Britons have been frantically googling “What is the EU?” in the hours since the results of the historic referendum were announced.
Google said the search term was its second most popular EU-related question in the UK following the shock triumph of the Leave campaign.
Eight hours after the polls closed, the internet giant also reported that searches for “What happens if we leave the EU?” had more than tripled.
The run-up to the vote was marked by a bitterly divided campaign centred on fears over immigration and the global economy.
But Google’s trends suggest that UK internet users were not only mystified by what would happen if Britain backed Brexit - many seemed not to know what the European Union actually is.
Other popular questions since the results were announced include "Which countries are in the EU"?, "What will happen now we've left the EU?" and "How many countries are in the EU?".
Another search that saw a huge spike on Google was “How to emigrate”, suggesting disappointed Remain voters are already considering leaving the UK altogether.
Twitter user John Brennan was the first to notice the trend in searches from the UK since the Brexit vote was announced.
