The four nations

GENERAL INFORMATION

Great Britain is an island country in northwestern Europe. It is just under 1, 000 km long from the south coast of England to the extreme north of Scotland, and covers an area of about 242, 000 sq km. At its widest point, it is 500 km across. The total population of the country is 61, 113, 205. It has been one of the world’s most important countries. The United Kingdom (UK), England, the British Isles – these different names are sometimes used to denote the same thing. The official name of the country is the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.

The country is a part of Europe, but it is separated from mainland Europe by the North Sea on the east and by the English Channel on the South – a separation that has helped shape the independent character of the British people.

Britain constitutes the greater part of the British Isles; the largest of the islands is Great Britain. The next largest island comprises Northern Ireland and the Irish Republic. The UK is made up of England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. Western Scotland is fringed by the large archipelago known as the Hebrides and to the north east of the Scottish mainland are Orkney and Shetland. All these have administrative ties with the mainland, but the Isle of Man, in the Irish Sea, and the Channel Islands, between Great Britain and France, are largely self-governing and are not part of the United Kingdom.

The surface of the British Isles varies very much. It is mainly low-lying meadow and forests, but there are mountains in Scotland and Wales, and deep lakes in Scotland. The north and west are mountainous or hilly. Much of the south and east is flat, or low-lying. So it is not surprising that southeast Britain has always been the most populated part of the island.

Britain has a milder climate than much of the European mainland because it lies in the way of the Gulf Stream, which brings warm water and winds. The popular belief that it rains all the time in Britain is simply not true. Why does Britain’s climate have such a bad reputation? Because of its changeability. It may not rain very much altogether, but you can never be sure of a dry day!

THE FOUR NATIONS

The Union Flag or the Union Jack

The Union Jack is the national flag of the UK. It is a combination of the cross of St George, the cross of St Andrew and the cross of St Patrick. “Union Jack” is an alternative name for the official Union Flag. The term “jack” refers to the flag that is flown from the bowsprit of a ship, often denoting nationality.