The United Kingdom is one of the most culturally diverse countries on Earth, peopled by four main native nationalities, plus later arrivals from all over the world. The United Kingdom consists of Great Britain (England, Scotland and Wales), plus the six counties of Northern Ireland. The Isle of Man and the Channel Islands (principally Jersey and Guernsey) are also parts of the British Isles, but somewhat confusingly not officially part of the UK. Topographically, the British mainland is broadly divisible into two main regions: the relatively low-lying south and the highland regions of the north and west. Scotland, Wales, and the northern areas of England occupy the latter, which are in general much more sparsely populated than the more prosperous southeast of England.
London is perennially the principal British attraction for overseas visitors.
Wales adjoins England to the west, and offers, in addition to its populous southern cities, a diverse range of historic castles, spectacular coastline and impressive mountain landscapes. The majority of Scotland's population lives in the busy central belt, a lowland region in which the main centres of Glasgow, Stirling, and the Scottish capital, Edinburgh. Halfway to Ireland in the Irish Sea sits the Isle of Man, a scenic island with Norse traditions. And west again is Northern Ireland, whose vibrant capital Belfast is a lively option for the visitor.