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Comment by naskwo | Hacker News Reader

Isn't Britain the geological definition (https://www.britannica.com/story/whats-the-difference-betwee...) and should the title not be "UK to ban..."?

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It's pretty common to use "Britain" (usually not "Great Britain", though) as shorthand for "the UK state".

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Britain_(place_name)#Modern_us...

> The term Britain is widely used as a common name for the sovereign state of the United Kingdom, or UK for short.

As a Brit[1] this convention still irks me.

Maybe we should just be American about it, and call the whole of the UK 'England', and pretend Scotland is it's own country? /s

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[1] Yes, I get the irony of calling myself a 'Brit', but 'Uker' just doesn't sound right.

Uker sounds so very Farage of you to be fair.

I suspect most people from the UK when asked their nationality will answer English, Scottish etc.

I'm from the UK (England in particular) - I think most people from England would say they are British (sometimes depending on context / person / non-requirement for brevity: 'from the UK' instead).

Perhaps a higher proportion of non-English UK people would answer otherwise.

I think this is the survey that I vaguely remembered: "How British is Britain?":

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-24302914

If I read that correctly, London seems to be the only place where a majority of people see themselves primarily as "British"?

It's nearly 10 years old, but I don't think things are going to have changed to make people feel substantially more "British", certainly not here in Scotland!

Are not Scotland, Wales and England each countries though?

They are not sovereign countries.

Both Scotland and England gave up their sovereign status when the Acts of Union were enacted, to form the United Kingdom of Great Britain.

Basically, Scotland, Wales, England, and Northern Ireland, are nations which comprise the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, which is the sovereign state.

"Gave up", that's a charitable way of putting it ;)

But to the topic, yes there's no apparently shorter way of referring to the UK as anything else but "Britain"

Other Kingdoms get away because they only have a "single name" (Netherlands, Spain, Sweden, etc)

Unless we come up with a name like the flag and call it Swaland or something like that

> Are not Scotland, Wales and England each countries though?

Sure, but in a sense where UK “countries” are a thing somewhat like US “states” (but somewhat less, in that neither is independent, but US states are notionally sovereign nevertheless.)

The UK is the entity which is a sovereign and independent entity.

There are amusing anomalies such as the UK constituent countries having their own international sporting teams in some sports.

Yes, in the same way that “America” should most often be “USA” but the colloquial usage is widespread and understood.

Assuming northern ireland is still part of the UK after ten years of having a customs border from the rest of the UK.

Easy now, let’s keep it on the computerydoos and hackimabobs.

Seconded.

Also, Vice Grip Garage, is that you? :)

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