England vs Great Britain
It is a general tendency to consider England and the Great Britain to be one and the same even when there is a difference between England and Great Britain. However, many people are not aware of this difference. Great Britain is an island off the western coast of Europe. England constitutes the main territory of the United Kingdom. The official name given to the two kingdoms of England and Scotland, together with the principality of Wales is the Great Britain. Great Britain is loosely used to refer to United Kingdom as well. From this description it is quite clear that England forms part of the Great Britain and cannot be called the Great Britain itself.
Some facts about Great Britain
The Great Britain comprises of England, Scotland and Wales. London is the capital of England, and Edinburgh is the capital of Scotland. Cardiff is the capital city of Wales. In addition to these kingdoms and principalities, the Great Britain is divided into small regions called counties.
It is very important to note that there is a difference between the Great Britain and the United Kingdom too. Both are not one and the same in terms of the areas covered by them. United Kingdom or UK covers the Great Britain and the region of Northern Ireland. The Great Britain does not comprise of the area of Northern Ireland.
The Great Britain is, moreover, a political term that describes the combination of the three areas of England, Scotland and Wales. It is the geographical term as well pertaining to the island on which these three regions are located.
Britain or Great Britain is the largest island of the British Isles (United Kingdom, Ireland and surrounding smaller islands), largest island in Europe and the ninth largest in the world.
Some facts about England
England, on the contrary, was primarily known as Engla land. It means the land of the Angles. They are the people from continental Germany. They invaded Britain in the late 5th century AD. The Saxons and the Jute helped the Angles during the invasion. It is interesting to note that during the time of King James I of England in 1603 the term Great Britain was first used.
England is the largest as well as the most populous region in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. On the west, England is bordered by Wales and Irish sea and, on the north, by Scotland. London, the capital of the United Kingdom, is situated in England.
England has 27 administrative counties as follows: Buckinghamshire, Cambridgeshire, Cumbria, Derbyshire, Devon, Dorset, East Sussex, Essex, Gloucestershire, Hampshire, Hertfordshire, Kent, Lancashire, Leicestershire, Lincolnshire, Norfolk, Northamptonshire, North Yorkshire, Nottinghamshire, Oxfordshire, Somerset, Staffordshire, Suffolk, Surrey, Warwickshire, West Sussex, and Worcestershire.
English flag is a red cross in a white background. You could say that out of the combination of countries that make up the United Kingdom or even Great Britain, England is the most powerful.
What is the difference between England and Great Britain?
• The Great Britain comprises of England, Scotland and Wales.
• There is a difference between Great Britain and United Kingdom too. Apart from England, Scotland and Wales, United Kingdom also includes Northern Ireland. So, United Kingdom is Great Britain plus Northern Ireland. However, Great Britain is loosely used to refer to UK as well.
• Great Britain is divided into small regions called counties.
• England, on the contrary, was primarily known as Engla land.
• England is a part of Great Britain. That is the main difference between England and Great Britain.
• The capital of United Kingdom is situated in England.
• England has 27 administrative counties.
Images Courtesy:
- England by TUBS (CC BY-SA 3.0)