Pub argument needs help....

[Willy Dangle]

....what is the difference between GB & the UK?

 

[sully]

Great Britain is the main land mass of England, Scotland and Wales. UK includes Northern Ireland. Hence "The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland" being the full name of our country.

 

[Goldstone1976]

Great Britain is the main land mass of England, Scotland and Wales. UK includes Northern Ireland. Hence "The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland" being the full name of our country.

It depends how you're defining "main land mass". GB includes most the islands surrounding the mainland (e.g. IOW, Scilly Isles, Orkneys etc), but not all (eg Isle of Man and the Channel islands).

 

[GoldWithFalmer]

I'd say about 150 years,Britain was once Great,now it's merely an United Kingdom,until some Scots get their wish to walk away..

 

[Weststander]

Mainland Britain is the England, Wales and Scotland landmass.
Great Britain is that, plus the Isle of Wight, various Scottish Isles, Isles of Scilly, Anglesey.
United Kingdom is all that, plus Northern Ireland.

 

[Mtoto]

It depends how you're defining "main land mass". GB includes most the islands surrounding the mainland (e.g. IOW, Scilly Isles, Orkneys etc), but not all (eg Isle of Man and the Channel islands).

Not sure that's right. I was always taught that "the British Isles" includes about 1,000 islands, most of which are tiny, barren and uninhabited (but also, in geographical terms, Ireland, with a population of 3m).
Great Britain, on the other hand, is the biggest of the British Isles, ie. nothing that's not attached to it counts.

 

[TomandJerry]

A pub argument? It always ends in a fist fight!

 

[Goldstone1976]

Not sure that's right. I was always taught that "the British Isles" includes about 1,000 islands, most of which are tiny, barren and uninhabited (but also, in geographical terms, Ireland, with a population of 3m).
Great Britain, on the other hand, is the biggest of the British Isles, ie. nothing that's not attached to it counts.

Nah, it's right, honestly

The British isles is the UK plus Eire.

 

[carteater]

great britain= scotland wales and england

uk= great britian and northern ireland

 

[Albumen]

Argument based on lack of facts rather than opinions? Amateurs!

 

[Lord Bracknell]

Does Canvey Island count? Shirley not?

 

[carteater]

Does Canvey Island count? Shirley not?

its not even an island... so it should do

 

[Seagull kimchi]

Great is short for Greater as in the larger landmass of Britain - England, Scotland and Wales.

 

[dingodan]

One is GREAT. The other is just Ukay...

 

[DNB_Seagull]

Right hook upper cut and then knee his nose in.

 

[Baldseagull]

Great is short for Greater as in the larger landmass of Britain - England, Scotland and Wales.

Great is to differentiate from Little. Brittany in France was once Little Britain, after being settled by Cornish and Welsh Britons, and we were (and still are) Great Britain.

 

[Dick Head]

 

[fataddick]

Great is to differentiate from Little. Brittany in France was once Little Britain, after being settled by Cornish and Welsh Britons, and we were (and still are) Great Britain.

Indeed. Saved me having to type it myself. Great Britain is the main landmass. Little Britain was the name given to what is now the Breton (non-French) speaking region of NW France originally settled by Cornlanders and Welsh. British Isles is Great Britain plus Ireland plus loads of clagnuts (mostly at the NW edge of Scotland). United Kingdom is a political term that has no geographical significance at all, and could change at any point, eg if Scotland grow balls. Scotland could leave the UK tomorrow, but can never leave Great Britain (er, unless some future technology enables them to turn the remains of Hadrian Wall into a combined laser drill and landmass transporter).

 

[Willy Dangle]

Great Britain is the main land mass of England, Scotland and Wales. UK includes Northern Ireland. Hence "The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland" being the full name of our country.

great britain= scotland wales and england

uk= great britian and northern ireland

Part 2 of the messy row was why then does the flag of Great Britain (Union Jack) contain Ireland.

 

[DTES]

Scotland could leave the UK tomorrow, but can never leave Great Britain (er, unless some future technology enables them to turn the remains of Hadrian Wall into a combined laser drill and landmass transporter).

So the full name, "United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland", will have to change, as the country will no longer contain all of Great Britain.

If Scotland votes yes, new passports for everybody - but I'm sure our passport office can cope with the backlog that will create