The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland (English: The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland).
It is located in the British Isles, northwest of the European continent, surrounded by the North Sea, the English Channel, the Celtic Sea, the Irish Sea and the Atlantic Ocean. The United Kingdom is an island country in Western Europe composed of England, Wales and Scotland on the island of Great Britain, Northern Ireland to the northeast of the island of Ireland, and a series of affiliated islands.
In addition to the mainland, it has 14 overseas territories. The total population is more than 66 million, of which the English (Anglo-Saxon) as the main ethnic group, accounting for 83.9% of the total population of the country. The Glorious Revolution in 1688 established a constitutional monarchy, and from the 1760s to the 1830s China became the first country in the world to complete the industrial revolution, and its national strength grew rapidly.
From the 18th century to the early 20th century, Britain was the most powerful country and the largest colonial empire in the world, with its colonial area equal to 111 times that of the mainland. It was known as the Empire on which the sun never sets. It won both world wars, but its national power was badly damaged.
By the second half of the 20th century, the British Empire had disintegrated and the capitalist superpower had been replaced by the US. However, Britain remains a great power with great influence in the world. It is the head of the Commonwealth, a member of the G7, a founding member of NATO, and one of the five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council. Britain is a highly developed capitalist country, one of the four major economies in Europe, and its citizens have a very high standard of living and a good social security system. The UK is the world's largest net exporter of financial services. [45] Britain's position as a global financial centre is unlikely to be shaken for some time
