England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest of England and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. England is separated from continental Europe by the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south. The country covers five-eighths of the island of Great Britain, which lies in the North Atlantic, and includes over 100 smaller islands, such as the Isles of Scilly and the Isle of Wight.

Illinois is a state in the United States. It is bordered to the north by Wisconsin, to the west by Iowa and below that, by Missouri (both borders are along the Mississippi River). To the south-east, Illinois is bordered along the Ohio River by Kentucky and to the east by Indiana. Illinois' northeasternmost boundary is to Lake Michigan.