POLITICALLY SPEAKING 9
shortened to 'the UK' and in internet and email addresses it is 'uk'.
In other contexts, it is referred to as 'Great Britain'. This, for example,
is the name you hear when a medal winner steps onto the rostrum at
the Olympic Games. The abbreviation 'GBP' (Great Britain Pounds) in
international bank drafts is another example of the use of this name.
In writing and speaking that is not especially formal or informal, the
name 'Britain' is used. The normal everyday adjective, when talking
about something to do with the UK, is 'British' (Why is Britain 'Great'?).
Great Britain and Ireland
Looking for a name
It's not easy to keep geography
and politics apart. Geographically
speaking, it is clear that Great
Britain, Ireland and all those
smaller islands belong together. So
you would think there would be
a (single) name for them. During
the nineteenth and twentieth
centuries, they were generally
called 'The British Isles'. But
most people in Ireland and some
people in Britain regard this name
SCOTLAND
as outdated because it calls to
mind the time when Ireland was
politically dominated by Britain.
So what can call these islands?
Edinburgh we
Among the names which have been
used are 'The north-east Atlantic
archipelago', 'The north-west
NORTHERN
European archipelago', 'IONA
IRELAND Belfast
(Islands ofthe North Atlantic)
and simply 'The Isles'. But none of
Isle of these has become widely accepted.
Man
REPUBLIC UNITED KINGDOM
The most common term at
OF IRELAND Dublin OF GREAT BRITAIN AND present is 'Great Britain and
Ireland'. But this is
(EİRE) NORTHERN IRELAND
even not
strictly correct. It is not correct
WALES geographically because it ignores
ENGLAND all the smaller islands. And it is
Cardiff
not correct politically because
London there are two small parts of the
area on the maps which have
special political arrangements.
These are the Channel Islands
and the Isle of Man, which
are 'crown dependencies' and
not officially part of the UK.
Each hàs complete internal
Channel self-government, including its
100 200km Islands own parliament and its own tax
100 miles system. Both are 'ruled' by a
Lieutenant Governor appointed
by the British government.