Background Information of the British IslesWhat is the difference between British Isles(不列颠群岛), Britain, United Kingdom and England? These terms (术语) are familiar(熟悉), but puzzling to us Chinese.The British Isles are made up of two large islands: One is Britain and the other Ireland. Britain, or Great Britain, is the larger of the two islands, and is divided into three parts: England, Scotland and Wales.The United Kingdom(UK) is the short for the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. UK consists of Scotland, Wales and England(i.e. the whole of Britain), and also about one-sixth of Ireland, i.e., the northern part. The rest of Ireland which is called the republic of Ireland is another country.England is the largest, and generally speaking, the richest section. Its capital is London, which is also the capital of the UK. London lies on the River Thames. Much of England is rather flat, although there are hills in the northeast and in the center of the country. English people tend to use the words “England” and “English” when they mean “Britain” and “British”. This sometimes annoys (惹恼) the Scots and the Welsh. Scotland lies in the north of the UK, with its capital Edinburgh. Scotland has many lakes and mountains , and is famous for its beautiful countryside. The Scots in particular (尤其) are very proud of their nationality; they have their own legal system ( 法 律 制 度 ), and some of their internal( 内 部 的 )affairs are managed by special Scottish departments, though they have no separate parliament(议会).Wales lies to the east of England. Its capital is Cardiff. Everyone there can speak English, but the first language in north Wales is Welsh. The Welsh,...
