Who are the British?

Why British not English?

Many foreigners say ‘England’ and ‘English’ when they mean ‘British’, or the ‘UK’, and ‘British’. This is very annoying for the 5 million people who live in Scotland, the 2,8 million in Wales and 1,5 million in Northern Ireland who are certainly not English. (46 million people live in England). However, the people from Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland and England are all British. So what is the difference between the names ‘Great Britain’ and the ‘United Kingdom’- and what about ‘the British Isles’?

The United Kingdom

This is an abbreviation of ‘the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland’. It is often further abbreviated ‘UK’, and is the political name of the country which is made up of England, Scotland, Wales and the Northern Ireland (sometimes known as Ulster). Several islands off the British coast are also part of the United Kingdom (for example, the isle of Wight, the Orkneys, Hebrides and Shetlands, and the isles of Scilly), although the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man are not. However, all these islands do recognise the Queen.

The flag of the United Kingdom, known as the Union Jack, is made up of three crosses. The upright red cross is the cross of St. George, the patron saint of England. The white diagonal cross (with the arms going into the corners) is the cross of St. Andrews, the patron saint of Scotland. The red diagonal cross is the cross of St. Patrick, the patron saint of Ireland. St. David is the patron saint of Wales.