《英美概况》1-4章.doc

Chapter 1 Land and people What are the names that come to your mind when people refer to 英国? (1) Britain (2) Great Britain (3) England (4) The British Isles (5) The United Kingdom or the U.K. What are these names exactly refer to? Great Britain, the United Kingdom and the British Isles do not mean the same thing. Strictly speaking, the British Isles, Great Britain, and England are geographical names. Great Britain England is part of an island called Great Britain, the largest island in Europe. Great Britain is the official name given to the the two kingdoms of England and Scotland, and the principality of Wales. It also includes the small adjacent islands except the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man. Sometimes people use the shorten name Britain instead of Great Britain. The term Great Britain was used for the first time when England and Scotland became a single kingdom under King James VI of Scotland who became King James I of England in 1603. United Kingdom The United Kingdom consists of Great Britain - the main island made up of England, Scotland and Wales - and Northern Ireland. The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland (UK) was formed in on January 1 1801 and constitutes the greater part of the British Isles. The largest of the islands is Great Britain, which comprises England, Scotland and Wales. The next largest is Ireland, comprising Northern Ireland, which is part of the UK, and, in the south, the Irish Republic. The British Isles The British Isles include the UK, Great Britain, and other islands such as Ireland and the Channel Islands. The British Isles consists of: Great Britain (England, Scotland and Wales) The whole of Ireland The Orkney and Shetland Islands The Isle of Man The Inner and Outer Hebrides The Isle of Wight Scilly Islands Lundy Island The Channel Islands Plus many other offshore islands Summery: England Great Britain Scotland Wales U.K. 2 large islands Northern Ireland British Isles Irelan