The British Isles includes two sovereign states , the Republic of Ireland and the United Kingdom , and three dependencies of the British Crown , [1] [2] Guernsey , Jersey and the Isle of Man .
Ireland is a unitary state and a republic. Since 1998, it shares certain common institutions with Northern Ireland , in the United Kingdom, from which it was partitioned in 1921. The United Kingdom is a constitutional monarchy and unitary state [3] comprising England , Scotland , Wales , and Northern Ireland . Also since 1998, the United Kingdom has devolved significant domestic powers (though differing in extent) to administrations in Northern Ireland , Scotland and Wales . Jersey , theIsle of Man , and Guernsey (including its two semi-autonomous territories of Alderney and Sark ), are collectively known as the Crown Dependencies ; The UK is responsible for their defense and international relations on behalf of the British Crown . [4] [5] Read More…