Great Britain Table of Contents Introduction References & Edit History Related Topics Images & Videos Quizzes Islands and Archipelagos Know Your UK Geography Quiz Read Next What’s the Difference Between Great Britain and the United Kingdom? Why Have So Many World Leaders Married Their Cousins? Discover Titanosaurs: 8 of the World's Biggest Dinosaurs Inventors and Inventions of the Industrial Revolution Do Lemmings Really Commit Mass Suicide? Why Is Pride Month Celebrated in June? Does Ball Lightning Exist? 12 Novels Considered the “Greatest Book Ever Written” Why Was Nazi Germany Called the Third Reich? Contents Geography & Travel Physical Geography of Land Islands & Archipelagos Great Britain island, Europe Actions Cite verified Cite While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions. Select Citation Style MLA APA Chicago Manual of Style Copy Citation Share Share Share to social media Facebook X URL https://www.britannica.com/place/Great-Britain-island-Europe Give Feedback External Websites Feedback Corrections? Updates? Omissions? Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). Feedback Type Select a type (Required) Factual Correction Spelling/Grammar Correction Link Correction Additional Information Other Your Feedback Submit Feedback Thank you for your feedback Our editors will review what you’ve submitted and determine whether to revise the article. External Websites Britannica Websites Articles from Britannica Encyclopedias for elementary and high school students. Great Britain - Children's Encyclopedia (Ages 8-11) Great Britain - Student Encyclopedia (Ages 11 and up) Print Cite verified Cite While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions. Select Citation Style MLA APA Chicago Manual of Style Copy Citation Share Share Share to social media Facebook X URL https://www.britannica.com/place/Great-Britain-island-Europe Feedback External Websites Feedback Corrections? Updates? Omissions? Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). Feedback Type Select a type (Required) Factual Correction Spelling/Grammar Correction Link Correction Additional Information Other Your Feedback Submit Feedback Thank you for your feedback Our editors will review what you’ve submitted and determine whether to revise the article. External Websites Britannica Websites Articles from Britannica Encyclopedias for elementary and high school students. Great Britain - Children's Encyclopedia (Ages 8-11) Great Britain - Student Encyclopedia (Ages 11 and up) Also known as: Britain Written and fact-checked by The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree. They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors. The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica Last Updated: Jun 15, 2024 ? Article History Table of Contents Also called: Britain (Show more) See all related content → Recent News June 14, 2024, 6:34 AM ET (BBC) Man walks length of Great Britain in honour of dad with Alzheimer's June 14, 2024, 2:58 AM ET (BBC) European Aquatics Championships: Great Britain's Ranjuo Tomblin makes history June 12, 2024, 3:25 PM ET (ABC News (Australia)) Hockeyroos, Kookaburras warm up for Paris Olympics by beating Great Britain June 11, 2024, 4:59 AM ET (The Telegraph) Great Britain men's 4x100m relay team last in heat in first run since CJ Ujah's return June 10, 2024, 2:54 AM ET (BBC) Hastings: Crazy Golf champion wins fourth world title British Isles terminology Map showing the terminology commonly used to describe the British Isles, the United Kingdom, Great Britain, and Ireland. The terms used here are a mixture of geographical and political labels. (more) The difference between Great Britain and the United Kingdom Britain. Great Britain. The United Kingdom. The British Isles. (more) See all videos for this article Great Britain , island lying to the east of the island of Ireland and off the northwestern coast of Europe . It consists of England , Scotland , and Wales . Great Britain is part of the British Isles , together with the island of Ireland as well as smaller islands and island groups. The term Great Britain, which this article uses as a geographic designation , is often used as a synonym for the United Kingdom , a political entity that includes England, Northern Ireland , Scotland, and Wales and that was once part of the British Empire . Britannica Quiz Know Your UK Geography Quiz The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica This article was most recently revised and updated by J.E. Luebering .