
England voted for Brexit, by 53.4% to 46.6%, as did Wales, with Leave getting 52.5% of the vote and Remain 47.5%. Scotland and Northern Ireland both backed staying in the EU. Scotland backed Remain by 62% to 38%, while 55.8% in Northern Ireland voted Remain and 44.2% Leave. See the results in more detail.
Britain got a new Prime Minister - Theresa May. The former home secretary took over from David Cameron, who resigned on the day after losing the referendum. Like Mr Cameron, Mrs May was against Britain leaving the EU but she says she will respect the will of the people. She has said "Brexit means Brexit" but there is still a lot of debate about what that will mean in practice especially on the two key issues of how British firms do business in the European Union and what curbs are brought in on the rights of European Union nationals to live and work in the UK. She set out more details of her negotiating hopes in her key speech on Brexit.
The UK economy appears to have weathered the initial shock of the Brexit vote, although the value of the pound remains near a 30-year low, but opinion is sharply divided over the long-term effects of leaving the EU. Some major firms such as Easyjet and John Lewis have pointed out that the slump in sterling has increased their costs. Britain also lost its top AAA credit rating, meaning the cost of government borrowing will be higher. But share prices have recovered from a dramatic slump in value, with both the FTSE 100 and the broader FTSE 250 index, which includes more British-based businesses, trading higher than before the referendum. The Bank of England cut interest rates from 0.5% to 0.25% - a record low and the first cut since 2009 - after the vote and there has not been the economic slump or recession that some had predicted. Here is a regularly updated detailed rundown of how Britain's economy is doing
The European Union - often known as the EU - is an economic and political partnership involving 28 European countries (click here if you want to see the full list). It began after World War Two to foster economic co-operation, with the idea that countries which trade together are more likely to avoid going to war with each other.
It has since grown to become a "single market" allowing goods and people to move around, basically as if the member states were one country. It has its own currency, the euro, which is used by 19 of the member countries, its own parliament and it now sets rules in a wide range of areas - including on the environment, transport, consumer rights and even things such as mobile phone charges. Click here for a beginners' guide to how the EU works.
For the UK to leave the EU it has to invoke an agreement called Article 50 of the Lisbon Treaty which gives the two sides two years to agree the terms of the split. Theresa May has said she intends to trigger this process by the end of March 2017, meaning the UK will be expected to have left by the summer of 2019, depending on the precise timetable agreed during the negotiations. The government will also enact a Great Repeal Bill which will end the primacy of EU law in the UK. It is expected to incorporate all EU legislation into UK law in one lump, after which the government will decide over a period of time which parts to keep, change or remove.
After a court battle, the UK's Supreme Court has ruled that Parliament must be consulted before Article 50 is invoked.
This means legislation will be prepared for MPs and Lords to vote on. The verdict was not what the government argued for, but ministers have insisted it will not delay their planned timetable.
Most MPs are expected to vote in favour of Article 50 being triggered, although there could be attempts to amend the draft legislation.
Theresa May set up a government department, headed by veteran Conservative MP and Leave campaigner David Davis, to take responsibility for Brexit. Former defence secretary, Liam Fox, who also campaigned to leave the EU, was given the new job of international trade secretary and Boris Johnson, who was a leader of the official Leave campaign, is foreign secretary. These men - dubbed the Three Brexiteers - will play a central role in negotiations with the EU and seek out new international agreements, although it will be Mrs May, as prime minister, who will have the final say. The government did not do any emergency planning for Brexit ahead of the referendum and Mrs May has rejected calls to say what her negotiating goals are.
Once Article 50 has been triggered, the UK will have two years to negotiate its withdrawal. But no one really knows how the Brexit process will work - Article 50 was only created in late 2009 and it has never been used. Former Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond, now Chancellor, wanted Britain to remain in the EU, and he has suggested it could take up to six years for the UK to complete exit negotiations. The terms of Britain's exit will have to be agreed by 27 national parliaments, a process which could take some years, he has argued.
EU law still stands in the UK until it ceases being a member. The UK will continue to abide by EU treaties and laws, but not take part in any decision-making.
Unpicking 43 years of treaties and agreements covering thousands of different subjects was never going to be a straightforward task. It is further complicated by the fact that it has never been done before and negotiators will, to some extent, be making it up as they go along. The post-Brexit trade deal is likely to be the most complex part of the negotiation because it needs the unanimous approval of more than 30 national and regional parliaments across Europe, some of whom may want to hold referendums.
Following Theresa May's Brexit recent speech we now know that the UK is not intending to stay in the EU's single market. Although there has been speculation for months about the issue, it would have meant the UK staying under the auspices of the European Court of Justice and having to allow unlimited EU immigration, under freedom of movement rules.
Both sides want trade to continue after Brexit with the UK seeking a positive outcome for those who wish to trade goods and services" - such as those in the City of London and wanting a "comprehensive free trade deal" giving the UK "the greatest possible access" to the single market. Mrs May says she wants the UK to reach a new customs union deal with the EU. A customs union is where countries agree not to impose tariffs on each others' goods and have a common tariff on goods coming in from elsewhere. The UK is currently part of the EU customs union but that stops the UK being able to do its own trade deals with other countries. Reality Check: How could customs union work?
These terms have increasingly been used as debate focused on the terms of the UK's departure from the EU. There is no strict definition of either, but they are used to refer to the closeness of the UK's relationship with the EU post-Brexit.
So at one extreme, "hard" Brexit could involve the UK refusing to compromise on issues like the free movement of people in order to maintain access to the EU single market. At the other end of the scale, a "soft" Brexit might follow a similar path to Norway, which is a member of the single market and has to accept the free movement of people as a result.
The government has declined to give a firm guarantee about the status of EU nationals currently living in the UK, saying this is not possible without a reciprocal pledge from other EU members about the millions of British nationals living on the continent. EU nationals with a right to permanent residence, which is granted after they have lived in the UK for five years, will be be able to stay, the chief civil servant at the Home Office has said. The rights of other EU nationals would be subject to negotiations on Brexit and the "will of Parliament", he added.
A lot depends on the kind of deal the UK agrees with the EU. If it remains within the single market, it would almost certainly retain free movement rights, allowing UK citizens to work in the EU and vice versa. If the government opted to impose work permit restrictions, then other countries could reciprocate, meaning Britons would have to apply for visas to work.
Again, it depends on whether the UK government decides to introduce a work permit system of the kind that currently applies to non-EU citizens, limiting entry to skilled workers in professions where there are shortages. Citizens' Advice has reminded people their rights have not changed yet and asked anyone to contact them if they think they have been discriminated against following the Leave vote.
Brexit Secretary David Davis has suggested EU migrants who come to the UK as Brexit nears may not be given the right to stay. He has said there might have to be a cut-off point if there was a "surge" in new arrivals.
People travelling overseas from the UK have found their pounds are buying fewer euros or dollars after the Brexit vote.
The day-to-day spending impact is likely to be more significant. Even if the pound regains some of its value, currency experts expect it to remain at least 10% below where it was on 23 June, in the long term.
This means imported goods will consequently get more expensive - some price rises for food, clothing and homeware goods have already been seen and the issue was most notably illustrated by the dispute between Tesco and Marmite's makers about whether prices would be put up or not in the stores.
The latest UK inflation figures, for December, showed the CPI inflation rate jumping to 1.6%, its highest level for two years with signs of more cost pressures set to feed through in the months to come.
Prime Minister Theresa May has said one of the main messages she has taken from the Leave vote is that the British people want to see a reduction in immigration.
She has said this will be a focus of Brexit negotiations. As mentioned above, the key issue is whether other EU nations will grant the UK access to the single market, if that is what it wants, while at the same time being allowed to restrict the rights of EU citizens to live and work in the UK.
Mrs May has said she remains committed to getting net migration - the difference between the numbers entering and leaving the country - down to a "sustainable" level, which she defines as being below 100,000 a year. It is currently running at 330,000 a year, of which 184,000 are EU citizens, and 188,000 are from outside the EU - the figures include a 39,000 outflow of UK citizens.
It seems highly unlikely. Both the Conservatives and the Labour Party have ruled out another referendum, arguing that it would be an undemocratic breach of trust with the British people who clearly voted to Leave. The Liberal Democrats - who have just a handful of MPs - have vowed to halt Brexit and keep Britain in the EU if they were to win the next general election.
Some commentators, including former House of Commons clerk Lord Lisvane, have argued that a further referendum would be needed to ratify whatever deal the UK hammers out with the EU, but there are few signs political leaders view this as a viable option.
Yes. Theresa May has appeared keen to avoid a vote on her negotiating stance, to avoid having to give away her priorities, but Theresa May has said there will be a Commons and Lords vote to approve whatever deal the UK and the rest of the EU agree at the end of the two year process. It is worth mentioning that any deal also has to be agreed by the European Parliament - with British MEPs getting a chance to vote on it there.
While there could be limitations on British nationals' ability to live and work in EU countries, it seems unlikely they would want to deter tourists. There are many countries outside the European Economic Area, which includes the 28 EU nations plus Iceland, Lichtenstein and Norway, that British citizens can visit for up to 90 days without needing a visa and it is possible that such arrangements could be negotiated with European countries.
Yes. It is a British document - there is no such thing as an EU passport, so your passport will stay the same. In theory, the government could, if it wanted, decide to change the colour, which is currently standardised for EU countries, says the BBC's Europe correspondent, Chris Morris.
The single market is seen by its advocates as the EU's biggest achievement and one of the main reasons it was set up in the first place.
Britain was a member of a free trade area in Europe before it joined what was then known as the common market. In a free trade area countries can trade with each other without paying tariffs - but it is not a single market because the member states do not have to merge their economies together.
The European Union single market, which was completed in 1992, allows the free movement of goods, services, money and people within the European Union, as if it was a single country.
It is possible to set up a business or take a job anywhere within it. The idea was to boost trade, create jobs and lower prices. But it requires common law-making to ensure products are made to the same technical standards and imposes other rules to ensure a "level playing field".
Critics say it generates too many petty regulations and robs members of control over their own affairs. Mass migration from poorer to richer countries has also raised questions about the free movement rule.  Read more: A free trade area v EU single market
No nation state has ever left the EU. But Greenland, one of Denmark's overseas territories, held a referendum in 1982, after gaining a greater degree of self government, and voted by 52% to 48% to leave, which it duly did after a period of negotiation. The BBC's Carolyn Quinn visited Greenland at the end of last year to find out how they did it.
Scotland's First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said in the wake of the Leave result that it is "democratically unacceptable" that Scotland faces being taken out of the EU when it voted to Remain. A second independence referendum for the country is now "highly likely", she has said, although not in 2017. She has said she wants Scotland to stay in the single market and said Mrs May's decision to rule out the UK staying in the single market "undoubtedly" brings the referendum closer.
Before his resignation Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness said the impact in Northern Ireland would be "very profound" and that the whole island of Ireland should now be able to vote on reunification. But, speaking while she was still Northern Ireland Secretary, Theresa Villiers ruled out the call from Sinn Féin for a border poll, saying the circumstances in which one would be called did not exist. The land border is likely to be a key part of the Brexit talks. Theresa May said a priority for her would be negotiating a deal with the EU which allowed a common travel area between the UK and the Republic of Ireland.
During the referendum campaign, David Cameron said the so-called "triple lock" for state pensions would be threatened by a UK exit. This is the agreement by which pensions increase by at least the level of earnings, inflation or 2.5% every year - whichever is the highest. But his successor Theresa May has said she will keep it in place, at least for the current Parliament, which is due to last until 2020.
So far there has been a cut in interest rates, which has helped keep mortgage and other borrowing rates low. There are yet to be signs that rising inflation have worried the Bank of England  enough to consider raising interest rates.  But if that happened it would make mortgages and loans more expensive to repay - but would be good news for savers.
Journalists and writers on social media have greeted the reintroduction of duty-free sales as an "upside" or "silver lining" of Brexit. As with most Brexit consequences, whether this will happen depends on how negotiations with the EU play out - whether the "customs union" agreement between Britain and the EU is ended or continued.
Eurotunnel boss Jacques Gounon said last November the reintroduction of duty-free would be "an incredible boost for my business" but he later said  that remark had been "light-hearted". Erik Juul-Mortensen, president of the Tax Free World Association (TFWA) said after the referendum vote "it is not possible to predict how Brexit will affect the duty free and travel retail industry, and it is wiser not to make assumptions about exactly what the impact will be."
They are at the moment but no-one knows the longer term prospects for definite. The EHIC card - which entitles travellers to state-provided medical help for any condition or injury that requires urgent treatment, in any other country within the EU, as well as several non-EU countries - is not an EU initiative. It was negotiated between countries within a group known as the European Economic Area, often simply referred to as the single market (plus Switzerland, which confusingly is not a member of the EEA, but has agreed access to the single market). Therefore, the future of Britons' EHIC cover could depend on whether the UK decided to sever ties with the EEA.
Probably not, says BBC Europe correspondent Chris Morris, because there's no EU-wide law on vehicle registration or car number places, and the EU flag symbol is a voluntary identifier and not compulsory.  The DVLA says there has been no discussion about what would happen to plates with the flag if the UK voted to leave.
Could the necessary legislation pass the Commons, given that a lot of MPs - all SNP and Lib Dems, nearly all Labour and many Conservatives - were in favour of staying? The referendum result is not legally binding - Parliament still has to pass the laws that will get Britain out of the 28 nation bloc, starting with the repeal of the 1972 European Communities Act.
The withdrawal agreement also has to be ratified by Parliament - the House of Lords and/or the Commons could vote against ratification, according to a House of Commons library report. In practice, Conservative MPs who voted to remain in the EU would be whipped to vote with the government. Any who defied the whip would have to face the wrath of voters at the next general election.
One scenario that could see the referendum result overturned, is if MPs forced a general election and a party campaigned on a promise to keep Britain in the EU, got elected and then claimed that the election mandate topped the referendum one. Two-thirds of MPs would have to vote for a general election to be held before the next scheduled one in 2020.
The European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) in Strasbourg is not a European Union institution.
It was set up by the Council of Europe, which has 47 members including Russia and Ukraine. So quitting the EU will not exempt the UK from its decisions.
However, the UK government is committed to repealing the Human Rights Act which requires UK courts to treat the ECHR as setting legal precedents for the UK, in favour of a British Bill of Rights.
As part of that, the UK government is expected to announce measures that will boost the powers of courts in England and Wales to over-rule judgements handed down by the ECHR.
However, the EU has its own European Court of Justice, whose decisions are binding on EU institutions and member states.
Its rulings have sometimes caused controversy in Britain and supporters of a Brexit have called for immediate legislation to curb its powers.
BBC Europe editor Katya Adler says the UK would have to start from scratch with no rebate, and enter accession talks with the EU. Every member state would have to agree to the UK re-joining. But she says with elections looming elsewhere in Europe, other leaders might not be generous towards any UK demands. New members are required to adopt the euro as their currency, once they meet the relevant criteria, although the UK could try to negotiate an opt-out.
The UK Independence Party, which received nearly four million votes - 13% of those cast - in May's general election, has campaigned for many years for Britain's exit from the EU. They were joined in their call during the referendum campaign by about half the Conservative Party's MPs, including Boris Johnson and five members of the then Cabinet. A handful of Labour MPs and Northern Ireland party the DUP were also in favour of leaving.
They said Britain was being held back by the EU, which they said imposed too many rules on business and charged billions of pounds a year in membership fees for little in return. They also cited sovereignty and democracy, and they wanted Britain to take back full control of its borders and reduce the number of people coming here to live and/or work.
One of the main principles of EU membership is "free movement", which means you don't need to get a visa to go and live in another EU country. The Leave campaign also objected to the idea of "ever closer union" between EU member states and what they see as moves towards the creation of a "United States of Europe".
Then Prime Minister David Cameron was the leading voice in the Remain campaign, after reaching an agreement with other European Union leaders that would have changed the terms of Britain's membership had the country voted to stay in.
He said the deal would give Britain "special" status and help sort out some of the things British people said they didn't like about the EU, like high levels of immigration - but critics said the deal would make little difference.
Sixteen members of Mr Cameron's Cabinet, including the woman who would replace him as PM, Theresa May, also backed staying in. The Conservative Party was split on the issue and officially remained neutral in the campaign. The Labour Party, Scottish National Party, Plaid Cymru, the Green Party and the Liberal Democrats were all in favour of staying in.
US president Barack Obama also wanted Britain to remain in the EU, as did other EU nations such as France and Germany.
Those campaigning for Britain to stay in the EU said it gets a big boost from membership - it makes selling things to other EU countries easier and, they argued, the flow of immigrants, most of whom are young and keen to work, fuels economic growth and helps pay for public services.
They also said Britain's status in the world would be damaged by leaving and that we are more secure as part of the 28 nation club, rather than going it alone.
Big business - with a few exceptions - tended to be in favour of Britain staying in the EU because it makes it easier for them to move money, people and products around the world.
Given the crucial role of London as a financial centre, there's interest in how many jobs may be lost to other hubs in the EU. Four of the biggest US banks have committed to helping maintain the City's position. But HSBC will move up to 1,000 jobs to Paris, the BBC understands.
Some UK exporters say they've had increased orders or enquiries because of the fall in the value of the pound. Pest control firm Rentokil Initial says it could make £15m extra this year thanks to a weaker currency.
Others are less optimistic. Hilary Jones, a director at UK cosmetics firm Lush said the company was "terrified" about the economic impact. She added that while the firm's Dorset factory would continue to produce goods for the UK market, products for the European market may be made at its new plant in Germany.
Yes, says BBC Europe editor Katya Adler. There will still be 27 other EU states in the bloc, and others wanting to join in the future, and the common language tends to be English - "much to France's chagrin", she says.
Probably not, is the answer. It would depend on whether or not the UK decided to get rid of current safety standards. Even if that happened any company wanting to export to the EU would have to comply with its safety rules, and it's hard to imagine a company would want to produce two batches of the same products.
Thanks for sending in your questions. Here are a selection of them, and our answers:
The good news for Edward, from Cambridge, who asked this question, is we have been working on exactly such a list. Click here for the latest version.
In answer to this query from Nancy from Hornchurch - the UK is one of 10 member states who pay more into the EU budget than they get out, only France and Germany contribute more. In 2014/15, Poland was the largest beneficiary, followed by Hungary and Greece.
The UK also gets an annual rebate that was negotiated by Margaret Thatcher and money back, in the form of regional development grants and payments to farmers, which added up to £4.6bn in 2014/15. According to the latest Treasury figures, the UK's net contribution for 2014/15 was £8.8bn - nearly double what it was in 2009/10.
The National Audit Office, using a different formula which takes into account EU money paid directly to private sector companies and universities to fund research, and  measured over the EU's financial year, shows the UK's net contribution for 2014 was £5.7bn. Read more number crunching from Reality Check.
David, from East Sussex, is worried about what will happen to his retirement plans. This is one of those issues where it is not possible to say definitively what would happen. At the moment, the large British expat community in Spain gets free access to Spanish GPs and their hospital treatment is paid for by the NHS. After they become permanent residents Spain pays for their hospital treatment. Similar arrangements are in place with other EU countries.
If Britain remains in the single market, or the European Economic Area as it is known, it might be able to continue with this arrangement, according to a House of Commons library research note. If Britain has to negotiate trade deals with individual member states, it may opt to continue paying for expats' healthcare through the NHS or decide that they would have to cover their own costs if they continue to live abroad, if the country where they live declines to do so.
Dee, from Launceston, wanted to know what would happen to EU laws covering protected species such as bats in the event of Britain leaving the EU. The answer is that they would remain in place, initially at least. After the Leave vote, the government will probably review all EU-derived laws in the two years leading up to the official exit date to see which ones to keep or scrap.
The status of Special Areas of Conservation and Special Protection Areas, which are designated by the EU, would be reviewed to see what alternative protections could be applied. The same process would apply to European Protected Species legislation, which relate to bats and their habitats.
The government would want to avoid a legislative vacuum caused by the repeal of EU laws before new UK laws are in place - it would also continue to abide by other international agreements covering environmental protection.
Martin, from Poole, in Dorset, wanted to know what taxpayers would have got back from the benefit curbs negotiated by David Cameron in Brussels. We don't exactly know because the details were never worked out. HM Revenue and Customs suggested about 20,000 EU nationals receive child benefit payments in respect of 34,000 children in their country of origin at an estimated cost of about £30m.
But the total saving would have been significantly less than that because Mr Cameron did not get the blanket ban he wanted. Instead, payments would have been linked to the cost of living in the countries where the children live. David Cameron said as many as 40% of EU migrant families who come to Britain could lose an average of £6,000 a year of in-work benefits when his "emergency brake" was applied. The DWP estimated between 128,700 and 155,100 people would be affected. But the cuts would have been phased in. New arrivals would not have got tax credits and other in-work benefits straight away but would have gradually gained access to them over a four year period at a rate that had not been decided. The plan will never be implemented now.
Sophie from Peterborough, who asks the question, need not worry. We have consulted Alasdair Rendall, president of the UK Eurovision fan club, who says: "All participating countries must be a member of the European Broadcasting Union. The EBU - which is totally independent of the EU - includes countries both inside and outside of the EU, and also includes countries such as Israel that are outside of Europe. Indeed the UK started participating in the Eurovision Song Contest in 1957, 16 years before joining the then EEC."
As with most elements of the UK economy, not enough solid data has been published yet to accurately conclude the Brexit effect on house prices. Industry figures have pointed to "uncertainty" among buyers and sellers that could potentially change the housing market.
So far, the most significant research has come from the respected Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors, which has published the conclusions of a survey of its members. This primarily records sentiment among surveyors.
It found that house prices are expected to fall across the UK in the three months after the referendum vote. However, the dip in prices is only expected to persist over the 12 months from June in London and East Anglia, surveyors predict.
House prices were already slowing in central London, owing to the fall-out from changes to stamp duty rules in April.
Separate figures from property portal Rightmove suggested the average asking price of houses coming on to the market in England and Wales fell by 0.9%, or £2,647, in July compared with June. It said that agents had reported very few sales had fallen through as a result of the vote.
Many potential first-time buyers would welcome a fall in house prices, with ownership among the young falling owing to affordability concerns. Investors in property, or those who have paid off a mortgage and hope to leave homes as inheritance would be unhappy with a long-term reduction in value.
Ged, from Liverpool, suspects "red tape" is a euphemism for employment rights and environmental protection. According to the Open Europe think tank, four of the top five most costly EU regulations are either employment or environment-related. The UK renewable energy strategy, which the think-tank says costs £4.7bn a year, tops the list. The working time directive (£4.2bn a year) - which limits the working week to 48 hours - and the temporary agency workers directive (£2.1bn a year), giving temporary staff many of the same rights as permanent ones - are also on the list.
There is nothing to stop a future UK government reproducing these regulations in British law following the decision to leave the EU. And the costs of so-called "red tape" will not necessarily disappear overnight - if Britain opted to follow the "Norway model" and remained in the European Economic Area most of the EU-derived laws would remain in place.
Ste, in Bolton, asked about this. The Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership  - or TTIP - currently under negotiation between the EU and United States will create the biggest free trade area the world has ever seen.
Cheerleaders for TTIP, including former PM David Cameron, believe it could make American imports cheaper and boost British exports to the US to the tune of £10bn a year.
But many on the left, including Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn, fear it will shift more power to multinational corporations, undermine public services, wreck food standards and threaten basic rights.
Quitting the EU means the UK will not be part of TTIP. It will have negotiate its own trade deal with the US.
Paddy, from Widnes, wanted to know how leaving the EU will affect the number of doctors we have and impact the NHS.
This became an issue in the referendum debate after the Leave campaign claimed the money Britain sends to the EU, which it claims is £350m a week, could be spent on the NHS instead. The BBC's Reality Check team looked into this claim.
Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt warned that leaving the EU would lead to budget cuts and an exodus of overseas doctors and nurses. The Leave campaign dismissed his intervention as "scaremongering" and insisted that EU membership fees could be spent on domestic services like the NHS.
Former Labour health secretary Lord Owen has said that because of TTIP (see answer above) the only way to protect the NHS from further privatisation was to get out of the EU.


A teenage girl who drowned while trying to save her friend had previously rescued another boy at the same place.

The bodies of Bonheur Musungay, 14, and Stella Kambi, 17, were recovered from water at Thorpe Marshes nature reserve near Norwich on Wednesday evening.
Post-mortem examinations have confirmed the cause of the teenagers' deaths was drowning. An inquest has been opened.
Stella's parents Engele and Daniel Aketo said she had rescued a boy from the same spot a year ago.
"We will miss her so much and hope our faith will get us through," said Mr Aketo. "But we are very proud of her."
Family friend Esperance Kuanzabi said Stella had saved her son in the previous incident.
"It looks very safe there, but people underestimate the dangers," she said. "She was a very brave girl."
Mr and Mrs Aketo said Stella and sister Claudine, 16, were not swimming, but were sunbathing on the beach next to the broad.
When Bonheur got into trouble both the girls, who were strong swimmers, dived in to save him. Claudine survived but Stella was dragged under.
Mr Aketo said: "She was the oldest of our six children and looked after everyone - she was very caring.
"She was studying nursing at college and wanted to be a paediatrician.
"She was a good Christian who had worked hard to do well at school. She was kind, funny and just made people happy."
The family arrived in the UK as refugees from the Democratic Republic of Congo in 2008.
Miss Kambi attended City College Norwich after leaving Thorpe St Andrew High School.
A spokesman for Bonheur's family said: "I cannot believe he has gone. He was like a brother to me.
"When you were having a bad day, he would make you laugh and cheer you up. We are all very devastated."
Emergency services launched a major search and rescue operation to find the pair but were unable to save them.
Police and firefighters are now investigating what happened.


Darren Bent's second-half double earned Derby County an unlikely point as they came back from 3-0 down in an astonishing game against Bristol City.

Matty Taylor netted on his full debut and Tammy Abraham scored twice from close range as the Robins dominated an abject home side in the first half.
Headers from Bent and Tom Ince, though, set up a thrilling finale.
And Bent's penalty, after Scott Golbourne fouled Ince, denied City a third away league win of the season.
Bent's composure from the spot - for his sixth goal in seven games - took the Rams to within five points of the play-off places, and came after a second-half performance which was in stark contrast to a miserable opening period when the Rams lacked both urgency and quality.
Taylor's tap-in, in his second match after a controversial move from Bristol Rovers, put the visitors ahead.
They wasted several chances to double the lead before Abraham's double - the first set up after a flowing team move and both involving the excellent Taylor - seemingly settled the match by the break.
A second successive City win, which would have taken them five points clear of the relegation zone, started to look in doubt as the Rams hit back through Bent's diving header and Ince's downward header.
And Bent's coolly taken penalty made it 3-3 with 10 minutes left, but the Robins survived some strong home pressure to go home with one point.
Derby boss Steve McClaren: "For the neutral it was one hell of a game, but we talk about game ready or game head on and we didn't have it on first half, it's as simple as that.
"You can't do that against any opponent. We had to change attitude and it was up to the players to respond, which they did, but I think it's a lesson for us.
"We said that at the end, it's a lesson and if you're not right and your game head isn't on, you can lose to anyone.
"It was Jekyll and Hyde, we know the direction we want to take and it's up to the players."
Bristol City head coach Lee Johnson: "You know when your kid runs out in the road and you quickly grab them back in and you don't know whether to give them a smack on the bum or a cuddle, that's how I feel.
"So much of our work was excellent today, the way the players passed and moved the ball in the first half, and even in the second we created numerous really good chances and could have scored six.
"But obviously I'm massively disappointed, I'd be lying if I told you I was happy with the group and taking a point from a winning position and three goals up.
"We are very, very close to being a decent side but we've got to learn and grow together."
Match ends, Derby County 3, Bristol City 3.
Second Half ends, Derby County 3, Bristol City 3.
Attempt blocked. Josh Brownhill (Bristol City) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked.
Hand ball by Tom Ince (Derby County).
Jens Hegeler (Bristol City) is shown the yellow card.
Will Hughes (Derby County) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by Jens Hegeler (Bristol City).
Richard Keogh (Derby County) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by Callum O'Dowda (Bristol City).
Attempt missed. Jacob Butterfield (Derby County) right footed shot from outside the box is close, but misses to the right.
Attempt missed. Bailey Wright (Bristol City) header from the centre of the box is high and wide to the right. Assisted by Aden Flint with a cross following a set piece situation.
Foul by David Nugent (Derby County).
Jens Hegeler (Bristol City) wins a free kick on the left wing.
Attempt missed. Markus Olsson (Derby County) right footed shot from outside the box is close, but misses the top right corner.
Corner,  Derby County. Conceded by Mark Little.
Milan Djuric (Bristol City) is shown the yellow card.
Attempt missed. Josh Brownhill (Bristol City) left footed shot from outside the box is too high.
Substitution, Bristol City. Callum O'Dowda replaces Tammy Abraham.
Goal!  Derby County 3, Bristol City 3. Darren Bent (Derby County) converts the penalty with a right footed shot to the top left corner.
Penalty Derby County. Tom Ince draws a foul in the penalty area.
Penalty conceded by Scott Golbourne (Bristol City) after a foul in the penalty area.
Corner,  Derby County. Conceded by Joe Bryan.
Attempt missed. David Cotterill (Bristol City) right footed shot from outside the box is too high. Assisted by Mark Little.
Tom Ince (Derby County) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Foul by Jens Hegeler (Bristol City).
Goal!  Derby County 2, Bristol City 3. Tom Ince (Derby County) header from the centre of the box to the bottom right corner. Assisted by Ikechi Anya with a cross.
Offside, Bristol City. Aden Flint tries a through ball, but Tammy Abraham is caught offside.
Attempt saved. Milan Djuric (Bristol City) right footed shot from outside the box is saved in the bottom right corner. Assisted by Fabian Giefer.
Attempt saved. Will Hughes (Derby County) left footed shot from outside the box is saved in the centre of the goal. Assisted by Richard Keogh.
Hand ball by Scott Golbourne (Bristol City).
Substitution, Bristol City. Milan Djuric replaces Matty Taylor.
Attempt missed. Joe Bryan (Bristol City) left footed shot from outside the box is close, but misses to the right. Assisted by Matty Taylor following a fast break.
Tom Ince (Derby County) wins a free kick on the right wing.
Foul by Scott Golbourne (Bristol City).
Substitution, Derby County. David Nugent replaces Chris Baird.
Attempt missed. Will Hughes (Derby County) left footed shot from outside the box is close, but misses the top left corner. Assisted by Richard Keogh.
Scott Golbourne (Bristol City) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by Jacob Butterfield (Derby County).
Aden Flint (Bristol City) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
Foul by Aden Flint (Bristol City).


A religious studies teacher who had sex with a pupil at school has avoided being sent to prison by a judge who said the victim "stalked him".

Stuart Kerner, 44, from Kent, conducted an affair with the girl, then 16, at Bexleyheath Academy, south-east London.
Handing Kerner a suspended sentence, Judge Joanna Greenberg QC said the victim had become "obsessed" with him.
The judge told Kerner: "Her friends described her, accurately in my view, as stalking you."
A charity, Enough Abuse UK, said the sentence was unduly lenient.
The judge added: "If grooming is the right word to use, it was she who groomed you, (and) you gave in to temptation."
The married teacher, who was also the vice-principal at the school, received an 18-month sentence, suspended for 18 months.
Kerner, of Aylesford, was found guilty by a jury last month of two counts of sexual activity with a child by a person in a position of trust.
During the case at Inner London Crown Court, jurors were told what started out as a schoolgirl crush turned into an 18-month affair, which was discovered in 2013.
It was said Kerner took the girl's virginity on a yoga mat in an empty room at Bexleyheath Academy, the same week his wife had a miscarriage.
Kerner later drove the teenager to her home where the pair kissed and cuddled and had sex, the court heard.
Judge Greenberg said Kerner was "emotionally fragile" due to complications with his wife's pregnancy.
She added that this did not excuse his behaviour, but said it did help explain why someone with an "exemplary" character would commit such offences.
Kerner, who denied all the charges he faced, was cleared of four counts of sexual activity with a child by a person in a position of trust and two counts of sexual activity with a child that related to alleged behaviour when the victim was only 15.
Judge Greenberg said she believed the victim was "intelligent and manipulative" and "showed no compunction" about lying when it suited her.
However, the judge also said the victim was a vulnerable girl.
She told Kercher: "The law demands that you are the responsible adult and that you show restraint, and we know that you failed to."
He was placed on the sex offenders' register indefinitely and barred from working with children, also indefinitely.
In a video interview with police, the schoolgirl said: "It felt special. But, I dunno, it wasn't really. And admitting that does kind of hurt."
Marilyn Hawes, a former teacher and founder of the charity Enough Abuse UK which provides support for abuse victims, said the judge had been unduly lenient in her sentencing.
She said: "She was still a pupil and she had a right, as did the parents or her carer, to expect she would be secure and safe in those hours in school with someone who had been given that trust, and it was a total breach of trust.
"I just do not understand where the judge was coming from when she says she stalked him. He abused his position."


Former US President George HW Bush has been admitted to hospital after breaking a bone in his neck in a fall at his home in Maine.

His spokesman said he was in a stable condition and his hospital stay was expected to be brief.
Mr Bush, who has Parkinson's disease and cannot use his legs, celebrated his 90th birthday last year with a sky dive.
He had to go to hospital at the end of last year with shortness of breath.
Spokesman Jim McGrath said Mr Bush, the oldest of the four living former US presidents, would need to wear a neck brace following his fall on Wednesday morning in Kennebunkport.


A former Royal Marine sergeant has died after an accident in an Australian mine.

Nathan Beesley was in the Savage River mine in Tasmania when a rock fell "directly on top of him", his wife Katie said.
The 32-year-old from Devon had moved to Australia with his family last year to pursue a career with the Australian Defence Force.
Mrs Beesley said she was "utterly heartbroken" by his death.
More on the former Royal Marine and other news from Devon
She said: "I can't fathom how I will even come close to giving my children the future and opportunities they deserve now that Nathan is gone.
"He is my world. Always has been and always will be."
The company Mr Beesley was working for, SRG, described the incident as a "significant rock fall".
Grange Resources, who own the mine, have re-opened parts of it, but the section where the incident happened last Friday remains closed.
A Foreign and Commonwealth Office spokesperson said: "We are ready to support the family of a British man, who has sadly died in Australia, if requested to do so."


A Newcastle United fan who punched a police horse when trouble flared following his side's defeat to Sunderland has been jailed for a year.

Barry Rogerson, 45, from Bedlington, Northumberland, squared up to Bud, from West Yorkshire's mounted section, while wearing a scarf over his face.
Almost 100 Newcastle fans were charged following clashes with police after the game at St James' Park.
Rogerson pleaded guilty at Newcastle Crown Court to violent disorder.
He was also given a six-year football banning order.
Judge Paul Sloan QC, said Rogerson had "had plenty of opportunities to move away [from the horse]".
He added: "You stood your ground and attacked the horse by punching it in the head.
"There was a risk of serious injury, the officer could easily have been thrown from the horse and could have sustained serious injury."
Rogerson previously told the BBC he was "not a thug" and was wearing a scarf across his face to stop the cold wind getting into his mouth after a "filling had dropped out".
Ch Supt Gary Calvert said: "The images of Rogerson's behaviour were seen right across the country and further afield through the media and internet coverage of the disorder.
"His behaviour is clearly unacceptable and he was widely condemned by law abiding and right thinking members of the public for his actions.
"In particular, with the next derby just days away, I'm keen to stress that this demonstrates tough action will be taken against anyone involved in such behaviour."
Well-wishers sent Bud, who was not hurt in the attack, presents to his stables and his force's mounted section received messages of support for him on Twitter from concerned members of the public.
He will be on duty on Sunday for the Wear-Tyne derby at the Stadium of Light.


The cost of the inquiry into the Edinburgh trams fiasco has exceeded £3.7m, BBC Scotland has learned.

The probe is investigating what went wrong with the £776m project which went massively over-budget and was completed five years later than planned.
It was established in June 2014 by Alex Salmond, then first minister, who said it would be "swift and thorough".
A spokesman for the Edinburgh Tram Inquiry said it was making "good progress".
However they were unable to say when Lord Hardie, who is leading the inquiry, was due to report its findings.
The spokesman said: "The Scottish ministers have been clear from the start that the inquiry should be timely and cost effective.
"Lord Hardie's priority is to conduct a thorough investigation into the Edinburgh tram project and produce a report and recommendations that ensure lessons are learned for future major infrastructure projects."
The details of the costs of the inquiry were published by Transport Scotland in response to a freedom of information request.
It revealed that £1.822m has been spent on staffing costs, while legal fees have cost £716,000.
And the costs are likely to increase further as the Scottish government has allocated it a total of £2.5m for 2016-17.
The development has led to calls for the inquiry to be brought to a swift conclusion.
Miles Briggs, a Conservative MSP for the Lothians, said: "Edinburgh taxpayers are quite rightly angry that the Edinburgh Trams inquiry has gone on for so long and at such a cost to the taxpayer.
"It is essential that lessons are learnt from the inquiry and that the findings should be reported back as soon as possible so we can see what went wrong during the original project.
"Too often public infrastructure contracts are allowed to overrun with Scottish taxpayers being exposed to the increases in costs."
A total of 25 people are employed by the inquiry, which is currently reviewing more than six million documents.
They are also taking statements from "witnesses of interest" before oral hearings begin.
The inquiry will not determine why the project went ahead, nor will it decide if anybody was legally responsible or financially liable.
It will examine why the project cost so much while delivering less than had initially been planned.
The Scottish government has agreed to fund the costs of the trams inquiry until it is completed.
A spokesman for the government said: "We have been clear from the outset that the inquiry should be efficient and cost effective, however, we know that major infrastructure projects do generate large quantities of documentation, and we understand the inquiry team has already gathered over six million documents.
"Lord Hardie and his team is firmly committed to discerning the facts in a robust and thorough manner in order to ensure the final report is fair, balanced and offers clear recommendations for the planning and construction of future projects."
The project was first mooted in 2003 when the Labour-led Scottish Executive proposed building a network of tram lines at a cost of £375m by 2009.
When the SNP minority government was elected in 2007, they planned to scrap the project.
But that decision was overturned when the other parties in the Scottish Parliament voted in favour of pressing ahead.
After that, the government said it would not provide additional funding beyond the £500m committed by MSPs.
By the time the first trams started running on the 8.7mile (14km) route in May 2014, the total cost of the project had reached £776m.


A temporary 24-bed mental health hospital is to open in York.

The previous facility at Bootham Park hospital closed after inspectors found it unsafe.
People needing inpatient treatment since Bootham Park was closed have had to travel to Middlesbrough, about 50 miles (80km) away.
The new Peppermill Court in North Yorkshire had been due to open earlier this year but was delayed for various reasons, including a fire in August.
More on this and other stories from North Yorkshire
Ruth Hill, of Tees, Esk and Wear Valleys NHS Trust, said: "We understand how difficult it's been for service users and their families.
"Over the last 12 months we've done all we can to support people, including helping with travel arrangements and costs but we know it hasn't been easy."
The trust is in consultation about a permanent hospital to replace Bootham Park and hopes to open a 60-bed facility in 2019.
The Leeds and York Partnership NHS Trust was given five days notice to close the Grade-I listed hospital, in September 2015 after inspectors said there were serious risks to patients poor hygiene and not enough staff.
The Tees Esk and Wear Valley NHS Trust took over mental health services in the Vale of York on 1 October.


Broadcaster STV looks set to win its campaign to secure a more prominent slot on Freeview for its local TV stations.

The company runs local TV stations covering Glasgow and Edinburgh and is due to open more.
Its stations are currently on Channel 23 - but English local TV stations are on Channel 8.
Trade body Digital UK is consulting on moving the Scottish stations after BBC3 becomes an online-only operation.
The consultation could also lead to a slightly more prominent slot for the Gaelic service BBC Alba.
A chain of local TV stations across the UK has opened over the past two years through a scheme put in place by the Westminster government. The former culture secretary Jeremy Hunt was a strong supporter of the concept.
STV was the only established broadcaster to apply for local licences. The licences in the rest of the UK have gone to new companies, and some have struggled.
But STV's stations - and local TV stations in Wales - suffered a significant disadvantage.
Because Channel 8 was already in use, the local stations were placed far further down the electronic programme guide. This meant they were less noticeable and less likely to attract casual viewers.
The BBC's reinvention of BBC3 as an online service has created an opportunity. BBC3 is due to stop broadcasting on Freeview Channel 7 early in the New Year.
Digital UK is now looking at what to do with the slot.
A consultation - aimed at stakeholders in the industry - looks at two possible options.
Digital UK's preferred idea would see Gaelic channel BBC Alba move from Channel 8 to Channel 7. Local stations in Scotland and Wales would then move up from Channel 23 to Channel 8.
Another, more complicated, option would also give the local stations a more prominent slot on Freeview.
STV Glasgow went on the air in May 2014, while STV Edinburgh started last January. The company also plans local stations covering Ayr, Dundee and Aberdeen.
The company said in the summer that it was hopeful STV Glasgow would break even before the end of this year.
Viewing figures for individual programmes are often very modest but the two local stations typically reach almost 200,000 people a week.
A move to a more prominent slot could provide an opportunity to raise the profiles of the stations and boost both ratings and advertising revenue.
A spokesman for STV said: "Although STV Edinburgh and STV Glasgow already have an established audience, it is vital that these channels move to the front page of the Electronic Programme Guide providing parity with services in England and Northern Ireland."
Any changes to channel numbers will take place after BBC3 goes online.


On a far-off planet that's very much like Australia, strange creatures engage in a brutal battle for political domination, in this satirical cartoon from illustrator Laurent Sanguinetti.

Not sure what we're on about? Australia has run through a slew of prime ministers in recent years and is holding a federal election on 2 July. You can read more about Australia's revolving-door of political leadership on these links, but for now, let us journey to Australis Minor.
Are Australians ready to gamble on yet another PM?  |  Coup capital of the democratic world
Laurent Sanguinetti is a French-Australian illustrator who bases himself between Sydney and Paris. You can see more of his work at his website.


Two wolf cubs have been captured on camera for the first time at Camperdown Wildlife Centre in Dundee.

The rare European Wolf cubs, which were born four weeks ago, were filmed playing by a keeper at the centre.
The cubs' arrival came as a surprise as their parents successfully bred only two months after their arrival at the zoo.
Staff thought the pair would not breed until next year at the earliest as part of the European breeding programme.
The mother, Aurora, was born at the Highland Wildlife Park in 2013 and the male, Loki, was born in 2012 in the Netherlands.
Kellie Ross, the keeper who looks after the wolves, said: "We have set up cameras with motion sensors and I was down changing the memory card.
"I was lucky enough to be there at the same time the cubs were out playing.
"I feel really privileged that the parents trusted us enough to let the siblings stay out of the den at this early stage while I was close by.
"It is lovely to see them playing like normal puppies. It really is something special."
Bradly Yule, the zoo's network manager, said staff were "very excited" to see the wolves with the cubs, which have yet to be named.
He said: "This is an important event in the role of our zoo and these pups will enhance the population.
"They will also serve as ambassadors to help reduce the pressure on wild environments where these wolves come from.
"The first-time parents have taken to parenthood extremely well and have adopted comfortable roles in upbringing their cubs.
"Our male, Loki, has been feeding and sharing food with female, Aurora, who has been carefully rearing her young"


The Belfast Giants have added forwards Jonathan Ferland and Sebastien Sylvestre to their roster for the 2017/18 season.

Veteran Ferland, 34, drafted by the Montreal Canadiens in the NHL, joins from the Vienna Capitals where he has spent the last six seasons.
Sylvestre, 23, netted 65 goals in three ECHL seasons with different teams.
The Canadian has played with the Elmira Jackals, Bakersfield Condors and Missouri Mavericks.
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New Giants coach Adam Keefe said he had no hesitation in signing Ferland.
"When you look at his résumé, you simply cannot pass him up," said Keefe.
"He provides leadership and has a great work ethic and is someone who has put up 20 plus goals a season everywhere he has been.
"He wants to win and that is exactly what we are looking for in a player.
"As for Sebastien Sylvestre, I'm told he is an extremely talented player who works hard. He is a player who we will look to develop and he is really excited to be coming to Belfast."


Benefit system changes are failing families in Wales and pushing them into debt, Citizens Advice has claimed.

By 2022, more than 400,000 households in Wales will receive Universal Credit - a scheme which combines all benefits into one.
But Citizens Advice said it was already leaving people in pilot areas, like Flintshire, dependent on food banks.
The Department of Work and Pensions (DWP) said most claimants were "satisfied".
There are currently 22,000 people on Universal Credit in Wales, the UK government's troubled flagship welfare scheme, being rolled-out across Britain.
Introduced in 2013, its single payment replaces six benefits, including Jobseeker's Allowance (JSA) and Employment and Support Allowance (ESA).
Citizens Advice said the system was overly complicated and "already failing too many people", pushing them into debt and leaving them without the means to make ends meet.
A report highlights issues in Flintshire, Wrexham and Newport, where incorrect information and harsh sanctions are leading to payments being rejected or delayed for weeks.
The charity said the UK government should pause a planned acceleration of the roll-out programme to Job Centres until key issues are addressed.
Citizens Advice spoke to claimants including Amanda, from Newport, who said she has creditors calling at her house several times as day after her payments were stopped for eight weeks after she changed her claim when her partner moved in.
Harry, from Flintshire, said he was given incorrect information about which benefit to claim after being made redundant, and then left on hold for 40 minutes before being cut off by the service.
Lindsay Kearton, policy advisor for Citizens Advice Cymru, who helped 1,500 claimants for Universal Credit in Wales last year, said some parents had to give up work due to issues with paying child care under the new system.
She told BBC Wales: "Not only are people struggling to make ends meet, to pay their bills, have to resort to turning to food banks, going into debt, borrowing money from family and friends, as well as other credit providers, it's also having an impact on people's ability to pay their rent sometimes, in terms of delays in housing payments, which could potentially have serious consequences."
A DWP spokesman said under Universal Credit people were moving into work faster and staying in work longer than under the old system.
"Universal Credit is designed to mirror the way many people in work are paid and we have budgeting advice and benefit advances available for anyone who needs extra help," he said.
"The vast majority of claimants have told us they are satisfied with Universal Credit.
"We are rolling out Universal Credit in a gradual, safe and secure way and in the rare cases where issues arise, we work closely with local authorities and landlords to support people when they need it."


Clashes broke out as demolition teams dismantled huts in part of a migrant camp known as the Jungle in the French port of Calais.

Riot police fired tear gas after migrants began throwing boulders inside the camp. At least 12 shacks were set ablaze, reports say.
The demolition teams appeared to leave inhabited huts intact as they move through the camp's southern sector.
The government plans to relocate migrants to reception centres.
Those living in the camp, mainly from the Middle East, Afghanistan and Africa, hope to cross the Channel, often using people traffickers to try to enter illegally.
Hidden by the cover of darkness, groups of migrants tried to access trucks on the motorway heading towards the port of Calais. Riot police fired tear gas, forcing them back.
On Monday the demolition squads moved through the Jungle. They were met by some resistance. A few migrants and protesters threw rocks in an effort to delay their eviction.
Little remains of the sprawling southern section of the settlement now.
The government is trying to encourage people to relocate to official accommodation provided inside converted shipping containers nearby. But most have refused the offer, fearing they'll be forced to claim asylum in France.
It's still unclear where the hundreds who've been evicted will go now.
They fear the changes mean they will be forced to give their fingerprints and claim asylum in France, dashing their dreams of reaching the UK.
The authorities believe some 1,000 migrants will be affected by the eviction plan while aid agencies say the number of people living there is much higher.
Clashes continued on Monday evening as groups of migrants fanned out across scrubland towards the motorway heading to the port of Calais, reports the BBC's Anna Holligan at the camp.
French media say about 150 people, some wielding iron bars, climbed onto the road to block vehicles.
Riot police pushed them back into the camp. Earlier water cannon were also used to extinguish a fire in the shacks at the camp.
About 100 homes were dismantled on Monday, with demolition teams expected to return the next morning, our correspondent says.
At least four people, including activists from the UK-based No Borders group, were arrested during the unrest, police say.
Earlier Good Chance, a theatre group which works in the camp, said police were preventing volunteers from entering the camp.
"No volunteers access," it said in a tweet. "People removed from houses. Police blocking entry. This is what they call a 'soft demolition'."
French officials say public areas in the camp such as places of worship or schools will not be affected and describe the clearance as a "humanitarian operation".
Conditions in the southern sector are squalid and the camp's sprawling presence has become a controversial issue in both France and the UK.
Tea, rivalry and ambition at 'Jungle hotel'
Jungle migrants prepare to move
Migrants resist relocation to containers
Officials say migrants can either move into heated container accommodation in the northern sector of the camp, where there is room for 1,500 people, move to similar accommodation centres elsewhere in France or claim asylum in France.
But many residents are reluctant to leave the Calais area.
"Going to Britain... is what people [here] want," Afghan migrant Hayat Sirat told AP. "So destroying part of the jungle is not the solution."


Day after day we are bombarded with images of overcrowded rubber boats in the Mediterranean, horrific pictures of obliterated streets in Aleppo and heartbreaking photographs of desperate people staring through the bars of refugee reception centres.

Occasionally a single image will startle us from our numbed state: Aylan Kurdi's tiny body washed up on a Turkish beach; the bewildered, bloodied face of the five-year-old Syrian boy Omran Daqneesh, sitting barefoot and plastered in masonry dust in the back of an ambulance.
Yet somehow, many of the horror stories of the Syrian war and this migration crisis get drowned out under the weight of their own numbers.
And it's our job as journalists and writers to keep telling those stories and to keep telling them in new ways that will cut through the compassion fatigue and keep our audience and readers focused.
It was last May, when I was reporting largely from Sicily for BBC Radio 4 news programmes, that it became clear to us that our listeners were switching off when they heard the phrase "migrant crisis".
They were doing so not because they were in any way heartless, but because they felt they were hearing the same story, the same pain, over and over again.
The migration story was now so commonplace, it was becoming almost meaningless.
We needed to find a new angle.
So instead of interviewing the migrants themselves, we decided to interview ordinary Italians affected by the situation, as outlined in my book The Optician of Lampedusa.
We spoke to a vivacious housewife-turned-chef in a migrant soup kitchen, a hospital director whose wards were full of burned and brutalised migrant patients and a gravedigger who had the awful task of burying those who washed up dead on Europe's shores.
We interviewed a carpenter who spent his time carving crosses from shipwrecked wooden migrant boats and offering them to Christian migrants as a symbol of hope and resurrection.
We had an unprecedented response to the series.
Several listeners who were going on holiday to Sicily asked for the address of the migrant soup kitchen so they might devote a couple of evenings helping the chef Maria-Grazia.
Listeners in Africa wrote to us about the tenderness of the gruff gravedigger who never forgot the faces of the nameless bodies he buried.
A curator at the British Museum was so moved by the carpenter's crosses that she ordered one for the collection.
Symbolically it became the last acquisition of the outgoing director, Neil MacGregor.
But one of our stories cut through all the rest.
Carmine Menna runs the only optician's shop on the little island of Lampedusa, off the coast of Sicily.
Although he saw the migrants all around him every day and felt pity for them, he did not really see them - he did not want to see them as his problem.
After all, he was just an optician. What could he do?
One day in early October 2013, however, he took a boating holiday with his wife and six friends.
He remembers it was a beautiful day and he woke in his bunk to hear what he thought was the first of the seagulls squabbling and screaming over a lucky catch.
But when the noise became more persistent and piercing, he and his crew upped anchor and went to investigate.
They did not find seagulls.
Instead they found scores, perhaps hundreds of drowning people in the water, begging them for help.
The optician was on a boat that had a maximum capacity of 10 and already had eight people on board.
They had only one rubber ring.
Carmine's story resonated enormously with our listeners because he is such an ordinary man - no better or worse than us.
Listeners said that they could imagine themselves in his boat reaching out to grab those desperate hands.
Watching the drama unfold from behind his glasses, they could really see the crisis for the first time.
Suddenly the migration story - and perhaps their own part in it - had become real.
The optician himself told me that it was only when he felt the flesh and bone of the hands he seized grind into his, that the migrants became "names, not numbers - names."
That Lampedusa tragedy left 368 people dead.
Carmine is a reluctant interviewee because he does not want to be cast as some sort of hero.
"We saved 47 people that day," he tells me quietly. "A hero would have saved them all."
I was unsure that the shy and discreet Carmine would let me turn his story into a book, but when I approached him to ask his permission he surprised me by readily agreeing.
An optician's job, after all, is to make people see clearly and I think that is exactly why he has allowed me to tell his tale through his eyes.
It does not matter, he seems to be saying, whether you are pro or anti-immigration, or whether you vote left or right.
But it does matter - it has to matter - that thousands of human beings are drowning every year on Europe's doorstep.
We cannot get hardened to this horror of our age.


Cristiano Ronaldo officially became Real Madrid's all-time top scorer with a goal as they beat Levante in La Liga.

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The 30-year-old Portugal forward scored his 324th Real goal in 310 games to overtake Raul's record.
The club had already considered Ronaldo the record holder as they credit him with a goal deflected off Pepe in 2010.
Ronaldo's official record-breaking strike came after an hour from just outside the box - either side of goals from Marcelo and Jese.
After scoring twice in a 2-0 win over Malmo last month, Real held a presentation to give Ronaldo a trophy for breaking the record.
The discrepancy dates back to 2010 when a Ronaldo free-kick was deflected in by Pepe.
La Liga considered it a Pepe goal but Real deemed it Ronaldo's - and hence have credited him with various scoring landmarks one strike before anyone else.
New York Cosmos striker Raul, who is retiring in November, was Real's record goalscorer, but took 741 games to score his 323 goals.
Wales forward Gareth Bale was substituted off at half-time of the Levante game for Lucas Vazquez as Real went top of the table.
Barcelona are behind them on goal difference after beating Rayo Vallecano 5-2.
Previous leaders Villarreal host third-placed Celta Vigo on Sunday (11:00 BST).
Match ends, Real Madrid 3, Levante 0.
Second Half ends, Real Madrid 3, Levante 0.
Attempt missed. Marcelo (Real Madrid) left footed shot from outside the box misses to the right following a corner.
Corner,  Real Madrid. Conceded by Simao Mate.
Attempt missed. Nabil Ghilas (Levante) right footed shot from outside the box is too high. Assisted by Víctor Camarasa.
Foul by Cristiano Ronaldo (Real Madrid).
Zouhair Feddal (Levante) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Offside, Levante. Casadesús tries a through ball, but Nabil Ghilas is caught offside.
Attempt missed. Casemiro (Real Madrid) right footed shot from more than 35 yards is too high. Assisted by Marcelo.
Attempt missed. Lucas Vázquez (Real Madrid) right footed shot from outside the box is just a bit too high. Assisted by Jesé.
Attempt missed. Jefferson Lerma (Levante) right footed shot from more than 35 yards is high and wide to the right. Assisted by Toño.
Attempt missed. Rubén García (Levante) right footed shot from outside the box is close, but misses to the left. Assisted by Casadesús.
Attempt blocked. Lucas Vázquez (Real Madrid) right footed shot from the centre of the box is blocked. Assisted by Cristiano Ronaldo.
Goal!  Real Madrid 3, Levante 0. Jesé (Real Madrid) left footed shot from the left side of the box to the top left corner. Assisted by Lucas Vázquez.
Attempt missed. Cristiano Ronaldo (Real Madrid) header from the centre of the box is just a bit too high. Assisted by Jesé with a cross.
Substitution, Real Madrid. Marcos Llorente replaces Mateo Kovacic.
Substitution, Levante. Rubén García replaces Deyverson because of an injury.
Attempt missed. Cristiano Ronaldo (Real Madrid) left footed shot from the left side of the box is high and wide to the left. Assisted by Jesé following a fast break.
Delay over. They are ready to continue.
Delay in match Deyverson (Levante) because of an injury.
Attempt missed. Deyverson (Levante) left footed shot from the right side of the box is too high following a corner.
Corner,  Levante. Conceded by Nacho.
Attempt blocked. Deyverson (Levante) left footed shot from the centre of the box is blocked. Assisted by Víctor Camarasa.
Attempt missed. Cristiano Ronaldo (Real Madrid) left footed shot from the left side of the six yard box misses to the right. Assisted by Jesé.
Substitution, Real Madrid. Jesé replaces Isco.
Nacho (Real Madrid) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by Nabil Ghilas (Levante).
Attempt blocked. Víctor Camarasa (Levante) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked. Assisted by Juanfran.
Attempt missed. Nabil Ghilas (Levante) right footed shot from the right side of the six yard box is close, but misses to the right.
Attempt saved. Nabil Ghilas (Levante) right footed shot from very close range is saved in the centre of the goal. Assisted by Casadesús with a through ball.
Attempt saved. Deyverson (Levante) left footed shot from outside the box is saved in the bottom right corner. Assisted by Víctor Camarasa.
Substitution, Levante. Jefferson Lerma replaces José Mari.
Attempt missed. Lucas Vázquez (Real Madrid) right footed shot from the right side of the box misses to the left. Assisted by Marcelo with a cross.
Attempt saved. Danilo (Real Madrid) left footed shot from outside the box is saved in the bottom right corner. Assisted by Isco.
Attempt saved. Cristiano Ronaldo (Real Madrid) right footed shot from outside the box is saved in the top centre of the goal.
José Mari (Levante) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
Lucas Vázquez (Real Madrid) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Foul by José Mari (Levante).
Attempt saved. Toni Kroos (Real Madrid) right footed shot from outside the box is saved in the bottom right corner. Assisted by Danilo.
Substitution, Levante. Nabil Ghilas replaces Roger.


European Council President Donald Tusk has said he wants newly re-elected British Prime Minister David Cameron to make the case for EU membership.

Mr Tusk said he was "deeply convinced that there is no better life outside the European Union, for any country".
Mr Cameron has pledged to negotiate a "better deal" for the UK and hold a referendum on membership.
Leaders from across the globe have been congratulating him after he defied predictions to win a majority.
"I count on the new British Government making the case for the United Kingdom's continued membership of the European Union. In that I stand ready to help," Mr Tusk said in a statement.
"A better EU is in the interest not only of Britain but of every member state."
The words "political earthquake" have been translated into numerous European languages today, making front page news across the continent.
In Europe the vote means one thing - a referendum on Britain's membership to the EU. And that has the potential to create an earthquake of its own.
Mr Cameron has promised a referendum in 2017, and Brussels is hardly known for speedy decision-making. Expect quite some flexibility - few countries want to see the UK's burgeoning economy leave the fold.
But there will be limits, possibly over people's freedom to live and work anywhere in the EU.
UK 'political earthquake' rocks EU
European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker said he was "looking forward to meeting Mr Cameron soon".
A statement from his office said he would examine any British proposals in "a very polite, friendly and objective way" but warned that key principles including the freedom of movement were "non-negotiable".
Offering his congratulations in a phone call, French President Francois Hollande invited Mr Cameron for talks in Paris on the EU and international issues.
Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy of the Conservative People's Party, tweeting in Spanish, called the victory a "deserved recognition of his decisive reforms".
Manfred Weber, who chairs the European People's Party grouping that Mr Cameron withdrew his party from, tweeted that the "ball is in Mr Cameron's court. He has to put his demands on the table. But EU freedoms will not be negotiable".
"We Europeans must also start thinking about whether it is time for a larger Treaty reform," he added.
Aside from questions over Britain's future in the EU, Danish Prime Minister Helle Thorning-Schmidt said her husband Stephen Kinnock, the son of a former leader of the opposition Labour party, had "done so well" to win a seat.
Asked by Danish newspaper Berlingske who would be doing the commuting, she said: "I've always had a husband who works outside Denmark, and now he will do so in politics. This just means we will have even more to talk about, since we are both interested in politics."


Armed police closed off a children's park in Jersey while investigating a suspected serious assault.

A number of police cars, at least two ambulances and an emergency response unit were called to the scene at about 16:00 BST.
A police spokesman said police were also carrying Tasers as they patrolled Millbrook Park in St Lawrence.
Det Insp Craig Jackson said officers were looking for a "a male and a female" who were seen leaving the area.
A number of people were asked to leave the area by police who reopened the park shortly before 17:30 BST.


A mother-of-four stabbed her husband to death before telling a police support worker: "The kids will never forgive me for killing their father."

Louisa Anderson, 36, inflicted a single knife wound to the right calf of her husband, Douglas, after they were heard arguing at home.
He died after suffering heavy blood loss from the leg injury at Dunnock Park in Perth on 25 February.
Anderson admitted culpable homicide and will be sentenced later.
Advocate depute Jane Farquharson described 39-year-old taxi driver Douglas Anderson as "a popular family man".
The prosecutor told the High Court in Edinburgh: "There is no record of any physical violence and police have never been involved in the relationship. There is no suggestion of domestic abuse on either side."
Ms Farquharson said the couple had both gone out drinking in Perth separately with friends on the evening of the fatal attack and had both consumed "significant amounts" of alcohol.
After they returned home, the pair had begun arguing, resulting in Mr Anderson being stabbed.
Ms Farquharson said that Louisa Anderson had made a 999 call to the emergency services following the stabbing.
She said: "A pool of the deceased's blood was found in the bedroom he shared with the accused, indicating where the stabbing had taken place and his blood was distributed on the banisters from the top of the stairs going down."
"Bloodied footprints were found in the hallway and a trail of the deceased's blood going outside, back into the hallway and into the living room where he succumbed to his injury," said the prosecutor.
The stab wound on his leg was found to have severed both an artery and a vein.
Anderson had initially claimed to police that she had found her husband outside lying on the ground holding his leg, before helping him inside and trying to stem the flow of blood.
However, she later told a police support officer that her children would never forgive her for killing their father.
Defence counsel Ronnie Renucci described the killing as "a totally tragic case". He said his client loved her husband very much and added: "Even now she cannot envisage life without him."
Mr Renucci added: "It is clearly an unusual injury. It is not an obvious location that would result in death."
However, trial judge, Lord Uist, told the court that the calf was "one of the most dangerous parts of the body to inflict a wound with a knife".
He asked why Anderson had done it.
Mr Renucci responded: "She does not know. She has no explanation."
Lord Uist continued the case for the preparation of a background report on Anderson ahead of sentencing.
The judge told her: "Although you have previous convictions for three offences of assault and one of possession of an offensive weapon, you have never previously been sentenced to custody."
Anderson, a prisoner in Edinburgh, was remanded into custody.