United Kingdom

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland emerged when England and Scotland — previously separate states sharing one monarch — united under the Acts of Union in 1707. Ireland was added through the 1800 Acts of Union, while Wales had already been incorporated into the English crown in the 16th century. Over time, the UK helped shape parliamentary democracy and made major contributions to literature, science, and industry. During the 18th and 19th centuries, Britain built a vast global empire that, despite losing the Thirteen Colonies, eventually spanned roughly a quarter of the world’s land surface. The two World Wars in the 20th century weakened the country and coincided with the Irish Free State’s departure and the later dismantling of the British Empire. In the postwar era, the UK rebuilt into a modern European nation and maintained significant global influence as a permanent UN Security Council member and a founding member of NATO and the Commonwealth. Devolution in 1998 created legislatures for Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland. The UK joined the European Union in 1973 but stayed outside the euro. Growing skepticism toward EU institutions and immigration contributed to the 2016 referendum, in which voters backed leaving. The UK formally exited the EU on 31 January 2020, a process known as Brexit.