In the modern world, territorial names such 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 by the merger of several autonomous territorial units. The Western European island on which the kingdom is located is also called Great Britain. Before the merger with Northern 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 of the countries had its own government, but later 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 remained in the state, and the monarch's residence was also located in the capital. This gave rise to the Kingdom of Great Britain.
On January 1, 1801, Northern Ireland became part of the state, which is reflected in its name, which is still used today. Unofficially, the kingdom is called Great Britain or Britain, but it should be distinguished from England, which is only a part of it, although it is the largest and most significant. Each of the countries that make up 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, ancient universities of Oxford and Cambridge, Edinburgh Castle and others. Nevertheless, all of them are considered to be the common national treasure of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland. The main language of the kingdom is traditionally English, which is subdivided by the British into several dialects, depending on a particular territorial unit.
England
England is the historical core of Great Britain and one of its administrative and political parts, occupying two-thirds of the island. The capital is London. The country got its name from a tribe of Angles of Germanic origin, who moved to the territory of 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 is mostly hilly, which becomes more mountainous in the north. The flat and mountainous areas are conditionally separated by the mouth of the Tis in the northeast and the Aix in the southwest. The East is a wetland that is actively drained for agricultural use.
In a country that occupies more than 130 thousand square meters. km, is home to almost 80% of the total population of Great Britain (more than 50 million people). Administratively, it is divided into 39 counties and, in addition to London, has five more large cities:
- Birmingham;
- Leeds;
- Sheffield;
- Liverpool;
- Manchester.
Scotland
This country is also an autonomous political and administrative 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 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 retains the title of the most important settlement. The third largest city - Aberdeen is considered one of the main oil and energy centers in Europe, making Scotland one of the most important commercial, industrial and scientific regions in 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 sq. 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 Bristol Bay, and in the west by the St George's. On the east side, Wales is bordered by such English counties as:
- Cheshire;
- Gloucestershire;
- Herefordshire;
- Shropshire.
Despite its longstanding political unity with England, Wales has a large number of unique cultural traditions. Its population is over three million. Industrial areas in the north-east and south of the country are especially densely populated. The natural landscape is mostly represented by steppe plains and vast moorlands. The largest and main city is Cardiff, followed by Swansea, Rhondda and Newport.
Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland is another constituent part of the United Kingdom, located in the northeast of the island of Ireland. The unofficial name of the province is Ulster, which it bore during the period of union with Ireland. Consists of six counties, including Armagh, Antrim, Fermanagh, Down, Tyrone and Londonderry, and also has 26 counties. On the territory of Northern Ireland, which consists mostly of rolling hills, there is Loch Ney - the largest in the British Isles. In addition, Northern Ireland has a long coastline stretching from Loch Foyle to the Morne Mountains.
Northern Ireland has the highest population density for Great Britain: 14138 sq. km, (1/6 the area of Ireland) is home to 1/3 of the total population of the island of Ireland. Northern Ireland is traditionally considered an agricultural province, but it is characterized by a high level of industrial development, slightly inferior to England. The capital is the largest city in size Belfast (about 300 thousand inhabitants), which is also the main industrial center. It is followed by Londonderry (Derry) with a population of just under 100 thousand people. Other notable localities are Newtownabby, Lisburne, Lergan, Ballymina, Newtownards, Armagh and Omah.
