2. What is the UK?

What is the UK?

• The UK is made up of England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. The rest of Ireland is an independent country.
• The official name of the country is the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
• 'Great Britain' refers only to England, Scotland and Wales — not to Northern Ireland.
• The Channel Islands and the Isle of Man are closely linked with the UK but are not part of it. They have their own governments and are called Crown dependencies.
• British overseas territories, such as St Helena and the Falkland Islands, are also linked to the UK but are not part of it.
• The UK is governed by the parliament sitting in Westminster.
• Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland also have parliaments or assemblies of their own, with devolved powers in defined areas.