Destination Great Britain, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom or UK or Britain, or even England. The United Kingdom consists of England, Wales, Scotland (which together make up Great Britain) and Northern Ireland. The capital city of the UK is London, which is also the capital of England. For Wales the capital is Cardiff, for Scotland it is Edinburgh, and for Northern Ireland it is Belfast. English is spoken throughout the UK, but there are other official languages too, such as Welsh, Scots and Gaelic.

Britains system of government has developed over many centuries. Kings once ruled with advice from a council of religious leaders and nobles. This council eventually expanded into the Parliament, which now passes all the countrys laws. Today, the monarch (which can be a king or queen) has no real power.

The United Kingdom has been a leading trading nation for more than 500 years. In the 19th century, British industry helped make the country the most powerful nation in the world. It is still one of the strongest economies on Earth. Much of the north and west of the U.K. is covered in high ground, knife-edged mountain ridges separated by deep valleys. This terrain was shaped in the last Ice Age, when thick glaciers covered the land.

In the south of England, the countryside is mostly rolling hills. In northwest England and the Scottish Highlands are dozens of lakes, called lochs. These were left behind when the Ice Age glaciers melted. They tend to be long and narrow, and some are very deep. Legends say that a giant monster called Nessie lives in Loch Ness in Scotland.