Is the UK one country or four

are scotland, wales, n. ireland, and england considered "COUNTRIES" by themselves?
or are they just states?

is the UK a country? If it's not a country, what the hell is it?

The UK is one country. Wales (Hah!...Corgis...), England, Northern Ireland, and Scotland are more like provinces. It's sort of how like Canada has Ontario, Saskatchewan, Quebec, etc.