The United Kingdom consists of four individual countries: England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. All are united under the British Crown, with Queen Elizabeth II as the head of the monarchy. The bicameral parliament consists of the House of Lords and the House of Commons, and the Prime Minister gains his position as the leader of the largest party in parliament. The union between these nations was manifested in the creation of the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707, which consisted of England, Wales and Scotland. Later in 1800, the Kingdom of Ireland joined (although the Republic of Ireland won independence in the 20th century).
Home to cities like London, Edinburgh and Glasgow, the United Kingdom offers a very diverse experience. As an international core with multinational culture and industry, London is one of the main sites in all of Europe for backpackers to visit for a taste of royal luxury and vibrant nightlife. Edinburgh provides beautiful medieval castles and a highly celebrated university, and other towns like York offer beautiful relics of the past, with a friendly and warm local community.
Map courtesy of: http://www.appliedlanguage.com/country_guides/UnitedKingdom.shtml
