United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is comprised of the island of Great Britain, the north-eastern part of Ireland, and most of the smaller islands within the British Isles.
The United Kingdom is surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean, the North Sea, the English Channel, the Celtic Sea, and the Irish Sea. It has a population of 69.6 million people, and covers 244,38 sq km.
The United Kingdom has the world's sixth-largest economy, and the ninth-largest by purchasing power parity. It is a recognised nuclear state and is ranked fourth globally in military expenditure.
british commonwealth
The Commonwealth was formed in 1926 when the Balfour Declaration of the Imperial Conference recognised the full sovereignty of dominions.
The original and therefore earliest members were Australia, Canada, the Irish Free State, Newfoundland, New Zealand, South Africa, and the United Kingdom.
In 1949, the London Declaration marked the birth of the modern Commonwealth and the adoption of its present name.
The members have a combined population of 2.6 billion, almost a third of the world's population.
