# At last! A clear Explanation of the Difference Between England, the UK, Great Britain, etc... **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [February 2, 2011, 6:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/at-last-a-clear-explanation-of-the-difference-between-england-the-uk-great-britain-etc/569869 "2011-02-02T06:39:17Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Sunspace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunspace/32/1250_2.png) [@Sunspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunspace)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2011, 6:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/at-last-a-clear-explanation-of-the-difference-between-england-the-uk-great-britain-etc/569869/1 "2011-02-02T06:39:17Z")
Check out this amusing and very clear explanation of the difference between England, Great Britain, The United Kingdom, Ireland, Northern Ireland, the Republic of Ireland, the Commonwealth Realms, etc, etc: [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/rNu8XDBSn10/maxresdefault.jpg "The Difference between the UK, Great Britain & England Explained") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rNu8XDBSn10) Brought to you by the people who brought you the US and Imperial Systems of Measurement, so you know it’s going to be easy to understand! ---
**Author:** ![Autolycus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/22d042/32.png) [@Autolycus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Autolycus)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2011, 7:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/at-last-a-clear-explanation-of-the-difference-between-england-the-uk-great-britain-etc/569869/2 "2011-02-02T07:41:39Z")
That’s the dog’s bollocks, it is! ---
**Author:** ![Sage\_Rat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sage_rat/32/399_2.png) [@Sage\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sage_Rat)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2011, 9:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/at-last-a-clear-explanation-of-the-difference-between-england-the-uk-great-britain-etc/569869/3 "2011-02-02T09:56:57Z")
So is a British Citizen a citizen of the UK or of England? ---
**Author:** ![sandra\_nz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/eada6e/32.png) [@sandra\_nz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sandra_nz)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2011, 10:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/at-last-a-clear-explanation-of-the-difference-between-england-the-uk-great-britain-etc/569869/4 "2011-02-02T10:24:33Z")
> [@Sage\_Rat](#): > > So is a British Citizen a citizen of the UK or of England? The UK. England is a subset of the UK. All English are British. But not all British are English. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2011, 12:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/at-last-a-clear-explanation-of-the-difference-between-england-the-uk-great-britain-etc/569869/5 "2011-02-02T12:49:33Z")
Can’t see Youtube from here. Does it address the term ‘British Isles’? ---
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2011, 1:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/at-last-a-clear-explanation-of-the-difference-between-england-the-uk-great-britain-etc/569869/6 "2011-02-02T13:18:48Z")
> [@Mangetout](#): > > Can’t see Youtube from here. Does it address the term ‘British Isles’? Yup. Not a bad summary. ---
**Author:** ![Rumor\_Watkins](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/d9b06d/32.png) [@Rumor\_Watkins](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rumor_Watkins)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2011, 3:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/at-last-a-clear-explanation-of-the-difference-between-england-the-uk-great-britain-etc/569869/7 "2011-02-02T15:28:46Z")
> [@sandra\_nz](#): > > The UK. > > England is a subset of the UK. > > All English are British. But not all British are English. Not necessarily. British citizen is a hugely complex scheme. You can be a British Overseas Citizen, British National (Overseas), etc. and still be a “british citizen” Further, the class “British Citizen” implies connection with either the UK, Isle of Man, or the Channel Islands. Basically, there is no such thing as being a citizen of the UK. ---
**Author:** ![An\_Gadai](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/d6d6ee/32.png) [@An\_Gadai](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/An_Gadai)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2011, 8:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/at-last-a-clear-explanation-of-the-difference-between-england-the-uk-great-britain-etc/569869/8 "2011-02-03T20:17:47Z")
He doesn’t mention that many Irish people find the geographic term British Isles objectionable. He also doesn’t mention that most people in Northern Ireland can carry Irish passports. ---
**Author:** ![Sunspace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunspace/32/1250_2.png) [@Sunspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunspace)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2011, 8:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/at-last-a-clear-explanation-of-the-difference-between-england-the-uk-great-britain-etc/569869/9 "2011-02-03T20:57:57Z")
He also doesn’t mention that the Commonwealth Realms are plural. 🙂 > [@An\_Gadai](#): > > He doesn’t mention that many Irish people find the geographic term British Isles objectionable. Eh? The British, technically-speaking, were the pre-English inhabitants of the Isles, the ones that the Angles, Saxons, and Jutes conquered. Calling them the _British_ Isles seems better to me than the _English_ Isles. What would you recommend as an alternative term? > [@An\_Gadai](#): > > He also doesn’t mention that most people in Northern Ireland can carry Irish passports. How does that work? Do you have to choose a UK or an Irish passport? Can you carry both? Do you have to prove residency? I’m imagining people from England migrating to Northern Ireland and then getting an Irish passport (possibly because they want to drive in km/h). Maybe we should email and request an update. ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2011, 9:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/at-last-a-clear-explanation-of-the-difference-between-england-the-uk-great-britain-etc/569869/10 "2011-02-03T21:06:36Z")
> [@An\_Gadai](#): > > He doesn’t mention that many Irish people find the geographic term British Isles objectionable. To be honest, though, it’s a rather petty parochial issue. The people who don’t know the difference between “England” and “Britain” don’t need to be informed of every minor dispute over terminology. ---
**Author:** ![An\_Gadai](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/d6d6ee/32.png) [@An\_Gadai](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/An_Gadai)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2011, 9:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/at-last-a-clear-explanation-of-the-difference-between-england-the-uk-great-britain-etc/569869/11 "2011-02-03T21:59:26Z")
> [@Sunspace](#): > > What would you recommend as an alternative term? I refer generally to Britain and Ireland instead when referring to both. It doesn’t offend me but I choose not to use the term usually. [QUOTE=Sunspace] How does that work? Do you have to choose a UK or an Irish passport? Can you carry both? Do you have to prove residency? I’m imagining people from England migrating to Northern Ireland and then getting an Irish passport (possibly because they want to drive in km/h). [/QUOTE] For the people who can, they choose either. I’ve not heard of anyone carrying both and I’m not too sure if it is allowed, or what advantages there might be in getting both (maybe visa differences, working holiday privileges?) Plenty of people in England also have Irish passports as anyone with an Irish parent or grandparent can get one. Irish and British citizens are free to live and work in either country so in that regard one or other passport isn’t particularly useful. I believe it’s slightly cheaper to get an Irish one though. 🙂 [QUOTE=ascenray] To be honest, though, it’s a rather petty parochial issue. The people who don’t know the difference between “England” and “Britain” don’t need to be informed of every minor dispute over terminology. [/QUOTE] All he would have had to say was “the British Isles, a term which some in Ireland find objectionable”. Since he is trying to demystify terminology I think it would have been worth noting. ---
**Author:** ![GorillaMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/50afbb/32.png) [@GorillaMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GorillaMan)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2011, 10:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/at-last-a-clear-explanation-of-the-difference-between-england-the-uk-great-britain-etc/569869/12 "2011-02-03T22:09:40Z")
> [@Sunspace](#): > > How does that work? Do you have to choose a UK or an Irish passport? Can you carry both? Do you have to prove residency? I’m imagining people from England migrating to Northern Ireland and then getting an Irish passport (possibly because they want to drive in km/h). The dual entitlement only applies to those born in N Ireland. However, many millions of people have dual British and Irish citizenship through other means, often through being children of Irish-born emigrants to Britain. It’s perfectly possible to get both passports at once, and I’ve heard of people using this as a way of avoiding hassle caused by various visas, such as using one for visiting Israel and the other for trips to other Middle Eastern countries. > [@An\_Gadai](#): > > I believe it’s slightly cheaper to get an Irish one though. About 30 quid less, if I remember rightly from last year 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![TruCelt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/trucelt/32/523_2.png) [@TruCelt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TruCelt)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2011, 10:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/at-last-a-clear-explanation-of-the-difference-between-england-the-uk-great-britain-etc/569869/13 "2011-02-03T22:23:56Z")
> [@Sunspace](#): > > Eh? The British, technically-speaking, were the pre-English inhabitants of the Isles, the ones that the Angles, Saxons, and Jutes conquered. Calling them the _British_ Isles seems better to me than the _English_ Isles. Well, for one thing, it implies that the whole island is British; and for another, some consider the “British” part to be under protest. The native inhabitants are the Gaels, at least since they took over from the Tuath de Danaan. ---
**Author:** ![bucketybuck](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/898d66/32.png) [@bucketybuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bucketybuck)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2011, 11:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/at-last-a-clear-explanation-of-the-difference-between-england-the-uk-great-britain-etc/569869/14 "2011-02-03T23:09:48Z")
> [@An\_Gadai](#): > > For the people who can, they choose either. I’ve not heard of anyone carrying both and I’m not too sure if it is allowed, or what advantages there might be in getting both (maybe visa differences, working holiday privileges?) I have both. Actually, I have both in my hands right now, they were in my bottom drawer. My brother actually has both, AND an American passport through marriage and residency. As to the advantage of one over the other, I have never put it to the test. I just use whichever, whenever. A common claim was that if you worked illegally in America (as we do), and got booted out on say, your Irish passport, you could actually return to America again using the British one. I think they have tightened up on this, though I never tried it myself. (having never gotten kicked out of America) (They never caught me…) I have also never heard the claim that Ireland is part of the British isles. A cite for that would be nice. ---
**Author:** ![brad\_d](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/50afbb/32.png) [@brad\_d](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brad_d)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2011, 11:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/at-last-a-clear-explanation-of-the-difference-between-england-the-uk-great-britain-etc/569869/15 "2011-02-03T23:17:02Z")
> [@bucketybuck](#): > > I have also never heard the claim that Ireland is part of the British isles. A cite for that would be nice. Wikipedia cites Encyclopædia Britannica when [stating such](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_Isles): > [@](#): > > The British Isles are a group of islands off the northwest coast of continental Europe that include the islands of Great Britain and Ireland and over six thousand smaller islands. ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2011, 11:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/at-last-a-clear-explanation-of-the-difference-between-england-the-uk-great-britain-etc/569869/16 "2011-02-03T23:19:29Z")
> [@bucketybuck](#): > > I have also never heard the claim that Ireland is part of the British isles. You have never heard it? :dubious: In any case, it isn’t a “claim.” “British Isles” is a geographic term, not a political one. > [@](#): > > A cite for that would be nice. > [@Wikipedia](#): > > The British Isles are a group of islands off the northwest coast of continental Europe that include the islands of Great Britain and Ireland and over six thousand smaller islands. ---
**Author:** ![An\_Gadai](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/d6d6ee/32.png) [@An\_Gadai](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/An_Gadai)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2011, 11:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/at-last-a-clear-explanation-of-the-difference-between-england-the-uk-great-britain-etc/569869/17 "2011-02-03T23:47:51Z")
> [@bucketybuck](#): > > I have also never heard the claim that Ireland is part of the British isles. A cite for that would be nice. Have you never watched the weather forecast on a British station before? 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![bucketybuck](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/898d66/32.png) [@bucketybuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bucketybuck)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2011, 11:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/at-last-a-clear-explanation-of-the-difference-between-england-the-uk-great-britain-etc/569869/18 "2011-02-03T23:48:50Z")
> [@acsenray](#): > > You have never heard it? :dubious: > > In any case, it isn’t a “claim.” “British Isles” is a geographic term, not a political one. Careful with those eyebrows there Dougal. I wasnt trying to say that it wasnt true, its just that after living here all my life, both North and South, I have never heard the Republic of Ireland referred to as part of the British isles. Northern Ireland yes, the South, no. (I say ‘never heard’, I suppose its more accurate to say I dont recall) Not really surprising, where I grew up people were very careful in how they described these things. The word British was always political, geography be damned. Thats just how it was. ---
**Author:** ![bucketybuck](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/898d66/32.png) [@bucketybuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bucketybuck)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2011, 11:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/at-last-a-clear-explanation-of-the-difference-between-england-the-uk-great-britain-etc/569869/19 "2011-02-03T23:49:54Z")
> [@An\_Gadai](#): > > Have you never watched the weather forecast on a British station before? 🙂 Nah, they always said it was going to rain. I watched RTE instead, they were more optimistic. ---
**Author:** ![SciFiSam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/47e85d/32.png) [@SciFiSam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SciFiSam)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2011, 5:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/at-last-a-clear-explanation-of-the-difference-between-england-the-uk-great-britain-etc/569869/20 "2011-02-04T17:25:03Z")
‘At last?’ I’m surprised. I mean, obviously some people don’t know the difference because they’re not interested, but it’s not exactly complicated. ‘The British Isles’ is an incredibly loaded term - it implies that Ireland is part of Britain, which is a pretty big implication consider how long and hard they fought to not be. Having a term for the entire archipelago is useful, however; British and Irish Isles, maybe? Celtic Isles? Even Brittanic Isles would be better. It’s not as if nowhere ever changes its name. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/at-last-a-clear-explanation-of-the-difference-between-england-the-uk-great-britain-etc/569869.md?page=2)