The United Kingdom comprises Great Britain, Northern Ireland and other islands
A first guide to the United Kingdom: its territorial composition, London as its capital, and useful starting points for language and currency.
An island country in north-western Europe
The United Kingdom lies off the north-western coast of continental Europe. It comprises the island of Great Britain, the north-eastern part of the island of Ireland and numerous smaller islands. Northern Ireland shares a land border with the Republic of Ireland; the rest of the country is surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean, the North Sea, the English Channel and the Celtic Sea. This geography helps explain why travelling between different parts of the country is not the same as travelling within a single island.
London is a point of reference, not the whole map
London is the capital and a familiar reference point for planning a trip, but it does not represent the United Kingdom’s full territorial makeup. Before arranging your journeys, decide which part of the country you want to visit and check current connections with the relevant transport sources: the information available here cannot confirm current routes or services.
Language and currency for initial planning
English is the language listed for the country, and the pound sterling, represented by the symbol £, is its currency. These are useful starting points; check up-to-date information before you leave for payments, currency exchange and any other practical arrangements.
What to check before you set off
The information gathered here provides stable reference points for geography, capital, language and currency, but does not confirm flights, timetables, fares or entry requirements. Check these details with official sources and relevant providers before booking or travelling.
Research references
The geographic, administrative and currency information in this article is based on research records; London’s identification is supported by geographic records. Transport-service information is not considered confirmed or current. The references are displayed separately.
Sources and references
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11 references
References consulted during editorial review. Times, requirements and advisories may change: always confirm with the official source.
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Reino UnidoLicence: CC0 1.0 Wikidata · Q145
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United KingdomLicence: ODbL 1.0 World countries dataset by mledoze and contributors · ODbL 1.0
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LondonLicence: Datos geográficos bajo CC BY 4.0; requiere atribución a GeoNames. Fuente: GeoNames
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United KingdomLicence: CC BY 4.0 World Bank
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United KingdomLicence: CC BY-SA 3.0 DBpedia
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La retirada del Reino Unido de la UE, un viaje hacia ninguna parteLicence: CC0 1.0 OpenAlex
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London Luton AirportLicence: ODbL 1.0 (base de datos) / DbCL 1.0 (contenidos) London Luton Airport · OpenFlights · ODbL 1.0
