Favorite Thing: What Are We?
The facts are:
Great Britain = England, Scotland and Wales, the 3 contiguous nations of the main island. Legislative union between Scotland and England & Wales was in 1707.
King James I (King James VI of Scotland) had styled himself "King of Great Britain" when he acceded to the throne of England and Wales in 1603.
Edward I had completed the conquest of "Wales" and Wales was united to England under Henry VIII, by two Acts of Parliament in 1536 and again in 1543
The British Isles is a geographical term to describe the main island of Great Britain together with Ireland and associated islands, and has no legal significance.
United Kingdom = England, Scotland and Wales, together with the province of Northern Ireland. These 4 form the country officially known as "
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland" or simply the United Kingdom.
The United Kingdom came into being in 1801 following the Irish Union, although the greater part of Ireland gained independence in 1921 to form the Irish Republic (or Eire). Northern Ireland remained, and was the subject to many years confrontation and bloodshed.
The present UK Government has devolved some powers to a new Scottish Parliament, and a Welsh Assembly. The Northern Ireland Assembly started but then power had to be returned to the UK Government, the present, temporary (?) situation.
English is the common and dominant language but Wales is bi-lingual (Welsh-English), and minorities speak gaelic in Scotland, (a few speak old Manx in the Isle of Man and Cornish in SW England - remnants of older Celtic languages
Referring to the Nations of Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, as "England" is incorrect and likely to upset many locals. Avoid calling the peoples of these other nations "English".
Though England is the more powerful and dominant of the constituent Nations, and the UK Government is located in London (Westminster), it is but one part of the United Kingdom.
Fondest Memory: Following the recent Assemblies and Parliament for Wales, N. Ireland and Scotland, Northern England is next likely to get additional status and devolved government. It is pointed out that England does not have its own political assembly / parliament, this being subsumed within the UK Government, which it dominates. Northern England, being poorer and provincial feels it is sidelined by London's and "The South's" dominance.
There is no adjective for the "United Kingdom" - the term "British" is generally used (and helps confuse you!), although it should be used carefully in Northern Ireland, where identities are strongly divided (in broad generalities) between "Irish & Catholic" or "British & Protestant". Northern Ireland has suffered a long time under this conflict, so tread carefully, and speak sensitively.
The "United Kingdom" does not include the "Isle of Man" (which lies between Great Britain and Ireland, in the "Irish Sea") and the "Channel Islands" (which lie off the North coast of France). These are direct dependencies of the British Crown, maintaining their own legislative, monetary and taxation systems, (often seen as more favourable to the wealthy). Each have their own parliaments and a Governor, appointed by the Crown.
The "Channel Islands", are the islands of Jersey, Guernsey, Alderney and Sark.
The United Kingdom (including the Channel Islands, but without the Isle of Man) is a member of the European Union. The Isle of Man is not an EU member but maintains free-trade agreements.
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on Aug 19, 2004
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