The United Kingdom of Great Britain (UK) is a sovereign island nation comprised of the constituent countries of England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland. The large and small islands making up the UK total 244,820 sq km (slightly smaller than the total land mass of Oregon) and are located off the northwest coast of mainland Europe, surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean, the North Sea, the Irish Sea, and the English Channel. Despite its small geographic size, the UK’s 2007 population of 60,776,238 million makes it the 3 rd most populous country in the European Union (EU). A recent survey ranked the UK as the 4 th most “globalized” country in the world, and its capital city of London serves as one of the world’s three major financial centers (alongside New York and Tokyo). Since the 19 th century, the UK has been considered among the most dominant economic, scientific, industrial, and military powers of all nations, at its peak having an empire that covered over one-fourth of the earth’s surface

Today’s UK is a first world nation and a global superpower. It ranks in the top twenty countries in the world on a number of crucial indicators of human development (such as life expectancy, infant mortality, poverty, and literacy). It is one of only five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council and is a founding member of the North American Treaty Organization (NATO). The current Chief of State is Queen Elizabeth II (since February of 1952), with the current Head of Government—Prime Minister Gordon Brown—being elected to office in June of 2007. As result of its former status as a global empire, British influence in sports, culture, business, and infrastructure can be seen in the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and India, among others.