United Kingdom

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland (English United Kingdom^{? /i} [juːˌnaɪ̯.tʰɪd ˈkʰɪŋ.dəm], international abbreviation: UK or GB), is a European state located in the British Isles off the northwest coast of continental Europe and forms the largest island nation in Europe.

The United Kingdom is a union of four countries: England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. In everyday language it is also referred to simply as Great Britain or England. However, England in the actual meaning is only the largest part of the country, while Great Britain refers to the main island of the British Isles (on which the parts of England, Scotland and Wales are located).

With over 67 million inhabitants, the United Kingdom is the third most populous country in Europe after Russia and Germany. It is a founding member of NATO and the United Nations. It is a nuclear power, a permanent member of the UN Security Council and one of the G7 countries. It was a member of the EEC, or later the European Union, from 1973 to 2020. Due to a referendum on June 23, 2016, its withdrawal from the European Union was completed at the end of January 31, 2020.

State name in German

The official long form of the state name in Germany and Austria is United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, in Switzerland and Liechtenstein the variant United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland (without ß and with "von") is used.

In non-official usage, the term Great Britain is found as an alternative abbreviation of the long form - including among politicians, the media, educational institutions and the British embassies themselves. The vehicle nationality sign is also GB, which derives from Great Britain. The British themselves refer to their country in everyday language as UK or Britain for short, but as Great Britain more rarely. The Latin name Britannia comes from the Celtic word brith, meaning variegated or spotted.

However, Great Britain is actually just the name for the largest of the British Isles - or the former Kingdom of Great Britain (until 1801), which included the kingdoms of Scotland and England, including Wales. The second largest island - Ireland - is home to Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland.

As an adjective to the state name, despite everything, only the form "British" is available.

The synecdochic term England for the United Kingdom is found primarily in mainland Europe and is due to the centuries-long dominance of England and the English official language within the United Kingdom.

Territories associated with the United Kingdom

A number of territories are closely connected to the United Kingdom, but are to be distinguished from it under international law. This concerns, on the one hand, the Isle of Man and the Channel Islands, which, as Crown Dependencies of the British Crown, are not part of the state federation "United Kingdom". On the other hand, there are 14 overseas territories that are under British sovereignty but are also not part of the United Kingdom.

Through the British Monarchy, the United Kingdom also has a loose relationship with 15 Commonwealth Realms, each of which also has the British monarch as its head of state; however, these are not only independent states, but also form separate monarchies.