The United Kingdom will exit the European Union after 43 years, as a majority of British voters chose "leave" over "remain" in the country's EU referendum on Thursday.

Tallies showed a 52 percent to 48 percent split for leaving . The result plunged Britain into an uncertain future, with both serious and immediate political and economic ramifications.

The "leave" campaign took a surprising early lead hours after the polls closed, and edged further ahead as the counting continued. With "leave" leading, the British pound plummeted to the lowest in 31 years, the The Associated Press reported. U.S. financial markets were expected to open sharply lower.

"The dawn is breaking on an independent United Kingdom," said Nigel Farage, the anti-EU leader of the U.K. Independence Party. "Let June 23 go down in our history as our independence day."

The U.K. will now enter into a two-year negotiation with the EU on how its exit will be handled, although it could take even longer. The country is bracing for market turmoil and a potential large scale depreciation in the value of the British pound.

Prime Minister David Cameron, who urged Britons to remain," announced he would resign later this year following the vote.