To be confused by the facts surrounding what is is to be British, Scottish, Welsh, Irish or 'from the UK'.

[owlelf]

Apologies in advance to anyone upset my ignorance but I am genuinely confused by the what is the most correct and least offensive way to explain how Britain and the UK are comprised, what the correct nationalities are and how the various flags should be used to represent us?

Am I correct in thinking Britain = England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales and The United Kingdom = England, Ireland, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland?

I would describe myself as British, living in the UK and the flag I most identify with is the Union Jack. However, I'm only just beginning to realise that the term 'British' is not a way that many people in some parts Britain would like to describe themselves, and I now realise that loads of people in Scotland don't identify with the Union Jack.

Ds was asking me recently what 'our' flag was. I told him it was the Union Jack, but his grandpa has confused the issue by insisting that our flag is the St George's Cross.

Sporting events seem to muddy the water further- sometimes we compete separately as England Ireland Scotland and Northern Ireland, at other times we compete all together as the UK.

AIBU to be confused??

I am Welsh, and this is a topic that has been raised a lot recently due to olympics/ jubilee. I do not feel in the least bit British and don't identify at all with the Union Jack- To me, it's a symbol of enforced union. Many people take this to mean that I harbour some kind of anti-English sentiment, and I don't at all. I love the English, and the Scottish, and the Irish. I think we're all brilliant, with our different cultures and history and literature. I honestly do think England is a brilliant place. I think we should embrace each other's different cultures.

Mainland UK = Great Britain (Wales, England, Scotland)
United Kingdom = Great Britain + Northern Ireland.

Nationality for everyone UK = British.

It's interesting that many foreign countries consider people from the UK to be "English". Even on official forms.

I know I'm British but also English (as in "born in the country England") but I have difficulty explaining to foreigners why I am born in one country, but my nationality is different IYSWIM. cos I don't really understand that bit

Theunnumber great diagram.

I do wonder though, how the Channel Islands get lumped into the British Isles. I know they are British Dependencies but are they not part of a continental European land mass geographically speaking?

And the union flag is often flown upside down by mistake (meaning 'in distress' in nautical terms).

Indeed. Our local library (not in the UK) opened up a new English language section and have proudly put union jacks all over the place to show it off. Being a British aspie flag nerd I felt compelled to point out that they weren't being attacked by pirates so needed to turn them around. Then I wondered if I'd just committed treason by revealing a state secret to a foreign power

bardimosaurus not strict accurate, I live in northern Ireland but hold an Irish passport so my nationality is Irish.

I wouldn't punch you on the nose for calling me British but I would shake my head in pity at your ignorance!!!!

Oh and I tend to say I'm British because my Mum is English, My Dad is from the Channel Islands, I was born in Scotland, I live in Northern Ireland and I have a Welsh surname.

YANBU. In some sports the "Irish" team is representing Republic of Ireland PLUS Northern Island. How confusing is that?

Really surgeons? I never knew that.

What sports would those be then?

Britain and the UK are NOT the same thing.

Great Britain is England, Scotland and Wales

The UK is the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.

I live abroad and someone said to me this week that they were going to go and study in Britain. It sounded really odd! We say we are British, but we rarely refer to 'Britain' by name, as a place - it's always the UK.

I am British, and English. If I am asked my nationality I may say either, but being English (and a southerner at that) is my cultural identity. I don't think being British comes with a cultural identity as such.

I doubt you get many Scots people or ever describe themselves as Brits.

As to how I identify - I feel pretty Scottish, but I know that my nationality is British. I was taught as a child that this was the correct answer on forms and anything else would make me look chippy.

I'd call the union flag my flag, although obviously we also fly the St Andrews cross up here, but to me that's just for decorative purposes. Looks nice for the tourists, you know?

Tell you what pisses me off about the whole thing - I can never find us in those drop down lists on internet forms - under G? B? U?

Nationality is a funny old thing.

I was born in England to English parents. Would have said I was English.

Moved to Scotland and have gradually felt Scottisher and Scottisher. Now identify as Scottish, support independence and if I could choose my nationality I would choose Scottish.

Still feel obliged to put English on those ethnic origin forms though.

That annoys me too - when you have to scroll down to G... Or U... Or even B...

Bamboo you've taken me outwith my comfort zone there, I'm afraid, I'm the least sporty person ever. Will consult with DH and revert to you should no-one else know the answer.

I think the Irish rugby team has members from north and south of the border and have a special anthem played at internationals. I think that may be the only sport - but I stand to be corrected, this is Mumsnet after all.

Dambamboo sports played as Ireland that include both countries include hockey, cricket and rugby, football has two teams but those from Northern Ireland who consider themselves Irish and hold Irish passports will often choose to play for the Republic.

I think it's confusing because a lot of English people think England and Britain are the same. I was born in Scotland but moved to England when I was 6. I consider myself British. And a Londoner. But I'm not English. Lots of people seem bewildered by this. Seems obvious to me. If I moved to France I wouldn't be French.

I remember crying at school when a girl in my class insisted Britain and England were the same thing; we asked the teacher and she said she was right. I was so frustrated!

I am English or British and the Union Jack is the flag with which I identify.
My great grandparents were Irish I believe.

I say my son and I are English.

I was born in England by an English dad and a Scottish mum.
My son was born in England by me of course and a Welsh dad.

DS,s paternal Grandad was Irish and his Grandmother was half Welsh and half Greek.

So really, I'm termed half Scottish.
DS is a bit English, a bit Scottish, a bit Welsh and a bit Irish with a dusting of Greek.

I think is good that people feel naional pride, be it Welsh, English, Scottish whatever.

The only thing that does irritate is situations where the UK is refered to as England in national media - e.g if you're from Manchester and talking about the Olympics on national telly then don't talk about "English medal hopes" and "the English team" unless you really are talking only about English athletes. G'rrrr.

I am born in Scotland but live abroad (have done for 10 years). I've always considered myself both Scottish and British and I think that the subtleties of Scottish, English and Welsh "culture" fade into insignificance when you're an expat living abroad (I still have far more in common with someone from the very south of England than with people in my adopted country (Germany) in terms of general opinions and attitudes as to what is right and wrong, daily habits (when to get up, when to eat meals), what is polite and what is rude, etc.).

In that respect, I would disagree with the idea that "British" is not a cultural identity. Over here in Germany, there are HUGE cultural differences between regions - they cover all manner of things such as food, wedding traditions, dialects (and I don't just mean accents), education systems, rules of etiquette and, in my view, are far more striking than any differences between different British regions. I've lived in several different areas of Germany and it is literally like living in completely different countries. By contrast, when I fly to London, for example, I feel at "home" right away - shops are familiar, architecture is familiar, food is familiar, manners are familiar, weather is familiar :)

I agree, however, with Mrskpbw that I can be irritating when people confuse English with British. And when I correct them and say no, I'm British but Scottish, they then automatically assume I'm a raving nationalist, which I'm certainly not. I'm only correcting them because it's WRONG.

Very confusing for foreigners though, you have to admit!

Most Irish people would be offended at being referred to as British.

South of the border is Irish, north is UK. And a lot of Irish people feel more affinity with the Welsh and Scottish than with NI. And the answer to your OP depends on whether you are talking about geographical, political or national UK. In all cases, the Republic of Ireland is never part of the UK

as others have said
Uk = GB & NI
GB = england,scotland & Wales
Ireland = nothing to do with UK or GB

The Irish rugby team does include players from Republic and NI.