The United Kingdom is comprised of Wales, Scotland, England and Northern Ireland.

England
England is the largest country in the United Kingdom. Nearly 84% of the population of the UK lives in England, mainly in the major cities and metropolitan areas.

In contrast to Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales, England has no separate elected national body exclusively responsible for its central administration. Instead a number of government departments look after England's day-to-day administrative affairs.

The British Government is prepared to devolve more power to the regions of England if there is a demand for it and has established a new London-wide authority for the capital. This consists of a directly elected Mayor who is able to influence policy on transport, economic development, strategic planning, the environment and culture, and a separately elected Assembly of 25 members with powers to question the Mayor on activities and investigate issues on behalf of Londoners. The first elections for the Greater London Authority took place on 4 May 2000.

Notable events and holidays in England: Oxford-Cambridge Boat Race (March/April); London Marathon (April); St. George's Day (23 April); Royal Ascot (mid-June); Wimbledon Tennis Championships (late June-early July); Henley Royal Regatta (first week July); Reading Festival (August); Notting Hill Carnival (August); Guy Fawkes Night (5 November)

London
London is one of the world's leading business, financial, and cultural centres, and its influence in politics, education, entertainment, media, fashion and the arts all contribute to its status as a major global city. The city is one of the most popular tourist destinations in the world. In 2012, London will host the Summer Olympic Games.

Scotland
After 300 years of being governed from London, Scotland reagained its own government. The Scottish Government has representation in the United States in Washington, DC.

Scotland has a vast array of universities and colleges offering courses to suit every interest. It also has the highest percentage of university graduates in Europe. Maybe this explains why Scotland has such an outstanding record in science and technology. With discoveries such as penicillin and the p53 gene (the body's natural anti-cancer mechanism), and the cloning of Dolly the sheep, Scotland is recognized as one of the front runners in scientific and technological development. Scotland has a thriving tourist industry, with travelers being attracted by the variety of Scotland's landscape and coastline and its renowned golf courses.

Edinburgh
Edinburgh is the capital of Scotland and is its second largest city after Glasgow. Owing to its rugged setting and vast collection of Medieval and Georgian architecture, including numerous stone tenements, it is often considered one of the most picturesque cities in Europe.

Edinburgh has been capital of Scotland since 1437 (replacing Scone) and is the seat of the Scottish Parliament. The city was one of the major centres of the Enlightenment, led by the University of Edinburgh, earning it the nickname Athens of the North. The Old Town and New Town districts of Edinburgh were listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1995.

Edinburgh is well-known for the annual Edinburgh Festival, a collection of official and independent festivals held annually over about four weeks from early August. The most famous of these events are the Edinburgh Fringe (the largest performing arts festival in the world), the Edinburgh Comedy Festival (the largest comedy festival in the world), the Edinburgh International Festival, the Edinburgh Military Tattoo, the Edinburgh International Film Festival, and the Edinburgh International Book Festival.

Other notable events: Burns Night (25 January); Beltane Fire Festival (30 April); St. Andrew's Day (30 November); Hogmanay Street Party (31 December).

Wales
Since 1999 Wales has had its own National Assembly headed by a First Minister with a Cabinet of other ministers, which has powers to make secondary legislation to meet the specific needs of the Welsh people.

Wales is represented in the United States by the Welsh Assembly Government headquartered in the Chrysler Building in New York. The aim of the US office is to promote business, trade, tourism, academic and cultural links between Wales and the USA. Ties between the USA and Wales are strong - Welsh-Americans have made important contributions to life in the USA throughout its history (Dylan Thomas -pdf , Keeping up with the Joneses - pdf )

The Welsh are an ancient Celtic nation and Wales has two official languages – Welsh and English – together with a rich culture that is distinct from the rest of the UK. Festivals abound in Wales including the National Eisteddfod, the Hay Festival of Literature, Brecon Jazz, Bryn Terfel’s Faenol Festival, the Dylan Thomas Festival and  Cardiff Festival.

In addition, Wales has 750 miles of coastline, three national parks, and 641 castles making tourism one of the most important industries in Wales today.  The Ryder Cup will be held at the 5-star Celtic Manor Resort in Wales in 2010.

Other traditional Welsh industries of coal and steel have now been replaced by cutting-edge technologies in aerospace, electronics and IT, manufacturing, engineering and telecommunications and Welsh universities are undertaking first-class research in these areas. Wales also has the biggest media sector in the United Kingdom outside London, being home to a number of broadcasters, production companies, film-makers and animation houses.

Cardiff
Cardiff is the capital and the largest city and county in Wales. As well as being the political capital, it is Wales's centre for business, education, sport, tourism, culture, media and government. Cardiff is part of the Eurocities network of the largest European cities.

Since the 1990s Cardiff has seen significant development with a new waterfront area at Cardiff Bay which contains the new eco-friendly Welsh Assembly Building and the Wales Millennium Center home to the Welsh National Opera. International sporting venues in the city include the Millennium Stadium (rugby union and football) and SWALEC Stadium (cricket).

Northern Ireland
Devolution was restored to the Northern Ireland Assembly on 8 May 2007 following the election of a four-party Executive of 12 ministers. 

The Northern Ireland Assembly and the Northern Ireland Executive are responsible for most of the issues of day-to-day concern to the people of Northern Ireland; economic and social, agriculture and rural development, culture, arts, education, health, social services and public safety. The Rt Hon Peter Robinson MP MLA is First Minister and Martin McGuinness MP MLA is deputy First Minister.

The Northern Ireland Bureau supports the work of the Executive and the Assembly in the US.  

The Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, Rt Hon Shaun Woodward MP, remains responsible for constitutional and security issues. The British Government is committed to completing the process of devolution by enabling a smooth transfer of policing and justice powers to the devolved administration when the Assembly decides the time is right. 

Over a decade of sustained investment has created one of the fastest growing regional economies in the UK, strong in software, financial services and telecoms. 

Northern Ireland has lively cities and glorious countryside. The Giants Causeway is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and is its premier tourist attraction.

Notable holidays and Events in Northern Ireland: St. Patrick's Day (17 March), Ulster Grand Prix (August), Belfast festival (October) 

Belfast
Approximately 15% of Northern Ireland's 1.7 million population live in the capital city, Belfast. The city has a vibrant and revitalised cultural life that celebrates its proud heritage with developments such as the titanic quarter, visitor attractions and arts festivals.