uk codes ? darn confussed

"The United Kingdom" is a political description, referring to the sovereign state/constitutional monarchy which comprises the geographical components of England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

"The British Isles" is a geographical description, which includes all of that and the Southern part of Ireland as well (which is a separate country, called Eire, but also confusingly sometimes known as "Ireland").

"Great Britain" (also a geographical term) is the largest island of "The British Isles" and includes England, Scotland and Wales, but not any part of Ireland. Northern Ireland, therefore, is not part of "Great Britain" though even some of the people who live in Great Britain imagine that it is. (I think everyone who lives in Northern Ireland knows that it isn't, though!).

"Britain" is an ambiguous word, which people can use to refer to either "The British Isles" or to "Great Britain".

"Ireland" can also be used in two different ways, to refer to either Eire (political description of the sovereign state) or to the second-largest of the British Isles (geographical description of the island comprising both Northern Ireland and Eire).

Confusing, but the confusions are easily avoided, if people will just stop saying "Britain" and "Ireland" without specifying exactly what they're referring to and whether it's meant in a geographical or in a political/sovereign context. :p

England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland and Eire are all further subdivided into "counties".

Did that explanation make it better, or worse?

Well Great Britain is an Island.

And Ireland is another Island.

And on GB there are 2 Kingdoms. England, Scotland and a Principality called Wales.

Wales was basically merged into the Kingdom of England by Henry VIII.

And on Ireland there is Ireland and Northern Ireland since the split early last century.

When Scotland and England United in 1707 they were called the United Kingdoms of Great Britain.

In 1801 the Kingdom of Ireland was merged with the existing UK to become The United Kingdoms of Great Britain and Ireland.

Then there was a Civil War in Ireland and the South split from the UK and Northern Ireland remained.

So that is why it is called The United Kingdoms of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.

Make sense?

The UK and GB are two different things.

Codes for Britain are GBR or GB but most people here would just write GB as in Team GB which will compete in the Olympics.

To be honest I write UK ar GB but I never really think about Northern Ireland when I do this and most people in England don't which probably annoys the Irish in NI.

Anyway, the Countries are split into Counties most of which end in -shire which is where Sheriff come from. We don't use that anymore but US does.

I live in Berkshire which I pronounce as Barkshur. Americans tend to say Burkshiyer.

Why on earth they would pronounce it as it is written beats me.

Any good to you?

Dan

I never thought of, or considered, scotland to be part of britain.

GBR, or GB, is REALLY DIFFERENT from the UK. UK refers to a kingdom of which britain is only a PART!

SERIOUSLY, The UK is like the US where GB might be like delmarva(delaware, maryland, and Virginia which surround and partially comprise washington DC). Ireland, scotland, etc... could be seen almost like states in the US. And state IS an english word that may be translated as a sovereign country.

BTW the US is larger than most know. It DOES have several possessions around the world. They are semi sovereign countries, almost like canada is to the UK. They are generally able to, and responsible to, do what they need, and have their own governments BUT, although the people are considered citizens of their respective countries, and only able to vote, etc... there, the OTHER government has some high degree of authority. The president of the US, for example, is the president of GUAM, a US possession. The queen of england is the queen of canada.

Steve

I had a tough time understanding these and then downloading it to my trainees!