Why is britain still called great?

Question

Why is britain still called great?

Answer 1

Why is it still called UNITED Kingdom?

Answer 2

Geography, yarx is nearly correct.  There are two "Britains"  One is part of France, it is called Bretagne in French or Brittany in English.  It is smaller in area than the Britain on the islands.  

That is the only reason.  It is to distinguish the larger one from the smaller.  It has nothing to do with political or economic power, empires or anything else.

Answer 3

in some ways we are a great nation.

Answer 4

Cause we're too apathetic to bother changing it.

Answer 5

So we can live in hope that maybe one day it can be again !!

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/ar...

Answer 6

It's a geographic term not a political one.

Just as 'Greater London' refers to London and its suburbs, Great Britain refers to the main island of Britain (England, Scotland and Wales) and other small islands, (Isle of Wight, Skye etc).

Note Great Britain and the United Kingdom are not the same thing. The United Kingdom (UK) includes Northern Ireland as well as Great Britain.

Answer 7

Because the adjective has nothing to do with superiority, real or imagined. The term was originally used in French — Grande Bretagne — to distinguish the island from (Petite) Bretagne, which is Britanny.  

It's still a primarily geographical term: Ireland has never been a part of Great Britain, and Northern Ireland isn't part of it now. They can't be by definition: the term just refers to the largest of the British Isles. I say it's still 'primarily' a geographical term, because Welsh, Scottish and English islands Like Anglesey, Skye and the Isle of Wight are counted as part of Great Britain, so there is a political element to the definition. This dates back to the Act of Union between Scotland and England, when the whole of Great Britain was for the first time one state. When Ireland joined, we became the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland. When most of it became independent, the name changed accordingly.

Answer 8

Other than the fact that it is...the Queen still holds rules in 16 countries, an oft over-looked fact. England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Jamaica, Barbados, the Bahamas, Grenada, Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, Tuvalu, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Antigua and Barbuda, Belize, and Saint Kitts and Nevis ALL recognize the Queen of England as their ruling monarch.

It's called the United Kingdom because England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland are still united under the same Monarch.

Answer 9

Just as Yarx has said.I am surprised that there are so many ignorant people out there who thing it means wonderful or fantastic.There are two Britains.one in France called Brittany,which is smaller.and it was a term used to differentiate between the two.

Answer 10

When US or any country in the world manages to obtain at least some of the greatness this country has, then we might think about being just Britain.

For now... let's think:

1) Britain has basically been leader in everything, started from Literature and Art, to science, technology.

2) Britain can easily be credited for establishing, or at the very least putting the foundation of the 'democratic values' that US seem to regard as their invention.

3) English is the most wide-spread language in the world (at least 2/6 of the population of the world know it as first, second or third language).

4) The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, while not being among the biggest countries of the world, managed to create an Empire that had no analogies or equals. Just think how great and vast it was.

5) No one after Caesar managed to even come short of invading Britain, not even Napoleon or Hitler.

6) Her Majesty is Queen of 16 countries, and I'm more proud of her and happy with her then with all presidents of the US put together.

Guess what, I think it is GREAT Britain after all!

Answer 11

Because it is.......................

Answer 12

cus were the best!!!!!!!!

Answer 13

LOL! Funny question. I suppose it has to do with the size of the commonwealth. You know all those countries that pledge allegiance to the Queen.

Answer 14

its just to cover up the UNGREATNESS

Answer 15

Because it's better than the USA.

Answer 16

because that's our name???

the United Kingdom of Great Britain.

apart from the Roman Empire, who else had a Empire that covered 1/4 of the earth??