THE UNITED KINGDOM
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, or UK for short, is one nation and four countries: England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. Great Britain includes England, Wales and Scotland whereas Northern Ireland, or Ulster, is located in the northeast of Ireland; the rest of the island is a separate nation and it’s called the Republic of Ireland or Eire.
There are about 60 million people in the UK and they are normally called British, but people from England are English, people from Scotland are Scottish, people from Wales are Welsh and people from Northern Ireland are Northern Irish or simply Irish.
London is the capital of both the UK and England, but each country has its own capital: the capital of Wales is Cardiff, the capital of Scotland is Edinburgh, and the capital of Northern Ireland is Belfast. The capital of the Republic of Ireland is Dublin.
Each country has a separate identity, with different customs and traditions. Although English is the official language in the whole of the UK, each country has also its own language: Welsh in Wales, Scottish Gaelic in Scotland, and Irish Gaelic in Northern Ireland.
The UK is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the west and to the north, the North Sea to the east, the English Channel to the south and the Celtic Sea to the south-west. Between Great Britain and Ireland there is the Irish Sea and Saint George’s Channel.
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, or UK for short, is one nation and four countries: England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. Great Britain includes England, Wales and Scotland whereas Northern Ireland, or Ulster, is located in the northeast of Ireland; the rest of the island is a separate nation and it’s called the Republic of Ireland or Eire.
There are about 60 million people in the UK and they are normally called British, but people from England are English, people from Scotland are Scottish, people from Wales are Welsh and people from Northern Ireland are Northern Irish or simply Irish.
London is the capital of both the UK and England, but each country has its own capital: the capital of Wales is Cardiff, the capital of Scotland is Edinburgh, and the capital of Northern Ireland is Belfast. The capital of the Republic of Ireland is Dublin.
Each country has a separate identity, with different customs and traditions. Although English is the official language in the whole of the UK, each country has also its own language: Welsh in Wales, Scottish Gaelic in Scotland, and Irish Gaelic in Northern Ireland.
The UK is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the west and to the north, the North Sea to the east, the English Channel to the south and the Celtic Sea to the south-west. Between Great Britain and Ireland there is the Irish Sea and Saint George’s Channel.