BRITISH ISLES, GREAT BRITAIN, UNITED KINGDOM, AND ENGLAND: WHAT’S THE DIFFERENCE?
There are many people in the world who get confused by different terms about the geography of this country. Some people use the term “Great Britain” when they refer to “England” or describe “United Kingdom” as the other name of “British Isles”. Well, for people living outside these four areas, it is quite a difficult thing to differentiate those terms. But, some differences can help you to distinguish between those four terms. Let’s start digging in!
- the British Isles
The British Isles is a geographical term to describe a group of islands off the northwestern coast of Europe. It consists of 2 big islands Great Britain and Ireland, as well as 6000 other small islands such as the Isle of Skye, Isle of Man, Isles of Scilly, and the Isle of Wight, also including the island in the English Channel such as Guernsey, Jersey, Sark, and Alderney. The term British Isles is only used on geography and not nationality. Besides, it is a rarely used term as people mostly use the United Kingdom and Ireland to describe that area.
- Great Britain
Great Britain is a geographical term to describe a big island that consists of three countries which are England, Scotland, and Wales. Northern Ireland is not a part of Great Britain as they are located on Ireland island with their neighbor country, The Republic of Ireland. The island’s name is Britain as the word is derived from the word “Britannia” as some part of the island was once under the Roman Empire. It is known as Great Britain as the island is the biggest island on the British Isle. Not only that, the term Great Britain is used to differentiate Brittany, a region in France. It was only until 1707 that the name Great Britain was used to describe the Kingdom of Great Britain, the result of the unification between the Kingdom of England (including Wales) and the Kingdom of Scotland. The Kingdom of Great Britain then disassembled in 1801 when the parliament of Great Britain signed an Act of Union with Ireland.
- United Kingdom
The United Kingdom is a political term to describe the political union of four countries which are England, Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland. Not only those four countries, but also consist of British Overseas Territories, such as Falkland Island and Gibraltar as well as the other 12 BOT. The United Kingdom is also a political unit, as it forms a parliament consisting of those four countries. Therefore in the international forum, the country is not presented as England, Wales, Scotland, or Northern Ireland, but as the United Kingdom. The United Kingdom is governed by the Prime Minister, who is appointed by the Monarchy of the United Kingdom. In 1801, The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland was assembled as an agreement to the Act of Union. Ireland was a part of the United Kingdom until 1922 when Southern Ireland decided to be Independent and is known as the Republic of Ireland until now. The official name was changed to the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. Meanwhile, Wales was a country but was long considered a part of the Kingdom of England, until the end of the 1990s when Wales got its parliament. Some countries are not a part of the United Kingdom but are the responsibility of the United Kingdom such as the Bailiwick of Guernsey, the Bailiwick of Jersey, and the Isle of Man.
- England
England is a country inside the United Kingdom, the island of Great Britain, and the British Isles. It has the largest landmass and most populous nation in the United Kingdom, therefore it is a pivotal place proven by the city of London chosen as the capital of the United Kingdom. Even though it is a country, it is not a sovereign state, as the United Kingdom is a sovereign country. England shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The North Sea is located to the east and the English Channel to the south. Meanwhile, the Irish Sea is located to the northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest.
In conclusion, The British Isles is a group of 6000 islands, including Britain and Ireland. Great Britain is the biggest island in the British Isles, which consist of three countries (England, Scotland, and Wales). The United Kingdom is a sovereign state that includes those three countries in Great Britain plus Northern Ireland. The last one is England which is a country within the United Kingdom. It is confusing when you hear it, but once you understand, it will be easy for you to differentiate those terms. Good luck with memorizing them!
References:
Cunningham, J. M. (n.d.). What’s the difference between great britain and the united kingdom? Encyclopedia Britannica. Retrieved June 23, 2022, from https://www.britannica.com/story/whats-the-difference-between-great-britain-and-the-united-kingdom
Franks, R. (2017, November 4). What’s the difference between great britain and the united kingdom? Culture Trip. Retrieved June 23, 2022, from https://theculturetrip.com/europe/united-kingdom/articles/whats-the-difference-between-great-britain-and-the-united-kingdom/
Johnson, B. (2020, January 22). The UK, britain, great britain, the british isles, england – what’s the difference? Historic UK. Retrieved June 23, 2022, from https://www.historic-uk.com/HistoryUK/HistoryofBritain/The-UK-Great-Britain-Whats-the-Difference/
Ordnance Survey. (2020, March). The difference between UK, great britain and the british isles. Retrieved June 23, 2022, from https://www.ordnancesurvey.co.uk/newsroom/blog/whats-the-difference-between-uk-britain-and-british-isles