DroopyTofu
Double Bass Double Bass
What is the difference between England, Great Britian, and the United Kingdom? I think England is a section of the United Kingdom, but that's all I've ever been able to figure out.
England/ Great Britian/ UK
- Thread starter DroopyTofu
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mr_lewington
King
The UK is a union of England, Scotland and Northern Ireland into one kingdom, hence the "United Kingdom"
~Corsair#01~
Deity
There are two islands- Ireland and Great Britain. These islands and some of the much smaller islands around them such the Isle of Man are known as the British Isles.
The Irish dislike the name, but no-one cares what they think.
Great Britain contains England in the east, Wales in the west and Scotland in the north. Ireland now contains both Eire (the Irish republic) and Northern Ireland in the north east.
The United Kingdom consists of England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland and (de facto at least) various other semi-independent territories such as Bermuda and Gibraltar. It's flag, the Union Jack contains the flags of England, Scotland and Ireland but not Wales because it's a ridiculous dragon thing which just wouldn't fit.
Any of the other fully-independent countries such as Australia, which share our monarchy, (I'm guessing) would be regarded as separate kingdoms.
The Irish dislike the name, but no-one cares what they think.
Great Britain contains England in the east, Wales in the west and Scotland in the north. Ireland now contains both Eire (the Irish republic) and Northern Ireland in the north east.
The United Kingdom consists of England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland and (de facto at least) various other semi-independent territories such as Bermuda and Gibraltar. It's flag, the Union Jack contains the flags of England, Scotland and Ireland but not Wales because it's a ridiculous dragon thing which just wouldn't fit.
Any of the other fully-independent countries such as Australia, which share our monarchy, (I'm guessing) would be regarded as separate kingdoms.
Verbose
Deity
Actually modern England is the union of England, Wales and Ireland. That was accomplished already by the 15th c. (took a millienium of fighting or so to do, but nevertheless). Wales was not recognised as a legitimate state in the making of the United Kingdom of 1707, only England and Scotland, and neither was Ireland, though it got recognised as the third kingdom in the union in 1784.
Still, the Union Jack is a combination of the Cross of St George, England, and the Cross of St Andrew, Scotland, but there's nothing in it of St Patrick's, Ireland, or St David's, Wales.
~Corsair#01~
Deity
Saint Patrick's cross is included in the present Union Jack (the red diagonals).
I did know that Wales was not included because they were a part of England at the time but I also think the irregularity of their flag is one of the main reasons why they weren't edited in later.
I did know that Wales was not included because they were a part of England at the time but I also think the irregularity of their flag is one of the main reasons why they weren't edited in later.
Disenfrancised
Beep Beep
As Corsair said, Ireland is included and has been for two hundred years. Wales is not included as fitting on a Dragon or a Yellow saltire on a black field would have been really tricky and wales wasn't important enough for anyone to bother
. Also your wrong about Wales and Ireland - it wasn't recognised as a Legitimate Kingdom, being considered only a principality, but had its own legal existence. Ireland has been a Kingdom since the 14th century, just in personally union with England with its own legal existence (as a possesion of England) which was why it wasn't mentioned as part of the UK until the act of union.
mr_lewington
King
Isn't Wales more or less assimilated into England?
Traitorfish
The Tighnahulish Kid
Yes there is... Why do you think the red saltire is in there? That was never in the original Union Flag.
As for St. David's Cross that is not, technically, a flag of Wales, nor has it ever been used as such. It is merely the flag of Wales' patron saint.
Wales, having been part of the Kingdom of England since the 1200s, was never actually given a "modern" flag, instead retaining it's old heraldic Dragon flag, the equivalent of the English Three Lions, Scottish Lion Rampant or the Irish Harp.
It's traditional position as a Principality within the Kingdom of England excludes it's inclusion from both the Union Flag and Royal Standard, unlike Scotland and (Northern) Ireland which were independent kingdoms in personal union with England/Britain prior to the Acts of Union.
Pangur Bán
Deconstructed
There isn't really any difference outside the minds of some Scottish, Welsh and Irish Britophiles.
DroopyTofu
Double Bass Double Bass
Thanks for the info, everyone!
No! Why on earth would you think that? Devolution has meant that both Wales and Scotland are less dependent upon England, at least for their own government, than they were a decade ago.
Disenfrancised
Beep Beep
Not at all. As well as the political and linguistic seperation, according to some genetic studies its rather less intermixed with England Scotland or even parts of Ireland are.
GinandTonic
Saphire w/ Schweps + Lime
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How come GB competes at the Olympics not UK with the result that some tiny islands can compete under their own flag?
GinandTonic
Saphire w/ Schweps + Lime
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Because we invented the game and the first international (and the second, third etc etc) were between the home nations. International football started as England v Scotland.
mr_lewington
King
Not culturally of course. I guess i used the wrong term in that. Plotinus, you said that Scotland/Wales are growing less dependant on England, but is Wales still under English Administration?
No, it has its own assembly for internal matters. Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland all got their own parliaments under Blair. They are still governed, overall, by the British parliament at Westminster, so their parliaments are essentially local assemblies that deal with local or internal matters. Ironically, it is only England that lacks a regional assembly of its own, something that many English nationalists are annoyed at (although I can't think what difference they suppose it would make to have one).
RedRalph
Deity
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Oddly enough, the Ireland rugby team represents the entire Island, not just the Republic.
