The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland[note 5] (commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain) is a sovereign state located off the north-western coast of continental Europe. The country includes the island of Great Britain, the north-eastern part of the island of Ireland and many smaller islands. Northern Ireland is the only part of the UK that shares a land border with another sovereign state―the Republic of Ireland. Apart from this land border the UK is surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean, the North Sea, the English Channel and the Irish
Sea.The
United Kingdom is a unitary state governed under a constitutional monarchy and a parliamentary system, with its seat of government in the capital city of London. It is a country in its own right[10][11] and consists of four countries: England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales.[12] There are three devolved national administrations, each with varying powers,[13][14] situated in Belfast, Cardiff and Edinburgh; the capitals of Northern Ireland, Wales and Scotland respectively. Associated with the UK, but not constitutionally part of it, are three Crown Dependencies.[15] The United Kingdom has fourteen overseas territories.[16] These are remnants of the British Empire which, at its height in 1922, encompassed almost a quarter of the world"s land surface and was the largest empire in history. British influence can still be observed in the language, culture and legal systems of many of its former
territories.The
UK is a developed country and has the world"s sixth-largest economy by nominal GDP and seventh-largest economy by purchasing power parity. It was the world"s first industrialised country[17] and the world"s foremost power during the 19th and early 20th centuries.[18] The UK remains a great power with leading economic, cultural, military, scientific and political influence.[19] It is a recognised nuclear weapons state and its military expenditure ranks third or fourth in the world.[20] The UK has been a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council since its first session in 1946; it is also a member of the Commonwealth of Nations, the Council of Europe, the European Union, the G7, the G8, the G20, NATO, the OECD and the World Trade Organization.大不列顛及北愛爾蘭聯合王國（英語：The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland；威爾斯語：Teyrnas Unedig Prydain Fawra Gogledd Iwerddon；�K格蘭蓋爾語：An Rìoghachd Aonaichte na Breatainn Mhòr agus Eirinn mu Thuath；愛爾蘭語：Ríocht Aontaithe na Breataine Móire agus Thuaisceart Éireann；低地�K格蘭語：Unitit Kingdom o Great Britain an Norlin Airlann），簡稱聯合王國（英文：United Kingdom）或不列顛（英文：Britain）[2]，通稱英國，是由大不列顛島上的英格蘭、�K格蘭和威爾斯，以及愛爾蘭島東北部的北愛爾蘭以及一系列附屬島嶼共同組成的一個西歐島國。中文裡的「英國」一詞，即由「英格蘭」而來，其國際程式碼為GB。英國本土位於歐洲大陸西北面的不列顛群島，被北海、英吉利海峽、凱爾特海、愛爾蘭海和大西洋包圍。除了英國本土之外，還包括十四個海外領地[3]。聯合王國由四個國家聯合而成，分別是英格蘭、�K格蘭、北愛爾蘭和威爾斯[4]。英國採用議會制政體，王國政府所在地為倫敦，但是同時擁有其他三個國家級行政機構分別位於貝爾法斯特（北愛爾蘭），卡地夫（威爾斯）和愛丁堡（�K格蘭）。英國是世界上第一個君主立憲制國家，現任君主是伊麗莎白二世女王。英王國在最強盛時期連同其海外殖民地被稱為大英帝國，該帝國在1922年的時候達到巔峰，擁有全世界四分之一的陸地，是有史以來世界上面積最大的國家。大英帝國解體後，英國繼續在語言，文化，政治上對其前殖民地保留了巨大的影響力，英國女王伊麗莎白二世現在仍然是大英國協組織的首腦，和其他15個大英國協國家的國家元首。英國是一個已開發國家、世界上第一個工業化國家[5]，在19世紀和20世紀早期是世界上最強大的國家[6]，但是經過兩次世界大戰和20世紀下半葉大英帝國的崩潰，英國已經失去了曾經在國際事務上的領導力。不過，英國仍然是一個在世界範圍內擁有巨大影響力、舉足輕重的政治、經濟、文化和軍事強國。英國是第一、第二次世界大戰主要戰勝國，擁有核武器和世界上第三的軍費開支，是聯合國安理會常任理事國，對議案擁有否決權。英國亦為歐盟成員國、北約創始會員國、八大工業國組織成員國之一和歐洲四大經濟體之一、全球前七大經濟體、也是一系列國際組織如經合組織、世界貿易組織的一員。
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland[note 5] (commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain) is a sovereign state located off the north-western coast of continental Europe. The country includes the island of Great Britain, the north-eastern part of the island of Ireland and many smaller islands. Northern Ireland is the only part of the UK that shares a land border with another sovereign state―the Republic of Ireland. Apart from this land border the UK is surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean, the North Sea, the English Channel and the Irish
Sea.The
United Kingdom is a unitary state governed under a constitutional monarchy and a parliamentary system, with its seat of government in the capital city of London. It is a country in its own right[10][11] and consists of four countries: England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales.[12] There are three devolved national administrations, each with varying powers,[13][14] situated in Belfast, Cardiff and Edinburgh; the capitals of Northern Ireland, Wales and Scotland respectively. Associated with the UK, but not constitutionally part of it, are three Crown Dependencies.[15] The United Kingdom has fourteen overseas territories.[16] These are remnants of the British Empire which, at its height in 1922, encompassed almost a quarter of the world"s land surface and was the largest empire in history. British influence can still be observed in the language, culture and legal systems of many of its formerterritories.The
UK is a developed country and has the world"s sixth-largest economy by nominal GDP and seventh-largest economy by purchasing power parity. It was the world"s first industrialised country[17] and the world"s foremost power during the 19th and early 20th centuries.[18] The UK remains a great power with leading economic, cultural, military, scientific and political influence.[19] It is a recognised nuclear weapons state and its military expenditure ranks third or fourth in the world.[20] The UK has been a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council since its first session in 1946; it is also a member of the Commonwealth of Nations, the Council of Europe, the European Union, the G7, the G8, the G20, NATO, the OECD and the World Trade Organization.大不列顛及北愛爾蘭聯合王國（英語：The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland；威爾斯語：Teyrnas Unedig Prydain Fawra Gogledd Iwerddon；�K格蘭蓋爾語：An Rìoghachd Aonaichte na Breatainn Mhòr agus Eirinn mu Thuath；愛爾蘭語：Ríocht Aontaithe na Breataine Móire agus Thuaisceart Éireann；低地�K格蘭語：Unitit Kingdom o Great Britain an Norlin Airlann），簡稱聯合王國（英文：United Kingdom）或不列顛（英文：Britain）[2]，通稱英國，是由大不列顛島上的英格蘭、�K格蘭和威爾斯，以及愛爾蘭島東北部的北愛爾蘭以及一系列附屬島嶼共同組成的一個西歐島國。中文裡的「英國」一詞，即由「英格蘭」而來，其國際程式碼為GB。英國本土位於歐洲大陸西北面的不列顛群島，被北海、英吉利海峽、凱爾特海、愛爾蘭海和大西洋包圍。除了英國本土之外，還包括十四個海外領地[3]。聯合王國由四個國家聯合而成，分別是英格蘭、�K格蘭、北愛爾蘭和威爾斯[4]。英國採用議會制政體，王國政府所在地為倫敦，但是同時擁有其他三個國家級行政機構分別位於貝爾法斯特（北愛爾蘭），卡地夫（威爾斯）和愛丁堡（�K格蘭）。英國是世界上第一個君主立憲制國家，現任君主是伊麗莎白二世女王。英王國在最強盛時期連同其海外殖民地被稱為大英帝國，該帝國在1922年的時候達到巔峰，擁有全世界四分之一的陸地，是有史以來世界上面積最大的國家。大英帝國解體後，英國繼續在語言，文化，政治上對其前殖民地保留了巨大的影響力，英國女王伊麗莎白二世現在仍然是大英國協組織的首腦，和其他15個大英國協國家的國家元首。英國是一個已開發國家、世界上第一個工業化國家[5]，在19世紀和20世紀早期是世界上最強大的國家[6]，但是經過兩次世界大戰和20世紀下半葉大英帝國的崩潰，英國已經失去了曾經在國際事務上的領導力。不過，英國仍然是一個在世界範圍內擁有巨大影響力、舉足輕重的政治、經濟、文化和軍事強國。英國是第一、第二次世界大戰主要戰勝國，擁有核武器和世界上第三的軍費開支，是聯合國安理會常任理事國，對議案擁有否決權。英國亦為歐盟成員國、北約創始會員國、八大工業國組織成員國之一和歐洲四大經濟體之一、全球前七大經濟體、也是一系列國際組織如經合組織、世界貿易組織的一員。