SOCIAL STU

Apuntes

•United Kingdom The United Kingdom comprises four historic and geographic parts: England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland. It covers most of the British Isles' area and population—an island group including Great Britain, Ireland, and smaller islands. England, Wales, and Scotland form Great Britain, the larger of the two main islands, while Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland make up Ireland, the second largest island (see Maps 1 & 3). Apart from the land border with the Irish Republic, the UK is surrounded by sea. To the south of England and between the UK and France lies the English Channel. The North Sea is to the east. The Irish Sea separates Great Britain from Ireland, located southeast of Northern Ireland and Wales, while the Atlantic Ocean faces southwestern England, northwestern Northern Ireland, and western Scotland (see Map 2). The UK’s widest point is 300 miles (500 km), and from Scotland’s northern tip to England’s south coast, it spans about 600 miles (1,000 km). No part is more than 75 miles (120 km) from the sea. London, the capital, is situated on the Thames in southeastern England. •What is a Constitutional Monarchy? A Constitutional Monarch...