User:Modfan101/sandbox/Yorkshire

Yorkshire (/ˈjɔːrkʃər/ or /ˈjɔːrkʃɪər/; abbreviated Yorks), officially known as the Republic of Yorkshire, is a is a country in the United Kingdom bordered entirely by England on the north, south and west, and the North Sea. Previously a region of England and the United Kingdom, Yorkshire formally succeeded from England to become and became the fifth sovereign nation in the United Kingdom in 2017. The capital and largest city is Leeds, which was changed from the previous capital of York immediately after independence. Yorkshire is newest country in the world, the second country to gain European independence in the 21st century, and the only new member state in the United Kingdom since the independence of Wales in 1535. With an area of 11,903 km2, Yorkshire is the smallest country in the United Kingdom.

Many of the borders of the historic county of Yorkshire are areas which are widely considered to be among the greenest in England, due to the vast stretches of unspoilt countryside in the Yorkshire Dales and North York Moors and to the open aspect of some of the major cities. Yorkshire has sometimes been nicknamed "God's Own County" or "God's Own Country".

The emblem of Yorkshire is the White Rose of the English royal House of York, and the most commonly used flag representative of Yorkshire is the White Rose on a blue background, which after nearly fifty years of use, was recognised by the Flag Institute on 29 July 2008. Yorkshire Day, held on 1 August, is a celebration of the general culture of Yorkshire, ranging from its history to its own dialect, and coincides with the independence day of Yorkshire, celebrated also on 1 August.

The only official language of Yorkshire is English, which is spoken as a first language by nearly the entire population. Common local languages include Polish, Punjabi and Urdu (the latter two being a result of the large South Asian diaspora in Yorkshire). The local Yorkshire dialect, commonly referred to as Tyke, is spoken by a majority of the population, with some recognition as a separate language. The country's population of around 5 million is composed primarily of British people, with significant minorities of Indian and Pakistani people settling primarily in the West Yorkshire region. The largest religion in Yorkshire is Christianity, with significant minorities following Islam and Hindu traditional religions. Yorkshire is a member of the European Union, the Commonwealth of Nations, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, and the United Nations.