ECN Electrical Forum - Discussion Forums for Electricians, Inspectors and Related Professionals
ECN Shout Chat
ShoutChat
Recent Posts
Increasing demand factors in residential
by gfretwell - 03/28/24 12:43 AM
Portable generator question
by Steve Miller - 03/19/24 08:50 PM
Do we need grounding?
by NORCAL - 03/19/24 05:11 PM
240V only in a home and NEC?
by dsk - 03/19/24 06:33 AM
Cordless Tools: The Obvious Question
by renosteinke - 03/14/24 08:05 PM
New in the Gallery:
This is a new one
This is a new one
by timmp, September 24
Few pics I found
Few pics I found
by timmp, August 15
Who's Online Now
1 members (gfretwell), 32 guests, and 14 robots.
Key: Admin, Global Mod, Mod
Previous Thread
Next Thread
Print Thread
Rate Thread
Page 1 of 2 1 2
#135219 12/27/02 07:18 PM
Joined: Aug 2001
Posts: 7,520
P
pauluk Offline OP
Member
I've had a couple of queries about the varying use of the names England, Great Britain, U.K. etc., so I thought a quick summary of the differences might be in order.

Here's an outline map of the British Isles:

[Linked Image]

The larger land mass to the east is known as Great Britain. It comprises three entities: England (yellow), Wales (green), and Scotland (red). England & Wales were joined way back in 1284, and the United Kingdom was formed by a union with Scotland in 1707.

The smaller land mass to the west is Ireland, which also became part of the U.K. in 1801, making the full official name of the country "The United Kingdom of Great Britain & Ireland."

After many years of unrest with British rule there was an uprising (sound familiar, guys? [Linked Image]), and Ireland was divided up in 1921. Six counties in the north (in blue) remained part of the U.K. and became known as Northern Ireland, the official title of the U.K. then becoming "The United Kingdom of Great Britain & Northern Ireland."

The other 26 counties in Ireland became an independent country, first as the Irish Free State, then Eire, then finally in 1949 the Republic of Ireland.

There are also some small islands which are British territory but which are not part of the U.K. -- These are the Isle of Mann (between GB and Ireland but not shown on this map) and the Channel Island jurisdictions of Jersey and Guernsey (these islands are actually closer to France than to Britain).

Hope this helps sort out any confusion! [Linked Image]


[This message has been edited by pauluk (edited 12-27-2002).]

{ My edits on 11/9/2003 due to moved images }


[This message has been edited by pauluk (edited 11-09-2003).]

#135220 12/27/02 08:21 PM
Joined: Mar 2002
Posts: 360
T
Member
Thanks Paul, that helps alot!

I know a lady from Wales, that smacks me everytime I say she's from England. [Linked Image]

The only problem is that over here, a jersey is something you wear to play sports, and a Gurnsey is a barn!

Tw

#135221 12/27/02 08:27 PM
Joined: Oct 2002
Posts: 134
D
Member
People in the red section get seriously pissed off when England is used instead of the UK or Great Britain!
Just like Canadians being classed as Americans or vice versa.

#135222 12/28/02 08:24 PM
Joined: Jul 2002
Posts: 8,443
Likes: 3
Member
Paul,
We were always taught at school, to call the UK, the British Isles, what gives??. [Linked Image]

#135223 12/28/02 09:24 PM
Joined: May 2002
Posts: 382
H
Member
Trumpy,

Technically the British Isles comprises the whole of the map that Paul has posted. Any objections to this inclusive term from the tan coloured part of the map may be balanced by the fact that the whole of the water between the two large islands is called the Irish Sea. [Linked Image]

#135224 12/29/02 07:44 AM
Joined: Aug 2001
Posts: 7,520
P
pauluk Offline OP
Member
I'm not sure when the term "British Isles" came into common use, but my guess would be that it became accepted sometime after 1801 (and obviously its use pre-dates the division of Ireland in 1921). Although the tan part of the map hasn't been British for decades, the term was probably so ingrained in common usage by then that people just continued using it.

I tend to think of "British Isles" as a mere geographical term, just as North America refers not only to the U.S.A. but also includes Canada and Mexico.

The current official names are:

United Kingdom of Great Britain & Northern Ireland

-and-

Republic of Ireland / Poblacht na h'Eireann

(The R.o.I. is officially bilingual.)


[This message has been edited by pauluk (edited 12-29-2002).]

#135225 01/03/03 02:03 AM
Joined: Jul 2002
Posts: 8,443
Likes: 3
Member
Thankfully, Paul,
I was taught at school, before any of this PC rubbish was brought in, would hate to go back to school now!, I am not sure what they call you guys over there now, it scares me to think of the name!!. [Linked Image]

#135226 01/03/03 06:33 PM
Joined: Dec 2002
Posts: 1,253
D
djk Offline
Member
I'd like to propose one that only angers & upsets tory euro-sceptics, extreme irish republicans and the right wing generally.

The Northwestern European Isles (NEI) we could even add Iceland and Fero Islands [Linked Image]

As it stands:

British Isles - Geographic Identity

anything else is a political / national identity.

Spain has a similar situation to the UK with various national identities all stuck together under one banner "Spain".

(Republic of Ireland excluded from that comparision)

#135227 01/04/03 04:42 PM
Joined: Aug 2001
Posts: 7,520
P
pauluk Offline OP
Member
Just for the record, here are the appropriate flags.

England (Cross of St. George):

[Linked Image]

Scotland (Cross of St. Andrew):

[Linked Image]


These were overlaid to form the original U.K. flag:


[Linked Image]

Cross of St. Patrick:

[Linked Image]

was added to the British flag when Ireland became part of the U.K., thus:

[Linked Image]


[This message has been edited by pauluk (edited 11-09-2003).]

#135228 01/04/03 04:46 PM
Joined: Aug 2001
Posts: 7,520
P
pauluk Offline OP
Member
Then there's the flag adopted for Northern Ireland:

[Linked Image]


And that for Wales (Yes, that's a dragon!):

[Linked Image]

Finally, the flag of the independent Republic of Ireland:

[Linked Image]

There are others for Jersey, Guernsey, and the Isle of Man.


[This message has been edited by pauluk (edited 11-09-2003).]

Page 1 of 2 1 2

Link Copied to Clipboard
Powered by UBB.threads™ PHP Forum Software 7.7.5