The Great British Venn Diagram

1. Pudifoot
   February 4th, 2008 at 9:44 pm

   That diagram may be right, but it still annoys scottish when you call them "british"

2. Nicole
   February 4th, 2008 at 10:38 pm

   What about Australia? They are somehow under the Queen, and therefore related to this diagram, right?

3. su.wei
   February 4th, 2008 at 11:09 pm

   it's all crystal clear now...

4. arvana
   February 4th, 2008 at 11:44 pm

   They left out the Channel Islands -- those are another complication!

5. gerrard in the middle
   February 5th, 2008 at 2:11 am

   The Republic of Ireland would reject this characterization. At best, it is controversial to describe the Republic of Ireland as part of the British Isles. The government of the Republic rejects this description.

6. col mcgillveray
   February 5th, 2008 at 7:03 am

   ROI is no more part of the UK than Canada is part of the US.whatcha tryin ta do Gerrard,start a war!!

7. col mcgillveray
   February 5th, 2008 at 7:05 am

   England should also be split into north/south,east/west
   Scotland should be split catholic/protestant etc.....

8. Galinda
   February 5th, 2008 at 8:07 am

   Wow, that explains some things!
   I hear all the objections, but the post does say that there are "other complicating factors" that the author explains, which I think might cover some of those objections. Yes, its simplified, but thats the point, right?

9. kate
   February 5th, 2008 at 8:10 am

   hey - Where's the Isle of Man?

10. Sid Morrison
    February 5th, 2008 at 8:53 am

    The Channel Islands and the Isle of Man are technically *Crown Dependencies*, and are NOT part of the United Kingdom.

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crown_dependency

    They are "British Islands" though, like the UK.

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_Islands

    "British Islands" (not Isles) is a legal POLITICAL designation. "British Isles" in contrast, is a purely geographic one refering to land masses -- the difference is that British Isles includes the Republic of Ireland.

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_Isles

    Needless to say, affixing the word "British" onto anything regarding Éire is very controversial. But that is the historical meaning of the pharase and the difference between "British Islands" and "British Isles". The diagram needs to show that.... I agree amending it to include The Isle of man, and the British Channel Isles would be appropriate as well -- those places have distinct passports after all.

11. anne
    February 5th, 2008 at 9:35 am

    I dare you to show that map in any part of the Republic of Ireland. You will be politely but definitely ignored. I once remember seeing a man declare that Ireland was a beautiful part of the British Isles. He was heard remarking to other tourists the next day that the Irish weren’t really that friendly. If anything, that map shows a lack of knowledge rather than a concise showing of it.

12. Worrymon
    February 5th, 2008 at 9:35 am

    Where's Summerisle?

13. christian gehrke
    February 5th, 2008 at 11:31 am

    I totally agree with "col mcgillveray" and "anne" and I happen to be living in Ireland at the moment. My wife is Irish and herself and the rest of the people here would disagree with that chart, but technically it may be right. It seems odd that part of the British Isles are not part of Britain but that may be the case.

    It is a very touchy subject here and I say it's best to avoid the subject all together.

    The main circle needs to be moved over a wee bit to include northern ireland but not the republic. Get your pen out.

14. Pol x
    February 5th, 2008 at 11:44 am

    Right, well I'm half Jock half Paddy, so am a rich vein for potential offence at this venn diagram.

    But I think it's pretty much spot on.

    The system of Islands from Sark to Saint Kilda are the British Isles.

    The 2 main masses are Great Britain and Ireland.

    Great Britain composes of 2 kingdoms and a Principality, towhit, England Scotland and Wales respectively.

    The UNited Kingdom composes the afore mentioned Great Britain AND the Province of Northern Ireland,or Ulster if you'd prefer.Though 3 counties of Ulser are part of the ROI

    Eire, or the Republic Of Ireland composes the remaining 3 provinces of the Isle of Ireland, ie Munster Leinster connaught

    I know it seems convoluted but it really is simple.

    I consider myself Scottish, but I am also British.

    We're a very small country that has consistantly punched so far above it's weight that it is barely credible.

    So I never mind being called British, coz I am.

    I only hate it when A scot succeds he is suddenly British, when the same Scot fails, he is relagated to being Scottish.

    Keep your ear open for this regardig Andy Murray the tennis player.

15. Pol x
    February 5th, 2008 at 12:00 pm

    I can see the point regarding tagging Eire with being part of theBritish Isles.

    Several hundred years of trying to get the british empire out of your country will make it a ticklish subject.

    Perhaps a return to the ancient names?

    Oileáin Iarthair Eorpa = Irish

    Ellanyn Goaldagh = Manx

    Eileanan Breatannach = Scots Gaelic

    Ynysoedd Prydain = Welsh

    But considering the last two say Ilses and British /Britain that would seem to be translation for it's own ends.

16. neato
    February 5th, 2008 at 1:48 pm

    There's a better version of this graphic posted in Wikipedia's article on British Isles terminology ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_Isles_%28terminology%29 ).

    As for your American request, that's a little trickier to put into a graphic.

    "United States" (US) or "United States of America" (USA) always refers to the federal constitutional republic whose capital is Washington, D.C.

    "North America" refers to an entire continent, and includes everything between Canada and Panama, Greenland, the Caribbean Islands and the Bahamas.

    When you hear just the phrase "America", it's very likely that it is referring to the USA, but you should analyze the context in which you're hearing it to be sure.

17. Skipweasel
    February 5th, 2008 at 3:58 pm

    The reason Australia isn't anywhere on there is simple. Queen Elizabeth the Second is queen of UKoGBaNI but /also/ the queen of Australia. And New Zealand. And Canada. And a handful of other places as well. There is no longer a political connection between those states, they just happen to have the same queen.

    I am not connected to my neighbour though we have the same milkman.

18. dodgyd55
    February 5th, 2008 at 4:08 pm

    diggs up Pudifoot

    hate England(and wales even though its as lame as the isle of man)

    Scotland and Ireland FTW

19. Pol x
    February 5th, 2008 at 4:56 pm

    there's that Venn diagram that neato added, but up close.

    It is effectively the same as the arlier one with the addition of the Isle of Man and the channel islands, Guernsey and Jersey..

    http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/9/96/British_Isles_Euler_diag ram.svg

20. endomental
    February 6th, 2008 at 1:18 am

    I finally get it!

21. MattG
    March 19th, 2008 at 12:48 pm

    Excellent use of a venn diagram. To be quite honest I had no idea how a lot of those countries related to each other, what can I say I'm American.

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