Great Britain

:For an explanation of often confusing terms like England, (Great) Britain and United Kingdom see British Isles (terminology).

Usage and nomenclature

Usage of the term Great Britain

Great Britain is also widely, but incorrectly, used as a synonym for the political state properly known as the United Kingdom (see below).

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

This common usage is technically inaccurate as the United Kingdom includes Northern Ireland, in addition to the three countries that make up Great Britain, as shown by its full name "the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland", and also because the three countries that make up Great Britain itself collectively include over 100 other islands, such as the Isles of Scilly, St. Michael's Mount, the Isle of Wight, Lindisfarne, Lundy the Isle of Portland, and Steepholm in England; Flatholm and Anglesey in Wales; and the Isle of Arran, Bute and the inner and outer Hebrides of Scotland.

Related Topics:
Northern Ireland - Isles of Scilly - St. Michael's Mount - Isle of Wight - Lindisfarne - Lundy - Isle of Portland - Steepholm - Flatholm - Isle of Arran - Bute - Hebrides

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The British themselves occasionally use the abbreviation GB, such as in the Olympic Games where the British team is sometimes informally referred to as 'Team GB'. The UK also uses the international foreign vehicle identification code of GB. This is discussed further under Britain.

Related Topics:
British - Olympic Games - International foreign vehicle identification code

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

There is similar situation with the terms Britain and British, which are used to relate to the whole of the UK and not just the island of Great Britain. This usage is generally considered to be correct. Examples of this are "British monarchs", "British culture" and "British citizens" - which would generally be considered to embrace the whole of the United Kingdom.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

In rugby league the RFL fields its representative side under the name Great Britain.

Related Topics:
Rugby league - RFL - Great Britain

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Nomenclature

The name Britain is derived from the name Britannia, used by the Romans from circa 55 BC. The etymology of this term has been the subject of (sometimes fanciful) speculation, but is generally thought to derive from a Celtic word, Pritani, "painted", a reference to the inhabitants of the islands' use of body-paint and tattoos. (See Britain for further discussion of etymology.)

Related Topics:
55 BC - Britain

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

In Geoffrey of Monmouth's Historia Regum Britanniae (circa 1136), the island of Great Britain was referred to as Britannia maior ("Greater Britain"), to distinguish it from Britannia minor ("Lesser Britain"), the Gaulish region which approximates to modern Brittany. The term "Bretayne the grete" was used by chroniclers as early as 1338, but it was not used officially until King James I proclaimed himself "King of Great Britain" on 20 October 1604 to avoid the more cumbersome title "King of England and Scotland".

Related Topics:
Geoffrey of Monmouth - Historia Regum Britanniae - 1136 - Brittany - 1338 - King James I - 20 October - 1604

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~