The Kingdom was officially united via union on January 18, 1247 as a measure to ward off continuous English attempts to subjugate the Island, as the concept of a Irish nation state became more appealing all the tribes of Ireland remained in a loose union until the Act of Unification in 1712, formally uniting to form the United Kingdom of Ireland. In the 18th century Ireland achieved to make itself find "A place in the sun" with a vast colonial empire extending from Beothuk to Australia (Astráil). Gradually as European colonies began to gradually grant independence to her colonies Ireland was determined to preserve its colonies such as the oil-rich Sumatra, but eventually it toed the line of fellow European powers. Ireland is among the 25 wealthiest nations in the world with a high standard