essay great britain

We use cookies to enhance our website for you. Proceed if you agree to this policy or learn more about it.

• Essay Database >
• Essay Examples >
• Essays Topics >
• Essay on Education

Great Britain Essay Examples

Type of paper: Essay

Topic: Education , Politics , Family , Students , Crime , Vehicles , Infrastructure , England

Words: 3000

Published: 01/25/2020

ORDER PAPER LIKE THIS

This essay explores the following cultural aspects of Great Britain: the political system and government, the economy, education, transportation, policing and crime. Under the first sub-heading “Political System and Government the essay explains that the fundamental principle of the government of Great Britain is that of a parliamentary democracy, but with Queen Elizabeth II ruling overall as the titular Head of State, then continues to summarize the make-up of the government, the roles of the House of Commons and the House of Lords, and more. The second section discusses Britain’s economy, its global ranking, its relationship with the European Union and Britain’s retention of the Pound Sterling as its currency. That section also describes how Britain’s economy has evolved from a predominantly manufacturing base into one where services are the major sector by percentage. Next comes the Education system in Britain, which is summarized from pre-school facilities through to university, placing some emphasis on U.S. / UK differences and on a small number of regional differences within the UK. Then comes Transportation – a section covering all Britain’s transport networks, including road, rail, air and sea – the latter including the undersea tunnel linking England with France. The final section is about the Police and crime. That covers the structure of the various UK police forces, which included dedicated British Transport Police (for the rail network) and covers some regional differences.

Introduction

Great Britain comprises three principal regions or parts on its mainland: England, Wales and Scotland. It is the major part of the United Kingdom, which also includes Northern Ireland. The rest (southern part) of Ireland is a separate country called Eire – the Republic of Ireland (“What is the difference between the United Kingdom, Great Britain, and England?”, n.d.). This essay explores the following cultural aspects of Great Britain: the political system and government, the economy, education, transportation, policing and crime.

Political System and Government

“How government works” (n.d.) explains that the fundamental principle of the government of Great Britain is that of a parliamentary democracy, but with Queen Elizabeth II ruling overall as the titular Head of State. In the British parliamentary system the government is headed by a Prime Minister who has ultimate responsibility for the government’s policies and decisions. He has the power to appoint other members of the government as well as overseeing the running of Britain’s Civil Service and the various government agencies. He is based at a well-known London address: Number 10 Downing Street. Currently, as described in the article, Britain’s coalition government since May 2010 is made up of members of the Conservative Party and the Liberal Party – two of the three main political parties, the third being the Labour Party. It has a Deputy Prime Minister (from the Liberal Party), who assists the Prime Minister, is consulted on policy decisions, and has his own specific areas of responsibility. The same article also describes how senior members of the government form the Cabinet, who meet weekly while Parliament is in session, to discuss the major issues. In addition to the Prime Minister, there are 21 ministers in the Cabinet, plus a further 99 ministers who work outside of that body. Administratively, the government comprises 24 ministerial departments, a further 20 departments that are not designated as ministerial, plus over 300 peripheral government agencies and related public bodies. The British Parliament comprises the House of Commons – which has 650 elected representatives called Members of Parliament (MPs) – and the House of Lords. As described in “How Parliament works” (n.d.), the House of Commons is “the supreme legal authority in the UK” which the article states “is the most important part of the UK constitution.” The separate and independent House of Lords functions as a check on the House of Commons, and can challenge actions of the government. All new laws have to pass through both of these institutions.

The Economy

“The Economy of the UK, GB, British Isles” (2010) describes the UK economy as between the world’s sixth or eighth largest, depending on the criteria used. Noting that it encompasses the economies of England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, the article also mentioned that though the Isle of Man and the Channel Islands are included in the British Isles, they have their own statuses as offshore banking centers. Because the United Kingdom is a European Union (EU) member state, it is part of a system known as a single market, which allows free movement between member states of its peoples, goods (trade), services and – importantly – finance (capital). However, as the article reports, the UK controls and maintains independence of its economy and continues to use as its currency the Pound (Sterling), whereas the remainder of the EU uses the Euro. The article notes that although the UK was “the birthplace of the first industrial revolution”, other countries have since caught up and Britain has been affected negatively by two World Wars in the last century, so that it is unlikely to return to the once-held position of the world’s number one economic power. The present economic climate is one of austerity and slow or zero economic growth, with a very large trade deficit, second only to the U.S. Interestingly, for a country that was once a major center of manufacturing industry, the article reports that by far the largest sector now is that of services, representing some 77 percent, most importantly in finance and banking, where London is one of the three world centers of finance, along with New York and Tokyo. Services are followed by manufacturing at just 22 percent, with agriculture trailing way behind at between one and two percent, although it still produces circa 60 percent of the country’s food requirements. Although UK agriculture is “highly mechanised and efficient”, it does benefit from considerable subsidies – both from the British government and from the European Union. Similarly, although manufacturing as a sector has shrunk dramatically from former times, the article reports that based on output values, the UK is still “the sixth-largest manufacturer of goods in the world.” The manufacturing industries include aerospace, which the article reports as “the second largest in the world.”

The Education System

The education system in England is usefully and quite comprehensively described in an article by Dunn & Collyer (2011) entitled “Understanding the British School System.” It was produced and published under the auspices of the U.S. Air Force 422nd Air Base Group, for the information of U.S. military personnel or civilian support personnel who might need to place children in the schools system (free for families based in the UK). For that reason it included mention of some UK / U.S. differences, which are noted where applicable in the following paragraphs. Note that there are also detail differences from the “England and Wales” system, especially in Scotland, but also in Northern Ireland. Those differences – as summarized in a British Council article entitled “The Education Systems of England & Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland” (n.d.) – are covered where appropriate in the text. Dunn & Collyer reported that in England all children between the ages of five and 16 attend free but compulsory schooling. (Also available to qualifying U.S. personnel and families). There are also pre-schools available for younger children, though most of those are fee-paying. The school year begins in September and ends in the following July and comprises three terms (or semesters). Autumn (Fall) term begins in September and ends at the Christmas break. The Spring Term is January through to the Easter holiday, then the Summer Term follows into July. There are short holidays (about a week) in the middle of each 12-week term. The Christmas and Easter breaks last approximately two weeks, and the Summer holiday is the longest – usually extending to around six weeks. As explained by Dunn & Collyer, the schooling is divided into Primary and Secondary education. Primary schools educate children between the ages of four and 11, moving each child up to the next class each year. The article noted that ages four to seven equate to Key Stage 1, and ages seven to 11 equate to Key Stage 2. Subjects taught at Primary Schools are determined by and in accordance with the National Curriculum. Secondary schools teach children between the ages of 11 and 16, in most cases in schools called Comprehensive schools, which cater for children of all abilities. Again the National Curriculum is followed, and the children are assessed at ages 14 (Key Stage 3) and at 16 (Key Stage 4). At that stage children sit the General Certificate of Education (GCSE) exams, which may be supplemented by course work assessments in various subjects. As further described by Dunn & Collyer, many children stay on at school for a further two years after the age of 16, enrolling in what is referred to as the Sixth Form. In this period they study for Advanced Level exams (“A” levels) in a smaller number of subjects, often as the principal route to qualify for university. Dunn & Collyer reported that there are fee-paying schools available in Britain for those parents who prefer that option for their children. Those can be either day schools or boarding establishments. All schools tend to follow a similar daily timetable, running from approximately 8:45 in the morning to 3:00 or later in the afternoon with a midday lunch break of about one hour. Religious education is compulsory for the schools, though parents may opt out for their children if they wish. Many schools in Britain have a mandatory school uniform policy, which is distinctive school-to-school. Assessments of the child’s performance and progress are made regularly in the form of school reports. At Primary school level these are usually once each year, but at Secondary school are more likely to be at the end of each term. In Secondary schools, children at the age of 13-14 (end year 9) select about 10 of the subjects for continuing, and drop the remainder. Dunn & Collyer noted that this is earlier then the practice in the U.S. At the age of 16 children are permitted to leave school, or can stay on to study for a further two years to qualify for university entrance, which – if attended – is usually a four year course. Dunn & Collyer provided – especially for American parents – the following information regarding differences between the UK and U.S. systems. The first and quite important difference is that transport to/from school is not an automatically available facility in the UK. Though there may be a service for some Secondary schools, it is the individual’s responsibility. British schools will not recognize U.S. holidays such as Independence Day and Thanksgiving, so U.S. parents need to obtain special permission if planning family celebrations on those days. Regarding differences between the school systems in different parts of the British Isles, the article by the British Council noted that in Scotland the curriculum is slightly different, and that Scottish Secondary educations begins at age 12. It also noted that the exams have different names in Scotland. The school year in Scotland begins in mid-August and ends in June, whereas in Northern Ireland the corresponding dates are begin-September and end-June. In Scotland the teaching of a foreign language begins in Primary school. In Northern Ireland religion is a more sensitive issue and many schools indicate their religious allegiance by part of the name of the school, e.g. RC for Roman Catholic.

British Transportation Systems

Barrow (2012) published an article on a school’s website, entitled “Types of Transport in Britain”, that provided a good overview of British transportation systems, and cited the nation’s road and motorway system as the primary component of the routes for domestic transport. Barrow claimed that there are circa 225,000 miles of roads/motorways in total, accounting for around 85 percent of all passenger miles travelled in Britain. Most of the roads are free to use, although there are a few roads that charge toll fees, including the central area of London, which calls the fees “congestion charges”. Barrow listed the average miles travelled by individuals within Britain by various means per year (averaged over 1999 to 2001) as follows: Walking – 189; By bicycle – 39; On the bus – 342; By train – 368, In the car – 5354. Not only did car travel account for by far the greatest distance travelled, but all the methods other than the car showed shorter distances than a similar analysis undertaken some 15 years earlier, showing that Britain had become much more car-orientated in that time. Barrow also noted that about three quarters of all households own at least one car. Motorcycles are also a popular means of private transport, totalling circa one million on Britain’s roads. Mopeds (engine size up to 50cc) are especially popular with young people as they can be ridden at age 16 using a “provisional” licence. Full licences for driving cars or motorcycles can be obtained from the age of 17 after passing an official Driving Test. Barrow noted that whereas most of Britain’s freight was formerly transported around the country by either train or canal barge, about two thirds of it is now carried by lorries (trucks). There is also an extensive network of public bus services throughout Britain, including the world-famous “double-decker” red buses used throughout London. In just a few towns, perhaps most famously in the Northern seaside resort of Blackpool, there are also tram systems – electric vehicles running in rail tracks embedded in the street, and powered from overhead wires. Britain’s train network is extensive – one of Europe’s largest – with in excess of 11,000 miles of track, carrying about 1,500 trains daily through as many as 2,500 stations. Britain boasted the first ever of the world’s public railways, when the Stockton and Darlington line opened in 1825. The so-called “main line” trains terminate on the outskirts of the capital, London, at a series of major stations. From those stations, passengers are able to travel anywhere in London on the London Underground or “Tube” network, which started in 1890 – another world first. That network has over 250 miles of track and encompasses a greater area than any other comparable system. Britain has direct rail links with continental Europe via trains running through tunnels bored between England and France 50 metres below the seabed of the English Channel. Britain’s air transport system includes no less than 470 airports, with five major airports serving London. Figures for 2004 showed that London’s airports jointly handled more than 120 million passengers, with London Heathrow – the busiest in the world – handling 67 million of them. In terms of international cargo transport, Barrow reported that although the Channel Tunnel also carries a certain amount of freight, shipping carries most freight, with Dover being the busiest of Britain’s ports.

Policing and Crime

“Policing in the UK: A Brief Guide” (2012), published by the Association of Chief Police Officers, states there are 44 separate police forces distributed throughout England, Wales and Northern Ireland. Each is headed by a Chief Constable who reports to the Home Secretary, a government minister. Beginning in November 2012, most of those police forces – other than the City of London force and the police in Northern Ireland – have an elected Police and Crime Commissioner providing local direction and other functions. In addition to those “regular” police forces, there is also a separate force called the British Transport police that polices Britain’s railway systems, and other specialist police such as those associated with the Ministry of Defence and nuclear establishments. Scotland has its own police forces (presently integrating into one unified force), although the British Transport Police also cover the rail network in Scotland. Regarding crime in the UK, Burn-Murdoch & Chalabi (January 2013) published an article in the Guardian newspaper, summarizing current statistics and trends. Essentially, the article showed that crime in general had fallen in the period (Sept 2011-Sept 2012), and total numbers of crimes were 29 percent fewer than 10 years earlier. Only two individual crime categories showed increases over the 12-month period. They were thefts of bicycles and other household items, although the increases were very small. Homicide – a major crime category – has shown a drop to half of the figures for 2001-2002.

Barrow, M. “Types of Transport in Britain.” (2012). Project Britain: British Life & Culture. Retrieved from http://resources.woodlands-junior.kent.sch.uk/customs/questions/transport.html Burn-Murdoch, J., & Chalabi, M. “Crime statistics for England & Wales: what's happening to each offence?” (January 2013). The Guardian. Retrieved from http://www.guardian.co.uk/news/datablog/2011/jul/14/crime-statistics-england-wales Dunn, L. & Collyer, J. “Understanding the British School System. (2011). U.S. Air Force 422nd Air Base Group. Retrieved from http://www.422abs.com/rafc/LinkClick.aspx?fileticket=Rw8YrHUPTTw%3D&tabid=82&mid=467 “How government works.” (n.d.). GOV.UK. Retrieved from https://www.gov.uk/government/how-government-works “How Parliament works.” (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.parliament.uk/about/how/ “Policing in the UK: A Brief Guide.” (2012). The Association of Chief Police Officers. Retrieved from http://www.acpo.police.uk/documents/reports/2012/201210PolicingintheUKFinal.pdf “The Economy of the UK, GB, British Isles.” (2010). Economy Watch. Retrieved from http://www.economywatch.com/world_economy/united-kingdom/?page=full “The Education Systems of England & Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland” (n.d.). The British Council. Retrieved from http://www.britishcouncil.org/flasonline-uk-education-system.pdf “What is the difference between the United Kingdom, Great Britain, and England?” (n.d.). About.com Geography. Retrieved from http://geography.about.com/library/faq/blqzuk.htm

Cite this page

Share with friends using:

Removal Request

Finished papers: 1489

This paper is created by writer with

ID 262830900

If you want your paper to be:

Well-researched, fact-checked, and accurate

Original, fresh, based on current data

Eloquently written and immaculately formatted

275 words = 1 page double-spaced

Get your papers done by pros!

Other Pages

Information technology literature reviews, tear argumentative essays, menopause argumentative essays, twilight argumentative essays, slide argumentative essays, valuation argumentative essays, sailing argumentative essays, volatility argumentative essays, saline argumentative essays, pencil argumentative essays, shower argumentative essays, dilution argumentative essays, admiral argumentative essays, concave essays, coumaphos essays, contractile essays, crunching essays, eluting essays, eliciting essays, gardasil essays, free research paper on challenges facing romania, example of reaction paper 2 essay, free essay on what counts as educational policy, race and illegal status critical thinking, free essay on fostering creativity, example of essay on a dolls house, example of political science defining globalization research paper, critical thinking on air freight security, good essay about focus on body image dissatisfaction among children and intervention measures, good essay about prose to prose the storm and story of an hour, nursing ltc 450 nursing home administration essay, good example of the global financial crisis is it the fault of the global system essay, free essay about readmission, free course work about the importance of gender awareness in international development policies, good example of technical complexity critical thinking, one poem one play one fiction these needs to be used richard corey fence essays examples, hyundai essay example, how do you plan to use your engineering degree to benefit society essay examples, example of essay on some people categorize engineers as geeks or nerds are you a geek nerd or, good example of research paper on famous thinkers paper, a governer 039 s to the island with analysing the international law and trade issues term paper samples, example of rabea ali admission essay, paper addressed to the national peoples congress term paper sample.

Password recovery email has been sent to [email protected]

Use your new password to log in

You are not register!

By clicking Register, you agree to our Terms of Service and that you have read our Privacy Policy .

Now you can download documents directly to your device!

Check your email! An email with your password has already been sent to you! Now you can download documents directly to your device.

or Use the QR code to Save this Paper to Your Phone

The sample is NOT original!

Short on a deadline?

Don't waste time. Get help with 11% off using code - GETWOWED

No, thanks! I'm fine with missing my deadline

• Corrections

British History: The Formation of Great Britain and the United Kingdom

British history is 1000+ years in the making. It starts with England in the 800’s and leads a thousand years later to today’s United Kingdom.

The story of British history begins over a thousand years ago with a regional leader called Alfred, King of Wessex, one of the history of England’s most popular monarchs. After the Romans had left the island they called Britannia (which we now call Britain) in the early 5th century, a complex system of governance emerged. The area we now know as England was made up of several regional Kingdoms who spent the next 500 or so years locked in an ongoing cycle of conflict, with each ruler vying for overlordship. Waves of immigration from mainland Europe and Scandinavia altered the island’s demographics and, over time, brought about profound cultural changes. By the time of Alfred’s birth in 848, most of the island was culturally and ethnically what we would now call Anglo-Saxon.

Anglo-Saxon Origins of British History

Alfred ascended the throne of Wessex (the regional Kingdom encompassing large chunks of southwestern England) at the age of 21 and made his capital in the well-known city of Winchester. He immediately set about reorganizing the realm and preparing for a fight to the death with the Vikings, who had by this time conquered vast swathes of the north. Through a combination of tactics, good organization, and luck, he managed to hold them off. He defended his own kingdom and then took the fight to them, gaining overlordship of many of the surrounding Anglo-Saxon kingdoms in the process. By the time of his death in 899, he was the ruler of vast chunks of the island. As the first “King of all the Anglo-Saxons,” he became the undisputed father of the English nation, evermore known to posterity as “ Alfred the Great .”

The History of England Begins

In 927, Alfred’s grandson Æthelstan formally united the various polities of which he was overlord into one Kingdom of England, a Kingdom that would continue to expand across geographic Britain and administer the territory uninterrupted for the next 600 years. Æthelstan’s successors would include such well-known figures as William the Conqueror, Richard the Lionheart, and Henry VIII.

Get the latest articles delivered to your inbox

Please check your inbox to activate your subscription.

By the mid 11th century, England had become a prize worth fighting for. It was an organized nation that spanned vast swathes of geographic Britain. The throne was sought after by enemies to the south in Northern France and to the east in Denmark. In 1066, William the Duke of Normandy launched the famous invasion of England with his dubious claim in hand. Following his victory at the Battle of Hastings , he was crowned King. He and his successors would once again reorganize the Kingdom of England, expel the remaining Vikings and consolidate English domination over the island.

A Brief Detour to Scotland

Unlike England, Scotland was never conquered by the Romans. Emperor Hadrian built his famous wall as a barrier against the territory they called Caledonia. This meant that the northern part of geographic Britain would follow its own separate historical trajectory from the history of England for many centuries. There were regular cultural interchanges, and the border remained in a constant state of flux due to regular wars between England and Scotland. However, Scotland’s history is very much separate from the history of England until much later on in our story of British history.

The Statute of Rhuddlan 1284: King of England and Prince of Wales

The next major point in the political development of England and British history began in the early 13th century after Edward I set about conquering Wales. Much like England, geographic Wales had slowly unified over the previous centuries. The lands were fertile and featured a diverse economy with well-developed trade routes. They were irresistible to the English King looking to expand his treasury. Following a series of military victories and several heroic instances of resistance by Welsh princes, in 1284, the Statute of Rhuddlan effectively ended Welsh independence. The title of Prince of Wales would become honorific, one given to the heir to the English throne at the behest of the English Monarch. Wales would be subsequently directly ruled from the English capital until 1997 when they were granted a degree of devolution for the first time.

From the Medieval to the Early Modern…

From the conquest of Wales to the death of Elizabeth I, the English state as a political entity continued in relative stability. That’s not to say it was not beset by internal conflicts. Dynastic rivalries saw several monarchs overthrown, and rebellions broke out on a regular basis throughout the many centuries of this era. However, the internal conflicts were always over who should wear the English Crown or how the English monarch governed, not over whether there should be a kingdom of England at all.

The next set of major changes to the political status of geographic Britain came at the dawn of the 17th century. Elizabeth I famously declared that she would take no husband, and therefore the heir apparent (although unrecognized formally) was her distant cousin James VII of Scotland. In the twilight years of her reign, secret planning was undertaken by the Virgin Queen’s courtiers to ensure an orderly succession. Upon her death in 1603, the biggest change in the island’s political status since Alfred the Great took place. James VIII of Scotland became simultaneously James I of England. For the first time ever, one Monarch reigned across the entirety of Britain. The history of England ended, and British history began.

The Union of the Crowns , as it became known, didn’t mean the unification of geographic Britain but the start of a now truly British history. Each nation still retained its own parliament, court, military, and legal system. This status quo would last for the next century. The union marked the beginning of an amalgamation that would take the next century to complete.

The 1600s was arguably the most formative century of British history. It was a period marked by revolution. In 1642, Civil War broke out in England. It resulted in previously unimaginable changes. The King was defeated in battle by his own parliament and subsequently executed.

A republic took his place, a first for the history of England and British history in general, with Oliver Cromwell as the new ruler. Cromwell forcibly turned the whole British Islands into the “Commonwealth of England, Scotland and Ireland.” His conquests would see him live out the rest of his life as “Lord Protector,” the de facto military dictator of England, Scotland, and Ireland.

A Brief Detour to Ireland

The story of geographic Ireland is a separate article entirely. However, its fate over the last thousand years has been heavily intertwined with that of geographic Britain and of British history in general. Briefly put, the geographic British Isles consist of the main islands of Ireland and Britain plus many other small ones like Mann and Jersey . English Kings in the medieval period seized control of geographic Ireland, ruling over the clans and principalities that previously existed as feudal overlords. In 1542, Henry VIII, one of the most well-known monarchs in the history of England, became the first King of Ireland. Ireland retained its own Parliament and was ruled by the English monarch in a personal union until 1800.

The Birth of Great Britain

Following Oliver Cromwell’s death, the monarchy was restored, and the British Isles nominally went back to being three separate kingdoms in a personal union. Yet the integration undertaken by Cromwell’s rule would never really be undone. As is almost always the case, once power is centralized, it is very rarely voluntarily given up. From now on, London would dominate the British Isles.

The restoration introduced the beginnings of what we now know as the concept of constitutional monarchy. Parliament was sovereign with a King who reigned, not ruled. This created an increasingly complex situation that saw one island have two nominally independent legislatures under one head of state. As the 1600s ended, deliberations began between the English and Scottish parliaments on a formal political union . In 1707, the Acts of Union were passed, making geographic Britain “United into One Kingdom by the Name of Great Britain.” Formal British history had begun.

This really was a watershed moment in British History. For the first time, the whole of geographic Britain was united into one nation. The union was all-encompassing, including the literal merging of the two flags to create the basis of today’s Union Jack. A new national identity emerged with a new symbol, Britannia. Over the next hundred years, the Kingdom would grow in wealth, power, and influence, seeing the birth of Empire with Britannia ruling the waves.

The Latest Stage In British History: Present-Day United Kingdom

In 1800, the British and Irish Parliaments voted in favor of union. On 1st January 1801, the new United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland was officially born. There was one parliament for the entire British Isles. For the next 120 years , as far away places as Cork, Inverness, and Kent were now governed by one legislature in London.

Yet this new United Kingdom was contested from the start. Many in predominantly Catholic Ireland did not see themselves as British and never would. London would always be seen as a foreign capital. The growing wealth that came from the Industrial Revolution did not make its way across the Irish Sea. Many Irish people saw themselves in the same position as people in many of Britain’s far-flung colonies, victims of colonial oppression. The so-called “Irish Question” would hound British parliamentarians of all political persuasions for the next century leading eventually to first a form of “Home Rule” and then ultimately total independence and the proclamation of an Irish republic in the mid 20th century.

As we currently stand, the country is now formally the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. The four nations of England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland share the same Parliament and the same Queen but also have their own devolved legislatures . In many ways, today’s UK has a quasi-federal structure with each constituent part having varying controls over its own affairs. How long this latest iteration of union will last, though, is for a different article entirely.

The Christianization of Anglo-Saxon England

By Thomas Willoughby BA (Hons) Politics Tom is passionate about political history, choosing to specialize in this at University. He graduated from the University of York in 2012 and worked as a Political Campaign Manager for one of the UK’s main parties for a number of years. He currently works in Marketing in the City of London for a Fintech. In his spare time, he loves to travel, go to the theatre, listen to 80’s vinyl, and usually reads at least one political history book every ten days.

Frequently Read Together

The Significance of Alfred the Great

7 Impressive Norman Castles Built by William the Conqueror

• History & Society
• Science & Tech
• Biographies
• Animals & Nature
• Geography & Travel
• Arts & Culture
• Games & Quizzes
• On This Day
• One Good Fact
• New Articles
• Lifestyles & Social Issues
• Philosophy & Religion
• Politics, Law & Government
• World History
• Health & Medicine
• Browse Biographies
• Birds, Reptiles & Other Vertebrates
• Bugs, Mollusks & Other Invertebrates
• Environment
• Fossils & Geologic Time
• Entertainment & Pop Culture
• Sports & Recreation
• Visual Arts
• Demystified
• Image Galleries
• Infographics
• Top Questions
• Britannica Kids
• Saving Earth
• Space Next 50
• Student Center

What’s the Difference Between Great Britain and the United Kingdom?

The names Great Britain and United Kingdom are often used interchangeably. However, they are not actually synonymous. The reason for the two names, and the difference between them, has to do with the expansive history of the British Isles.

The British Isles are a group of islands off the northwestern coast of Europe. The largest of these islands are Britain and Ireland. (Smaller ones include the Isle of Wight .) In the Middle Ages, the name Britain was also applied to a small part of France now known as Brittany . As a result, Great Britain came into use to refer specifically to the island. However, that name had no official significance until 1707, when the island’s rival kingdoms of England and Scotland were united as the Kingdom of Great Britain.

Ireland, meanwhile, had effectively been an English colony since the 12th century, and after the emergence of Great Britain, it remained under the influence of the British crown. In 1801 it formally joined with Great Britain as a single political entity, which became known as the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland—or the United Kingdom for short. However, the union lasted only until 1922, when Ireland (with the exception of six counties in the north ) seceded. Ireland soon became a sovereign republic, and its former partner took on the official name of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.

Great Britain , therefore, is a geographic term referring to the island also known simply as Britain. It’s also a political term for the part of the United Kingdom made up of England , Scotland , and Wales (including the outlying islands that they administer, such as the Isle of Wight). United Kingdom , on the other hand, is purely a political term: it’s the independent country that encompasses all of Great Britain and the region now called Northern Ireland.

22 August 2024: Due to technical disruption, we are experiencing some delays to publication. We are working to restore services and apologise for the inconvenience. For further updates please visit our website: https://www.cambridge.org/universitypress/about-us/news-and-blogs/cambridge-university-press-publishing-update-following-technical-disruption

We use cookies to distinguish you from other users and to provide you with a better experience on our websites. Close this message to accept cookies or find out how to manage your cookie settings .

Login Alert

• < Back to search results
• The Cambridge History of the British Essay

The Cambridge History of the British Essay

• Coming soon
• Edited by Denise Gigante , Stanford University, California , Jason Childs
• Export citation
• Buy a print copy

Book description

From ancient influences on the essay as a form of rhetoric to the Irish essay as performance, from British imperial propaganda to African postcolonial resistance, from political pamphlets to the rise of literary professionalism, from gastronomy to ecocriticism, The Cambridge History of the British Essay offers the first authoritative single-volume history of the form's development within the British literary tradition. It restores to the contemporary understanding of the essay an appreciation of its true richness and diversity. The fifty contributors to this volume come from widely diverse backgrounds and areas of expertise that brings out neglected pockets of essayistic activity, by women, by persons of colour, by poets and pamphleteers. Together, they show how the form morphs to serve new contexts and concerns, remaining a vital genre of literary 'attempt' in the fields of journalism, academic study, autobiography and other forms of life writing, and online language arts.

Full text views

Full text views reflects the number of PDF downloads, PDFs sent to Google Drive, Dropbox and Kindle and HTML full text views for chapters in this book.

Book summary page views

Book summary views reflect the number of visits to the book and chapter landing pages.

* Views captured on Cambridge Core between #date#. This data will be updated every 24 hours.

Usage data cannot currently be displayed.

United Kingdom

Located off the northwest coast of Europe, the United Kingdom includes England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland.

The biggest part of the United Kingdom (also called the U.K.) is the island of Great Britain, which is made up of England, Wales, and Scotland. The U.K. also includes Northern Ireland, which is on another island. (South of Northern Ireland is the separate country of Ireland , which gained its independence from the U.K. in 1937.) Northern Ireland is just 12 miles from the island of Great Britain, across the North Channel of the Irish Sea.

Scotland and Wales are the most mountainous parts of the U.K. and are covered in knife-edged mountain ridges separated by deep valleys. This terrain was shaped some 20,000 years ago during the last Ice Age, when thick glaciers covered the land. When the Ice Age glaciers melted in northwest Scotland, they left behind thousands of lakes, called lochs (pronounced LOCKS). Long and narrow, some of the lochs are very deep. (Legends say that a giant monster called Nessie lives in Loch Ness in this region, also called the Scottish Highlands.)

The largest freshwater lake by surface area in the U.K., Lough Neagh (pronounced LOCK NEE), is in Northern Ireland. It stretches 20 miles long and nine miles wide. Rolling hills and plains dot the countryside of both Northern Ireland and England.

PEOPLE AND CULTURE

Government and economy.

The U.K.’s system of government has developed over many centuries. As early as the ninth century, kings and queens ruled with advice from a council of religious leaders and nobles. 

Today, the country is a constitutional monarchy, which means the reigning king or queen is the head of state but doesn’t have any real political power.

The old council of advisers eventually expanded into a government body called Parliament. That’s why today, the United Kingdom’s system of governing is called a parliamentary democracy.

Members of Parliament now pass all the country's laws from two chambers: the House of Commons, made up of officials elected by the people, and the House of Lords, in which members are appointed, usually by the reigning king or queen based on recommendations by an independent group called the House of Lords Appointments Commission.

The head of the government is the prime minister, who is usually the leader of the political party in charge of Parliament.

Oil, iron, and steel products are some of the United Kingdom’s main exports, or goods sold to other countries. The country also exports electrical equipment, and parts for automobiles and aircrafts. Its main crops produced include barley, wheat, and potatoes.

Over the centuries, the United Kingdom has accumulated wealth from foreign lands the country colonized, or took control over. Some estimates say the U.K. earned as much as $45 trillion in today’s dollars just from its former colony of India, when trade from goods that India produced went to the U.K’s economy. Other former colonies include Australia , Canada , and South Africa .

Watch "Destination World"

North america, south america, more to explore, u.s. states and territories facts and photos, destination world.

• Terms of Use
• Privacy Policy
• Your California Privacy Rights
• Children's Online Privacy Policy
• Interest-Based Ads
• About Nielsen Measurement
• Do Not Sell My Info
• National Geographic
• National Geographic Education
• Shop Nat Geo
• Customer Service
• Manage Your Subscription

Copyright © 1996-2015 National Geographic Society Copyright © 2015-2024 National Geographic Partners, LLC. All rights reserved