Basic terminology

the British Isles, Great Britain, the UK, England, Scotland, Wales, Ireland, Northern Ireland

The British Isles - are an archipelago in the North Atlantic Ocean off the north-western coast of
continental Europe that consists of the islands of Great Britain, Ireland, the Isle of Man and over six
thousand smaller isles. They have a total area of about 315,159 km^2 and a combined population of just
under 70 million, and include two sovereign states, the Republic of Ireland (which covers roughly five-
sixths of the island of Ireland) and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.

Great Britain - is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean off the northwest coast of continental Europe.
With an area of 209,331 km2 (80,823 sq mi), it is the largest of the British Isles, the largest European
island, and the ninth-largest island in the world.

The UK - The United Kingdom, officially the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland but
more commonly known as the UK or Britain, is a sovereign country lying off the north-western coast of
the European mainland. The United Kingdom includes the island of Great Britain, the north-eastern part
of the island of Ireland and many smaller islands. Northern Ireland is the only part of the United
Kingdom that shares a land border with another sovereign state—the Republic of Ireland. Apart from
this land border, the United Kingdom is surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean, with the North Sea to the
east, the English Channel to the south and the Celtic Sea to the south-west, giving it the 12th-longest
coastline in the world. The Irish Sea lies between Great Britain and Ireland. With an area of 242,500
square kilometres (93,600 sq mi), the United Kingdom is the 78th-largest sovereign state in the world. It
is also the 22nd-most populous country, with an estimated 66.0 million inhabitants in 2017.

England – is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the
north and Wales to the west. The Irish Sea lies northwest of England and the Celtic Sea lies to the
southwest. England is separated from continental Europe by the North Sea to the east and the English
Channel to the south. The country covers five-eighths of the island of Great Britain, which lies in the
North Atlantic, and includes over 100 smaller islands, such as the Isles of Scilly and the Isle of Wight.

Scotland – is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It covers the northern third of the island of
Great Britain, with a border with England to the southeast, and is surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean to
the north and west, the North Sea to the northeast, the Irish Sea to the south, and more than 790
islands, including the Northern Isles and the Hebrides.

Wales - is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain. It is bordered by
England to the east, the Irish Sea to the north and west, and the Bristol Channel to the south. It had a
population in 2011 of 3,063,456 and has a total area of 20,779 km2 (8,023 sq mi).

Ireland – is an island in the North Atlantic. It is separated from Great Britain to its east by the North
Channel, the Irish Sea, and St George's Channel. Ireland is the second-largest island of the British Isles,
the third-largest in Europe, and the twentieth-largest on Earth.
Northern Ireland - is a part of the United Kingdom in the north-east of the island of Ireland, variously
described as a country, province or region. Northern Ireland shares a border to the south and west with
the Republic of Ireland. In 2011, its population was 1,810,863, constituting about 30% of the island's
total population and about 3% of the UK's population. Established by the Northern Ireland Act 1998 as
part of the Good Friday Agreement, the Northern Ireland Assembly holds responsibility for a range of
devolved policy matters, while other areas are reserved for the British government. Northern Ireland co-
operates with the Republic of Ireland in some areas, and the Agreement granted the Republic the ability
to "put forward views and proposals" with "determined efforts to resolve disagreements between the
two governments".