<P> The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland , commonly known as the United Kingdom ( UK ) and colloquially Great Britain ( GB ) or simply Britain , is a sovereign country in western Europe . Lying off the north - western coast of the European mainland , the United Kingdom includes the island of Great Britain , the north - eastern part of the island of Ireland and many smaller islands . Northern Ireland is the only part of the United Kingdom that shares a land border with another sovereign state‍ -- ‌the Republic of Ireland . Apart from this land border , the United Kingdom is surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean , with the North Sea to its east , the English Channel to its south and the Celtic Sea to its south - south - west , giving it the 12th - longest coastline in the world . The Irish Sea lies between Great Britain and Ireland . With an area of 242,500 square kilometres ( 93,600 sq mi ) , the United Kingdom is the 78th - largest sovereign state in the world and the 11th - largest in Europe . It is also the 21st-most populous country , with an estimated 65.1 million inhabitants . Together , this makes it the fourth-most densely populated country in the European Union ( EU ) . </P>
<P> The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland , commonly known as the United Kingdom ( UK ) and colloquially Great Britain ( GB ) or simply Britain , is a sovereign country in western Europe . Lying off the north - western coast of the European mainland , the United Kingdom includes the island of Great Britain , the north - eastern part of the island of Ireland and many smaller islands . Northern Ireland is the only part of the United Kingdom that shares a land border with another sovereign state‍ -- ‌the Republic of Ireland . Apart from this land border , the United Kingdom is surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean , with the North Sea to its east , the English Channel to its south and the Celtic Sea to its south - south - west , giving it the 12th - longest coastline in the world . The Irish Sea lies between Great Britain and Ireland . With an area of 242,500 square kilometres ( 93,600 sq mi ) , the United Kingdom is the 78th - largest sovereign state in the world and the 11th - largest in Europe . It is also the 21st-most populous country , with an estimated 65.1 million inhabitants . Together , this makes it the fourth-most densely populated country in the European Union ( EU ) . </P>
where is the united kingdom located on the map
where is the united kingdom located on the map
Lying off the north - western coast of the European mainland
Lying off the north - western coast of the European mainland