UK composition. Modern administrative divisions of Great Britain Administrative divisions of England
The United Kingdom is divided into 2 administrative and political parts: Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
Great Britain in turn consists of England, Scotland and Wales.
England includes 9 regions, 6 metropolitan counties, 28 non-metropolitan counties, 55 unitary units, Greater London with 32 boroughs, the City of London and the Isles of Celia, united into 48 ceremonial counties. The capital of both the region and the entire country is London.
The territory of Wales is divided into 9 counties, 3 cities and 10 city-counties. Despite the fact that unitary units have different names, they are all equal. The capital of the region is Cardiff. 
Scotland is divided into 32 regions with the capital in Edinburgh, and the territory of Northern Ireland is represented by 6 counties and 26 districts with the capital in Belfast.
Since 1801, the territorial and administrative division of the United Kingdom has been slightly different, then it also included Ireland, which announced its secession from the British Crown in 1922.
Separately, it is worth noting such regions as the Isle of Man and the Channel Islands, which, although not formally part of the Kingdom, have sovereignty, their own legislative systems, and on the Isle of Man even a taxation system. The British Crown guarantees the security of these regions and represents their interests internationally arena.
If we approach the internal division of the United Kingdom from a historical point of view, the territory of the island state is divided into the following large parts: Northern Ireland, Northern Scotland, Southern Scotland, North East, North West, Yorkshire and the Humber region, East Midlands, West Midlands, Wales, East Anglia, South East, South West and Greater London area. 
Scotland
There is another division of Britain into counties of 72 pieces. It is noteworthy that the name of the county must be indicated in the postal address in abbreviated form. A list of generally accepted abbreviations is available at any post office.
Each country in the United Kingdom has its own system of administrative and geographical divisions, which often predate the establishment of the state of Great Britain. Accordingly, “there is no standard level of administrative unit linking the whole of Great Britain.” Until the 19th century, there were virtually no changes to the old divisions, but then a constant evolution of roles and functions began. However, these changes were not universal, and the further devolution of powers to Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland means that they are unlikely to be universal in the future.
The organization of local government in England is very complex, with the distribution of functions depending on local regulations. The legal framework regarding English government is set by the UK Parliament and Government, as England does not have its own Parliament. The highest level of division of England is the nine government regions or government regions of the European Union. One region, Greater London, has had its own elected assembly and mayor since 2000, following support for the issue in a 1998 referendum. It was intended that other regions would also have their own regional assemblies, but the rejection of one in North East England in a referendum in 2004 stopped the idea. Below the regional level there is either a county council, and then district councils, or unitary councils, while London has its own system of 32 London boroughs. Council members are elected using a majority system.
Local government in Scotland is divided based on the 32 regions of Scotland with large differences in size and population among them. The cities of Glasgow, Edinburgh, Aberdeen and Dundee are separate areas, as is the Highland, which covers a third of Scotland but has a population of just over 200,000 people. Local government rights are administered by elected deputies, who now number 1,222 and receive part-time salaries. Elections are held using a single non-transitional vote system and elect three or four deputies, who then elect a chairman who chairs the meetings and speaks on behalf of the entire region.
The Welsh Government is made up of 22 unitary entities, including Cardiff, Swansea and Newport, each of which is a separate entity. Elections are held every 4 years using a majoritarian system. Northern Ireland has been divided into 26 regions since 1973. Their rights are limited to service functions only, such as garbage collection, pet control, and park maintenance. On March 13, 2008, it was decided to create 11 new districts and replace the existing system. The next local elections were canceled until 2011 to organize the new system.
The article gives an understanding of which territories are part of Great Britain and answers the question of what causes this. The material contains interesting facts about the historical formation of the state. It becomes clear what historical period became a turning point in the development of the country, and Great Britain emerged as a well-known world power.
What parts does the United Kingdom consist of?
Great Britain is a Western European power, localized in the British Isles and separated from Europe (mainland) by the North Sea and two straits.
The United Kingdom of Great Britain includes:
- England;
- Scotland;
- Wales;
- Northern Ireland.
The latter occupies only the northern part of the island of Ireland.
The Isle of Man is located in the Irish Sea.
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The total area of the state is 244 thousand square meters. km.
The country is briefly called the United Kingdom, also Great Britain or Britain. The head of state is Queen Elizabeth II, who serves as the reigning monarch.
Rice. 1. Portrait of Queen Elizabeth II.
The United Kingdom took quite a long time to form. In the Middle Ages, on the territory of the current state there were only a number of small states-principals. In the 11th century, a feudal state with individual governance was already formed on the site of present-day Great Britain.
Rice. 2. Division of Great Britain on the map.
If we disassemble the United Kingdom of Great Britain into its “component” parts, we get the following picture: England is the historical basis of the entire kingdom; Scotland is a territory that the English have long fought for; the Principality of Wales - the original territory of residence of the Welsh; Northern Ireland is a region characterized by proactive separatist sentiments.
The Irish Republican Army operates in Northern Ireland, which has as its main goal isolation from the United Kingdom.
This gives a quick idea of how many countries there are in the UK.
Crown lands
Today, almost one and a half dozen small territories are under the sovereignty of Great Britain (14). The Queen of England is still the official ruler of the 16 states of the Commonwealth.
Britain includes the “crown lands” - the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man.
Crown lands are property of the British Crown that is not included in the United Kingdom, but is not a foreign territory. Crown lands have not had colonial status throughout their history.
Each such territory has individual license plates and a personal postal code.
For example, the Isle of Man postal service issues its own stamps, which are purchased with great pleasure by collectors and amateur philatelists.
Rice. 3. Isle of Man, postage stamps.
Some crown territories mint their own coins and issue paper money. They are not recognized as legal tender in the UK, but are often accepted as payment in many establishments in the country.
What have we learned?
We found out exactly how to understand the principle of territorial division of the United Kingdom of Great Britain. We found out which countries are directly part of Great Britain. We became familiar with the concept of “crown lands”. We received interesting information regarding these territories. They realized that formally Great Britain owns not only the territories that are part of the United Kingdom.
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One of the largest countries in Europe, Great Britain has a complex administrative-territorial division, which is based on the principles of a unitary state. The first stage of this division is the two main regions of Great Britain, otherwise called the historical provinces - Great Britain and Northern Ireland. Great Britain is divided into England, which occupies just over half the territory of the entire country, Scotland, located on one third of the state's area, and Wales, whose mountains account for only a tenth of the United Kingdom.
The further territorial division of the country looks much more complicated and represents the following system:
- In England there are 9 regions, each of which has several counties and unitary units.
- Wales includes 9 counties, three cities and a dozen county-cities.
- The structure of Scotland is the simplest, and it consists of only 32 regions.
- Northern Ireland has 6 counties and 26 districts in the lists of territorial-administrative units.
Leafing through a geographical atlas
Reading the names of the regions of Great Britain, you can come across many familiar names. For example, the city of Cambridge in the East Anglia region is a famous place where the best universities not only in the country, but throughout the Old World are concentrated. Manchester in North-West England is the birthplace of a football club that no football fan would refuse to appreciate playing on its home field.
The city of Southampton in Hampshire is famous for its preserved medieval walls made of Norman limestone, and the historical part of Scottish Edinburgh is included in the UNESCO World Heritage List as the most significant monument of ancient architecture.
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Each of the regions of Great Britain has its own characteristics and historical attractions, and any of the four regions of the country is recognizable thanks to its own traditions in architecture, national costume and even cooking.
Scotland is an indispensable color check on kilt skirts and excellent quality whiskey. Wales can surprise even those who do not like chivalric romances, because the number and beauty of its ancient castles leave no doubt that those times and customs were wonderful. Northern Ireland captivates with its famous Irish stew and landscapes dominated by all shades of green. And finally, England will leave no doubt that unshakable traditions are not always boring, but, on the contrary, exciting, educational and interesting.
