2006-11-20 05:34:05 · 17 answers · asked by sam 1 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Geography
cos its special?
2006-11-20 05:35:55 · answer #1 · answered by accuratellytrue 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The UK, however much you want to argue, is in Europe, both geographically and politically. It just is not part of continental Europe geographically.
Saying the UK is an island is also wrong, Ireland is an island and feels very much at home there. We, as many surveys point to, are some of the proudest to be our nationality in the world, yet we do not feel the same as many English people do towards Europe.
Saying that it is not part of the Euro is not a good enough answer becuase Sweden and Denmark are not Eurozone members either.
It is a nationalistic anomaly that the UK consistantly tries to distant itself from the continent in nearly every form. The UK still has a poweful national sense of self due to its old imperial ideals and has not needed cooperation that much over the past two centuries. Only ever asking the US for assitance, or vice versa.
Due in part to the collapse of europe after the second world war and then those countries had to cooperate to survive and grow has created a closeness that the UK never shared.
So in answer to your question. UK and Europe is said because the UK does not like to associate itself with the continet that much because it still has an anglo saxon community (the english speaking world) to which it feels closer even though the UK's values are coming closer to that of Europe than of the US, Canada etc.
2006-11-21 02:20:02 · answer #2 · answered by eorpach_agus_eireannach 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The UK comprises Great Britain and Northern Ireland. Great Britain comprises England, Scotland and Wales. The UK is a part of the continent of Europe, albeit as an island nation, it is a detached part.
The term 'Europe' is often used as shorthand for the political/economic entity the 'European Union' or 'EU' of which we are a part, although again we are semi-detached due to our limited involvement in certain aspects, most obviously the European currency, the Euro. There are one or two other EU members which are not in the Euro-zone either but we don't talk of them as 'X and Europe' (though maybe they do themselves).
I guess we just like to think of ourselves as special and referring to 'UK and Europe' allows the speaker to set us apart a little. In the end it depends on your own political standpoint whether that's a good and accurate thing or just a conceit.
2006-11-20 10:26:29 · answer #3 · answered by explorer267 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The UK is not part of Europe, which is a geagraphical area, it is, however, part of the European Union, which is a political body, aptly described by another respondent as 'bollox'. This is why they say "UK and Europe", in the same way that old British passports used to say "The United Kingdom of Great Britain (i.e. Englan, Scotland and Wales) and Northern Ireland".
2006-11-20 06:17:08 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 0⤋
The UK is part of the European Union although not a part of continental Europe. All European countries which have sea borders have treaties with other European countries to protect their neighbours by keeping close watch on imigrants coming accros sea borders which is why we needed passports pre 9/11 to travel between the UK and Europe, but not between other European countries with land borders. Pretty sure that all went out the window post 9/11 - UK Citizens still carry European Style Passports
2006-11-22 00:47:11 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
The UK is part of Europe, but because it's an island and not joined to the land mass known as the European Continent, a lot of people still think of it as a separate entity. For this reason I think it's often referred to separately, just to avoid confusion, ie., so that everyone is aware that the UK is included in the given information.
2006-11-20 05:39:35 · answer #6 · answered by uknative 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Although on the same continental mass, a few miles of water and history have drifted us apart.
'Europe' implies the contigious mass of land otherwise called The Continent. British people are generally distrustful of the Continent and so like to be considered seperate.
2006-11-20 14:48:59 · answer #7 · answered by Peter F 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The UK is part of Europe......Europe is made up of many countrys
germany, Italy, France etc
2006-11-20 05:37:36 · answer #8 · answered by xXx Orange Breezer xXx 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
because Europe is the CONTINENT. kinda like USA is in NORTH AMERICA. There are other countries in Europe (France, Portugal, Spain, etc.) Wow.
2006-11-20 05:37:57 · answer #9 · answered by SWTCHKS925 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
no united kingdom is not in Europe they are both different things.
2006-11-20 05:41:14 · answer #10 · answered by antonykaruka 1 · 1⤊ 2⤋
Im not sure although it may be because Great Britain has it's own laws and currency.
I also wonder about this with Scotland and England
2006-11-20 05:36:26 · answer #11 · answered by bremner06 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋