THE UNITED KINGDOM OF GREAT BRITAIN AND NORTHERN IRELAND (UK) is situated in northwest Europe and comprises England, Wales, Scotland, and the six counties of Northern Ireland. The latter is a historical and political entity rather than a geographical one.
Also belonging to the United Kingdom are several hundred islands, many of them off the Scottish coast, and some are large and inhabited. In contrast, others are little more than rocky outcrops battered by stormy seas.