In the modern world, such territorial names as England and Great Britain are often mistakenly considered interchangeable. In fact, England is only one of the constituent parts of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland.
What is UK
Great Britain is the abbreviated name of the island state of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, formed in 1801 with the merger of several autonomous territorial units. The West European island on which the kingdom is located is also called Great Britain. Before the merger with Server Ireland, from 1707 to 1800, the simpler name of the state was used - the Kingdom of Great Britain.
Currently, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland includes:
- England;
- Scotland;
- Wales;
- Northern Ireland.
In the Middle Ages, from 1603 to 1707, each country had its own government, but subsequently England, Scotland and Wales united under the auspices of a single parliament and government, which now began to be located in London Westminster. At the same time, the constitutional monarchy was preserved in the state, and the residence of the monarch was also located in the capital. This gave rise to the Kingdom of Great Britain.
From January 1, 1801, Northern Ireland became part of the state, which was reflected in its name, which is still used. Unofficially, the kingdom is called Britain or Britain, but it should be distinguished from England, which is only part of it, although the largest and most significant. Each of the countries included in the kingdom has its own history, political, economic and other features, so their names have a big difference.
On their territories there are unique historical and architectural structures, including Stonehenge, Roman baths, the ancient universities of Oxford and Cambridge, Edinburgh Castle and others. Nevertheless, all of them are considered to be the common national heritage of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland. The main language of the kingdom is traditionally English, which is divided by the British into several dialects depending on a particular territorial unit.
England
England - the historical core of Great Britain and one of its administrative and political parts, occupies two-thirds of the island. The capital is London. The country received its name from a tribe of Angles of German origin who migrated to the British Isles in the 5-6 centuries. Today, the inhabitants of England are called the British. In the west, it borders with Wales, and in the north with Scotland.
England for the most part has hilly terrain that is becoming more mountainous to the north. The plain and mountainous areas are conventionally divided by the mouth of the Tis River in the northeast and Ex in the southwest. The East is a wetland area that is actively drained for agricultural use.
In a country that occupies more than 130 thousand square meters. km, almost 80% of the total population of Great Britain (more than 50 million people) live. Administratively, it is divided into 39 counties and, in addition to London, has five more major cities:
- Birmingham;
- Leeds;
- Sheffield
- Liverpool;
- Manchester.
Scotland
This country is also an autonomous administrative and political unit of Great Britain. Located on the northern part of the island of Great Britain and on the border with England. On three sides it is washed by the seas connected to the Atlantic Ocean. In the east it is the North Sea, in the west and southwest - the North Strait and the Irish Sea. Scotland also includes several hundred small border islands, most of which remain uninhabited, but the North Sea is rich in oil fields.
The capital of Scotland is Edinburgh, but the first and the largest is the city of Glasgow, which is distinguished by a developed industry. Since the 18th century, Edinburgh has remained the main center of the Scottish Enlightenment and reserves the right to the most significant community. The third largest city - Aberdeen is the title of one of the main oil and energy centers in Europe, making Scotland one of the most important commercial, industrial and scientific regions of Europe.
Wales
Wales is the third largest administrative and political unit of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland with an area of 20, 764 square meters. km., which in the past was a conglomerate of independent Celtic kingdoms. The country is located in the southwest of Great Britain. In the north it is washed by the waters of the Irish Sea, in the south by the Gulf of Bristol, and in the west by the St George Strait. On the east side, Wales borders on such English counties as:
- Cheshire;
- Gloucestershire;
- Herefordshire;
- Shropshire.
Despite its long-standing political unity with England, Wales has a large number of unique cultural traditions. Its population is more than three million people. Industrial areas in the north-east and south of the country are especially densely populated. The natural landscape is more represented by steppe plains and vast moorlands. Cardiff is the largest and main city, followed by Swansea, Ronta and Newport.
