The Kingdom of Great Britain, officially Great Britain, is a sovereign state in western Europe from May 1, 1707 to December 31, 1800.
The state comes into being following the Treaty of Union in 1706, ratified by the Acts of Union 1707, which unites the kingdoms of England and Scotland to form a single kingdom encompassing the whole island of Great Britain and its outlying islands.
It does not include Ireland, which remains a separate realm.
The unitary state is governed by a single parliament and government that is based in Westminster.
The former kingdoms had been in personal union since James VI, King of Scots, became King of England and King of Ireland in 1603 following the death of Queen Elizabeth I, bringing about a "Union of the Crowns".
Also after the accession of George I to the throne of Great Britain in 1714, the kingdom is in a personal union with the Electorate of Hanover.
The early years of the unified kingdom are marked by Jacobite risings thart end in defeat for the Stuart cause at Culloden in 1746.
Later on in 1763, victory in the Seven Years' War leads to the dominance of the British Empire, which is to become the foremost global power for over a century and later grew to become the largest empire in history.
On January 1, 1801, the kingdoms of Great Britain and Ireland are merged to form the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland.
In 1922, five-sixths of Ireland secedes and the state is renamed the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland – a title it has retained to date.
