The United Kingdom is located on two islands. To the south, the British Isles are separated from mainland Europe by the English Channel. In the west, the islands are bordered by the Atlantic Ocean, and in the east, they are bordered by the North Sea. 

The surface area of the United Kingdom is approximately 243 000 km². However, the small island nation is home to over 64 million people.

The capital city of the United Kingdom is London. It is located in Southern England, on the banks of the river Thames. 

In addition to the nation's capital, England is also home to many other large industrial cities, such as Manchester, Leeds, Liverpool and Birmingham.

The largest cities in Scotland are Edinburgh and Glasgow. Belfast is the largest city in Northern Ireland.

The official language of the United Kingdom is English. During the last few centuries, it has spread across the world, which is why it is considered as the global ligua franca or "common language". 

In addition to the United Kindgom, English is the official language of nations such as Canada, India and Australia.