The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, commonly known as the British Empire, United Kingdom (UK) or simply Britain, is a sovereign state located off the north-western coast of continental Europe. The country includes the island of Great Britain (a term sometimes also loosely applied to the whole state), the island of Ireland, and many smaller islands. The UK is surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean, with the North Sea in the east, the English Channel in the south and the Irish Sea in the west.