United Kingdom, island country located off the northwestern coast of mainland Europe.
The United Kingdom comprises the whole of the island of
Great Britain—which contains England, Wales, and
Scotland—as well as
the northern portion of the island of Ireland.
The name Britain is sometimes used to refer to the United Kingdom as a whole. The capital is London, which is among the world's leading commercial, financial, and cultural centres.
Other major cities include
Birmingham,
Liverpool, and
Manchester in England,
Belfast and Londonderry in Northern Ireland,
Edinburgh and Glasgow in Scotland,
and Swansea and Cardiff in Wales.