What's the difference between UK and Great Britain?

Question

Great Britain is England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. And we call it Great Britain when we are competing in sports and the Olympics. So why are we also called United Kingdom? They use UK a lot when we talk about immigration. I'm English myself and don't understand, so how this country expects anybody else to understand is beyond me.

Answer 1

Great britain is Wales, Scotland and england

Uk is Wales, Ireland, Scotland and england

I don't understand really why there are two names and why there isn't just one - guess it makes it confusing for everyone.  

Answer 2

Great Britain is England, Scotland Wales, Not Northern Ireland.

UK is England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland....OK now.

Answer 3

Great Britain is not "England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland". It is a geographical term, for the largest of the group of around 1000 islands which together make up the British Isles.    The United Kingdow of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the full name of the UK. Other places which are not in either Great Britain or the United Kingdom are:  The Irish Republic, The Isle of Man, and the Channel Islands (Guernsey, Jersey, Alderney, Sark).  The Shetlands and Orkneys are in the United Kingdom, but obviously they are not part of the island of Great Britain either.

Answer 4

The term Great Britain is geographic - the term UK or United Kingdom describes a political entity namely the United Kingdoms of Great Britain (Scotland , England and Wales)  and Northern Ireland .

Answer 5

The UK is England, Scotland, Wales & Northern Ireland altogether,

GB, is England, Scotland & Wales.

Answer 6

As stated before Great Britain refers to Wales, England and Scotland.  The United Kingdom refers to Great Britain and Northern Ireland.

At the 1906 Summer Olympics the UK was entered under the term Great Britain and the naming has stuck.

Northern Irish athletes can choose to participates for either Great Britain or Ireland.

Answer 7

Great Britain is the United Kingdom without the Northern Ireland bit

Answer 8

There is no difference.

Answer 9

its the same no difference!!

Answer 10

UK is the whole british colony. While we ruled 2/3 of the world they where all part of the UK colony

Answer 11

nothing

Answer 12

northern ireland isnt in UK

Answer 13

Great Britain is England, Scotland and Wales.

UK is as above but with Northern Ireland.

Easy.

Answer 14

The correct term for the "UK" is "The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland". There is therefore no difference between the two terms, UK and Great Britain, although they are both abbreviations.

The term "Britain" refers only to what the Irish call "the mainland", i.e. England, Scotland and Wales.

None of these terms includes the Isle of Man or the Channel Islands.

Answer 15

Great Britain is the mainland part:- England, Wales and Scotland with their Islands (but NOT isle of Man and Channel Islands they are not part of the GB but lined to the crown as crown protectorates and are legally independent states).

the UK is Great Britain Plus northern Ireland. (The isle of Man and channel Islands are associated with the UK but still legally separate States but have a UK passport due to being crown protectorates)