ABSTRACT
Most British people identify themselves at one level with the larger political and geographical areas in which they live. The country’s title for constitutional and political purposes is the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, with the short forms ‘UK’ and ‘Britain’ being used for convenience. It is part of those islands, known geographically as the British Isles (but more correctly as the British-Irish Islands), which lie off the north-west coast of continental Europe. The mainlands of England, Scotland and Wales form the largest island with the political title of Great Britain. Northern Ireland shares the second-largest island with the Republic of Ireland (Ireland or Eire), which has been independent of Britain since 1921-22. Smaller islands, such as Anglesey, the Isle of Wight, the Orkneys, Shetlands, Hebrides and Scillies, are also part of the British political union.
