The difference between UK, Britain and the British Isles
One of the most common mistakes people make when talking about geography in this country is to confuse the UK with Great Britain or the British Isles – a cardinal sin in the eyes of any true geographer!
So let’s clear this up once and for all…
The United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland (to give its full name) refers to the political union between England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. The UK is a sovereign state, but the nations that make it up are also countries in their own right.
From 1801 to 1922 the UK also included all of Ireland.
The Channel Islands and Isle of Man are not part of the UK, but are Crown Dependencies.
Great Britain
Great Britain is the official collective name of of England, Scotland and Wales and their associated islands. It does not include Northern Ireland and therefore should never be used interchangeably with ‘UK’ – something you see all too often.
Here at Ordnance Survey, we’re responsible for mapping Great Britain, which is why we don’t make maps of Northern Ireland.
Technically, if you lose the ‘Great,’ Britain only refers to England and Wales.
British Isles
This is purely a geographical term – it refers to the islands of Great Britain and Ireland – including the Republic of Ireland – and the 5000 or so smaller islands scattered around our coasts. Remember this only refers to geography, not nationality, and while the Republic of Ireland is part of the British Isles, its people are not British – a very important distinction.
I hope that’s explained the very different meanings between UK, Great Britain and British Isles and why it’s important to use the right name at the right time. Geography really does matter!
We could go on to talk about nationalities but maybe we’ll save that for another day…
Themocracy
The UK map though shows Isle of Man in the UK?
While the article text identifies that “The Channel Islands and Isle of Man are not part of the UK”, the corresponding map seems to show the IoM as being within the UK.
@pedant1 @Mike – well spotted. Have now changed the map – sorry for the mistake.
When working in the USA I too struggled to explain these concepts, and produced an explanatory map – see http://www.pghardy.net/maps/uk/countries/. Also, being pedantic, Ordnance Survey does produce maps outside Great Britain – in particular, it maps the Isle of Man at 1:50K – see Landranger sheet 95 – http://www.shop.ordnancesurveyleisure.co.uk/products/paper-maps/paper-maps-ordnance-survey-great-britain/paper-maps-ordnance-survey-great-britain-os-landranger-map/isle-of-man/pid-9780319231708
I wasn’t aware that “Britain” on its own refers only to England and Wales. I thought it was an official short form for the whole UK?
Hows about the Channel Islands then.
OK – not part of the UK but are they part of the British Isles?
“Britain” does not mean “England and Wales”.
When the Kingdoms of Scotland and of England were united by the Act and Treaty of Union, the resulting new country was called “Great Britain”. It was called “Great” to distinguish it from Brittany.
The Channel Isles are part of the British Isles, but not part of the United Kingdom. They are Crown Dependencies as a result of them forming part of the Dutchy of Normandy
Hi Nicholas,
Our research points to the name Britain coming from the Roman name “Britannia” (or “Britannia Major”, to distinguished from “Britannia Minor”, ie Brittany in France).
Since the Roman’s only ever conquered the areas of modern day England and Wales, it is arguable that the name Britain originally referred only to those countries.
I reproduced a useful diagram on the subject on my own blog back in April – see http://bi-gen.blogspot.com/2011/04/uk-gb-bi-etc.html
So what is the official name of the island forming the ‘mainland’ of the British Isles? I always thought that was known as ‘Great Britain’…apparently not!
That’s exactly right Neil – as I said in the post “Great Britain is the official collective name of the island land mass of England, Scotland and Wales.”
OK…but you’re map shows Western Isles and Orkney etc included in that as well. I’m confused…
Ah right, you make a good point! Perhaps a more accurate description of GB would be the collective name for England, Scotland and Wales, and as such the Western Isles etc are all included. I’ll update the post – thanks.
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[...] “[t]he phrase is best avoided…”. It is not “purely” geographical as stated by the Ordnance Survey. If it is, I would like to see the justification for it and wonder why it is used in research [...]
Hi,
I was interested to ask on what basis was the British Isles “purely” a geographical term?
How is the Channel Islands similar (its geographically not, hence why everyone struggles to get on the map and settles for a little box in the corner) in terms geology to the other islands and more similar to them than they are to mainland France?
How can the term be considered “purely” geographical considering its use, historically and at present, by the UK Government to refer to the Islands that are somehow “British” i.e. pre 1948 the Government defines it as including Ireland and post as not including Ireland, it being used as a synonym for the British Islands?
If it is just islands off North-West Europe how come the Faroe Islands is not included or Iceland? The Faroe Islands makes more sense geographically than the Channel Islands.
Surly because of the overlap between its legal/political use it can’t ever be considered purely geographical?
Because of its ambiguous nature (including Ireland/not including Ireland including the Channel Islands/not including the Channel Islands)
Please not that Irish people find its use offensive because of its ambiguous nature and overlap as use as political and legal term. Please stop using this term and confine to the dustbin of history where it belongs.
I am interested to understand your geological logic for these islands being similar.
Look forward to hearing from you.
Thanks for the comment and a very good point – we posted this blog because, as the national mapping for Great Britain, we are often asked geography-related questions and this question crops up regularly. There is also a common perception that Ordnance Survey produce mapping for Northern Ireland, the Channel Islands and so on, whereas our remit is Great Britain, and there is a lot of confusion as to what this entails and covers. The post is put together to answer the geographical definitions of what constitutes the UK, Great Britain and the British Isles and not intended to stray into either geological or political comments that would be inappropriate for us as the national mapping agency to comment on.
@Gemma thanks for your reply.
The point is it is not a “purely a geographical term” as stated in your blog and if you use it you got to willing to debate it. You already have strayed into geological or political comments that would be inappropriate for you as the national mapping agency to comment on by including the term in your blog. Especially without clarification that its use can cause offence and that their is more than one definition commonly in use.
I support the Ordnance Survey’s idea of trying to get people to use the correct terms, but this term is not an appropriate geographical term for these islands and this promotes its use as such. If you don’t wish to have the debate on it or amend your blog then I suggest you remove the term. As it is, you are supporting its use.
Concise, and informative article. Thank you.
I’m wondering if A. Lindsay bothered to read the article properly or was just having an off day?
Andy, I’m not sure if you understand the point A. Lindsay is making.
The term “British Isles” can be viewed, certainly by persons in Ireland, as a political term. Just saying that it is only a geographical term does not make it so, especially when the term has political history.
There are two major islands: Great Britain and Ireland. We could therefore just as easily call the islands the Irish Isles. Indeed, that would probably have been the accepted geographical term if Ireland had been the more powerful empire. So you see, geographical terms are highly influenced by political history, and there is no point in denying that. Naming of places is heavily influenced by politics and has been throughout human history. For example, “North America” is a geographical term, but is named after an Italian explorer. It is inherently political.
British Isles was accurate from the 12th century to the early 20th century, when the British controlled Ireland; however, now it seems that Ireland has renounced all Britishness since leaving the British Commonwealth in 1949. I notice that cruise lines and other sources use “British & Irish Isles,” which seems more 21st century.
British Isles has become a political term, same as Persian Gulf (bordering Arab states use Arabian Gulf) and Sea of Japan (South Korea advocates East Sea). Persian Gulf and Sea of Japan place names suggest ownership, and British Isles implies a uniform culture, which does not exist. Thoughtless inertia and British nationalism appear to be great allies in the continued use of a British Isles descriptor that includes Ireland.
In your version of Great Britian you have included all the Scottish isles and the Isle of Wight. Great Britain is strictly the mainland and none of the surrounding islands, so for example Great Britain does not include Angelsy, The Isles of Scilly, or even places like Peil island or Chapel Island off the coast of the Furness peninusla in Cumbria (Or more correctly “Lancashire beyond the sands”, for friends of real Lancashire)
The terms ‘British Isles’ is deprecated becuase it is ambiguous and historically provocative. The similar term ‘British Islands’ however, is precisely defined in statute (the Interpretation Act 1948) and has a different meaning.
It means ‘the United Kingdom of Great Britain and N. Ireland, the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man’.
It does not include the 26 counties that were part of the the UK between 1801 and 1922 and, following a period as a self-governing Dominion of the Crown (as the Irish Free State, and from 1937 ‘Ireland’), became a fully sovereign state in 1949.
Incidentally, American news readers still incorrectly refer to the UK as ‘Britain’ or ‘Great Britain’. That country ceased to exist in 1801, so whenever you hear that term, you should realise that the person using it is 210 years, and two major constitutional changes (a union and, 121 years later, a breakup) behind the times.
NEVER EVER EVER REFER TO IRELAND AS THE BRITISH iSLES,VERY SORE SPOT WITH US IRISH.