A short chapter with a few classic trick questions. If you can tell the UK from Great Britain, and a Crown dependency from an overseas territory, you have most of it.
The UK and Great Britain
The United Kingdom
England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. The official name is the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
Great Britain
England, Scotland and Wales only. Northern Ireland is part of the UK but not part of Great Britain.
The UK is in the north west of Europe. The Republic of Ireland is a separate country and is not part of the UK.
Places linked to the UK but not part of it
| Type | Examples | Key fact |
|---|---|---|
| Crown dependencies | The Channel Islands, the Isle of Man | Have their own governments |
| British overseas territories | St Helena, the Falkland Islands | Linked to the UK but not part of it |
Exam tip: true or false statements such as "The Isle of Man is part of the UK" or "The Falkland Islands are part of the UK" are both false.
Government
The UK is governed by the Parliament in Westminster. Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland also have their own parliament or assembly with powers over some areas, such as health and education.
The Union Flag
The national flag, often called the Union Jack, combines three crosses:
| Cross | Patron saint of | Design |
|---|---|---|
| St George | England | Red cross on a white background |
| St Andrew | Scotland | Diagonal white cross on a blue background |
| St Patrick | Ireland | Diagonal red cross on a white background |
The first Union Flag was created in 1606 from the crosses of St George and St Andrew. The cross of St Patrick was added in 1801, when Ireland was united with Great Britain. Wales is not represented on the Union Flag because it was already united with England. The official Welsh flag shows a dragon.