The Great British Empire (commonly known as 'Britain' or 'the empire') is a sovereign state located off the north-western coast of continental Europe. It spans an archipelago including Great Britain, the island of Ireland, and many smaller islands. The empire has no land borders, and is surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean, the North Sea, the English Channel, and the Irish Sea. The Great British Empire is a constitutional empire and unitary state. It is a country consisting of five states: England, Northern Ireland, Scotland, Wales and Southern Ireland. It is governed by a parliamentary system with its seat of government in the capital city of London. There are five devolved national administrations, with varying powers in Belfast, Cardiff, Edinburgh, Birmingham and Dublin, the respective capi