Great Britain and Ireland

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Great Britain and Ireland are the two largest islands in the British Isles. A former state, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, was comprised of the political union of the two. Sometimes the entire archipelago, including the Isle of Man, which was never a part of the former state, is referred to as Great Britain and Ireland.^[1] This is often to avoid use of the term British Isles, which is seen by many in Ireland as outdated since Irish independence. Britain and Ireland, which refers to the sovereign states in the archipelago, suffices for a similar meaning.

• The British Isles (see also British Isles naming dispute)
• The former United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland

For an explanation of the toponyms of the region, which many people find confusing, see British Isles (terminology).

[edit] See also

• The island of Great Britain
• The island of Ireland
• The state of Ireland, also known as the Republic of Ireland
• The state of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, also known as Britain

[edit] Notes

1. ^ For examples of such use see maps such as the Michelin Map of Great Britain and Ireland, OPC Rail Atlas of Great Britain and Ireland, Reader´s Digest Road Atlas of Great Britain and Ireland and Hammond International Great Britain, Ireland. It's use by pan-island organizations can be seen in Google search results for "Great Britain and Ireland" and society.