The United Kingdom was established in 1801 with the union of Great Britain and Ireland. It is composed of England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland. England, the largest country, is located in the southeast of the island of Great Britain and has over 54 million people, with London as its capital city. The English flag features a red cross on a white background representing St. George, the patron saint of England.
2. THE UK
1922 – United Kingdom of Great
Britain and Northern Ireland. The
Republic of Ireland (Eire, or
‘Southern Ireland’) withdraws from
the union, leaving just the northern
counties of Ireland. This is the UK
that remains to this day.
So when was the UK established?
Although some people argue that the UK
was formed in 1707 by the Act of Union
between England, Wales and Scotland,
the name United Kingdom wasn’t adopted
until 1801 when Ireland was brought into
the union.
The United Kingdom (coloured in
red) with the Republic of Ireland
in grey.
3. GREAT BRITAIN
Is not a country; it’s a
landmass. It is known as
‘Great’ because it is the
largest island in the
British Isles, and houses
the countries of England,
Scotland and Wales
within its shores.
Great Britain in red, Ireland in grey
4. THE BRITISH ISLES
The British Isles is the
name of a group of
islands situated off the
north western corner of
mainland Europe. It is
made up of Great
Britain, Ireland, The Isle
of Man, The Isles of
Scilly, The Channel
Islands as well as over
6,000 other smaller
islands.
The British Isles in red, with mainland
Europe in green.
5. ENGLAND
Just like Wales and Scotland,
England is commonly referred
to as a country but it is not a
sovereign state. It is the largest
country within the United
Kingdom both by landmass
and population.
London also happens to be the
capital of the UK as well as
England.
It is perhaps understandable
then that England is often
(although incorrectly) used as
a term to describe the whole of
the UK.
6. So there you have it! If you’re still a bit
confused over the differences, here’s a
quick summary:
The UK – a sovereign state that
includes England, Scotland,
Wales and Northern Ireland.
Great Britain – an island situated
off the north west coast of
Europe.
British Isles – a collection of over
6,000 islands, of which Great
Britain is the largest.
England – a country within the UK.
7. THE FLAG
The English flag is
white, with a red
cross. This cross is
the cross of Saint
George, who is the
patron saint of
England. Some
other symbols used
for England are a
red rose and three
lions.
8. GEOGRAPHY
About 54.8 million people live in
England
The capital city of England is
London. Other large cities in
England are Birmingham, Liverpool,
Manchester, Leeds.
England is the largest part of the island of
Great Britain, and it is also the largest
constituent country of the United Kingdom.
Scotland and Wales are also part of Great
Britain (and the UK), Scotland to the north and
Wales to the west.
To the east and south, and part of the west,
England is bordered by sea.
France is to the south, separated by the
English Channel(Chunnel) and under the
English Channel, connects England to northern
France (and the rest of mainland Europe).
Ireland is a large island to the west, divided
into Northern Ireland which is part of the United
Kingdom, and the Republic of Ireland.
The longest river in England is the River
Severn. Other large rivers are the Thames
(which runs through London), the Trent and the
Humber.
9. LANGUAGE
The English language is a
West Germanic language
spoken in many countries
around the world.
With around 380 million
native speakers, it is the
second most spoken
language in the world, as a
native language.
As many as a billion
people speak it as a
second language. English
is an influence on, and has
been influenced by many
different languages. Some
people in England speak
other languages, such as
Welsh.
10. CLIMATE
All of Great Britain has an
oceanic climate. There
can be a temperature
difference of 5-10°c
between the north and the
The prevailing wind for
most of the year is from
the Atlantic, to the west of
England.
Therefore, there is more
rain on the western side
of the country.
The east is colder and
drier than the west.
The climate is warmer
than it was 200 years ago,
and now ice and snow are
rare in the southern part
of the country.
11. SPORT
The English football
team won the World Cup
in 1966.
English people invented:
Football
Rugby Football
Snooker
Billiards
Darts
Cricket
Lawn Tennis
12. PEOPLE FROM ENGLAND
There are many well known English people. Here are
just a few of them:
William Shakespeare, English playwright
Sir Isaac Newton, the scientist who discovered gravity
Charles Dickens, 19th century author
Sir Tim Berners-Lee, inventor of the World Wide Web
The Beatles, musicians, who came from the city of
Liverpool
Sir Winston Churchill, former prime minister, and led
the country during World War II
King Henry VIII, King of England during the 16th
century
Charles Darwin, naturist, well known for work on
evolution
J.R.R Tolkien, author, poet, philologist and university
professor, (1892-1973)
Led Zeppelin, rock band
The Rolling Stones, rock band
Diana, Princess of Wales (1961-1997).
David Beckham, footballer
Jessica Ennis, athlete
Adele, singer
Amy Winehouse, singer
J.K. Rowling, author