IELTS listening British Isles
The difference between UK and Great BritainDo you know the difference between the United Kingdom, England, Great Britain and the British Isles? Which ones include Scotland and Wales? If you don't know, you may misunderstand exactly what an author is writing about. You could also cause offence to people in certain areas by using the wrong word! Show Great BritainGreat Britain refers to the countries of England, Wales and Scotland together. It does not include Northern Ireland and therefore should never be used interchangeably with �UK� � something you see all too often. The United KingdomThe United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, is usually referred to as �the UK�, and it consists of four countries: England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. The adjective to refer to �United Kingdom� is �British�, so we talk about �British citizens�, or �Britons�. The British IslesThis is purely a geographical term � The British Isles consist of Great Britain, Ireland and other (smaller) islands, including the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man. Remember this only refers to geography, not nationality, and while the Republic of Ireland is part of the British Isles, its people are not British � a very important distinction. |