England, Great Britain, the British Isles and the United Kingdom… Identifying the difference between these three definitions can cause confusion even among Britons.
The archipelago off the northwest coast of Europe has a long list of terms that refer to different areas, both geographically and politically, but has a common history. But what do these different terms mean? Once you read this article, you will never see England as England again!
United Kingdom vs Great Britain: What’s the difference?
Great Britain, or Britain for short, is not a country, but an island made up of England, Scotland, and Wales. It is called ‘The Great’ because it is the largest island in the British Isles.
Great Britain consists of England, Scotland, and Wales, while the island of Ireland consists of Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland.
While Great Britain consists of three countries, Northern Ireland is also found within the United Kingdom. In other words, when the United Kingdom is mentioned, England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland are represented.
However, to confuse matters, as Britannica points out, the term Britain can also sometimes be used to refer to the United Kingdom as a whole.
British Isles
Identifying the difference between Great Britain, the British Isles and the United Kingdom can cause confusion even among Britons. The chart below can help you understand the main differences:
The British Isles is a geographical term used to refer to an island group of more than 6,000 islands. “The group consists of two main islands, Great Britain and Ireland, and a number of smaller islands and island groups, including the Hebrides, Shetland Islands, Orkney Islands, Isles of Scilly, and Isle of Man,” says Britannica. It can include the Islands.”
Great Britain countries: England – Wales – Scotland
According to the UK Constitution, the UK Parliament, made up of the House of Commons and the House of Lords in London, is the “highest legal authority that can create or end any law”. However, Wales and Scotland both have parliaments with some degree of autonomy. While the English and Welsh legal systems are interconnected, both Wales and Scotland can create their own laws.
For example, the drink-driving limit and legal hours for purchasing alcohol are stricter in Scotland than in England and Wales. According to the Scottish Parliament, arson and manslaughter do not exist as crimes in Scotland, where they are retroactively referred to as intentional incendiary setting and murder.
Other countries of the British Isles: Northern Ireland – Republic of Ireland
Ireland is an island in the west of Great Britain, separated by the North Channel. The island is the second largest island in the geographical area of the British Isles after Great Britain.
It consists of two countries: Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. Northern Ireland forms part of the United Kingdom, which is no longer part of the European Union.
The Republic of Ireland, on the other hand, is a fully independent country and remains one of the 27 members of the EU bloc.
The entire island of Ireland was part of England from 1801 to 1922.
IN SUMMARY: GREAT BRITAIN, BRITISH ISLANDS, UNITED KINGDOM AND ENGLAND
- Great Britain: Island consisting of England, Scotland and Wales on the northwest coast of mainland Europe.
- United Kingdom: A collection of countries that includes England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
- British Isles: A geographic term that refers to a group of more than 6,000 islands, including Britain, the island of Ireland, and the Channel Islands.
- England: Country that borders Scotland and Wales, which together form Great Britain and form part of the United Kingdom.
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