# Explain English geography to me **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [January 12, 2022, 11:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explain-english-geography-to-me/957668 "2022-01-12T23:14:43Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 8
**Author:** ![vbob](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/vbob/32/4439_2.png) [@vbob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vbob)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2022, 12:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explain-english-geography-to-me/957668/141 "2022-01-23T12:30:30Z")
Many Rhode Islanders proudly hail from [or have beach homes in] South County, which is the southern half of a state smaller than many cities, and not a county at all, but a state of mind. ---
**Author:** ![N9IWP](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/n9iwp/32/3154_2.png) [@N9IWP](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/N9IWP)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2022, 12:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explain-english-geography-to-me/957668/142 "2022-01-23T12:46:08Z")
Worth re-posting (note: made when the UK was in the EU) [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/rNu8XDBSn10/maxresdefault.jpg "The Difference between the UK, Great Britain & England Explained") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rNu8XDBSn10) Brian ---
**Author:** ![Teuton](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/teuton/32/3864_2.png) [@Teuton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Teuton)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2022, 1:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explain-english-geography-to-me/957668/143 "2022-01-23T13:08:56Z")
> [@N9IWP](#): > > Worth re-posting (note: made when the UK was in the EU) Also, Barbados has now left the Commonwealth. ---
**Author:** ![cytop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f17d59/32.png) [@cytop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cytop)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2022, 1:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explain-english-geography-to-me/957668/144 "2022-01-23T13:26:45Z")
Barbados has established itself as an independent republic instead of a [‘Commonwealth Realm’](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Commonwealth_realm) (Ultimate head of state being the Queen), and now has a directly elected president as head of state. Not sure if they have decided whether to leave the [Commonwealth](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Commonwealth_of_Nations) (of Nations) which is basically a frat society of states previously part of the British Empire (mostly) - there are a couple of members who were never part of the British Empire; Mozambique and Namibia are 2 that come to mind. ---
**Author:** ![GreenWyvern](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/greenwyvern/32/2834_2.png) [@GreenWyvern](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GreenWyvern)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2022, 1:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explain-english-geography-to-me/957668/145 "2022-01-23T13:43:20Z")
That video doesn’t mention the many countries like South Africa, Nigeria, India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, etc. etc. which are members of the Commonwealth, but _don’t_ have QEII as their head of state. > **[Member states of the Commonwealth of Nations](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Member_states_of_the_Commonwealth_of_Nations)** > > Pages for logged out editors learn more > > > > The Commonwealth of Nations is a voluntary association of 56 sovereign states. Most of them were British colonies or dependencies of those colonies. > No one government in the Commonwealth exercises power over the others, as is the case in a political union. Rather, the Commonwealth is an international organization in which countries with diverse social, political, and economic backgrounds are regarded as equal in status, and cooperate within a ... ---
**Author:** ![Teuton](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/teuton/32/3864_2.png) [@Teuton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Teuton)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2022, 2:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explain-english-geography-to-me/957668/146 "2022-01-23T14:57:58Z")
Yes, loose terminology from myself there. Barbados has removed itself from the ‘Commonwealth Realm’, but remained with those listed by @GreenWyvern as members of the Commonwealth. UK geopolitics isn’t simple on any level. ---
**Author:** ![bump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7c8e57/32.png) [@bump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bump)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2022, 6:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explain-english-geography-to-me/957668/147 "2022-01-25T18:10:24Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > The closest British analogy to the states of the US would be the nations of England, Scotland, Wales, and Ireland. Though I don’t know how much individual power those have in the UK. I think the biggest difference is in where the power derives from. The nations composing the United Kingdom have their power granted TO them by Parliament/the Crown, while it works in reverse for US states. Where this would be most obvious would be in legislating about new things- basically in the US, if it’s not expressly given to the Federal government as part of the Constitution or Federal case law, it’s the States’ right and problem to deal with. It works in reverse in the UK- if it’s not some power expressly granted to the nations, it’s retained by Whitehall to deal with. US counties run along the lines of the UK- the counties only have the powers delegated to them by their state constitutions, with the states retaining everything else, except what they’ve also granted to the Federal government. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2022, 10:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explain-english-geography-to-me/957668/148 "2022-01-25T22:40:31Z")
I didn’t say that the analogy between the states and England, Scotland, etc. was very close, just that it’s a closer analogy than between either and either sort of county. And England, Scotland, Wales, and Ireland did, at least, historically have autonomy, while the counties have only ever been constituent parts of some other polity. ---
**Author:** ![cytop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f17d59/32.png) [@cytop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cytop)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2022, 8:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explain-english-geography-to-me/957668/149 "2022-01-28T08:26:54Z")
[Nitpick] It’s not ‘Ireland’ when talking about the United Kingdom - it’s ‘Northern Ireland’. [/Nitpick] Just saying … ---
**Author:** ![Wrenching\_Spanners](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/ecb155/32.png) [@Wrenching\_Spanners](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wrenching_Spanners)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2022, 10:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explain-english-geography-to-me/957668/150 "2022-01-28T10:10:47Z")
> [@Teuton](#): > > Also, Barbados has now left the Commonwealth. This is an incorrect statement. Barbados became a republic and the Queen is no longer their head of state. However, Barbados decided to maintain its membership in the Commonwealth of Nations. [Barbados becomes a republic and parts ways with the Queen - BBC News](https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-latin-america-59470843) > Barbados announced its plan to become a republic last year, but it will remain within the Commonwealth. ---
**Author:** ![Teuton](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/teuton/32/3864_2.png) [@Teuton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Teuton)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2022, 2:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explain-english-geography-to-me/957668/151 "2022-01-28T14:30:05Z")
> [@Wrenching\_Spanners](#): > > This is an incorrect statement. Indeed, they have left the Commonwealth Realm, not the Commonwealth of Nations. I corrected myself above. ---
**Author:** ![ctnguy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6de8d8/32.png) [@ctnguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ctnguy)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2022, 6:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explain-english-geography-to-me/957668/152 "2022-01-28T18:55:04Z")
> [@bump](#): > > Where this would be most obvious would be in legislating about new things- basically in the US, if it’s not expressly given to the Federal government as part of the Constitution or Federal case law, it’s the States’ right and problem to deal with. It works in reverse in the UK- if it’s not some power expressly granted to the nations, it’s retained by Whitehall to deal with. For Scotland and Northern Ireland at least - I am not sure about the current status in Wales - there is a list of “reserved matters” expressly retained by Westminster, and the devolved legislatures have power to legislate on any matter not reserved. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2022, 9:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explain-english-geography-to-me/957668/153 "2022-01-28T21:10:49Z")
And it’s not “Northern Ireland” when talking about “once had autonomy” - It’s “Ireland”. ---
**Author:** ![bump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7c8e57/32.png) [@bump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bump)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2022, 9:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explain-english-geography-to-me/957668/154 "2022-01-28T21:41:36Z")
Can Westminster override the devolved legislatures? For example here in the US, a somewhat common source of friction/frustration in international affairs is when a foreign national is imprisoned or executed by one of the States, because the Federal government generally has ZERO ability to override a state when it comes to its own internal laws. So if Texas decides to execute a Briton for some reason, there’s not anything the Federal government can do, if he didn’t also break a Federal law in the process of breaking state laws. And it’s all because of that dual-sovereignty concept; stuff like murdering people isn’t a Federal crime, so it’s wholly a state thing, and therefore the Feds have no legal power to interfere. ---
**Author:** ![SciFiSam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/47e85d/32.png) [@SciFiSam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SciFiSam)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2022, 9:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explain-english-geography-to-me/957668/155 "2022-01-28T21:51:30Z")
It’s Northern Ireland when talking about the region of the UK now, and the devolved powers that it has now. ---
**Author:** ![PatrickLondon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/patricklondon/32/4422_2.png) [@PatrickLondon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PatrickLondon)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2022, 6:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explain-english-geography-to-me/957668/156 "2022-01-29T06:06:41Z")
And the devolved powers between 1922 and 1972. ---
**Author:** ![PatrickLondon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/patricklondon/32/4422_2.png) [@PatrickLondon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PatrickLondon)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2022, 6:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explain-english-geography-to-me/957668/157 "2022-01-29T06:16:47Z")
> [@bump](#): > > Can Westminster override the devolved legislatures? Not yet been tried, AFAIK, but in theory, AIUI, Westminster could pass a law revoking/repealing part of the powers that have been devolved, but they can’t override the devolved governments’ exercise of those powers day-to-day. I suppose they could bring a case to the Supreme Court alleging that a devolved government’s actions under some devolved power were unlawful in some way, such as a breach of the Human Rights Act. ---
**Author:** ![smithsb](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smithsb/32/12107_2.png) [@smithsb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/smithsb)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2022, 6:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explain-english-geography-to-me/957668/158 "2022-01-29T18:36:51Z")
Love the thread. 150+ posts in and I’m still confused (more confused?). Carry on!!! ---
**Author:** ![carrps](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carrps/32/2957_2.png) [@carrps](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carrps)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2022, 10:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explain-english-geography-to-me/957668/159 "2022-01-29T22:05:27Z")
> [@Pleonast](#): > > I disagree about Los Angeles. For most people in SoCal, saying “Los Angeles” means the county or the greater metropolitan area. People will say “the City of Los Angeles” when they mean the city specifically. And I disagree with your disagreement! I live in the city of Los Angeles, so if someone asks where I’m from, and I say Los Angeles, I mean the city of Los Angeles. I grew up in Culver City, though, and if someone from outside California asked me where I was from I’d say Los Angeles, and mean the Los Angeles area, if not exactly the County. I used to work for the County, though. 🙂 One of our cable channels has been showing an old UK show called _Escape to the Country_ – mostly old shows between 2007 and 2014 – and it’s _really_ helped me to have a feel for where the different UK counties are. Speaking of old TV shows, another one I loved is _Raised by Wolves_ about a family in the Midlands. The mom is telling the kids the folks up north are northern twats, and the folks down south are southern twats. We’re middle twats! ---
**Author:** ![jsc1953](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/5daacb/32.png) [@jsc1953](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jsc1953)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2022, 1:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explain-english-geography-to-me/957668/160 "2022-01-30T01:38:21Z")
> [@carrps](#): > > if someone from outside California asked me where I was from I’d say Los Angeles, and mean the Los Angeles area, if not exactly the County. Shoot…for us Northern Californians, everything south of the Grapevine is “LA”. 😉 [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explain-english-geography-to-me/957668.md?page=7) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explain-english-geography-to-me/957668.md?page=9)