Countries of the United Kingdom

Component parts of the UK since 1922

Countries of the United Kingdom

England

Northern
Ireland

Scotland

Wales

Category| Administrative division
Location|  United Kingdom
Found in| Legal jurisdictions
Number| 4;
England
Northern Ireland
Scotland
Wales
Possible status|

* ITL 1 region (3)
* Legal jurisdiction (3)

Additional status|

* Home Nations

Government|

* Central government (1)
* Devolved government (3)

Since 1922, the United Kingdom has been made up of four countries: England, Scotland, Wales (which collectively make up Great Britain) and Northern Ireland (variously described as a country,[1] province,[2][3][4] jurisdiction[5] or region[6][7]). The UK prime minister's website has used the phrase "countries within a country" to describe the United Kingdom.[8]

Although the United Kingdom is a unitary sovereign state, it contains three distinct legal jurisdictions in Scotland, England and Wales, and Northern Ireland, each retaining its own legal system even after joining the UK.[9] Since 1998, Northern Ireland, Scotland, and Wales have also gained significant autonomy through the process of devolution. The UK Parliament and UK Government deal with all reserved matters for Northern Ireland, Scotland, and Wales, but not in general matters that have been devolved to the Northern Ireland Assembly, Scottish Parliament, and Senedd. Additionally, devolution in Northern Ireland is conditional on co-operation between the Northern Ireland Executive and the Government of Ireland (see North/South Ministerial Council) and the British Government consults with the Government of Ireland to reach agreement on some non-devolved matters for Northern Ireland (see British–Irish Intergovernmental Conference). England, comprising the majority of the population and area of the United Kingdom,[10][11] does not have its own devolved government, and remains fully the responsibility of the United Kingdom Parliament centralised in London. In July 2025, the council of the English county of Cornwall backed a motion calling for Cornwall to be regarded as the UK's fifth nation.[12][13]

England, Northern Ireland, Scotland, and Wales are not themselves listed in the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) list of countries. However, the ISO list of the subdivisions of the United Kingdom, compiled by British Standards and the United Kingdom's Office for National Statistics, uses "country" to describe England, Scotland, and Wales.[14] Northern Ireland, in contrast, is described as a "province" in the same lists.[14] Each has separate national governing bodies for sports and compete separately in many international sporting competitions, including the Commonwealth Games. Northern Ireland also forms joint All-Island sporting bodies with the Republic of Ireland for some sports, including rugby union.[15]

The Channel Islands and the Isle of Man are dependencies of the Crown and are not part of the United Kingdom. Similarly, the British Overseas Territories, remnants of the British Empire, are not part of the UK.

From 1801, following the Acts of Union, until 1922 the whole island of Ireland was a country within the United Kingdom. Ireland was split into two separate jurisdictions in 1921, becoming Southern Ireland and Northern Ireland. Pursuant to the Anglo-Irish Treaty, the institutions of the revolutionary Irish Republic were assimilated into Southern Ireland, which then became the Irish Free State and left the United Kingdom in 1922. The Irish Free State adopted a new, essentially republican constitution in 1937 – albeit retaining the King for diplomatic functions – by which it would be known as simply Ireland. In 1949, by The Republic of Ireland Act 1948, it transferred these diplomatic functions to its own president, left the Commonwealth of Nations and adopted the description Republic of Ireland, by which it is now known.

## Key facts

[edit]

Overview of countries of the United Kingdom  Nation  | Flag  | Capital  | Legislature  | Executive  | Legal system  | Jurisdiction

|
|
|
|
|
|

England |  | London | None[a] | None[b] | English law | England and Wales
Scotland |  | Edinburgh | Scottish Parliament | Scottish Government | Scots law | Scotland
Wales |  | Cardiff | Senedd | Welsh Government | English law,
Welsh law | England and Wales
Northern Ireland | None[c] | Belfast | Northern Ireland Assembly | Northern Ireland Executive[d] | Northern Ireland law,
Irish land law | Northern Ireland
United Kingdom |  | London | UK Parliament | UK Government | UK law | United Kingdom
2021 population statistics of the countries of the United Kingdom[18][19][20] Nation  | Population  | Land area  | Density
(/km2)  | Gross value added

|
|
|
|

People  | (%)  | (km2)  | (%)  | £ (billion)  | (%)  | £ per capita
England | 56,536,000  | 84.3%  | 130,462  | 53.4%  | 434  | 1,760  | 86.3%  | 31,138
Scotland | 5,480,000  | 8.2%  | 78,803  | 32.2%  | 70  | 150  | 7.3%  | 27,361
Wales | 3,105,000  | 4.6%  | 20,782  | 8.5%  | 150  | 70  | 3.4%  | 22,380
Northern Ireland | 1,905,000  | 2.8%  | 14,333  | 5.9%  | 141  | 46  | 2.2%  | 24,007
Extra-regio[e] |  |  |  |  |  | 15  | 0.7%  |
United Kingdom | 67,026,000  | 100%  | 244,381  | 100%  | 276  | 2,040  | 100%  | 30,443

## Terminology

[edit]

Further information: Terminology of the British Isles

Various terms have been used to describe England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales.

### Acts of Parliament

[edit]

Constitutional documents and events relevant to the status of the United Kingdom and its countries

List per year

| Treaty of Union| 1706

|

Acts of Union| 1707
Succession to the Crown Act 1707| 1707
Septennial Act| 1716
Wales and Berwick Act| 1746
Constitution of Ireland (1782)| 1782
Acts of Union 1800| 1800
HC (Disqualifications) Act 1801| 1801
Reform Act 1832| 1832
Scottish Reform Act 1832| 1832
Irish Reform Act 1832| 1832
Judicial Committee Act 1833| 1833
Judicial Committee Act 1843| 1843
Judicial Committee Act 1844| 1844
Representation of the People Act 1867| 1867
Reform Act (Scotland) 1868| 1868
Reform Act (Ireland) 1868| 1868
Irish Church Act| 1869
Royal Titles Act 1876| 1876
Appellate Jurisdiction Act| 1876
Reform Act 1884| 1884
Interpretation Act 1889| 1889
Parliament Act| 1911
Aliens Restriction Act| 1914
Status of Aliens Act 1914| 1914
Government of Ireland Act 1914| 1914
Welsh Church Act| 1914
Royal Proclamation of 1917| 1917
Representation of the People Act 1918| 1918
Church of England Assembly (Powers) Act| 1919
Government of Ireland Act| 1920
Anglo-Irish Treaty| 1921
Church of Scotland Act 1921| 1921
Irish Free State (Agreement) Act| 1922
Irish Free State Constitution Act| 1922
Ireland (Confirm. of Agreement) Act 1925| 1925
Balfour Declaration of 1926| 1926
Royal and Parliamentary Titles Act| 1927
Representation of the People Act 1928| 1928
Eire (Confirmation of Agreement) Act 1929| 1929
Statute of Westminster| 1931
HM Declaration of Abdication Act 1936| 1936
Regency Act 1937| 1937
Regency Act 1943| 1943
British Nationality Act 1948| 1948
Representation of the People Act 1948| 1948
Ireland Act 1949| 1949
Statute of the Council of Europe| 1949
Parliament Act 1949| 1949
Regency Act 1953| 1953
Royal Titles Act 1953| 1953
European Convention on Human Rights| 1953
Interpretation Act (NI)| 1954
HC Disqualification Act 1957| 1957
Life Peerages Act| 1958
Commonwealth Immigrants Act 1962| 1962
Peerage Act| 1963
Royal Assent Act| 1967
Commonwealth Immigrants Act 1968| 1968
Immigration Act| 1971
EC Treaty of Accession| 1972
NI (Temporary Provisions) Act| 1972
European Communities Act| 1972
Local Government Act| 1972
UK joins the European Communities| 1973
Local Government (Scotland) Act| 1973
NI border poll| 1973
NI Constitution Act| 1973
House of Commons Disqualification Act| 1975
Referendum Act| 1975
EC membership referendum| 1975
HC (Administration) Act|  1978
Interpretation Act| 1978
Scotland Act 1978| 1978
Wales Act 1978| 1978
Scottish devolution referendum| 1979
Welsh devolution referendum| 1979
British Nationality Act| 1981
Representation of the People Act 1983| 1983
Representation of the People Act 1985| 1985
Single European Act| 1985
Maastricht Treaty| 1993
Local Government (Wales) Act| 1994
Local Government etc. (Scotland) Act| 1994
Referendums (Scotland & Wales) Act| 1997
Scottish devolution referendum| 1997
Welsh devolution referendum| 1997
1998 GLA referendum|  1998
Bank of England Act| 1998
Good Friday Agreement|  1998
Northern Ireland Act|  1998
Government of Wales Act|  1998
Human Rights Act| 1998
Scotland Act|  1998
GLA Act| 1999
House of Lords Act| 1999
Representation of the People Act 2000| 2000
Parties, Elections and Referendums Act| 2000
Justice (Northern Ireland) Act| 2002
Scottish Parliament (Constituencies) Act|  2004
Constitutional Reform Act| 2005
Government of Wales Act 2006| 2006
GLA Act 2007| 2007
Northern Ireland Act 2009| 2009
LDEDC Act|  2009
Lisbon Treaty| 2009
Constitutional Reform and Governance Act| 2010
Parl. Voting System and Constituencies Act| 2011
Welsh devolution referendum| 2011
Alternative Vote referendum| 2011
European Union Act 2011| 2011
Police Reform and Social Responsibility Act|  2011
Sovereign Grant Act|  2011
Fixed-term Parliaments Act| 2011
Localism Act|  2011
Scotland Act 2012| 2012
Succession to the Crown Act 2013| 2013
Scottish independence referendum| 2014
House of Lords Reform Act| 2014
Wales Act 2014| 2014
HL (Expulsion and Suspension) Act| 2015
Lords Spiritual (Women) Act| 2015
Recall of MPs Act| 2015
European Union Referendum Act| 2015
Local Government (Religious etc. Observances) Act| 2015
EU membership referendum| 2016
Scotland Act 2016| 2016
Cities and Local Government Devolution Act|  2016
Wales Act 2017| 2017
EU (Notification of Withdrawal) Act| 2017
Invocation of Article 50| 2017
European Union (Withdrawal) Act| 2018
EU Withdrawal Act 2019| 2019
EU Withdrawal (No. 2) Act| 2019
Early Parliamentary General Election Act| 2019
EU (Withdrawal Agreement) Act| 2020
UK leaves the European Union| 2020
UK Internal Market Act| 2020
EU (Future Relationship) Act| 2020
Dissolution and Calling of Parliament Act| 2022
Judicial Review and Courts Act| 2022
Elections Act| 2022
Levelling-up and Regeneration Act|  2023

* v
* t
* e

* The Laws in Wales Acts 1535 and 1542 annexed Wales to England[21] to create the single legal entity, though legal differences remained. Further Acts meant this combined territory was referred to in law simply as 'England' from 1746 until 1967. Wales was described (in varying combinations) as the "country", "principality", and "dominion" of Wales.[21][22] The Laws in Wales Acts have subsequently been repealed.[23][24]
* The Acts of Union 1707 refer to both England and Scotland as a "part" of a united kingdom of Great Britain.[25]
* The Acts of Union 1800 use "part" in the same way to refer to England and Scotland. However, they use the word "country" to describe Great Britain and Ireland respectively, when describing trade between them.[26]
* The Government of Ireland Act 1920 described Great Britain, Southern Ireland and Northern Ireland as "countries" in provisions relating to taxation.
* The Northern Ireland Act 1998, which repealed the Government of Ireland Act 1920, does not use any term to describe Northern Ireland.

#### Current legal terminology

[edit]

The Interpretation Act 1978 provides statutory definitions of the terms "England", "Wales" and the "United Kingdom", but neither that Act nor any other current statute defines "Scotland" or "Northern Ireland". Use of the first three terms in other legislation is interpreted following the definitions in the 1978 Act. The definitions in the 1978 Act are listed below:

* "England" means, "subject to any alteration of boundaries under Part IV of the Local Government Act 1972, the area consisting of the counties established by section 1 of that Act, Greater London and the Isles of Scilly." This definition applies from 1 April 1974.
* "United Kingdom" means "Great Britain and Northern Ireland." This definition applies from 12 April 1927.
* "Wales" means the combined area of the 8 Preserved counties of Wales as outlined section 20 of the Local Government Act 1972, as originally enacted, but subject to any alteration made under section 73 of that Act (consequential alteration of boundary following alteration of watercourse). In 1996 these eight new counties were redistributed into the current 22 unitary authorities.

In Welsh law, "Wales" and "Cymru" are defined in the Legislation (Wales) Act 2019 as "(a) the combined area of the counties and county boroughs in Wales (see Parts 1 and 2 of Schedule 4 to the Local Government Act 1972 (c. 70)), together with (b) the sea adjacent to Wales within the seaward limits of the territorial sea."

In the Scotland Act 1998 there is no delineation of Scotland, with the definition in section 126 simply providing that Scotland includes "so much of the internal waters and territorial sea of the United Kingdom as are adjacent to Scotland".[27]

The Parliamentary Voting System and Constituencies Act 2011 refers to England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland as "parts" of the United Kingdom in the following clause: "Each constituency shall be wholly in one of the four parts of the United Kingdom (England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland)."

### Other official usage

[edit]

The Royal Fine Art Commission's 1847 report on decorating the Palace of Westminster referred to "the nationality of the component parts of the United Kingdom" being represented by their four respective patron saints.[28]

#### European Union

[edit]

For the purposes of NUTS 1 collection of statistical data in a format that is compatible with similar data collected in the European Union (on behalf of Eurostat), the United Kingdom was divided into twelve regions of approximately equal size.[29] Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland were regions in their own right while England was divided into nine regions. Following Brexit, the Office for National Statistics uses International Territorial Level, which is currently a mirror of the NUTS 1 system until the 2024 review.[30]

#### Current

[edit]

The official term rest of the UK (RUK or rUK) is used in Scotland, for example in export statistics[31] and in legislating for student funding.[32]

The alternative term Home Nations is sometimes used in sporting contexts and may include all of the island of Ireland.

## Identity and nationality

[edit]

Further information: Demography of the United Kingdom

According to the British Social Attitudes Survey, there are broadly two interpretations of British identity, with ethnic and civic dimensions:

> The first group, which we term the ethnic dimension, contained the items about birthplace, ancestry, living in Britain, and sharing British customs and traditions. The second, or civic group, contained the items about feeling British, respecting laws and institutions, speaking English, and having British citizenship.[33]

Of the two perspectives of British identity, the civic definition has become the dominant idea and in this capacity, Britishness is sometimes considered an institutional or overarching state identity.[34][35] This has been used to explain why first-, second- and third-generation immigrants are more likely to describe themselves as British, rather than English, Northern Irish, Scottish or Welsh, because it is an "institutional, inclusive" identity, that can be acquired through naturalisation and British nationality law; the vast majority of people in the United Kingdom who are from an ethnic minority feel British.[36] However, this attitude is more common in England than in Scotland or Wales; "white English people perceived themselves as English first and as British second, and most people from ethnic minority backgrounds perceived themselves as British, but none identified as English, a label they associated exclusively with white people".[37] Contrariwise, in Scotland and Wales "there was a much stronger identification with each country than with Britain."[38]

The Commission for Racial Equality found that with respect to notions of nationality in Britain, "the most basic, objective and uncontroversial conception of the British people is one that includes the English, the Scots and the Welsh".[39] However, "English participants tended to think of themselves as indistinguishably English or British, while both Scottish and Welsh participants identified themselves much more readily as Scottish[40] or Welsh than as British".[39] Some people opted "to combine both identities" as "they felt Scottish or Welsh, but held a British passport and were therefore British", whereas others saw themselves as exclusively Scottish or exclusively Welsh and "felt quite divorced from the British, whom they saw as the English".[39] Commentators have described this latter viewpoint as "nationalism", a rejection of British identity because some Scots and Welsh interpret it as "cultural imperialism imposed" upon the United Kingdom by "English ruling elites",[41] or else a response to a historical misappropriation of equating the word "English" with "British",[42] which has "brought about a desire among Scots, Welsh and Irish to learn more about their heritage and distinguish themselves from the broader British identity".[43] The propensity for nationalistic feeling varies greatly across the UK, and can rise and fall over time.[44]

The 2011 census which asked about national identity found that responders in Great Britain predominantly chose English, Welsh and Scottish rather than British.[45] Research has suggested that most people in England and Wales tend to see themselves as British, but that in Wales and Scotland in particular, Scottishness or Welshness tends to receive more emphasis. The 2022 National Scotland census which asked about national identity in Scotland found that from the populations responders at 89% had predominantly chose the Scottish only identity at 65.5% of the population, the percentage of those identifying as British only increased to 13.9%, those identifying as Scottish and British had reduced to 8.2%.[46]

A poll conducted in Wales during spring 2019 found that 21% saw themselves as Welsh not British, 27% as more Welsh than British, 44% as equally Welsh and British whilst 7% saw themselves as either more or exclusively British.[47] A 2018 survey of 20,000 adults in England found that 80% identified strongly as English and 82% identified strongly as British, with the two identities appearing to be closely intertwined.[48]

The state-funded Northern Ireland Life and Times Survey,[49] part of a joint project between the University of Ulster and Queen's University Belfast, has addressed the issue of identity since it started polling in 1998. It reported that 37% of people identified as British, whilst 29% identified as Irish and 24% identified as Northern Irish. 3% opted to identify themselves as Ulster, whereas 7% stated 'other'. Of the two main religious groups, 68% of Protestants identified as British as did 6% of Catholics; 60% of Catholics identified as Irish as did 3% of Protestants. 21% of Protestants and 26% of Catholics identified as Northern Irish.[50]

For Northern Ireland, however, the results of the Life & Times Survey are not the whole story. The poll asks for a single preference, whereas many people easily identify as any combination of British and Irish, or British, Northern Irish and Irish, or Irish and Northern Irish. The 2014 Life & Times Survey addressed this to an extent by choosing two of the options from the identity question: British and Irish. It found that, while 28% of respondents stated they felt "British not Irish" and 26% felt "Irish not British", 39% of respondents felt some combination of both identities. Six percent chose 'other description'.[51][failed verification]

The identity question is confounded further by identity with politics and religion, and particularly by a stance on the constitutional status of Northern Ireland. Again in 2014, the Life & Times Survey asked what respondents felt should be the "long term future for Northern Ireland". 66% of respondents felt the future should be as a part of the UK, with or without devolved government. 17% felt that Northern Ireland should unify with the Republic of Ireland. 50% of specifically Roman Catholics considered that the long-term future should be as part of the UK, with 32% opting for separation. 87% of respondents identifying as any Protestant denomination opted for remaining part of the UK, with only 4% opting for separation. Of those respondents who declared no religion, 62% opted for remaining part of the UK, with 9% opting for separation.[51]

Following devolution and the significant broadening of autonomous governance throughout the UK in the late 1990s, debate has taken place across the United Kingdom on the relative value of full independence,[52] an option that was rejected[53] by the Scottish people in the 2014 Scottish independence referendum.

Cornwall is administered as a county of England, but the Cornish people are a recognised national minority, included under the terms of the Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities in 2014.[54][55] In 2025, Cornwall Council adopted the policy of supporting Cornwall's recognition as the UK's fifth nation alongside England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.[56] Within Cornwall, 13.8 per cent of the population associated themselves with a Cornish identity, either on its own or combined with other identities, according to the 2011 census. This data, however, was recorded without an available tick box for Cornish; so the percentage of the population within Cornwall associating with Cornish identity is likely higher.[57]

## Competitions

[edit]

See also: Home Nations

Each of England, Northern Ireland, Scotland, and Wales has separate national governing bodies for sports and competes separately in many international sporting competitions.[58][59][60][61] Each country of the United Kingdom has a national football team, and competes as a separate national team in the various disciplines in the Commonwealth Games.[62] At the Olympic Games, the United Kingdom is represented by the Great Britain and Northern Ireland team, although athletes from Northern Ireland can choose to join the Republic of Ireland's Olympic team.[62][63] In addition to Northern Ireland having its own national governing bodies for some sports such as association football and netball, for others, such as rugby union and cricket, Northern Ireland participates with the Republic of Ireland in a joint All-Ireland team. England and Wales field a joint cricket team.

The United Kingdom participates in the Eurovision Song Contest as a single entity, though there have been calls for separate Scottish and Welsh entrants. In 2017, Wales participated alone in the spin-off Eurovision Choir, followed by a separate entry for Scotland in 2019.[64]

## See also

[edit]

* Countries portal
* United Kingdom portal
* Geography portal

* British Overseas Territories
* Union Flag
* Crown Dependencies
* English independence
* Heptarchy
* History of the formation of the United Kingdom
* List of current heads of government in the United Kingdom and dependencies
* Ulster nationalism
* United Ireland
* Scottish independence
* Welsh independence
* Unionism in Ireland
* Unionism in Wales
* Unionism in Scotland

## Notes

[edit]

1. ^ The UK Parliament makes legislation for England.
2. ^ The UK Government exercises executive power in England
3. ^ The former flag of Northern Ireland, the Ulster Banner, is still used in some sport-related contexts. The Irish Tricolour, the flag of the Republic of Ireland, has occasionally been mistakenly used in Great Britain to represent Northern Ireland.[16][17] See Northern Ireland flags issue for more.
4. ^ Due to the NI power-sharing arrangement, executive power is sometimes conferred in the Secretary of State when the Assembly is suspended.
5. ^ Extra-regio comprises activity that cannot be assigned to regions

## References

[edit]

### Citations

[edit]

1. ^ "A Beginners Guide to UK Geography (2023)". Open Geography Portal. Office for National Statistics. 24 August 2023. Retrieved 9 December 2023. "In the context of the UK, each of the four main subdivisions (England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland) is referred to as a country."
2. ^ "Standard: ISO 3166 — Codes for the representation of names of countries and their subdivisions". ISO. Retrieved 16 January 2024.
3. ^ "What is direct rule for Northern Ireland?". BBC News. 30 June 2017. Retrieved 19 May 2023.
4. ^ "Northern Ireland travel guide: all you need to know". Times Travel. Retrieved 19 May 2023.
5. ^ S. Dunn; H. Dawson (2000), An Alphabetical Listing of Word, Name and Place in Northern Ireland and the Living Language of Conflict, Lewiston, New York: Edwin Mellen Press, "One specific problem – in both general and particular senses – is to know what to call Northern Ireland itself: in the general sense, it is not a country, or a province, or a state – although some refer to it contemptuously as a statelet: the least controversial word appears to be jurisdiction, but this might change."
6. ^ J. Whyte; G. FitzGerald (1991), Interpreting Northern Ireland, Oxford: Oxford University Press, "One problem must be adverted to in writing about Northern Ireland. This is the question of what name to give to the various geographical entities. These names can be controversial, with the choice often revealing one's political preferences. ... some refer to Northern Ireland as a 'province'. That usage can arouse irritation particularly among nationalists, who claim the title 'province' should be properly reserved to the four historical provinces of Ireland-Ulster, Leinster, Munster, and Connacht. If I want to a label to apply to Northern Ireland I shall call it a 'region'. Unionists should find that title as acceptable as 'province': Northern Ireland appears as a region in the regional statistics of the United Kingdom published by the British government."
7. ^ D. Murphy (1979), A Place Apart, London: Penguin Books, "Next – what noun is appropriate to Northern Ireland? 'Province' won't do since one-third of the province is on the wrong side of the border. 'State' implies more self-determination than Northern Ireland has ever had and 'country' or 'nation' are blatantly absurd. 'Colony' has overtones that would be resented by both communities and statelet sounds too patronizing, though outsiders might consider it more precise than anything else; so one is left with the unsatisfactory word 'region'."
8. ^ "Countries within a country, number10.gov.uk". Webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk. 10 January 2003. Archived from the original on 9 September 2008. Retrieved 18 February 2021.
9. ^ Dewart, Megan (2019). The Scottish Legal System. UK: Bloomsbury Academic. p. 57\. ISBN 9781526506337. "The laws and legal institutions of Scotland and of England and Wales were not merged by the Union of 1707. Thus, they remain separate 'law areas', with separate court systems (as does Northern Ireland), and it is necessary to distinguish Scots law and English law (and Northern Irish law)."; "The justice system and the constitution". Courts and Tribunals Judiciary. Archived from the original on 21 May 2023. Retrieved 13 June 2023. "The United Kingdom has three separate legal systems; one each for England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. This reflects its historical origins and the fact that both Scotland and Ireland, and later Northern Ireland, retained their own legal systems and traditions under the Acts of Union 1707 and 1800."
10. ^ 2011 Census – Population. According to the 2011 census, the population of England was 53,012,456, and the population of the United Kingdom was 63,181,775, therefore England comprises 84% of the UK population.
11. ^ Region and Country Profiles, Key Statistics and Profiles, October 2013, ONS. Retrieved 9 August 2015. According to the ONS, England has an area of 130,279 km², and the UK has an area of 242,509 km², therefore England comprises 54% of the area of the UK.
12. ^ "Cornwall Council passes motion calling for Cornwall to be recognised as the UK's fifth nation". Nation.Cymru. 23 July 2025. Retrieved 23 July 2025.
13. ^ "Council calls on government to make Cornwall 'fifth UK nation'". BBC News. 23 July 2025. Retrieved 23 July 2025.
14. ^ a b "ISO Newsletter ii-3-2011-12-13" (PDF). Retrieved 4 July 2017.
15. ^ "Sport Northern Ireland | Performance | Governing Bodies of Sport". Sportni.net. 1 December 2009. Archived from the original on 1 April 2014. Retrieved 23 February 2014.
16. ^ "Foster attacks BBC for using Irish flag to represent North". breakingnews.ie. 4 September 2020. Retrieved 27 March 2023.
17. ^ Mulgrew, Seoirse (5 June 2022). "Platinum Jubilee mishap as Irish tricolour flag shown to represent parts of the United Kingdom". independent.ie. Retrieved 27 March 2023.
18. ^ Park, Neil (21 December 2022). "Population estimates for the UK, England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland: mid-2021". Office for National Statistics. Retrieved 14 August 2023.
19. ^ Click 'Download' and open the smallest csv file. Second column indicates "Area to Mean High Water"."Standard Area Measurements for International Territorial Levels (January 2021) in the UK". statistics.gov.uk. 31 May 2024. Retrieved 28 September 2024.
20. ^ Fenton, Trevor (25 April 2023). "Regional gross value added (balanced) per head and income components". Office for National Statistics. Retrieved 14 August 2023.
21. ^ a b Laws in Wales Act 1535, Clause I
22. ^ Laws in Wales Act 1542
23. ^ "Laws in Wales Act 1535 (repealed 21.12.1993)". Archived from the original on 2 January 2008.
24. ^ "Laws in Wales Act 1542 (repealed)". www.statutelaw.gov.uk. Retrieved 4 July 2017.
25. ^ e. g.  "... to be raised in that Part of the united Kingdom now called England", "...that Part of the united Kingdom now called Scotland, shall be charged by the same Act..." Article IX
26. ^ e. g.  "That, from the first Day of January one thousand eight hundred and one, all Prohibitions and Bounties on the Export of Articles, the Growth, Produce, or Manufacture of either Country, to the other, shall cease and determine; and that the said Articles shall thenceforth be exported from one Country to the other, without Duty or Bounty on such Export"; Union with Ireland Act 1800, Article Sixth.
27. ^ Scotland Act 1998 Interpretation of Scottish Act 1998, Nov 1998
28. ^ "About Parliament > Art in Parliament > Online Exhibitions > The Palace of Westminster > National Patron Saints > St David and Wales". Official website. UK Parliament. Retrieved 3 January 2016.
29. ^ "Regulation (EC) No 1059/2003 of the European Parliament and of the Council of the European Union of 26 May 2003 on the establishment of a common classification of territorial units for statistics (NUTS)". The European Parliament and the Council of the European Union. Retrieved 22 December 2010.
30. ^ "International, regional and city statistics - Office for National Statistics". www.ons.gov.uk. Retrieved 30 December 2022.
31. ^ "RUK exports". Scottish Government. 6 July 2005. Retrieved 13 August 2011.
32. ^ "Response to Scottish Government proposals for RUK fees" (PDF). Edinburgh University Students' Association. Archived from the original (PDF) on 13 September 2011. Retrieved 13 August 2011.
33. ^ Park 2005, p. 153.
34. ^ Langlands, Rebecca (1999). "Britishness or Englishness? The Historical Problem of National Identity in Britain". Nations and Nationalism. 5: 53–69\. doi:10.1111/j.1354-5078.1999.00053.x.
35. ^ Bradley, Ian C. (2007). Believing in Britain: The Spiritual Identity of 'Britishness'. I. B. Tauris. ISBN 978-1-84511-326-1.
36. ^ Frith, Maxine (8 January 2004). "Ethnic minorities feel strong sense of identity with Britain, report reveals". The Independent. London. Archived from the original on 15 May 2011. Retrieved 7 July 2009.
37. ^ "White and English, but not white-English: how to deal with the discriminatory Census for England and Wales". Britology Watch: Deconstructing \'British Values\'. 7 March 2011. Retrieved 19 January 2020.
38. ^ Commission for Racial Equality 2005, p. 35
39. ^ a b c Commission for Racial Equality 2005, p. 22
40. ^ "Scotland's Census 2022 - Ethnic group, national identity, language and religion: National Identity". 21 May 2024. Retrieved 14 January 2025.
41. ^ Ward 2004, pp. 2–3.
42. ^ Kumar, Krishan (2003). "The Making of English National Identity" (PDF). assets. cambridge.org. Retrieved 5 June 2009.
43. ^ "The English: Europe's lost tribe". BBC News. 14 January 1999. Retrieved 5 June 2009.
44. ^ "Devolution, Public Attitudes and National Identity" (PDF). www. devolution.ac.uk. Archived from the original (PDF) on 1 December 2007. "The rise of the Little Englanders". London: The Guardian, John Carvel, social affairs editor. 28 November 2000. Retrieved 30 April 2010.
45. ^ "2011 Census - Office for National Statistics". www.ons.gov.uk. Retrieved 7 February 2022.
46. ^ "Scotland's Census 2022 - Ethnic group, national identity, language and religion: National Identity". Scotland's Census. 21 May 2024. Retrieved 13 January 2025.
47. ^ Evans, Felicity (7 March 2019). "The Changing Face of Wales: How Welsh do you feel?". BBC News. Retrieved 15 November 2021.
48. ^ Easton, Mark (3 June 2018). "The English question: What is the nation's identity?". BBC News. Retrieved 7 February 2022.
49. ^ "Northern Ireland Life and Times Survey home page". University of Ulster and Queen's University Belfast. Retrieved 8 May 2011.
50. ^ "Northern Ireland Life and Times Survey 2014, national identity module". University of Ulster and Queen's University Belfast. Retrieved 8 August 2015.
51. ^ a b "Northern Ireland Life and Times Survey 2014, Political Attitudes module". University of Ulster and Queen's University Belfast. Retrieved 8 August 2015.
52. ^ "Devolution and Britishness". Devolution and Constitutional Change. UK's Economic and Social Research Council. Archived from the original on 10 March 2009.
53. ^ "Scotland Rejects Independence in Record-Breaking Referendum – NBC News". NBC News. 19 September 2014. Retrieved 4 July 2017.
54. ^ "Cornish people formally declared a national minority along with Scots, Welsh and Irish". The Independent. 23 April 2014. Retrieved 23 April 2014.
55. ^ "Cornish granted minority status within the UK". Gov.uk. 24 April 2014. Retrieved 12 September 2017.
56. ^ "Cornwall Council passes motion calling for Cornwall to be recognised as the UK's fifth nation". Nation.Cymru. 23 July 2025. Retrieved 23 July 2025.
57. ^ "Ethnicity and National Identity in England and Wales - Office for National Statistics". www.ons.gov.uk. Retrieved 25 May 2022.
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61. ^ "Sport Wales". Sport Wales website. Sport Wales. 2013. Retrieved 25 October 2013.
62. ^ a b World and Its Peoples, Terrytown (NY): Marshall Cavendish Corporation, 2010, p. 111, "In most sports, except soccer, Northern Ireland participates with the Republic of Ireland in a combined All-Ireland team."
63. ^ "Irish and GB in Olympic Row". BBC Sport. 27 January 2004. Retrieved 29 March 2010.
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### Sources

[edit]

* Park, Alison (2005), British Social Attitudes: The 21st Report, SAGE, ISBN 978-0-7619-4278-8
* Commission for Racial Equality (November 2005), Citizenship and Belonging: What is Britishness? (PDF), Commission for Racial Equality, ISBN 1-85442-573-0, archived from the original (PDF) on 20 May 2013, retrieved 30 April 2012
* Ward, Paul (2004), Britishness Since 1870, Routledge, ISBN 978-0-203-49472-1

## Further reading

[edit]

* Gallagher, Michael (2006). The United Kingdom Today. London, England: Franklin Watts. ISBN 978-0-7496-6488-6.

* v
* t
* e

Countries, territories and dependencies of the British Crown

Countries
of the United Kingdom|

* England
* Northern Ireland
* Scotland
* Wales

Crown Dependencies|

* Bailiwick of Guernsey
* Alderney
* Guernsey
* Sark
* Bailiwick of Jersey
* Isle of Man

Overseas territories|

* Akrotiri and Dhekelia1
* Anguilla
* Bermuda
* British Antarctic Territory2
* British Indian Ocean Territory
* British Virgin Islands
* Cayman Islands
* Falkland Islands
* Gibraltar
* Montserrat
* Pitcairn, Henderson, Ducie and Oeno Islands
* Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha
* Ascension Island
* Saint Helena
* Tristan da Cunha
* Gough Island
* South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands
* Turks and Caicos Islands

Former colonies|

* List of countries that have gained independence from the United Kingdom

1 Sovereign Base Areas. 2 Partial suspension of sovereignty due to the Antarctic Treaty.

* v
* t
* e

Devolution in the United Kingdom

Devolved areas|

| National level|

* Northern Ireland
* Scotland
* Scottish devolution
* Wales
* Welsh devolution

|

Regional level (in England)|

* Combined authorities
* Directly elected mayoralties
* Greater London Authority

Referendums1|

* English mayoral referendums
* London
* 1998
* 2012
* North East England
* 2004
* Northern Ireland
* 1998
* Scotland
* 1979
* 1997
* Wales
* 1979
* 1997
* 2011

Heads of devolved
governments|

* Metro mayors
* Directly elected mayors
* London (Mayor)
* Northern Ireland (FM and dFM)
* Scotland (FM)
* Wales (FM)

Devolved legislatures2|

* London Assembly
* Northern Ireland Assembly
* Senedd
* Scottish Parliament

Devolved administrations3|

* London (Mayoral cabinet)
* Northern Ireland Executive
* Scottish Government
* Welsh Government

Organisations and laws
of the legislatures and
governments of the UK
and the devolved areas|

| Commissions (UK Parliament)|

* Kilbrandon Commission
* Holtham Commission
* Silk Commission
* McKay Commission

|

Commissions (devolved legislatures)|

* Senedd
* Richard Commission
* Holtham Commission
* Thomas Commission
* Scottish Parliament
* Calman Commission
* Smith Commission

Referendum and devolution acts|

* Greater London Authority (Referendum) Act 1998
* Greater London Authority Acts
* 1999
* 2007
* Northern Ireland Acts
* 1998
* 2006
* Referendums (Scotland & Wales) Act 1997
* Wales Acts
* 1998
* 2006
* 2014
* 2017
* Scotland Acts
* 1998
* 2012
* 2016
* Post-EU Referendum United Kingdom Internal Market Act 2020

Select committees|

* Northern Ireland Affairs
* Scottish Affairs
* Welsh Affairs
* Housing, Communities and Local Government

Grand committees|

* Legislative Grand Committees (2015–2021)
* Northern Ireland
* Scottish
* Welsh

Departments and Territorial Offices (MOJ)|

* Cabinet Office - Devolution Secretariat
* Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government
* Ministry of Justice – Devolution Directorate-General
* Office of the Advocate General for Scotland
* Northern Ireland Office
* Scotland Office
* Wales Office

Elections|

* London
* Northern Ireland
* Scotland
* Wales
* Combined authorities and combined county authorities

Related articles|

| Current|

* Agreements/Treaties
* Anglo-Irish Treaty
* Good Friday Agreement
* Budget
* Barnett formula
* Block grant
* Constitution of the United Kingdom
* Reserved and excepted matters
* West Lothian question

|

Proposals|

* Cornwall
* Cornish Assembly
* Cornish Constitutional Convention
* Mebyon Kernow
* Revived Cornish Stannary Parliament
* Devolved English parliament
* Separatism in the United Kingdom
* Federalism in the United Kingdom
* Campaign for an English Parliament
* Northern England
* Campaign for the North
* Yorkshire Party
* Other parts of Southern England
* Wessex Regionalist Party
* Scotland
* Full fiscal autonomy
* Wales
* Proposed justice system

Historical|

* Administrations of England
* English Regional Assemblies, 1998–2010
* Administrations of London
* London County Council
* Greater London Council
* Administrations of Northern Ireland
* 1922–72
* 1974
* Legislatures of Northern Ireland
* 1922–72
* 1973–74
* 1982–86
* Northern Ireland-related legislation of the UK Parliament
* Ireland, 1886
* Ireland, 1893
* Ireland, 1914
* Ireland, 1920
* Irish Free State, 1922
* Northern Ireland, 1974
* Irish Home Rule movement
* Prime Minister of Northern Ireland
* Scotland Act 1978
* Scottish Office
* Sunningdale Agreement
* Wales Act 1978
* Welsh Office

* 1\. Rejected referendums are italicised. The others were fully or partially approved.
* 2\. There is no law-making body for any regionally devolved area.
* 3\. Administrations of regionally devolved areas are omitted.

* Category

* v
* t
* e

United Kingdom articles

History|

| Chronology|

* Formation
* Union of England and Scotland Act 1603
* Treaty of Union
* Acts of Union 1707
* Union with Scotland (Amendment) Act 1707
* Georgian era
* Victorian era
* Edwardian era
* First World War
* Interwar
* Second World War
* civilian
* military
* Postwar
* political
* social
* Since 1979
* political
* social
* Membership of the European Union (1973–2020)

|

By topic|

* Economic
* Empire
* Foreign relations
* 1814–1919
* Law enforcement
* Maritime
* Mass surveillance
* Military
* Taxation
* Women's history

Geography|

| Administrative|

* Counties of the United Kingdom
* Countries of the United Kingdom
* Crown Dependencies
* Overseas territories
* City status
* Towns
* Former colonies

|

Physical|

* British Isles
* terminology
* Great Britain
* Climate
* change
* Coastline
* Geology
* Lakes and lochs
* Mountains
* Rivers
* Volcanoes

Resources|

* Agriculture
* Energy
* biodiesel
* coal
* geothermal
* hydraulic frac.
* hydroelectricity
* marine
* North Sea oil
* Renewable energy
* solar
* wind
* Fishing
* English
* Scottish
* Welsh
* Hunting
* Materials
* forestry
* mining
* Wildlife
* fauna
* flora

Politics|

* Constitution
* Corruption
* Devolution
* Elections
* By-elections
* Foreign relations
* Human rights
* LGBT
* Judiciary
* Law
* Law enforcement
* Local government
* Monarchy
* monarchs
* republicanism
* Nationality
* Parliament
* House of Commons
* House of Lords
* Political parties
* Female party leaders
* Political scandals
* Shadow Cabinet

Government|

* Cabinet
* list
* Civil service
* Departments
* Ministers
* list
* Prime Minister
* list

Military|

* His Majesty's Naval Service
* Royal Navy
* Royal Marines
* British Army
* Royal Air Force
* Weapons of mass destruction

Economy|

* Banks
* Bank of England
* Budget
* Economic geography
* Free trade agreements
* Income
* Manufacturing
* Pound sterling (currency)
* Science and technology
* Stock exchanges (London Exchange)
* Taxation
* Telecommunications
* Tourism

Transport|

* Air transport
* Bus transport
* Driving
* Roads
* Rail transport

Society|

* Cannabis
* Crime
* Demography
* Drug policy
* Education
* Environmental inequality
* Environmental issues
* Ethnic groups
* Health
* Homelessness
* England
* Scotland
* Housing
* Hunger
* Immigration
* Innovation
* Languages
* Life expectancy
* Mental health
* Poverty
* Prostitution
* Public holidays
* Racism
* Social care
* Social class
* Suicide
* Universal basic income (UBI)
* Water supply and sanitation
* Waste
* Welfare state

Culture|

* Art
* Anthem
* Cinema
* Cuisine
* Wine
* Identity
* Literature
* Media
* Music
* Religion
* Sport
* Symbols
* Theatre
* Stereotypes of the British
* World Heritage Sites
* Anglosphere

Countries of the United Kingdom

| England|

* History
* social
* timeline
* Geography
* Politics
* Law
* Economy
* tourism
* Education
* Health care
* Homelessness
* Culture
* Religion
* Symbols

|

Northern Ireland|

* History
* Geography
* Politics
* Assembly
* Executive
* First Minister and Deputy First Minister
* Law
* Economy
* tourism
* Education
* Health care
* Culture
* Religion
* Symbols

Scotland|

* History
* timeline
* Geography
* Politics
* Parliament
* Government
* First Minister
* Law
* Economy
* tourism
* Education
* Health care
* Homelessness
* Culture
* Religion
* Symbols

Wales|

* History
* Geography
* Politics
* Senedd
* Government
* First Minister
* Law
* Economy
* tourism
* Education
* Health care
* Culture
* Religion
* Symbols

* Outline
* Index

* Category
* Portal

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