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Lv 7
asked in Arts & HumanitiesHistory · 3 months ago

"United Kingdom", "Kingdom of Great Britain", "Great Britain", "The British Isles", "Britain", "England" can someone explain the difference?

i failed History pretty hardcore. every time i read a description of each of these, it sort of sounds like the same thing, but with minor differences. do they really need half a dozen terms to describe some minor difference i can't even see? it's almost as bad as the United States of America calling itself just "America" or "the United States" or just "U.S.A." or "U.S.".

then compound to that that it was formerly a member of the European Union, which contains several of the countries in Europe, but is somehow different from Europe itself?

it's all very confusing for me  :(

Update:

@Elaine: so British Isles includes the UK? also, you say that Great Britain was used BEFORE the United Kingdom, but you just used it. so is it STILL used?

also, you didn't really explain what they ARE, just what countries they contain. why is there a need to include multiple groups into larger groups? purpose?

Update 2:

also, "etc." is not very helpful.

10 Answers

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  • ?
    Lv 5
    2 months ago

    it's only confusing for YOU because you have a very tiny brain.

  • ?
    Lv 7
    3 months ago

    What capitalgentleman said.

  • 3 months ago

    Instead of bitching and whining on and on, just shut up and read a short explanation of it. It's quite simple. 

  • 3 months ago

    Great Britain - an island, called that to differentiate if from "Little Britain," or Brittany, which is in France

    England/Scotland/Wales - countries on the island of Great Britain

    United Kingdom - the countries on Great Britain combined with Northern Ireland into one big country.  The parts have some autonomy, but the whole acts as a single country for most things.

    British Isles - Great Britain, Ireland, and the other islands in that general area.  The Channel Islands would be included in this.

    Great Britain, and the British Isles are geographical designations, i.e., they name chunks of land.

    The UK, England/Scotland/Wales/Northern Ireland are political ones, i.e., countries, or political entities.

    HOWEVER - many use these terms pretty loosely!  The UK is actually, "the United Kingdom of Great Britain, and Northern Ireland."  People there are called "British."  ALL English, Welsh, Scottish, and northern Irish are also called "British."  Most of the countries are on the island called Great Britain.  Northern Ireland is an exception, being part of the UK, but not on Great Britain.  The Isle of Man, and the Channel Islands are British, i.e, under the British Crown, but are not technically part of the UK.

  • xyzzy
    Lv 7
    3 months ago

    The actual name of the country is The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, The name is usually shorten to United Kingdom or UK, or Great Britain or simply Britain. It is the same as the United States of America, which is called the US, the USA, America or sometimes the States.  The British Isles or the islands of Britain, Ireland, the Channel Island and some other small islands. The UK is made up of the kingdoms of England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Island. The Kingdom of England conquered the other kingdoms and formed a union with them  but the whole thing is often referred to as England.

  • 3 months ago

    Go look at a map. There are geographical differences.

  • Lv 7
    3 months ago

    so i found this picture that helps to put it into perspective:

    https://cdn.britannica.com/41/193441-050-13CCA6B5/...

    i'm still not sure why "Great Britain" is also sometimes called just "Britain", and sometimes "Kingdom of Great Britain", and why it would need to be changed into the United Kingdom later.

    also, i believe that your meant that Ireland was called "Eire", not "Erie". it has actually been called that for a while now. the "Land of Eire".

  • larry1
    Lv 7
    3 months ago

    Yes, it's pretty easy if you just know the history....

    British Isles...is a geography term...meaning the area of Europe we're talking about, being the 2 big islands of Britain and Ireland and all the tiny islands that hang off them.

    England...is the start and the most important country of the British Isles, they have always been 1st, the biggest and always ruled the British Isles and do so today. The other 'countries' (Scotland/ Wales/ Ireland/ N. Ireland) are  minor and except for (Ireland) are all ruled by England from London.

    Great Britain/ Kingdom of Great Britain....Is the island of Britain ruled by England from London and ruling Scotland and Wales too.

    United Kingdom...Is the official current name of... Great Britain...because it also contains Northern Ireland on the island of Ireland. Northern Ireland like Scotland and Wales are all ruled by England from London. The UK flag has the 3 combined crosses of England/ Scotland/ Wales (united) but only united because they and Northern Ireland are all ruled by England.

    Ireland...now officially 'Erie'...is the only independent country in the British Isles other than all ruling England. Since the 1920's after 100's of years of war it's totally independent and free of English rule, but it's population is little and it's land is poor.  

     

  • 3 months ago

    The United Kingdom is an affiliation of the countries of England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland all under the same rule. 

    Britain or Great Britain is the geographical area of the main island that includes Scotland, England and Wales.

    The British Isles, again geographical, refers to Britain and all the islands under British rule, plus Ireland.

  • ?
    Lv 7
    3 months ago

    The British Isles: Ireland, Great Britain, The Hebrides, etc.

    United Kingdom: includes England, Scotland, Wales, and N Ireland.  Act of Union

    England: the part of the island south of Scotland and east of Wales 

    Great Britain: was used before the term United Kingdom

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