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Great Britain (commonly shortened to Britain) is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean off the north-west coast of continental Europe, consisting of the countries England, Scotland and Wales. With an area of 209,331 km 2 (80,823 sq mi), it is the largest of the British Isles, the largest European island and the ninth-largest island in the world.
The United Kingdom lies between latitudes 49° and 61° N, and longitudes 9° W and 2° E. Northern Ireland shares a 224-mile (360 km) land boundary with the Republic of Ireland. [136] The coastline of Great Britain is 11,073 miles (17,820 km) long, [139] though measurements can vary greatly due to the coastline paradox. [140]
On 1 January 1801, the first day of the 19th century, the Great Britain and Ireland joined to form the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland. The legislative union of Great Britain and Ireland was brought about by the Act of Union 1800, creating the "United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland".
Main articles: Waterways in the United Kingdom, Canals of Great Britain, Dams and reservoirs in United Kingdom. As a result of its industrial history, the United Kingdom has an extensive system of canals, mostly built in the early years of the Industrial Revolution, before the rise of competition from the railways.
Read Fast Facts from CNN about Great Britain’s Houses of Parliament, located on the Thames River in London.
Tourism plays a significant part in the economic life of England. In 2018, the United Kingdom as a whole was the world's 10th most visited country for tourists, [49] and 17 of the United Kingdom's 25 UNESCO World Heritage Sites fall within England. [50] VisitEngland is the official tourist board for England.
The ancient Roman occupation of Britain, lasting almost 400 years, also impacted the linguistic and cultural identity of Great Britain. [ 15 ] Following the expansion of the British Empire, England, Scotland and Wales absorbed different peoples from around the world, and, post-World War II, Britain developed a more diverse cultural landscape ...
The Acts of Union 1707 refer to both England and Scotland as a "part" of a united kingdom of Great Britain. [23] The Acts of Union 1800 use "part" in the same way to refer to England and Scotland. However, they use the word "country" to describe Great Britain and Ireland respectively, when describing trade between them. [24]
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