2006-06-26 01:40:06 · 11 answers · asked by tcatalinete 2 in Politics & Government ➔ Politics
maybe so people don't get confused with the UKraine.
2006-06-26 01:43:52 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
It actually uses GBR & NI. In the Olympics the national team is known as Great Britain & Northern Ireland as United Kingdom actually means the United Kingdom of Great Britain & Northern Ireland. This then tends to be shortened by the mainly English run BBC to GBR editing out any credit our small little land may get for medals won. This trend seems to continue on when someone from England wins a medal GBR suddenly becomes England!! If at the same time someone from one of the other three countries happens to win a medal then the GBR title is reinstated. Similarly when an English athlete fails to win a medal or makes an horrifc mistake then the GBR title is reinstated to spread the blame of the useless English person to us as well. This is a mild version of what the English have been doing for centuries ever since the Anglo-Saxons invaded our beautiful Celtic countries infecting them with the blandness of the English 'culture', which as far as i can see was pretty much non-existant before Shakespeare
2006-06-26 08:49:31 · answer #2 · answered by D J 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The Act of Union 1800 merged the Kingdom of Ireland and the Kingdom of Great Britain (itself a merger of England and Wales and Scotland under the Act of Union 1707) to create the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland on 1 January 1801.
The GBR was allocated by the Olympic committee.
2006-06-26 09:45:31 · answer #3 · answered by rp804110 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
GBR stands for 'Great Britain' which is England, Wales and Scotland. The UK is actually the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. I think it's a historical thing, because the UK has only been a political entity since fairly recently (1920s, I think, maybe 1940s) so it has historically been Great Britain, hence GBR.
Great Britain is not the 'true name' - it's the title for this particular island that includes three countries (Wales, England, Scotland) but the correct name for the whole political conglomeration is actually UK.
2006-06-26 08:47:29 · answer #4 · answered by squimberley 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Its full name is the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, GBR seems a reasonable abbreviation I guess.
2006-06-26 09:45:07 · answer #5 · answered by MADCOW_01_98 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The International Olympic Committee allocate three letter codes to each country that competes. So they allocated GBR to the UK.
2006-06-26 08:45:45 · answer #6 · answered by bookersoarhead 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I know that a lot of people from Wales and Scotland are offended by the "United Kingdom" designation. Could have to do with that.
2006-06-26 08:46:11 · answer #7 · answered by bvc32282 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Because the UK means Scotland and Ireland as well as England. Those countries have their own representatives at the Olympics so it wouldn't be possible for that to happen.
2006-06-26 08:51:39 · answer #8 · answered by St. Jimmy 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
this to has puzzled me ... when did UK come in and not GB prefer great Britain UK not united
2006-06-27 16:18:30 · answer #9 · answered by bobonumpty 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
United kingdom is neither united nor great.
2006-06-26 08:51:48 · answer #10 · answered by J.SWAMY I ఇ జ స్వామి 7 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Great Britian is the true name
2006-06-26 08:44:30 · answer #11 · answered by Who C 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋