United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK), is a sovereign country located off the northwestern coast of the European mainland. It is made up of four constituent countries: England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland, each having its own system of administrative and geographic demarcation. The UK is a constitutional monarchy with a parliamentary democracy, meaning it has a monarch, but the powers of the monarchy are regulated by a constitution, and the Prime Minister is the head of government. It has had a significant impact globally in terms of politics, economics, culture, and science, partly due to its colonial history as the center of the British Empire. Since the early 20th century, the UK has faced varying degrees of constitutional and territorial changes, most notably the devolution of powers to Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland and its 2020 exit from the European Union, known as Brexit.