A map of Great Britain

Belfast is the capital and largest city of Northern Ireland, standing on the banks of the River Lagan on the east coast. It is the 12th-largest city in the United Kingdom and the second-largest on the island of Ireland. It had a population of 343,542 as of 2019. Belfast suffered greatly in the Troubles: in the 1970s and 1980s it was one of the world's most dangerous cities, with a homicide rate around 31 per 100,000.

Edinburgh is the capital of Scotland and one of its 32 council areas. Historically part of the county of Midlothian. it is located in Lothian on the Firth of Forth's southern shore. Recognised as the capital of Scotland since at least the 15th century, Edinburgh is the seat of the Scottish Government, the Scottish Parliament and the supreme courts of Scotland. The city's Palace of Holyroodhouse is the official residence of the monarch in Scotland. The city has long been a centre of education, particularly in the fields of medicine, Scots law, literature, philosophy, the sciences and engineering. It is the second largest financial centre in the United Kingdom (after London) and the city's historical and cultural attractions have made it the United Kingdom's second most visited tourist destination attracting 4.9 million visits including 2.4 million from overseas in 2018.

Flag of the United KingdomJump to navigationJump to seThe history, current status and nomenclature of the Union Jack, and its use other than as a flag for the United Kingdom, are covered more fully under the article Union Jack.United Kingdom ofGreat Britain and Northern IrelandNameUnion Jack, Union Flag, British flag, UK flagUseNational flag Proportion1:2Adopted1 January 1801; 220 years agoDesignA white-fimbriated symmetric red cross on a blue field with a white-fimbriated counterchanged saltire of red and white.Variant flag of the United Kingdom ofGreat Britain and Northern Ireland UseCivil ensign Proportion1:2DesignA red field with the Union Flag in the canton. See Red Ensign.Variant flag of the United Kingdom ofGreat Britain and Northern Ireland UseState ensign Proportion1:2DesignA blue field with the Union Flag in the canton. See Blue Ensign.Variant flag of the United Kingdom ofGreat Britain and Northern Ireland UseNaval ensign Proportion1:2DesignA symmetric red cross on a white field with the Union Flag in the canton. See White Ensign.Variant flag of the United Kingdom ofGreat Britain and Northern Ireland UseAir force ensignProportion1:2DesignA field of air force blue with the Union Flag in the canton and the RAF roundel in the middle of the fly.The national flag of the United Kingdom is the Union Jack, also known as the Union Flag. The design of the Union Jack dates back to the Act of Union 1801 which united the Kingdom of Great Britain and the Kingdom of Ireland (previously in personal union) to create the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland. The flag consists of the red cross of Saint George (patron saint of England), edged in white, superimposed on the Cross of St Patrick (patron saint of Ireland), which are superimposed on the Saltire of Saint Andrew (patron saint of Scotland). Wales is not represented in the Union Flag by Wales's patron saint, Saint David, because the flag was designed while Wales was part of the Kingdom of England. The flag's standard height-to-length proportions are 1:2.The war flag variant used by the British Army has proportions 3:5.