What is exactly UK? I find it weird that some people call them a country, but they are a group of countries. What is the history behind this?
user
It is a bit complicated, but a good way to understand the UK is as an overarching political entity that consists of the nations of England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland.  These were originally independent countries united under the rule of the British Crown.  However due to a variety of historical and political forces, the UK has evolved into a centralized nation state with a single parliamentary government ruling over the entire UK.  The UK also has its own sovereign territory consisting of all of the territory encompassing England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland.   

The name “United Kingdom” is a bit of a historical artifact, and was originally coined to refer to the political unification of the separate kingdoms of England and Scotland.  Despite the official name, the UK is often still referred to as “Great Britain” which is the geopolitical reference to the island of Great Britain which includes England, Scotland, and Wales.
assistant
What is exactly UK? I find it weird that some people call them a country, but they are a group of countries. What is the history behind this?
user
It is a bit complicated, but a good way to understand the UK is as an overarching political entity that consists of the nations of England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland.  These were originally independent countries united under the rule of the British Crown.  However due to a variety of historical and political forces, the UK has evolved into a centralized nation state with a single parliamentary government ruling over the entire UK.  The UK also has its own sovereign territory consisting of all of the territory encompassing England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland.   

The name “United Kingdom” is a bit of a historical artifact, and was originally coined to refer to the political unification of the separate kingdoms of England and Scotland.  Despite the official name, the UK is often still referred to as “Great Britain” which is the geopolitical reference to the island of Great Britain which includes England, Scotland, and Wales.
assistant
What is exactly UK? I find it weird that some people call them a country, but they are a group of countries. What is the history behind this?