United Kingdom

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, abbreviated to the United Kingdom (International abbreviation: UK), is one of the British Isles off the northwest coast of continental Europe and is the largest island nation in Europe.

The United Kingdom is a union of four parts: England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. Traditionally, it is also referred to simply as Great Britain. England represents the largest part of the country, while Great Britain denotes the main island of the British Isles (on which the parts of the country England, Scotland and Wales lie).

With over 67 million inhabitants, the United Kingdom is the fourth most populous country in Europe after Russia, Germany and France. It is a founding member of NATO as well as the United Nations. It is a nuclear power, a permanent member of the UN Security Council and one of the G7 countries. From 1973 to 31 January 2020 it was a member of the EEC and later the European Union respectively.