[HPFGU-OTChatter] Re: How to address mail to the UK

[Lee Kaiwen]

Goddlefrood blessed us with this gem On 20/10/2007 13:05:
Goddlefrood:

   > Great Britain is the island containing of England (excluding its
   > islands), Scotland (excluding its islands) and Wales (excluding
   > its islands).

So

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

Ah, I stand corrected. See if I've got this right:

GB = England + Scotland + Wales (plus the outlying islands?) [this is 
merely a geographic entity]

UK = GB + Northern Ireland [this is a political entity]

> Southern Ireland is the Republic of Ireland and is a separate
> country altogether.

> Wales and Scotland are quasi-autonomous.

 > Clear enough?

:-) Not yet.

The Republic of Ireland is a country. Is England a country or, like 
Scotland and Wales, merely a "quasi-autonomous" region of the UK? Is 
London the capital of BOTH England and the UK?

Wikipedia says, "Great Britain is no longer a country, but simply an 
island in the United Kingdom." But further on it says, "Great Britain 
has evolved politically from the gradual union of England and Scotland". 
  Though a bit confusing (simultaneously implying there isn't, but yet 
there is, a political entity call "GB"), I take the first reference to 
be merely geographical -- the major island -- and the second to be 
referring to the Kingdom of Great Britain (which later evolved into the UK).

So how does the British Commonwealth fit into all this?

--CJ