Map of the UK: Free KS2 Geography Worksheet on the Four Nations and Capitals

What is on the worksheet

One clear outline map of the United Kingdom, with the borders between England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland drawn in. The whole island of Ireland is shown, so children can see that Northern Ireland shares it with the Republic of Ireland. Each capital is marked with a dot and its name in small print, and Dublin is shown too. Eight numbered markers sit on the four nations and on the North Sea, Irish Sea, English Channel and Atlantic Ocean, with a word bank and a line for each answer.

Thin lines inside England show its regions, such as the North East and the South West. Tell children these are not separate countries, so the whole of England gets one colour. The regions are a useful starting point for the KS2 work on regions, counties and cities.

How to use it at home or in the classroom

Print the worksheet, or open it on a tablet and print from there. Start with the labelling. Children find each nation and the capital dot inside it, then write both names on the line, for example "Scotland – Edinburgh". The seas come next: a good clue is that the English Channel is the narrow strip of sea between England and France. Colour the nations last.

To stretch upper-KS2 pupils, cover the word bank and ask them to recall the answers from memory, then add a few major cities, such as Manchester, Birmingham, Glasgow and Swansea, and rivers, such as the Thames and the Severn, with an atlas. It pairs well with an atlas, a wall map or an online map for checking.

What your child will learn

By the end of the activity, your child should be able to name and locate the four nations of the United Kingdom and match each to its capital city: London is the capital of England, Edinburgh of Scotland, Cardiff of Wales and Belfast of Northern Ireland.

They will also firm up the distinction between the United Kingdom, Great Britain and the British Isles, and understand that the UK is a single sovereign state made up of four nations. Secure knowledge of the UK map underpins the wider KS2 locational work on counties, cities, regions and the physical and human characteristics of places.

A note for teachers

This worksheet supports the Key Stage 2 geography programme of study for locational knowledge, which asks pupils to name and locate counties and cities of the United Kingdom, its geographical regions and their identifying human and physical characteristics. Naming the four nations, capitals and surrounding seas on a map is a foundational recall task that sits beneath that wider objective and is a useful starting point or recap before studying regions and counties in more depth.

A point worth clarifying with pupils: the United Kingdom comprises England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland; Great Britain is the largest island, holding only England, Scotland and Wales; and the British Isles is the wider archipelago, including the whole island of Ireland. The map shows the Republic of Ireland for context, but it is a separate country and not part of the UK. There is no log-in and no watermark. You are welcome to print copies for your class and to link to this page from your school website or newsletter.

Frequently asked questions