The territory of the United Kingdom is made up of more than 4000 islands. So the British have always had to brave the sea, master the oceans to establish economic, cultural and political ties with the rest of the world.

From the Romans to the Vikings, from the Saxons to the Normans, the British Isles lived under the perpetual threat of foreign invasions. Fly over Southampton, Liverpool, Portsmouth or Belfast and you’ll discover the traces of this rich maritime past.
By the 15th century, the country ruled the biggest empire the world had ever known, in large parts thanks to the British merchants and the Royal Navy. England became the undisputed leader in the fields of shipbuilding, maritime innovation, offshore racing and fishing. This heritage has forged its character and its identity of an island nation with a singular destiny.