Key difference - UK vs. UK
Although many people use the terms Great Britain and Great Britain interchangeably, there is a difference between them. It is very important to know the difference between Great Britain and the United Kingdom as one relates to an island and the other to a country. Indeed, this is the main difference between them; Great Britain is an island and Great Britain is a country.
Great Britain - meaning and use
Great Britain is an island in the North Atlantic off the northwest coast of continental Europe. It is located in the east of Ireland and in the north-west of France. Great Britain is the largest island in Europe and the ninth largest island in the world. It has an area of 80,823 square miles. England, Wales and Scotland are on this island. England is in the southeast of the island, Wales in the southwest and Scotland in the north. The surrounding islands, which are part of England, Wales and Scotland, are also considered to be the territory of Great Britain.
What is the UK?
The United Kingdom is a country in Western Europe. It consists of England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. Its full name is the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
Wales was annexed to England in the 16th century , while Scotland was officially united to England in 1707, although they have been ruled by the same monarch since 1603, uniting these three territories - England, Wales and Scotland - known as the Great Britain. In 1801 the Kingdom of Ireland merged with Great Britain to form the United Kingdom of Great Britain and North Island. But in 1922 the Irish Free State broke away from this union. Only Northern Ireland is currently part of the United Kingdom. The UK also has fourteen overseas territories that are holdovers of the British Empire.
Difference Between Great Britain and Great Britain
Type
Great Britain is an island.
Great Britain is a country.
Areas
Great Britain consists of England, Scotland and Wales.
The United Kingdom consists of England, Scotland, Wales and the northern part of Ireland.
sense
Great Britain is used in a geographical sense.
United Kingdom is used in a political sense.
Overseas territories
Great Britain has no overseas territories.
Great Britain has fourteen overseas territories.
area
Great Britain has an area of 230,977 km².
Great Britain has an area of 242,495 km2 .
Image courtesy:
“Great Britain” by Cnbrb - Own work, (Public Domain) via Commons Wikimedia
"Map of the United Kingdom" - Source File: British Isles all.svg by Cnbrb File: United Kingdom countries.svg by Rob984 Work derivative: Offnfopt - File: United_Kingdom_countries.svg, (CC BY-SA 4.0) via Commons Wikimedia
