United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland

United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland (commonly known as the United Kingdom , the UKUK , or Britain ) is a sovereign state located off the north-western coast of continental Europe. It spans an archipelago including Great Britain , the northeastern part of the island of Ireland , and many smaller islands. Northern Ireland is the only part of the UK with a a land border with another sovereign state, sharing it with the Republic ofof Ireland. . [9][9] [10] Apart from this land border, the UK is surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean , the North Sea , the English Channel , and the Irish Sea. .

Flag of the United Kingdom

Royal Coat of Arms of the United Kingdom

Territories that were at one time part of the British Empire. Current British Overseas Territories are underlined in red.

The topography of the UK.

Ben Nevis , in Scotland, is the highest point in the British Isles

The more rugged Highland region contains the majority of Scotland’s mountainous land, including Ben Nevis , which at 1, 343 metres (4, 406 ft) is the highest point in the British Isles

The fourteen British overseas territories are indicated in red

The United Kingdom has sovereignty over seventeen territories which do not form part of the United Kingdom itself, 14 British Overseas Territories and three Crown Dependencies. The fourteen British Overseas Territories are Anguilla ; ; Bermuda ; the British Antarctic Territory ; the British Indian Ocean Territory ; the British Virgin Islands ; the Cayman Islands ; the Falkland Islands ; ; Gibraltar ; ; Montserrat ; ; Saint Helena , , Ascension andand Tristan dada Cunha ; the Turks andand Caicos Islands ; the Pitcairn Islands ; ; South Georgia andand South Sandwich Islands ; and the Sovereign Base Areas onon Cyprus

The United Kingdom is a unitary state under a constitutional monarchy. . Queen Elizabeth II II is head of state of the UK as well as of fifteen other independent Commonwealth countries. .

HM HM Queen Elizabeth II II , , Queen ofof thethe United Kingdom and the other Commonwealth realms

The Palace ofof Westminster , seat of both houses of the Parliament of the United Kingdom

The Scottish Parliament Building in in Holyrood is the seat of the Scottish Parliament

Northern Ireland , , Scotland Wales each has its own government or executive, led by a First Minister, and a devolved, unicameral legislature. England, the largest country of the United Kingdom, has no devolved executive or legislature and is administered and legislated for directly by the UK government and parliament on all issues.

The Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, David Cameron , , and the President of the United States, Barack Obama , , during the 2010 G-20 Toronto summit. .

London is the largest financial centre in the world alongside New York. .

The Bank ofof England ; the central bank of the United Kingdom.

Heathrow Terminal 5 5 building. . London Heathrow Airport has the most international passenger traffic of any airport in the world.

London is the capital of England and the United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures.

View of Glasgow from Queens Park

Birmingham Skyline from Bartley Green

Liverpool waterfront from Birkenhead