The Difference Between the UK, Great Britain and England Explained...

Just stumbled across this informative and rather amusing run down on the British Crown and all its territories.

I didn't even know half of this.

It's only short - enjoy.

reply to post by ObservingYou


Ghana is also in the CW I think. Interesting video

reply to post by ObservingYou

Very enjoyable, and I spotted no mistakes.

He posed a question which he did not answer- "Do they secretly laugh at those who get the terms wrong?"
I don't think so.
The non-English especially the Scots, will get annoyed if you call them "English". Perhaps a Texan would feel the same way about being called a "Yank".

He made no comment on the word "Great" in "Great Britain".
Historically, the island is called "Great" because it's larger than Brittany.
The point is more obvious in French- "La Bretagne"- "La Grande Bretagne".
However, most Britons are not aware of this (partly because of the way we spell "Brittany") and think of "Great" in terms of being "powerful" or "wonderful".

reply to post by DISRAELI


he did explain great and explained it was a geographical term and drew a diagram

What a great video, i learnt a lot there. Thank you. I'll pass it on to my kids.

Starred and flagged.

CX.

Originally posted by DISRAELI

The non-English especially the Scots, will get annoyed if you call them "English". Perhaps a Texan would feel the same way about being called a "Yank".

My friend stays in a wee village called luss on the banks of loch lomand. during the summer its full of american, european and asian tourists coming to see the "highlands" of Scotland (even though its only 30 mins from glasgow! and basically the VERY start of the highlands)

so anyways, this group of americans are walking down the high street (high road, anyone remember that?) and one of them comes out with "its great here in Scotland England" I mean come on? surely when you go on holiday somewhere you study the place and find out its actually a country, no?

True story

Lord, I hate the term "Yank."
Anyway, I've pretty much given up on mentally distinguishing UK, England and Britain even despite having looked at geographical charts of it and afterwards the information flying right out of my head. The most significant thing I've learned in the past was that Wales is actually a separate country, and not just some province of Britain. (Do the English royal family have double allegiances?)
Then again, it's likely that I know exactly crap about the rest of the world.

Sweet vid OP, very enjoyable!

Originally posted by connelly4245
"its great here in Scotland England"

and they lived?
thats some serious fighting talk!

Originally posted by EllaMarina. (Do the English royal family have double allegiances?)
.

For a start, they are faithful members of the Church of England while in England, and faithful members of the Church of Scotland every Christmas (because Balmoral is in Scotland)

Originally posted by DISRAELI

Originally posted by EllaMarina. (Do the English royal family have double allegiances?)
.

For a start, they are faithful members of the Church of England while in England, and faithful members of the Church of Scotland every Christmas (because Balmoral is in Scotland)

heathen devils they!

By Jove! it would appear that we do still rule the waves, what?

reply to post by skalla


Can go upsetting the tourists, its the only thing apart from alcoholism that we have and are good at!

Originally posted by connelly4245
reply to post by skalla

 

Can go upsetting the tourists, its the only thing apart from alcoholism that we have and are good at!

dont do yourself down, deep frying pizza and mars bars is not to be under-rated

That was very entertaining and informative. I did not know the difference in a Colony and Overseas Territory.

Good reminder of how powerful and influential England has been in the world.

S+F

reply to post by ObservingYou


I think it's about time we show these colonials who's boss again.

Originally posted by EllaMarina
Lord, I hate the term "Yank."
Anyway, I've pretty much given up on mentally distinguishing UK, England and Britain even despite having looked at geographical charts of it and afterwards the information flying right out of my head. The most significant thing I've learned in the past was that Wales is actually a separate country, and not just some province of Britain. (Do the English royal family have double allegiances?)
Then again, it's likely that I know exactly crap about the rest of the world.

Wales is recognised as a country but it is still part of Britain. In fact it is legally part of England being a principality prior to 1535. Although it is sometimes referred to as a principality today.

So if you want to really annoy the welsh and to some extent the Scots the hierarchy is (splitting the first part only):

United Kingdom
Great Britain + Northern Ireland
England + Scotland (as legal entities covered with seperate legal systems)
"England" + "Wales" (as recognised entities)

However.......now that Wales has devolved powers some laws are now seperate from England and thus Wales is more of a country today than it has been for 400 years. So the splitting of Great Britain is usually done as England,Scotland and Wales (being kind to the welsh )

I knew those differences 12 years ago =)

reply to post by yorkshirelad


Thank you, that was the simplest way to differentiate the terms that I've ever read. I'll remember it for sure.
Speaking of Ireland, I had thought it was separate from everything else, like Spain is. I guess I was right, except for the northern part.

Interesting to learn that the former administrative status of the Falkland Islands was that of Crown Colony. Of course, that's how the Argentinians still view those islands ... a British colony, rather than islands with their own self sustaining & indigenous population.

That's quite an important distinction.

reply to post by ObservingYou


Got about thirty seconds in and noticed that the video was massively incorrect.

It called the UK a “country of countries” this is incorrect rather a “nation of nations” or a “state of nations” would be more accurate. In addition to this the video said that each of these countries are sovereign, technically they are not Scotland for example is not a sovereign state and neither is England however the United Kingdom of Great Brittan is a sovereign state. To some this may sound like semantics but the significance is really quite important.

Further in more inaccuracies that are actually culturally offensive claiming that each of these “countries” don’t like each other. We only don’t like each other when it comes to football and ruby yet the video claims that we don’t like each other and advises against calling us “British” I would always rather be called “British” rather than Scottish also we don’t think the English are “colonial slave drivers”.

Ohhh and wales does not have a devolved parliament and I don’t think Northern Ireland do they have “Assemblies” only Scotland had a devolved parliament. It is also wrong to say that only people from the republic of Ireland call themselves “Irish”, try walking into a Belfast pub and telling them that they are all “British” and not “Irish” and you will probably not be walking anytime soon.

I don’t know about the rest of the video but I spotted a few inaccuracies, whoever made this has never spent any time in the UK.