Is the UK a country?

Question

People say that the UK is a country but they also say that England, N. Ireland, Scotland, and Wales are countries, and I don't see how countries can be within a country?

Answer 1

Well you had better get used to it young lady, because that is precisely how it is. The clue is in the U of UK

Answer 2

The United Kingdom is a group of Country;s

Answer 3

UNITED kingdom...it is all the countries you mentioned united.

Answer 4

Not exactly, it is actually a political UNION of four different areas...

England; country

Wales; country and principality

Scotland; country

Northern Ireland; province of Ireland

Answer 5

The United Kingdom exists of England, North Ireland, Scotland and Wales.  It is a collective name for above countries.

Look at the website below.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_King...

Answer 6

The confusion comes from the use of and meaning of the term "country". Most people's understanding of the word country is officially/legally referred to as a "State" (n.b. this is NOT the same as state in the USA). The UK is a state - full title: "The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland" and as the name suggests it is made up of a group of nations - England, Scotland and Wales (making up Great Britain) and Northern Ireland. Each of these is usually referred to as a "constituent country", and exist as such due to the nature of the formation and history of the UK.

Essentially the UK is a country (state) in the same way that France, Germany or the USA are countries, but England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland are sub-divisions of the UK.

Answer 7

Technically its 4 countries, but seeing at the Queen of England is head of state of all 4 countries...hence the name United Kingdom...The UK at the moment is run from Westminster...this may eventually change if the other countries in the UK decide to persue independance..