'What is the EU?' Google searches spike in U.K. after historic vote

Flags fly outside Europe House, the European Parliament's British offices, in central London, with European flag, right, and Britain's Union flag, Tuesday June 21, 2016. (Lauren Hurley / PA via AP)

Hours after the United Kingdom's citizens voted to leave the European Union, it would appear many of them still don't have a firm grasp on what they've done, according to Google.

The search engine company released several lists on its Google Trends website Friday, showing what people were looking up on the day of the historic vote. According to Google Trends, many in the U.K. were mystified about the implications of the vote, which prompted them to ask questions like "What does it mean to leave the EU," and "What will happen now that we've left the EU?"

However, a few of the more common search terms clearly suggest that residents of the U.K. aren't fully up to speed on what they voted for, despite a reported voter turnout of 72 per cent. According to Google Trends, the second-most searched term was simply: "What is the EU?"

Google Trends revealed a number of other online responses to the vote, including a spike in searches for obtaining an Irish passport, and a surge in questions about buying gold in the face of a dip in the value of the British pound. Google said interest in the pound was at its highest ever on the search engine.