Great Britain, also known as the United Kingdom, is an island country located off the northwestern coast of mainland Europe. It is made up of England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland. Great Britain played a significant role in the colonization of the Americas, including the east coast of North America. English settlers established the first permanent English settlement in North America at Jamestown, Virginia, in 1607. They went on to establish other colonies along the east coast, including the Massachusetts Bay Colony, the Plymouth Colony, and the Connecticut Colony. These colonies eventually became part of the United States of America.