Great Britain is an island lying off the north-western coast of mainland Europe and to the east of Ireland, comprising the main territory of the United Kingdom. Great Britain is also used as a political term describing the combination of England, Scotland, and Wales, which together comprise the entire island and some outlying islands. Great Britain is also widely, though incorrectly, used as a synonym for the sovereign state properly known as the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. However, it should be noted that in the United Kingdom’s own television coverage of the Olympic Games, the athletes from the United Kingdom team are referred to as the Great British team, in turn under the abbreviation “GB.”

Britain was the name made popular by the Romans when they came to the British islands.

Where is Great Britain? Great Britain is an island lying off the western coast of Europe, comprising the main territory of the United Kingdom.

What is Great Britain?  Great Britain is the official name given to the two kingdoms of England and Scotland, and the principality of Wales.

Great Britain is made up of:
•England – The capital is London.
•Scotland – The capital is Edinburgh .
•Wales – The capital is Cardiff.

Is Great Britain the same as the UK? No, Great Britain and the United Kingdom refer to different areas.

Great Britain is very often, but incorrectly, used as a synonym for the sovereign state properly known as the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland or the UK for short.

If you look at the full name of the UK, you will see that the UK includes Great Britain AND Northern Ireland.

England

England used to be known as Engla land, meaning the land of the Angles, people from continental Germany, who began to invade Britain in the late 5th century, along with the Saxons and Jute.

Great Britain

The term Great Britain was first used during the reign of King James I of England (James VI of Scotland) in 1603, to refer to the separate kingdoms of England and Scotland. on the same landmass, that were ruled over by the same monarch. Despite having the same monarch, both kingdoms kept their own parliaments.

United Kingdom (The uniting of kingdoms)

The ‘United Kingdom of Great Britain’ was formed in 1707 by the Act of Union that created a single kingdom with a single Parliament. (Scotland has always retained its own legal system)

A hundred years later the Act of Union of 1801 joined Ireland to ‘Great Britain’ and the name “United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland” was first used. (Since 1921 only Northern Ireland has been part of the United Kingdom and so the name changed).

Link: http://resources.woodlands-junior.kent.sch.uk/customs/questions/britain/britain.htm
Link: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Britain

Travel Editor
Welcome2Britain – The Small Group British Tour Experts