The Treaty of Ghent (8 Stat. 218), signed on 24 December 1814, in Ghent (modern-day Belgium), was the peace treaty that ended the War of 1812 between the United States and the United Kingdom. The treaty largely restored relations between the two nations to status quo ante bellum, with no loss of territory either way. The treaty was ratified by the UK on 30 December 1814. Because of the era's slow communications it took weeks for news of the peace treaty to reach the United States; the Battle of New Orleans was fought after it was signed. However the treaty was not in effect until it was ratified by Congress in February, 1815, a month after the battle ended.