Differentiates Between United Kingdom, England, and Great Britain

Geopolitical dynamics are complex and hard to understand, and the same reflects in the difference between UK Britain and England. Many times these names are used interchangeably by the uninitiated, but you are in for a surprise.

You might think figuring the name of a country cannot be all that difficult; India means India and is not called by another name, right? That is not right for many countries across the globe, and it can be challenging to understand the terminologies for those who were not raised in that part. 

In this article, we have demystified the difference between Great Britain and the United Kingdom, the difference between England and Britain, and the difference between U.K. and England.

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What Is the Difference Between UK, Britain and England?

At the fundamental level, the difference between UK, Britain and England is that one is a country, the second one is an island, and the last one is a part of an island. In a nutshell, we can say:

• The United Kingdom - It is a sovereign state and includes Scotland, England, and Wales.

• Great Britain - This is the biggest island located on the northwest coast of Europe and falls within the U.K.

• England - This is a country within the United Kingdom. It lies in the southeast part of Great Britain.

To learn the difference between the three terminologies, we will need to first learn what comprises each of them.

United Kingdom

The United Kingdom, commonly abbreviated to the U.K., is an independent sovereign state lying off the northwestern coast of Europe. The entire island of Great Britain lies inside the U.K., and the official name of the U.K. is the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. 

Though the United Kingdom is a sovereign state like the USA and France, it is made up of four countries which are; Scotland, England, Wales, and Northern Ireland. Even though Scotland, England, Wales, and Northern Ireland are separate countries, there are policies and regulations in these countries that are regulated by the U.K. 

London is the capital of the U.K., but the other countries maintain their own parliaments (Wales in Cardiff, Scotland in Edinburgh, and Northern Ireland in Belfast). 

History of the U.K.

How the United Kingdom was formed is a complicated and long history. Formerly the U.K. encompassed the whole island of Ireland, and the islands were collectively known as the British Isles. In the early 20th century, a major portion of Ireland won autonomy first as the Irish Free State and later got independence as the Republic of Ireland. 

The Kingdoms of England and Scotland shared monarchs for generations even though they were distinct entities. James Stuart (Scottish King, James VI of Scotland, and James I of England) was the grandson of Margret Tudor (sister of Henry VII) and inherited the throne of England from Elizabeth I since Elizabeth I was childless. After a century, Queen Anne (James Stuart’s descendant) of England, Ireland, and Scotland passed the Act Of Union, resulting in the formation of the United Kingdom of Great Britain. Later in 1801, Ireland got included in this Act of Union.

Here are some highlights of the U.K.’s history:

• 925 AD - The Anglo-Saxon tribes that were spread across what is now modern England united to form the Kingdom of England.

• 1536 AD - King Henry VIII enacted a bill through which England and Wales were combined into a single country that was governed by the same laws. This was known as the Kingdom of England and Wales.

• 1707 AD - The KIngdom of Great Britain was formed by the unification of the Kingdom of England (which also included Wales) with the Kingdom of Scotland.

• 1801 AD - Ireland joins this union to form the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland.

• 1922 A.D. - The Republic of Ireland, which is called Eire (Southern Ireland), withdrew from this union, leaving only the northern counties of Ireland in the unified kingdom. The U.K. of today is made up of these counties.

Great Britain

Also referred to as just Britain, Great Britain is not a country but a landmass. By virtue of being the largest island in the British Isles, it earned the name of Great Britain. It consists of islands east of Ireland and northwest of France. Great Britain houses the three countries, i.e., Scotland, Wales, and England, within its shores. So now we know the difference between England and Britain; England is a country within the island of Great Britain. Britain accounts for 73% of the total land area and has 90% of the population. 

England

Though England is commonly referred to as a country (just like Wales and Scotland), it is not a sovereign state. The largest country in the U.K is England (in terms of both population and landmass), and that explains the difference between U.K. and England. England had a pivotal role in the formation of the United Kingdom, and the capital of England is the same as the capital of the U.K., which is London. That's why England is sometimes used to define the whole of the U.K., but it is incorrect.

Interesting Facts About the U.K. and Great Britain

• Though most people believe that the U.K. was formed in 1707 when England, Scotland, and Wales united, the name “United Kingdom'' was adopted in 1801 once Ireland joined the union.

• People from England, Wales, and Scotland are British, but those from Northern Ireland are Irish (even though they are U.K. citizens). 

• Only people from England can be referred to as English; no one from any other part of the U.K. can be called English.

• For a long time, Welsh were considered part of the Kingdom of England and did not establish their own parliament until the late 1990s.

• The term U.K. also encompasses many territories and dependencies. These entities are separate nations that are distinct politically but depend on the U.K. for their essential services. These territories include the Isle of Man, Gibraltar, and many smaller islands.

• The name Britain has come from a Roman word, Britannia.

• There are a couple of conflicting views about how the word “Great” got added before Britain. As per one view, “Great” was added to differentiate Britain from a similar-sounding French neighbor (much smaller in size), Brittany. The other view says that King James I, out of his huge ego, added the word “Great” which was meant to convey and make it clear that he did not just rule the old Roman Britain (that only comprised England and some parts of Wales) but the entire island. He could thus be referred to as the King of Great Britain.

• England is the largest country in Great Britain and occupies 57% of the total area and 86% of the overall population.

• Wales is the smallest country in Great Britain and occupies a mere 9% of the total area and 5% of the overall population.

• Great Britain stands as the ninth largest island globally and covers an area of 80,823 square miles.

• Wales and Scotland are not independent countries, but they do have some level of autonomy with respect to internal governance.

The Commonwealth of Nations

Fifty-two states or countries have voluntarily formed this association called the Commonwealth of Nations. These states were formerly part of the British Empire. The United States is not part of this association.

• Amongst the members of this association, 16 recognize the Monarch of the United Kingdom as their king or queen, though they remain independent politically. These 16 members come under the Commonwealth realm.

• Thirty-three of the Commonwealth nations are republics, i.e., they do not recognize the Monarch. But they still participate in this partnership.

• The Commonwealth does not have any constitution. 

• As per the Singapore declaration of Commonwealth principles, Commonwealth is a voluntary association formed by sovereign states where each state is responsible for their own policies for co-operating in the common interests of their population as well as promoting world peace and international understanding.