[brit-n] 
| Brit·ain 1 (brĭt'n) The island of Great Britain during pre-Roman, Roman, and early Anglo-Saxon times before the reign of Alfred the Great (871-899). The name is derived from Brittania, which the Romans used for the portion of the island that they occupied. |
| Brit·ain 2 (brĭt'n) Abbr. Br. or Brit. See United Kingdom. |
Officially the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, located on the British Isles off the western coast of the mainland (continent) of Europe. It comprises England, Wales, and Scotland on the island of Great Britain, and Northern Ireland on the island of Ireland. Its capital and largest city is London.
Note: Britain declared war on Germany in 1939. Allied with the United States and the Soviet Union, the British, under the leadership of Winston Churchill, played an important role in defeating Germany.
Note: Most of the settlers of the American colonies were British. The colonies remained under the British crown until the American Revolutionary War.
Note: It is one of the world's leading industrialized nations.
Note: A constitutional monarchy, Britain's government calls for the hereditary king or queen to perform mostly ceremonial functions. Parliament governs the country.
Note: At the height of its imperial power in the late nineteenth century, Britain boasted colonies and possessions around the globe. (See British Empire.)
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