United Kingdom 🇬🇧
United Kingdom is a country in Europe with a population of 66,971,395. Its capital is London. The official currency is GBP, and the main languages are English.
Quick facts
- Capital: London
- Continent: Europe
- Population: 66,971,395
- Area: 243,610 km²
- Density: 275 people per km²
- Currency: GBP
- Languages: English
- ISO code: GB
Where United Kingdom sits
United Kingdom 🇬🇧 is one of 46 countries in Europe, with its capital at London. It covers 243,610 square kilometres — 78th in the world — and is home to about 66,971,395 people, 21st globally.
The countries it shares a continent with include Russia, Germany, France, Italy and Spain. If you are learning geography region by region — which works far better than alphabetically, because memory for places is spatial — those are the ones to learn alongside it.
How United Kingdom compares
Raw figures are hard to hold on their own, so it helps to anchor them. In population, United Kingdom sits closest to Tanzania and France. In land area, its nearest counterparts are Guinea and Uganda.
At 275 people per square kilometre it is about 4.6 times the world average of 59.4. It ranks higher by population than by area, so it is more crowded than its size alone suggests.
English is an official language in 58 countries here, among them Antigua and Barbuda, Australia, Bahamas and Barbados, and 53 others. The GBP is used by United Kingdom and no one else.
To see United Kingdom next to every other country, sort the country rankings by population, area or density; its currency and languages are listed alongside every other country's in world currencies and world languages.
How to remember United Kingdom
London stands on the River Thames in southeast England, and Greenwich, in London, is where the prime meridian, 0° longitude, is defined. For the flag, think of three saints' crosses stacked on top of each other: one upright cross and two diagonal ones.
The flag of United Kingdom: red, white and blue
🇬🇧 The flag is the Union Jack: a blue field with the red cross of Saint George, edged in white, over the diagonal red cross of Saint Patrick and the diagonal white cross of Saint Andrew. The crosses are those of the patron saints of England (Saint George), Ireland (Saint Patrick) and Scotland (Saint Andrew). Wales is not shown, because the earlier flag of Great Britain was designed while Wales was part of the Kingdom of England.
Region and neighbours
United Kingdom is a country in northwestern Europe, off the coast of the continental mainland, made up of England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. It shares land borders with one country: Ireland. The only land border is between Northern Ireland and Ireland, on the island of Ireland.
- Ireland 🇮🇪 — capital Dublin
Three facts about United Kingdom
- Ben Nevis in Scotland, 1,345 m high, is the highest point in the British Isles.
- The London Underground is the world's oldest rapid transit system.
- The current Union Jack design, with Saint Patrick's cross added, dates from 1801.
Sources: Wikipedia: United Kingdom, Wikipedia: Union Jack, Wikipedia: London, CIA World Factbook.
Quiz yourself on United Kingdom
- European capitals quiz — match United Kingdom to London
- European flags quiz — spot the United Kingdom flag among its neighbours
Quizzes that include United Kingdom
Three angles are worth covering for any country — where it is, what its flag looks like, and what its capital is. For United Kingdom those are:
- Europe map quiz — place it on a blank map
- Europe flags quiz — identify its flag among its neighbours
- Europe capitals quiz — match it to London
- United Kingdom capital quiz — five quick questions starting with United Kingdom
- Daily Map Challenge — five countries to find on a blank world map, the same five for everyone each day
Doing all three for one continent before moving on is far more efficient than learning flags globally, then capitals globally, then the map.
Read more about United Kingdom
- Capital of United Kingdom: London — the capital in detail, with size and density rankings
- All 46 countries of Europe
Nearby countries
- Albania 🇦🇱 — capital Tirana
- Andorra 🇦🇩 — capital Andorra la Vella
- Austria 🇦🇹 — capital Vienna
- Belarus 🇧🇾 — capital Minsk
- Belgium 🇧🇪 — capital Brussels
- Bosnia and Herzegovina 🇧🇦 — capital Sarajevo
- Bulgaria 🇧🇬 — capital Sofia
- Croatia ðŸ‡ðŸ‡· — capital Zagreb
- Cyprus 🇨🇾 — capital Nicosia
- Czechia 🇨🇿 — capital Prague
- Denmark 🇩🇰 — capital Copenhagen
- Estonia 🇪🇪 — capital Tallinn
Frequently asked questions
What are the colours of the United Kingdom flag?
The flag of United Kingdom is the Union Jack: a blue field with the red cross of Saint George, edged in white, over the diagonal red cross of Saint Patrick and the diagonal white cross of Saint Andrew. The crosses are those of the patron saints of England (Saint George), Ireland (Saint Patrick) and Scotland (Saint Andrew). Wales is not shown, because the earlier flag of Great Britain was designed while Wales was part of the Kingdom of England.
Which countries border United Kingdom?
United Kingdom shares land borders with Ireland. The only land border is between Northern Ireland and Ireland, on the island of Ireland.
How can I remember the capital of United Kingdom?
London stands on the River Thames in southeast England, and Greenwich, in London, is where the prime meridian, 0° longitude, is defined. For the flag, think of three saints' crosses stacked on top of each other: one upright cross and two diagonal ones.