United Kingdom

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland (or more simply, the UK) is best known for its iconic Union Jack flag, its Queen (Elizabeth II) and its capital city, London. It brings together four countries—England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales—in an unlikely union.

Despite being united beneath one flag, each of these countries harbors a fierce sense of national pride. Scotland, for example, has retained its own church, currency, a separate legal system and its own language (Scottish Gaelic). This national pride has fostered mutual, irreverent mocking among the four nations. Did you ever hear the one about the Englishman, the Irishman and the Scotsman…?