The BBC historically preferred to use "Britain" as shorthand only for Great Britain, though the present style guide does not take a position except that "Great Britain" excludes Northern Ireland.

2 days ago · United Kingdom, island country located off the northwestern coast of mainland Europe. It comprises the whole of the island of Great Britain—which contains England, Wales, and …

Jan 5, 2026 · Visit the Definitions and Notes page to view a description of each topic.

3 days ago · The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is a highly developed constitutional monarchy composed of Great Britain (England, Scotland, and Wales) and Northern …

Jan 6, 2026 · The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, mostly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a nation in northwestern Europe.

Jul 10, 2023 · The United Kingdom comprises of a union of the individual countries of England, Scotland and Wales (collectively, Great Britain) and the constitutionally distinct region of Northern Ireland.

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is a unitary state with a constitutional monarchy. Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland have a degree of autonomous devolved power.