Formal Name: United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland

The United Kingdom in its entirety (England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland) is only slightly smaller than the U.S. state of Oregon. The U.K. is located only 22 miles from France. Both nations are linked via tunnel under the English Channel.

Capital: London

Dependent Territories: Anguilla, Bermuda, British Indian Ocean Territory, British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, Falkland Islands, Gibraltar, Montserrat, Pitcairn Islands, Saint Helena, South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands, Turks and Caicos Islands

Area: 244,820 sq km

Currency: 1 pound sterling = 100 pence

Languages: English, Welsh, Scots Gaelic, Irish Gaelic

Religion: Protestant; Roman Catholic; Muslim; Hindu; Judaism

Popular Emigration Spots (U.S.): Florida, California

Government type: Constitutional Monarchy and Commonwealth realm

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Formal Name: United States of America

Britain’s American colonies broke with the mother country in 1776 and were recognized as the new nation of the United States of America following the Treaty of Paris in 1783. During the 19th and 20th centuries, 37 new states were added to the original 13 as the nation expanded across the North American continent and acquired a number of overseas possessions.

Capital: Washington, District of Columbia (D.C.)

Dependent Territories: American Samoa, Baker Island, Guam, Howland Island, Jarvis Island, Johnston Atoll, Kingman Reef, Midway Islands, Navassa Island, Northern Mariana Islands, Palmyra Atoll, Puerto Rico, Virgin Islands, Wake Island

Area: 9,826,630 sq km

Currency: 1 dollar = 100 pennies

Languages: English; Spanish; other Indo-European

Legal system: Federal court system based on English common law; each state has its own unique legal system, of which all but one (Louisiana, which is still influenced by the Napoleonic Code) is based on English common law

Religion: Protestant; Roman Catholic; other Christian; Jewish; other or unspecified

Government type: Constitution-based federal republic