What´s the difference between great britain and the united kingdom? thank you?

Answer 1

geographically.. there is a difference or misusage involving the terms great britain and united kingdom..

great britain pertains "only" to WALES , SCOTLAND , and ENGLAND..

whilst united kingdom includes the whole GREAT BRITAIN and the NORTHERN IRELAND..

Answer 2

Great Britain is the island containing England, Scotland and Wales.
The United Kingdom includes Great Britain and Northern Ireland.

Answer 3

I think Great Britain is just the name of the island, while the united kingdom is the union of nations. This would mean that, say, the Isle of Wight would not be in Great Britain. However, I think these days the meaning has come to mean the UK without Northern Ireland.

Answer 4

The official name is 'The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland'. Great Britain is the large island which includes England, Scotland and Wales. Because most of the population is there, Great Britain is often used to mean the entire United Kingdom. 'The British Isles' is a better description of all five countries (including Ireland) but 'Great Britain' really should be reserved for the large island containing Scotland, England, Wales. 'The United Kingdom' also includes various islands not included in 'Great Britain' (but included in 'The British Isles').

Answer 5

Great Britain is the largest island of the British Isles. It lies to the northwest of Continental Europe with Ireland to the west and comprises the larger part of the territory of the United Kingdom. Great Britain is also used as a geopolitical term describing the combination of England, Scotland, and Wales, which together comprise the entire island and some outlying islands. In everyday speech and non-official writing in all English-speaking and most other countries, "Great Britain", and simply "Britain", are much more commonly used than "United Kingdom" to designate the sovereign state officially known as the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland (see United Kingdom). In addition, "Great Britain" and/or the abbreviation "GB" (or "GBR") are officially used for the entire UK by the Universal Postal Union, the International Olympic Committee, NATO, the International Organization for Standardization, and other organisations. (See also country codes and international licence plate codes).

The adjective British has come to refer to things associated with the United Kingdom generally such as citizenship, and not just the island of Great Britain.

and

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland (usually shortened to the United Kingdom, the UK, or Britain[1]) is a country[2] and sovereign state that lies to the northwest of Continental Europe with Ireland to the west. It occupies most of the British Isles and its territory and population are primarily situated on the island of Great Britain and in Northern Ireland on the island of Ireland. The United Kingdom is bounded by the Atlantic Ocean, and its ancillary bodies of water, including the North Sea, the English Channel, the Celtic Sea, and the Irish Sea. The mainland is linked to France by the Channel Tunnel, with Northern Ireland sharing a land border with the Republic of Ireland.

The United Kingdom is a political union made up of four constituent countries: England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

The United Kingdom also has many overseas territories, including Bermuda, Gibraltar, Pitcairn Islands, British Indian Ocean Territory, Falkland Islands, and British Antarctica among others. The dependencies of the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man, formally possessions of the Crown, form a federacy with the United Kingdom collectively known as the British Islands. A constitutional monarchy, Queen Elizabeth II is also the Queen and Head of State of 15 other Commonwealth Realms such as Canada, Australia, and New Zealand.

Despite the dissolution of the British Empire and the steady decline of the UK's influence throughout the world, it remains a Great power. A member of the G8, the United Kingdom is a highly developed country with the fifth largest economy in the world and second largest in Europe, estimated at US$2.2 trillion. It is the third most populous state in the European Union with a population of 60.2 million[3] and is a founding member of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) and the United Nations (UN), where it holds permanent membership on the Security Council. The UK is a major military power and is one of the world's five acknowledged nuclear powers.

You could get more information from the 2 links below...

Answer 6

Great Britain was the name for an alliance of countries when Scotland and England (and Wales) joined together (and merged governments? I think. You may have to check that). Then later Great Britain and Ireland joined together to form the "United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland". Then later Ireland splited off but Northern Ireland remained part of the UK, but The Republic wanted independence, so it is now the United Kingdom of "Great Britain and Northern Ireland". Ireland isn't part of Britain because they were nothing to do with us back when countries were being formed, England and Scotland were united under a common king (James the something) and formed Great Britain. Then Great Britain and Ireland decided to join together to form the United Kingdom. This didn't last long and the Republic of Ireland broke off with Northern Ireland remaining.

EDIT: Here's some more information for people who want to know more from Wikipedia. This is especially interesting to citizens of the UK:

"The Act of Union 1800 united the Kingdom of Great Britain with the Kingdom of Ireland, which had been gradually brought under English control between 1541 and 1691, to form the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland.[6] Independence for the Republic of Ireland in 1922 followed the partition of the island of Ireland two years previously, with six of the nine counties of the province of Ulster remaining within the UK, which then changed to the current name in 1927.[7]

The dominant global industrial and maritime power of the 19th century, the United Kingdom is often said to be the nation that "created the modern world",[8] by playing a leading role in developing Western ideas of property, capitalism, and parliamentary democracy as well as making significant contributions to literature, the arts, and science and technology. However, many historians, commentators and critics (particularly of the British Empire) and the age of mercantilism have viewed Britain's historical role in the world as exploitative. This is especially true of Britain's relationship with Africa and Asia during the 1700s and 1800s,[9][10] although its primary characteristics, such as slavery, unfair trading (via conquest and control of foreign markets) and aggressive mercantile competition were shared with other European Great Powers of the day. Through a series of wars, Britain became the dominant power in Europe and the World at the beginning of the 19th Century, particularly by defeating France in the Napoleonic Wars.

At its zenith, the British Empire stretched to almost one-quarter of the Earth's surface and encompassed a third of its population, making it the largest empire (in terms of both population and territory) in world history."

Answer 7

Great Britain is the name given to the whole set of islands, it's a geographical description. You could also say The British Isles

The United Kingdom is a state, it is a political description, and does not include Eire (Ireland)

Answer 8

The correct title of the country is :

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.

The 'bits' you use are just shortened versions of the full name.

Answer 9

United Kindgom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland - includes Northern Ireland

Great Britain - England, Scotland, Wales

Note that the channel islands and the Isle of Man are not part of Great Britain or the UK.

Answer 10

If your are a UK citizen, you are eligible for a UK passport. On the front of the passport it will say "United Kingdom Of Great Britain And Northern Ireland".

Great Britain does not include Northern Ireland.