Names and flags
Britain, Great Britain, The British Isles or the United Kingdom?
Officially, the United Kingdom is called: The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. The United Kingdom (the U.K.) is made up of four nations: England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. When speaking about Great Britain or Britain, we only talk about three countries: England, Scotland and Wales. Ireland, or the Republic of Ireland, is not part of the U.K.
But when do you speak of The British Isles? It is the geographical name for the group of islands that includes the biggest island: Great Britain, the Island of Ireland and lots of smaller islands around the different coasts. Look at the map below to learn about the biggest smaller islands or island groups.
Flags
Every country in the United Kingdom and Northern Ireland has its own flag. The British flag is called ‘ The Union Jack’ because it represents the union of Scotland, Ireland and England. Every country has a patron saint, which has a cross. When you combine these three crosses, you get the Union Jack as a result. Move your mouse over the images below to learn which flag belongs to which country.
Let’s sum it up!
In this video all the information is explained again. Also, there is a handy summary at the end.