United Kingdom has the world’s sixth-largest economy by nominal GDP The UK consists of four countries: England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland. The United Kingdom was the largest empire in history. British influence can be observed in the language, culture, and legal systems of many of its former colonies. The United Kingdom is a developed country and has the world’s sixth-largest economy by nominal GDP. The country is considered to have a high-income economy and is categorized as very high in the Human Development Index, currently ranking 14th in the world. It was the world’s first industrialized country and the world’s foremost power during the 19th and early 20th centuries. The UK remains a great power with considerable economic, cultural, military, scientific, and political influence internationally.