Why is Britain called Great Britain?

Answer 1

It doesn't. England is one of the countries which make up "The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland." The other two countries that make up Great Britain are Wales and Scotland. The British Isles consist of Great Britain (England, Wales, Scotland), Northern Ireland, The Republic of Ireland (an independent country) and many other smaller islands like the Channel Islands or Jersey and Guernsey amongst others, and the isle of Man, which is not part of Great Britain, but a British Protectorate To say "England" when you really mean "The United Kingdom" can be offensive to some British people - it's like saying "Texas" when you really mean "The US"

Answer 2

There are two possible answers.

Britain is the largest of the two main islands of The British Isles, and Britain is made up of England, Scotland and Wales.

The other main island is the Island of Ireland, made up of The Republic of Ireland and the six counties of Northern Ireland - a part of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.

There are more than 6,000 smaller islands.

Some historians believe it was called "Great" Britain to distinguish it from Brittany, in North West France.

Geographers may use "Britain" to describe just the mainland and "Great Britain" to include the offshore islands.

In both cases, the word "great" conveys the idea of larger size rather than an acclamation of how good it is.

It was called Great Britain to distinguish it from Brittany (in mediaevel times, Brittany was called Petite Bretagne to distinguish it from Grande Bretagne), and more recently, rightly so I think, the British empire was arguably the biggest and greatest in all history.

Alternative Answer

The Romans generally Britannia as the name for what is now the area called England, but sometimes they used it for that area plus what is now Scotland. Soon after coming to the English throne King Jame I in 1603 he was already King James VI of Scotland. He sometime described himself as King of Great Britain, which meant of England (and Wales) plus Scotland. He wanted to stress that he was king of the larger area that had been called Britannia in Latin. The status of this term was formally recognized when England (and Wales) and Scotland united in 1707.

The Romans called the island we know as Engand, Scotland and Wales Britania

After the Romans, Britain refers to England and Wales. The Union with Scotland in 1707 formed Great(er) Britain.

The "Great" in the name simply refers to the larger land mass. As then and now it NEVER refers to any political, economic or military greatness as most of the word seems to think.

When you are inside Great Britain, you are just in Britain. You say Great Britain when you are referring to Britain from outside. It is better to refer to the political entity as the United Kingdom. For example, champions of the United Kingdom, commissioners of United Kingdom, but Her Majesty British delegate.

Answer 3

There are two reasons both valid:

1. Romans called it 'Larger/Greater Britain' to distinguish it from 'Brittany' - which in Latin has the same name and stil does today in french, Italian e.g. Grande Bretagne vs Bretagne

2. Britain refers to Ireland and England (though Ireland is not a part of Britain), King James went one step further and called it Great Britain when it megerd with Scotland.

It means that when the kingdom is united, it is powerful and great. In fact the word 'Great' is only used n English. All other languages use 'Big" e.g. Gross Britanien, Grand Bretagne, Gran Bretania etc.' it is just the media that have corrupted the meaning for headline usage.

None of this really correct. The Romans called the islands "Britania" - there was never any reference to its size in the name. Brittany was named much later by Britons fleeing the Romans in Britania.

Britain refers to England and Wales. The Union with Scotland in 1707 formed Great Britain. The "Great" in the name simply refers to the larger land mass. As then and of now it NEVER referes to any political, economic or military greatness as most of the word seems to think.

Answer 4

The United Kingdom is not known as Great Britain. It is a mistake people make. The United Kingdom refers to the four countries England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. Great Britain refers to the island that contains England, Scotland and Wales. Northern Ireland is on the separate island of Ireland. The official title is 'The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland'.

Answer 5

The British Isles are all the islands in the archipelago, while the largest of all of them is called Great Britain.

Also Britain comes from the name of the Roman province Britannia which means "Land of the Britons" with the "Great" used to distinguish between the Island of Britain and the mainland region of Lesser Britain or modern day Brittany.

Another answer

The Romans never used the term "Great" as in Great Britain.

The term never existed until the Union with Scotland in 1707 when the Kingdom of Great Britain was created for the first time.

Then title was used to make reference to the enlarged kingdom of Britain (England and Wales) to Greater or Great Britain especially in terms of the greater landmass of the new kingdom.

Answer 6

England is ( not was) part of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. The union includes England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.