The United Kingdom, also called the UK, is a group of islands off the coast of the country of Europe. Its closest neighbour on the continent is France. It is a unique country made of four parts: England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. In the UK there are many high mountains, beautiful lakes and long rivers. Most of the seas and oceans around the UK are deep. About 5,000 years ago the country was covered with thick forests but today only about 10 per cent of the land is forest.