What makes united kingdom

English tourist board. Scottish tourist office. Welsh tourist office. Northern Ireland Tourist Board. Image source, Getty Images. Image source, Reuters. Read full media profile. Trooping The Colour, the annual ceremony which commemorates the Queen's official birthday. London is a major centre for finance and culture. Welsh , for example, is the official language in Wales even though the official language in the U. Since becoming a republic in the s, the Republic of Ireland which shares a border with Northern Ireland has operated as a sovereign state of its own.

Though it is physically close to the U. However, the present-day U. These territories remain subject to British rule, though some are self-governing:. By the sixth century A. From the s to the s, England was ruled by Viking, Danish, and Norman invaders. Several important lines of kings and queens followed. By the s, Britain was one of the most powerful nations in the world. Trade generated immense wealth, and the country built a huge overseas empire.

But the early 20th century was a time of setbacks for Britain. Drained by World War I and II, Britain could no longer afford its empire, and most of its colonies became independent.

All rights reserved. Personality Quizzes. Funny Fill-In. Amazing Animals. Weird But True! Party Animals. It is the largest country within the United Kingdom both by landmass and population, has taken a pivitol role in the creation of the UK, and its capital London also happens to be the capital of the UK.

It is perhaps understandable then that England is often although incorrectly used as a term to describe the whole of the UK. So there you have it! Great Britain — an island situated off the north west coast of Europe.

British Isles — a collection of over 6, islands, of which Great Britain is the largest. England — a country within the UK. An introduction to the British peerage, which has evolved over the centuries into the five ranks that exist today: duke….