Okay, I know that the UK has different regions: Wales, N.Ireland, England, Scotland, and some other unknown Islands. I was wondering are all those people called "British" or is the word British only reserved for people who are in the England region? Why does Scotland have different laws and ways of doing things than in other places if they are the same country? Or are all these countries within a country? Should these countries seek independence?
2007-09-15 23:55:12 · 18 answers · asked by Anonymous in Politics & Government ➔ Other - Politics & Government
What a weird concept to have, "a country within a country". I'm Canadian, so here in Canada we, obviously, call ourselves Canadian but we can be more specific and mention the province or territory we reside in. I thought it worked the same way in the UK as well. I think they should bring up this "Kingdom" and let the countries be separate, right?
2007-09-16 00:13:36 · update #1
Break not "bring" in the last sentence in the previous detail.
2007-09-16 00:14:42 · update #2
Even though someone of you mentioned that Ireland(the south part) is an independent country, it still gets tossed around with the rest of the UK. Notice how Yahoo just throws Ireland within the United Kingdom part of Yahoo Answers instead of having its own part. Does Ireland have a flag?
2007-09-16 00:25:02 · update #3
well im a scot and scots are not english or british. we are stuck with the UK for now but it will soon change. for now the uk is 4 seperate countries . 3 conquerd by force to serve the one. we are trying to reverse that mistake. and we are succeeding
good night my canadian cousin
2007-09-16 12:27:14 · answer #1 · answered by IHATETHEEUSKI 5 · 2⤊ 0⤋
The sovereign nation is "The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland" Technically, they are all British except for the Northern Irish. They are countries within a country. In the United Kingdom if you were asked how many countries are in the UK, the answer would be 4. How many countries are in Great Britain, the answer would be 3, England, Wales and Scotland.
2007-09-16 00:01:41 · answer #2 · answered by Yamaoha 3 · 0⤊ 1⤋
The UK is a Kingdom made up of England Scotland Wales and Northern Ireland. England Scotland and Wales are Countries but part of the UK, just like Hawaii is a country (well island I guess) but part of the USA. I don't know what to say about Northern Ireland is its not a separate country in itself, its made up of six counties which as, as yet still part of the UK although this might change one day.
Scotland is governed by UK law but has some differences as it has a Scottish Parliament which can make some of its own laws. Wales is the same - mainly under UK law although we have the Welsh Assembly - thats not as powerful as the Scottish Parliament but does have the power to make some decisions about health, education etc for Wales.
Britain is a geographical term which means the larger of the two islands that comprises England Scotland and Wales.
Anyone who lives in the UK can be called British if they want to be. A lot of Scottish and Welsh Nationalists will reject the term because they want to be independent and these people tend to shout the loudest and drown out more moderate Scots and Welsh, which is why you get the impression that Scots and Welsh aren't "British".
I see myself as Welsh *and* British (just like a Hawaiian could be Hawaiian and American) but I will usually say British when asked by people from overseas as they don't know what Wales is. I'm not a Welsh nationalist and have no chip on my shoulder or axe to grind about this. I'm proud to be both.
"Great" Britain or "Grande" Bretagne simply means that it is the "larger" as opposed to "Little" or "Smaller" Britain which is Brittany or Bretagne on the coast of France. It has nothing to do with being "Great" or better than anyone else.
Mad Scientist has obviously misunderstood what Barking Dog was trying to say! Typical American, lol!
I'm happy for Wales to be part of the UK so I wish people would shut up about this "Wales should be independent" stuff. Why should we be independent? How would it benefit us? I've yet to be convinced. And please people leave the anti-Englishness out of it. I have nothing against England, my other half is English.
2007-09-16 05:55:18 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 2⤋
It's a State. The "British Isles" is a geographical term, and includes Eire, which politically is an independent State. Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland are - each to a different extent - devolved Nation States, but - along with the English - are all British as well. There are Scottish and Welsh Independence movements. You may have heard about the Northern Irish Independence movement, headed by the IRA, which led to the violence of the 60s, 70s and 80s
2007-09-16 00:08:14 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 2⤋
England, Scotland and Wales all was once countries in there very own superb. yet they signed an alliance some centuries in the past to merge. Northern eire has never been a usa in that's very own superb, (as far as i understand) It has the two belonged to Britain or eire. And is likewise explanation why the I.R.A exist. yet as traditions have exceeded down for the period of the years. the individuals from England regard themselves as English. And an analogous for the different 3. On legitimate records, we are the rustic of the united kingdom of large Britain and northerly eire. yet to the guy interior the line we are the two English, Scottish, Welsh or Northern Irish.
2016-11-15 08:56:40 · answer #5 · answered by ? 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The UK is really an illegitimate entity since it is based on the historic annexing of two other countries by the British Monarchy -namely Ireland and Wales. Scotland was never taken - thanks to William Wallace, but was sold out by its own ruling class later to form the original UK. Scotland as result retains a different legal system. The UK itself is the last bastion of British imperialism.
It is recognized internationally as a sovereign entity but in truth many of the people have no allegiance to the crown. Blair tried to save it by allowing a degree of power in local parliaments in Wales and Scotland and the Northern Ireland Assembly. But time is working against it - one reason perhaps why they are so involved on the Bogus war on terror to try to enforce a national unity.
2007-09-16 00:40:20 · answer #6 · answered by celvin 7 · 3⤊ 0⤋
The UK is made up of 4 countries. All the countries are in the British Isles (Republic of Ireland left because it wanted Roman Catholic rule). Therefore those living in Scotland, England, Northern Ireland and Wales are British.
Great Britain (Scotland, England and Wales) is the main land mass of Britain, the "Great" in this context means large and doesn't mean of extraordinary powers; having unusual merit; very admirable.
2007-09-16 00:17:30 · answer #7 · answered by Goat Whacker 5 · 2⤊ 1⤋
Generally "British" means a member of the British Isles.
Scotland,Wales and Northern Ireland should be independent
of any intrference from England.
Southern Ireland does have it's own flag as do the afore mentioned countries.
2007-09-16 03:59:56 · answer #8 · answered by HELEN LOOKING4 6 · 1⤊ 2⤋
No its a Kingdom. Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales are recognised as seperate countries. Unfortunatly we are all British according to our passports but i say im Scottish whenever someone asks, a lot of English people say the Are British or from the UK when people ask
2007-09-16 00:02:38 · answer #9 · answered by poli_b2001 5 · 6⤊ 2⤋
Personally, I`ve always equated British with Celtic, or more accurately the descendants of the original modern (Mesolithic) human inhabitants that later adopted the Celtic culture, and not the successive waves of invaders.
However, these days British pretty much means any native, or natrualised inhabitant of the "united kingdom" of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
2007-09-16 03:35:21 · answer #10 · answered by badger_shaman 3 · 0⤊ 2⤋