These Things May Seem The Same, But They Have Some Pretty Important Differences

The United Kingdom vs Great Britain vs England vs the British Isles vs…

Photo credit: @Cam_Olson/Twitter

This is a pretty big deal to anyone that lives on these islands, but to the rest of the world it’s super confusing. This handy graphic will help remind you of the different names the world uses for various groups and coalitions between countries that make up the British Isles.

All the countries make up the British Isles. The United Kingdom involves every nation but the Republic of Ireland. And only England, Scotland, and Wales make up Great Britain. When in doubt, just use the term the British Isles, so you don’t offend anyone.