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( United Kingdom)
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland[note 7] (commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK, or Britain[7]) is a sovereign state located off the northwestern coast of continental Europe. It is an island country,[8][9] spanning an archipelago including Great Britain, the northeastern part of the island of Ireland, and many small islands. Northern Ireland is the only part of the UK with a land border[note 8] with another sovereign state, sharing it with the Republic of Ireland.[10][11] Apart from this land border, the UK is surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean, the North Sea, the English Channel and the Irish Sea. Great Britain is linked to France by the Channel Tunnel. The United Kingdom is a constitutional monarchy and unitary state consisting of four countries England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales.[12] It is governed by a parliamentary system with its seat of government in London, the capital, but with three devolved national administrations of varying powers[13][14] in Belfast, Cardiff and Edinburgh, the capitals of Northern Ireland, Wales and Scotland respectively. The Channel Island bailiwicks of Jersey and Guernsey, and the Isle of Man are Crown Dependencies, which means they are constitutionally tied to the British monarch but are not part of the UK.[15] The UK has fourteen overseas territories that are not constitutionally part of the UK.[16] These territories are remnants of the British Empire, which at its height in 1922 encompassed almost a quarter of the world's land surface, the largest empire in history. British influence can still be observed in the language, culture and legal systems of many of its former colonies. The UK is a developed country, with the world's sixth largest economy by nominal GDP and the sixth largest 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] but the economic and social cost of two world wars and the decline of its empire in the latter half of the 20th century diminished its leading role in global affairs. The UK nevertheless remains a great power with strong economic, cultural, military, scientific and political influence. It is a recognised nuclear weapons state while its military expenditure ranks third or fourth in the world, depending on the method of calculation.[19] It is a Member State of the European Union, a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council, a member of the Commonwealth of Nations, G8, G20, NATO, OECD and the World Trade Organization. The United Kingdom was created out of the existing historic kingdoms of England (including Wales), Ireland and Scotland.[20][21] Between the 17th and 19th centuries a series of political events brought these countries into a close political union. England, Ireland and Scotland were brought into a personal union by the Union of the Crowns in 1603, when James VI, King of Scots inherited the Kingdoms of England and Ireland and moved his court from Edinburgh to London, although all three kingdoms retained their separate political institutions.[20][21]
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United Kingdom Subcategories
United Kingdom Articles
White Teeth for a Warm Summer time by Truman Bass
When the sun's shining, we sense great about ourselves and in the United Kingdom this is a point we undoubtedly we don't carry for granted. Each day diets that consist of using tobacco, espresso, tea, cola, curry, blackcurrant, gravy and masses, a lo...
Dermal Fillers for lines and wrinkles by Andy Rebeca
Dermal fillers are becoming increasingly popular in the United Kingdom as more and more people are using dermal fillers to reverse the changes associated with aging skin. Because the objective is to return the skin to its original youthful state, der...
European Markets for Dental Equipment Operatory Equipment 2010 now available at ReportsandReports by sunita sunita
In 2009, the European market for dental operatory equipment was valued at over €1 billion. This report covers Austria, Benelux, France, Germany, Italy, Portugal, Scandinavia, Spain, Switzlerland and the United Kingdom.
This report covers the ...
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