The United Kingdom is one sovereign country made up of four countries: England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. So England is a country, but not an independent state. Great Britain is the island that holds England, Scotland and Wales. Visitors need one entry permission and one currency, the pound, for all four.
What countries are in the UK?
There are four countries in the UK. Together they hold about 69.5 million people, and about 85% of them live in England.
England
- Capital: London
- Island: Great Britain
- Population: 58.8 million
- Own parliament: no, the UK Parliament in London makes its laws
Scotland
- Capital: Edinburgh
- Island: Great Britain
- Population: 5.5 million
- Own parliament: the Scottish Parliament, since 1999
Wales
- Capital: Cardiff
- Island: Great Britain
- Population: 3.2 million
- Own parliament: the Senedd (Welsh Parliament), opened in 1999 as the National Assembly for Wales
Northern Ireland
- Capital: Belfast
- Island: Ireland, not Great Britain
- Population: 1.9 million
- Own parliament: the Northern Ireland Assembly at Stormont, since 1998
The population figures are the official mid-2025 estimates, rounded.
Is England a country?
Yes. England is a country, with its own flag and its own national teams. It became a single kingdom in the tenth century, long before the UK existed.
England has no passport, army or United Nations seat of its own. Abroad, people often say “England” when they mean the whole UK, which is why the question comes up so often.
Is the UK a country?
Yes. The UK is the sovereign state. It issues passports, signs treaties and holds a permanent seat on the UN Security Council. Its full name is the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
On a visa form, a customs form or an airline booking, the country to choose is the United Kingdom.
London is the capital of both England and the UK. Our short guide explains what country London is in, with a map.
Are Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland countries?
Yes, all three are countries inside the UK. Each one has its own capital and a parliament or assembly that runs schools, hospitals and local transport.
Scotland fills the northern third of Great Britain. It keeps its own legal system, and Scottish Gaelic is spoken in parts of the Highlands and islands. A private tour of Scotland from London by car takes several days.
Wales is on the west side of Great Britain. Road signs there are in Welsh and English, and more than half a million people speak Welsh. Cardiff is close enough to London for a day trip to Wales.
Northern Ireland is the smallest of the four and lies across the sea from Great Britain. Visitors reach it by a short flight or a ferry.
England vs Great Britain vs the UK: what is the difference?
England is a country, Great Britain is an island and the UK is a state. So England is not the same as the UK, and neither is Great Britain:
- England is one country. It covers about three-fifths of the island it shares with Scotland and Wales.
- Great Britain is the island, and the three countries on it: England, Scotland and Wales.
- The United Kingdom is Great Britain plus Northern Ireland. It is the only one of the three that is a sovereign state.
“Britain” on its own is an everyday short form of the United Kingdom. So “Is Britain a country?” and “Is the UK a country?” have the same answer: yes.
Great Britain on its own is a geographical name. It leaves out Northern Ireland, so it is smaller than the state.
Is Ireland part of the UK?
Only Northern Ireland is. The rest of the island left the UK in 1922 and is today the Republic of Ireland, with Dublin as its capital.
The Republic of Ireland is a member of the European Union and uses the euro. It has its own entry rules, so a UK travel permission does not cover a visit to Dublin.
The reverse also holds. Crossing from Dublin to Belfast, most overseas visitors still need UK permission to enter, even though nobody stops them at the border.
One trip, four countries: what changes for a visitor?
The four share one entry system, one currency and the same side of the road.
- One entry permission. Visitors from the USA and Canada usually need an Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA). It costs £20 and covers all four countries. It lasts two years, or until your passport expires if that is sooner. Every traveller needs one, children included. Apply only on the official GOV.UK ETA page.
- No border checks inside. You drive from England into Scotland or Wales without stopping. A road sign is the only mark of the border.
- One currency. The pound sterling is used in all four, so you change money once.
- One side of the road. Traffic drives on the left everywhere. Distances are in miles and speed limits in miles per hour.
Cardiff is about 150 miles (240 km) from London, about three hours by car. Edinburgh is about 400 miles (640 km) away, which is seven to eight hours of driving without stops.
A multi-day tour of England by private car links Bath, the Cotswolds and York with one driver.
All our private tours of the UK start from your London hotel. If you fly into London first, an airport transfer by private car takes you from the arrivals hall to the door.
FAQ: the countries in the UK
Do I need my passport to travel between the four countries?
No. There are no passport checks between the countries of the UK, by road or by air. Airlines usually ask for photo ID on domestic flights, including flights to Belfast, so keep your passport with you. Hotels may also ask to see it at check-in.
What are the British Isles?
The British Isles is a geographical name for Great Britain, Ireland and the smaller islands around them, and it is not a country. The name is not used officially in Ireland. The Isle of Man and the Channel Islands are self-governing Crown Dependencies, outside the UK.
When did the UK become one country?
Wales was joined to England in the sixteenth century. England and Scotland united as Great Britain in 1707, and Ireland was united with it in 1801 to form the United Kingdom. Most of Ireland left in 1922, which gave the UK its present shape.
Should I say British or English?
“British” is the nationality in every UK passport, so it fits people from any of the four countries. In Northern Ireland many people call themselves Irish, or both, so ask. “English” fits only England, and calling a Scottish or Welsh person English is a common visitor mistake.
Why do England and Scotland have separate football teams?
Football was organised in the nineteenth century, country by country, so each of the four countries has its own national team. At the Olympic Games they compete together as Team GB, though Northern Irish athletes may choose Ireland. The football World Cup therefore lists England, not the UK.
Is the money different in Scotland and Northern Ireland?
The banknotes look different, but the value is the same. Banks in Scotland and Northern Ireland issue their own sterling banknotes, worth exactly the same as Bank of England notes. Some shops in England hesitate over them, so spend them before you leave Scotland or Northern Ireland.
Sources: population from the Office for National Statistics mid-2025 population estimates; names and definitions from the ONS guide to UK countries and regions; entry rules from GOV.UK. Facts checked on 11 November 2026.