A Union flag-themed umbrella covers a souvenir seller's stall opposite the Houses of Parliament in central London on July 13, 2022. - Britain's ruling Conservative party was Wednesday to winnow down the eight candidates vying to succeed Prime Minister Boris Johnson amid growing acrimony over alleged dirty tricks. (Photo by JUSTIN TALLIS / AFP)
THE terms Great Britain and United Kingdom (UK) are often used interchangeably.
But are they actually the same?
Verdict:
PARTIALLY TRUE
While it is true that Great Britain is part of the UK, the UK is actually inclusive of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
Great Britain refers to the British Isles which include England, Wales, Scotland and over 6,000 smaller islands around them.
The reason for this confusion has to do with the UK's long and complicated political history.
England was formed in 927, through a series of invasions and military conflicts by local leaders vying for power and influence.
In the 13th century, King Edward I of England conquered the western part of Wales, declaring it a territory of England.
During his reign, the monarch began granting their successors the title "Prince of Wales" to signify their control over the Welsh territory.
In the 1530s, under King Henry VIII, England passed the Acts of Union extending English laws into Wales, effectively placing it under England’s control.
As for Scotland joining the union, it began in 1603 when the unmarried and hence heir-less Queen Elizabeth I, who ruled England, died.
This meant that her distant cousin King James VI of Scotland, was the next person in line for the throne.
Map_1
He gained a second title - King James I of England, leading to what is known among historians as the "Union of the Crowns".
Despite this, England and Scotland remained two separate kingdoms and did not become a union until about a century later.
It was in 1707 that Scotland finally joined England and Wales to form the United Kingdom of Great Britain through the signing of the Act of Union.
In the years leading up to the union, many people in Scotland were in dire financial situations after a failed attempt to establish a colony in North America.
Many Scottish MPs voted in favour of the Act, seeing it as a way to tap into England’s wealth and solve their economic woes.
As for Ireland, it did not become part of the union until 1801, when the British and Irish parliaments voted in favour of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland.
However, many Irish nationalists, who were also Catholics, were reluctant to accept this new arrangement.
The UK is predominantly a Protestant Christian country.
Sectarian conflicts erupted between the nationalists and unionists, who favoured a unification with Westminster in London, England.
In 1921, an agreement was reached for six counties in northern Ireland to be separated from the rest of Ireland, becoming known as Northern Ireland.
These areas hosted predominantly Protestants while the southern half of Ireland housed predominantly Catholics.
Northern Ireland stayed in the union, in what is known as the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, or just the UK for short.
References:
1. What’s the Difference Between Great Britain and the United Kingdom?
https://www.britannica.com/
2. What’s the Difference Between Great Britain and the United Kingdom?
https://www.rd.com/article/
3. The UK & Great Britain – What’s the Difference?
https://www.historic-uk.com/
4. The Act of Union
https://www.historic-uk.com/
5. How Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland Became a Part of the U.K.
https://www.history.com/news/
6. A brief history of the partition of Ireland
https://www.historyextra.com/
7. British History: The Formation of Great Britain and the United Kingdom
https://www.thecollector.com/
