TheUnited Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as theUnited Kingdom(UK) orBritainis a sovereign stateinEurope. Lying off the northwestern coast of theEuropean mainland, it includes the island ofGreat Britain(the name of which is also loosely applied to the whole country), the north-eastern part of the island ofIreland, and many smaller islands.Northern Irelandis the only part of the UK that sharesa land borderwith another state—theRepublic of Ireland.Apart from this land border, the UK is surrounded by theAtlantic Ocean, with theNorth Seato its east, theEnglish Channelto its south and theCeltic Seato its south-southwest, attributing to it having the12th longest coastline in the world. TheIrish Sealies between Great Britain and Ireland. With an area of 242,500 square kilometres (93,600sqmi), the UK is the78th-largest sovereign state in the worldand the11th-largest in Europe. It is also the22nd-most populous country, with an estimated 65.1 million inhabitants.Together, this makes it thefourth most densely populated countryin the European Union.
Whether you wish to walk in the steps of giants inAntrim, to immerse yourself in Celtic culture atEisteddfod, to pound the streets of anEnglish urban jungle, to climb, ski or snowboardCairngorms-style or simply todream ofhaving tea with the Queen, there is something for everyone in the United Kingdom.