Final answer:
The Security Council of the United Nations consists of 15 member states, with five permanent members (the US, UK, France, Russia, and China) having veto power, and ten rotating non-permanent members elected for two-year terms.
Step-by-step explanation:
The Security Council is one of the primary bodies of the United Nations, responsible for maintaining global peace and security. The council is comprised of 15 member states, which includes five permanent members and ten non-permanent members. The permanent members, often referred to as the Permanent Five or P5, are the United States, United Kingdom, France, Russia, and the People's Republic of China (PRC). These members were the victors of World War II and are the main architects of the UN. Each of the P5 has veto power, allowing any one of them to block a resolution even if all other members agree on it. The ten non-permanent members are elected for two-year terms by the General Assembly, providing representation for other member states within the UN. This structure has been in place since the founding of the UN in 1945, and there has been discussion about potentially reforming the Security Council to better reflect the current international community.