The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is situated on the British Isles. The British Isles consist of two large islands: Great Britain and Northern Ireland and about five thousand small islands. The total area is over 244000 square kilometers. The UK is made up of four countries: England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. Their capitals are London, Cardiff, Edinburgh and Belfast. Great Britain consist of England, Wales and Scotland. The capital of the UK is London. The British Isles are separated from the Europe continent by the North Sea and the English Channel. The western coast of Great Britain is washed by the Atlantic Ocean and the Irish Sea.

The surface of the British Isles varies very much. The north of Scotland is mountains and is called the Highland, while the south, which have beautiful valleys and plains is called the Lowlands. Mountains are not very high. Ben Nevis in Scotland is the highest mountain.

There are a lot of rivers in Great Britain. But they are not very long. The Severn is the longest river, while the Tames is the deepest and most important one.

The mountains, Atlantic Ocean and warm waters of Gulf Stream influence the climate of the British Isles. It is mild the whole year round. The UK is one of the world's smaller countries. It's population is about 57 million. About 80 percent of the population is unburn.

The UK is a highly developed industrial country. It is known as one of the world's largest producers and exporters of machinery, electronics, textile, aircraft and navigation equipment. One of the chief industries of the country is shipbuilding.

The UK is a constitutional monarchy. In law the head of state is the Queen. In practice the Parliament rules. The British Parliament consist of two chambers: the House of Lords and the House of Commons. The country is ruled by the elected government with the Prime Minister at the head. There are three main political parties: the Labor, the Conservative and the Liberal parties. The Labor is a ruling party now.