Whats the difference between Great Brittain, United Kingdom, England, Ireland, Scottland etc?

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David C

You will see from the answers here that even British people are confused by how their country is made up! Great Britain is the larger of the two main islands in the group collectively known as the British Isles. Great Britain is made up of England, Scotland and Wales. The United Kingdom (of Great Britain and Northern Ireland to give it its full title) consists of the aforementioned Great Britain and a small area of Ireland consisting of six counties in the north east of the second island. The rest of this island is the Republic of Ireland which is a separate and independent country. The people in the four main parts of the United Kingdom retain their independent identities as English, Scottish, Welsh and Northern Irish although collectively, we can also call ourselves British and that is what appears on our passports.

This can be confusing and is a situation that is unique in the world but I hope I have explained it to your satisfaction

Edit: For God's sake, people! I have seen "whales" here at least twice. It is a country - "Wales" and not a bloody big fish - sorry - aquatic mammal

guernsey_donkey2

Some of these answers, above, are scary if they're from folk living in the UK.

Fortnum

What?! Umm, because they're different countries, perhaps...

Are you American?

By the way, to pre-empt your next question, Austria, Germany, France and Portugal are more confusing terms for that big place you think of as 'Europe'. Silly, aren't they, all having different names for that big land mass that 'isn't America'. Just confuses matters, doesn't it.

nitebearer

Ok Great Britain is the main island and the smaller ones around it incorporating England, Wales, Scotland.
England, Wales and Scotland and Northern Ireland make up the United Kingdom.

All four are independent countries sort of under one sovereign with each having its own parliament for running things.

Ireland is a separate country from the rest. Only Northern Ireland is part of the UK.

funkybass

Places where you get an education.

Bambi

No offence but I can't believe you don't know that England, Scotland, Wales and NORTHERN Ireland are all different countries, and together they make up the United Kingdom.
BE VERY CAREFUL about confusing Northern Ireland and Ireland. That's basically what all the troubles were about.

LottyBetty

I'm guessing most of the people answering this aren't British as they don't have a clue!
England, Scotland and Wales are all different countries that happen to all be on the same island - Britain.
The United Kingdom is England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. We all have the same government although the countries have their own parliaments. Laws can vary slightly between each nation. Southern Ireland isn't part of the UK, they have independence.
This is a map to show where each country is http://kmike.com/country/map/uk-map.gif

ADD Some of the Answers here are really good and some are just scary! I really hope that it isn't British people with the ridiculous answers. Do they not teach Geography in schools anymore?

Katie F

Bloody hell- some of these answers are shocking.

A word of advice to you; if you want people in the UK to give you a real answer, try asking this at a time when we're awake. It's nearly 3am here at the moment.

OK here goes:

England= country
Wales= country
Scotland = country (one t, not two)
Northern Ireland= country
Eire/ Ireland= country

Right:

Britain is the mainland containing England, Wales and Scotland. England shares a west border with Wales and a north border with Scotland.

UK is Britain plus Northern Ireland (so England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland)

Eire/ Ireland is NOT part of the UK. The top region of the island is Northern Ireland, and this is a part of the UK.

I'm English, British, from the UK, European and an Earthling, from smallest to largest.

Awilde

Well you're spelling half of them wrong lol. UK is all of them combined (minus Ireland, plus northern Ireland).

They are considered separate areas because they are all considered to have different origins (historic cultures that influenced the areas known today).

They are all in the United Kingdom however, with England being the largest of the 4.

Learner

Well for a start....Don't pay any attention to the answers that were given by

Josh
just for fun
Ptibbs08
Craigm
and Adam ....They haven't a clue.

There are a couple of answers there that will put you right, but why not just go and read up on it if you are interested.

I will tell you that Ireland is made up of 32 Counties, only 6 of which are now part of the UK. and when you speak of them in connection with The United Kingdom you say Northern Ireland.

dom .

Okay. now concentrate...
Great Britain is a historical term to differentiate from Brittany (in modern-day France) when we shared monarchs. "Great" in this context merely means "big".
The correct term for the archipelago of islands off the north-west European mainland is the United Kingdom: this is made up of England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
The British Isles is the term for these countries, plus the Isle of Mann (between Ireland and England) and the Channel Islands (off the coast of France)
Is that any clearer now?

Dennis J

Great Britain and the United Kingdom includes, England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales.

Northern Ireland recognises itself as part of the UK, the republic of Ireland however is a separate independent country.

tominator1uk

Its not difficult.

Its like a jigsaw.

England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland are the pieces, and together they make up the UK.

This is the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, to give it its full and correct title :--> http://www.map-of-uk.com/images/map-of-uk.gif

The big island on the right is Great Britain (the word Great in this sense refers purely to the size, the biggest of the British Isles.)

Great Britain contains 3 countries, England, Scotland (north of the border shown just north of Carlisle, running west to east across the northern half of GB) and Wales, the bit to the west of England with its capital in Cardiff.

The island to the left, Ireland, is constitutionally divided into the independent and sovereign Republic of Ireland, with its capital in Dublin, and the six counties to the north ("Northern Ireland") being an integral part of the UK.

The United Kingdom is a country which consists of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
Great Britain consists of 3 regions;Scotland, England and Wales.
England, Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland are not countries but the United Kingdom is.

And the rest of Ireland (Not including Northern Ireland) is an independant country (republic of Ireland)

lil miss badass

great britan and the united kingdom are the same thing they consist of the countries england, scotland, wales on 1 island and northern ireland on another island beside it. all four countries are under the rule of the british monarchy. northern ireland shares its island with another country known as the republic of ireland which is not included as a country of great britan or the united kingdom and is under its own rule of the irish government

D.J

they are located in different places found on the map. i advise you try rephrasing your question.

cherry

"Great Britain" refers to three quarters of the "United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland" (UK). It refers only to the largest island within the union.
Politically, "Great Britain" describes the combination of England, Scotland, and Wales, and therefore also includes a number of outlying islands such as the Isle of Wight, Anglesey, the Isles of Scilly, the Hebrides, and the island groups of Orkney and Shetland, but does not include other outlying islands such as the Isle of Man or the Channel Islands.[citation needed].
The United Kingdom is a union[8][9] of four constituent countries: England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales. It is governed by a parliamentary system with its seat of government in London, the capital,

Fairy Nuff

Ok, I know about Scotland and Wales. I know about Great Britain and Ireland.

Where are these new places Great Brittain and Irleand you refer to?

One answerer has even discovered a new continent called aferican.

Just shows you do indeed live and learn. Thanks YA!

Steve H

Great Britain and Ireland are the two islands between the Atlantic Ocean and the North Sea. Great Britain is the larger island, and Ireland is the island to the west of it, but can also refer to the country of Eire.

Wales is the southwestern part of Great Britain
Scotland is the northern part of Great Britain.
England is the southern, and largest, part of Great Britain.
The United Kingdom is the country made up of England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
England, Scotland and Wales used to be seperate countries, but this is no longer the case.

Eire covers the majority of Ireland, but the northermost area is part of the UK.

Vcndg N

scotland!

fashonion

GB is Scotland England and Wales and the people are subjects of the queen.

UK is Scotland England Wales (i.e. GB) and Northern Ireland

Ireland is a Republic. It has a president as leader and the people are citizens.

As to why? History

I think Scotland Wales and Northern Ireland want independence.

nutterorsaintuchoose

right lets put this in plane English
England Ireland Scotland and whales are all different... Ireland +Scotland both have there own Parliaments same as England but they all come under the union jack... we all live in the united kingdom
that's what makes great britain see clear as mud lol

TheOtherOne

From Wiki:

he UK spans the island of Great Britain, the northeast part of the island of Ireland, and many small islands. Northern Ireland is the only part of the UK with a land border, sharing it with the Republic of Ireland.[7]

The United Kingdom is a union[8][9] of four constituent countries: England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales.

reat Britain (Scottish Gaelic: Breatainn MhÃ²r, Welsh: Prydain Fawr, Cornish: Breten Veur, Scots: Graet Breetain) is the larger of the two main islands of the British Isles, the largest island in Europe and the ninth-largest island in the world. Great Britain is also the third most populated island on earth, with a population of 58 million people and is the world's 5th largest economy. It lies to the northwest of Continental Europe, with Ireland to the west, and makes up the largest part of the territory of the country known as the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. It is surrounded by over 1,000[2] smaller islands and islets.
England, Scotland and Wales are mostly situated on the island, along with their capital cities, London, Edinburgh and Cardiff respectively.

12CupsOfCoffee

That depends on the context.

Depending of the context you have to choose either the geographical term or the political term.

Geographically England, Scotland and Wales make up Great Britain. Ireland is the secon largest island of the British Isles.
Politically "The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland" is the sovereign state. The sovereign state is made up from the island of Great Britain and the north-eastern part of the island of Ireland.
England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland are the constituent countries of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.

So it's a question of whether you are talking in geographical or political terms.

dinky

the UK includes England, part of Ireland, Scotland, and Wales
Great Britain includes England, Scotland, Wales

and england, ireland, scotland are all individual countries

dublinjonny

firstly britain is the name of the empire which included various countrys as in aferican

the uk consists of scotland england wales and northern ireland

ireland is an independent republic and has been for over 60 years anyone that says were brittish can go a foook off thats like us calling all you mexicans there was a small matter of an 800 year war for independence ...

madnob

A few miles and the Irish sea,Wales and Scotland adjoin England,but Ireland is separated by the Irish sea and abuts Eire.The four countries together form Great Britain as it used to be known more commonly referred to as the United Kingdom although thanks to Mr Salmon and others not now so United.
Perhaps London should become an autonomy or perhaps a Duchy.

Adam

England, Ireland, Wales and Scotland are all separate countries within Britain.

Alie S.

Great Britain, United Kingdom, and England are all the same. Ireland and Scotland are different countries.

Thomas T

Nothing! Absolutely nothing! There is no real difference between anything in this world. What is the difference between America, Asia, Africa, Europe or Australia? They are all parts that form our planet just like we are all parts of this world no matter how different something looks from certain perspective.

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