The UK is made up of England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. The
Frgland
rest of Ireland is an independent country
The official name of the country is the
United Kingdom of Great Britain and
Northern Ireland. Great Britain' refers
only to England, Scotland and Wales,
not to Northern Ireland.
There are also several islands which are closely linked with
the UK but are not a part of it: the Channel Islands and the Isle of
Man. They have their own governments and are called 'Crown
dependencies'. There are also several British overseas territories
in other parts of the world, such as St Helena and the Falkland
Islands. They are also linked to the UK but are not a part of it.
The UK is located in the north west of Europe
The longest distance on the mainland is from John
O'Groats on the north coast of Scotland to Land's
End in the south-west comer of England. It is about
870 miles (approximately 1.400 kilometres).
The UK is governed by the parliament sitting
in Westminster. Scotland, Wales and Northem
Ireland also have parliaments or assemblies
of their own, with devolved powers in
defined areas.
The UK today is a more diverse
society than it was 100 years ago, in
both ethnic and religious terms. Post-war
immigration means that nearly 10% of the
