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Great britain

G reat Britain is a political term which describes the combination of England, Scotland, and Wales, the three nations which together include all the land on the island. So, strictly speaking, it doesn’t include Northern Ireland.

It is also a geographical term referring to the largest island on which the greater parts of England, Wales and Scotland are situated. It is surrounded by seas on all sides and is separated from the European continent by the North Sea and the English Channel.

Great Britain is one of the most densely populated countries of Europe, with the southern parts of the country reaching the highest density figures of Europe as a whole. The capital and largest city, London, is in the southeast and is situated at both sides of the River Thames. Greater London has a total land area of 1,580 sq km with a population of 6,6 million inhabitants. It is divided in 32 boroughs.

What is Great Britain? Great Britain is the official name given to the two kingdoms of England and Scotland, and the principality of Wales. Great Britain is divided into small regions called counties.

Is Great Britain the same as the UK? No, Great Britain and the United Kingdom refer to different areas. Great Britain is very often, but incorrectly, used as a synonym for the sovereign state properly known as the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland or the UK for short. If you look at the full name of the UK, you will see that the UK includes Great Britain AND Northern Ireland.

Is Great Britain the same as Britain? The origin of the word 'Great' is a reference to size, because in many European languages the words for Britain and Brittany* in France are the same. In fact, it was the French who first talked about Grande Bretagne! In everyday speech 'Britain' is used to mean the United Kingdom.

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*Brittany – [´britni] Бретань (историческая область Франции)

DID YOU GET IT?

Say whether the following statements are true or false. Give the right answer if necessary.

  1. Great Britain is a political term for the combination of England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

  2. ‘Great Britain’ and ‘the United Kingdom’ refer to different areas.

  3. Great Britain is the official name given to the two kingdoms of England and Scotland.

  4. Great Britain is divided into small regions called boroughs.

  5. Great Britain is the second most densely populated country of Europe.

  6. Greater London is the term describing London with its suburbs.

  7. Great Britain is a geographical term referring to all British Isles.

  8. In everyday speech ‘Britain’ is used to mean the United Kingdom.

  9. London is the capital of Great Britain, but its biggest city is Manchester.

  10. The island of Great Britain is surrounded by seas on all sides.

  11. London is situated on both sides of the River Severn.