UK

United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland1
Flag Coat of arms
Motto: Dieu et mon droit  (the Royal motto3) (French for "God and my right")
Anthem: "God Save the Queen" 4
Capital	London 51°30′N 0°7′W
Most populous conurbation	Greater London Urban Area
Official languages	English, Welsh, Scottish Gaelic 5
Government	Constitutional monarchy
- Queen	Elizabeth II
- Prime Minister	Tony Blair
Formation
- Union of the Crowns	24 March 1603
- Acts of Union	1 May 1707
- Act of Union	1 January 1801
- Anglo-Irish Treaty	12 April 1922
Accession to EU	1 January 1973
Area
- Total	244,820 km² (79th) 94,526 sq mi
- Water (%)	1.34
Population
- 2005 estimate	60,209,5006 (21st)
- 2001 census	58,789,194
- Density	243/km² (48th) 629/sq mi
GDP (PPP)	2005 estimate
- Total	$1.833 trillion (6th)
- Per capita	$30,436 (18th)
GDP (nominal)	2005 estimate
- Total	$2.201 trillion (5th)
- Per capita	$37,023 (13th)
HDI  (2004)	0.940 (high) (18th)
Currency	Pound sterling (£) (GBP)
Time zone	GMT (UTC+0)
- Summer (DST)	BST (UTC+1)
Internet TLD	.uk7
Calling code	+44
1 In the UK, some other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous (regional) languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, the UK's official name is as follows: Welsh: Teyrnas Unedig Prydain Fawr a Gogledd Iwerddon Scottish Gaelic: An Rìoghachd Aonaichte na Breatainn Mhòr agus Eirinn a Tuath Irish: Ríocht Aontaithe na Breataine Móire agus Thuaisceart Éireann Scots: Unitit Kinrick o Great Breetain an Northren Ireland Cornish: An Rywvaneth Unys a Vreten Veur hag Iwerdhon Glédh 2 There is also a variant for use in Scotland; see Royal coat of arms of the United Kingdom. 3 The Royal motto used in Scotland is Nemo Me Impune Lacessit (Latin: "No-one provokes me with impunity"). 4 See #Symbols below. It also serves as the Royal anthem. 5 In addition to English (use established by precedent), Welsh is recognised in Wales as a "language of equal standing". Since 2005, Scottish Gaelic in Scotland has the status of "an official language of Scotland commanding equal respect to the English language" . See also Languages in the United Kingdom. 6 Official estimate provided by the UK Office for National Statistics . 7 ISO 3166-1 alpha-2 is GB, but .gb is unused. The .eu domain is also shared with other European Union member states.

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland (usually shortened to the United Kingdom, the UK, or Britain) is a country and sovereign state that is situated to the north west of mainland Europe. Its territory and population are primarily situated on the island of Great Britain and in Northern Ireland on the island of Ireland. The United Kingdom is bounded by the Atlantic Ocean, and its ancillary bodies of water, including the North Sea, the English Channel, the Celtic Sea, and the Irish Sea. The mainland is linked to France by the Channel Tunnel, with Northern Ireland sharing a land border with the Republic of Ireland.

The United Kingdom is a political union made up of four constituent countries: England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland (the last three also have their own Parliament or Assembly).

The United Kingdom also has many overseas territories, including Bermuda, Gibraltar, Pitcairn Islands, British Indian Ocean Territory, Falkland Islands, and British Antarctica among others. The dependencies of the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man, formally possessions of the Crown, form a federacy with the United Kingdom collectively known as the British Islands. A constitutional monarchy, Queen Elizabeth II is also the Queen and Head of State of 15 other Commonwealth Realms such as Canada, Australia, and New Zealand.

Although, after the dissolution of the British Empire, the UK's influence throughout the world steadily declined, it remains a Great power. A member of the G8, the United Kingdom is a developed country with the 5th largest economy in the world and second largest in Europe, estimated at US$2.2 trillion. It is the third most populous state in the European Union with a population of 60.2 million and is a founding member of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) and the United Nations (UN), where it holds a permanent seat on the Security Council. The UK is also one of the world's 5 acknowledged Nuclear powers.