The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is located off the north-western coast of the European mainland and is made up of England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland as well as many smaller islands.
From buzzing metropolises to beautiful beaches, there is much for the visitor to see in this European sovereign state, which covers an area of 243,000 square kilometers. The UK capital of London has something for everyone, from art to architecture, history to culture.
The UK has 14 Overseas Territories, remnants of the British Empire, which, at its height in the 1920s, was the largest in history. The head of the British Empire was the reigning monarch. The current monarch is Queen Elizabeth II, crowned in 1952.