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The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
(usually shortened to the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain)
is a country and sovereign state which lies off the northwest coast
of mainland Europe. Its territory and population are primarily situated
on the island of Great Britain and Northern Ireland on the island of
Ireland along with numerous smaller islands in the surrounding seas.
The United Kingdom is bounded by the Atlantic Ocean and its ancillary
bodies of water,including the North Sea, the English Channel,
the Celtic Sea, and the Irish Sea, as well as by the Republic of Ireland to the south on Ireland.
The United Kingdom is a political union made up of four constituent countries:England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland.
The United Kingdom also has several overseas territories, including Gibraltar and the Falkland Islands. The
Crown has a relationship with the dependencies of the Isle of Man and the Channel Islands;
they are part of the British Isles but not part of the United Kingdom and are a possession of the Crown.
A constitutional monarchy, the United Kingdom has close relationships with fifteen other Commonwealth Realms
that share the same monarch - Queen Elizabeth II - as head of state.
As the successor state to the British Empire, the UK retains influence throughout the world due to the extensive
use of the English language today as well as through the world-spanning Commonwealth of Nations, ceremonially led by the
United Kingdom. The country also has a "special relationship" with the United States of America.
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