How many countries have you visited?

[mintymint]

Outside of the UK, people tend to see it as one whole

I might be in the minority, but I see each as different.

I've always seen them as different countries too.

 

[Solivagant]

Outside of the UK, people tend to see it as one whole

I might be in the minority, but I see each as different.

I've always seen them as different countries too.

Me as well.

We have so many different terms that everyone may as well give up.

You've got England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. They're all countries, but have a single centralised government housed in London. (Some powers are now devolved to the constituent countries)

You've got Great Britain - which is England, Scotland and Wales.

You've got the UK - which is England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

You've also got the British Isles - Which is a purely geographical term for Great Britain and ALL of Ireland. It's a term that Ireland now refuses to recognise.

Many of the people that live in the UK could not tell you the difference, so why should I expect anyone else to?

Thanks for the breakdown! =]

 

[Lowlander]

Netherlands (home )
Belgium
France
Germany
Spain
Greece
Turkey
Nepal
England
Abu Dabi (transit only, airport only)
Mexico (transit only, airport only)
Luxembourg (Transit)
Cuba
Czech Republic
Poland
Italy
Croatia (will be going there soon so I'll add it here)

 

[user 108508]

How many countries have you visited?

Zero.

You don't live in a country? :O

Oh, well ****. I live here so I guess I technically visit daily. I'd like to change my answer to one, please.

 

[AmytheTemperamental]

No one has visited Middle Earth as much as me

 

[Solivagant]

No one has visited Middle Earth as much as me

^ Lol, take me with you!

 

[Peaches]

UK (+ Scotland Wales)
France
Spain
Portugal
Finland
Denmark
Netherlands
Italy
Greece
Hungary
Estonia (overnight)
Sweden (overnight)
US
Austria
Switzerland
Belgium
Germany
Croatia
Czech Republic
so many places yet to visit

 

[Mrs Falcon]

Day visits from off a cruise ship, to:

St Tropez (via tender)
Sardinia
Corsica
Malaga in Spain
Gibraltar
Malta (via tender)
and many, many more.

Actual countries where I have lived with my family:
Lisbon in Portugal
Cascais in Portugal
Verbier, Switzerland
Lucerne, Switzerland
Geneva when gigging
Barcelona
Madrid

Sainte-Maxime, France
Paris
Monaco
Genoa, Italy
and Tuscany, Italy also

 

[Aisha]

We have so many different terms that everyone may as well give up.

You've got England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. They're all countries, but have a single centralised government housed in London. (Some powers are now devolved to the constituent countries)

You've got Great Britain - which is England, Scotland and Wales.

You've got the UK - which is England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

You've also got the British Isles - Which is a purely geographical term for Great Britain and ALL of Ireland. It's a term that Ireland now refuses to recognise.

Many of the people that live in the UK could not tell you the difference, so why should I expect anyone else to?

Thanks as solivagent said, for the breakdown. But I had assumed those terms and their meanings were common/general knowledge that most people knew. Guess not.

---

Outside of the UK, people tend to see it as one whole

I might be in the minority, but I see each as different.

I've always seen them as different countries too.

I was just going by most people I've run into in the places I've been, that's all. I know every individual won't think the same.

 

[Solivagant]

So I've got a question! If I say that someone is "British", who am I referring to? I always thought it was basically the same as "English", but it's sounding like "British" could apply to anyone in Great Britain/British Isles...?

 

[Aisha]

So I've got a question! If I say that someone is "British", who am I referring to? I always thought it was basically the same as "English", but it's sounding like British could apply to anyone in Great Britain/British Isles...?

English means someone who is from England. British means from Great Britain. If I'm not mistaken. Someone who's Irish might have an issue with being called British, because British definitely doesn't mean the British Isles.

 

[Solivagant]

English means someone who is from England. British means from Great Britain. If I'm not mistaken. Someone who's Irish might have an issue with being called British, because British definitely doesn't mean the British Isles.

So a Scottish person and a Welsh person are British too?

 

[Aisha]

English means someone who is from England. British means from Great Britain. If I'm not mistaken. Someone who's Irish might have an issue with being called British, because British definitely doesn't mean the British Isles.

So a Scottish person and a Welsh person are British too?

Yup

 

[Solivagant]

Yup

So if I were introducing my Scottish friend to another friend, and I said "He's British," my Scottish friend wouldn't correct me? (Sorry for all the questions, just trying to make sure I understand!)

 

[Aisha]

I've occasionally heard people use the term to refer to the UK too, which includes northern Ireland. I think cavey's right and people are just quite confused by the whole thing. But like I mentioned, on an international level the UK is the actual country people usually mean. If you're travelling you need a visa for the United Kingdom as a whole and not for each individual country within it.

---

Yup

So if I were introducing my Scottish friend to another friend, and I said "He's British," my Scottish friend wouldn't correct me? (Sorry for all the questions, just trying to make sure I understand!)

I doubt he would. At least, not if he understood the difference in all those terms cavey mentioned.

 

[Solivagant]

Oh, and what about accents? Is a Scottish accent a British accent? I always thought "British" just meant "English". (I feel dumb now, apologies for my ignorance.)

 

[VanillaCreme]

I've been to Puerto Rico. Other than that... Stayed in this country all my life.

 

[TheSkaFish]

No one has visited Middle Earth as much as me

I may have I have also visited Tatooine, Coruscant, Endor, Hoth and Cloud City many times as well.......whoops, those aren't countries......

---

In all seriousness though, my country count is one. I've never been outside the USA though I've been to, or at least through, a fair number of states - as far east as the Atlantic and as far west as Wyoming. I've SEEN Canada once from a beach on Michigan's Upper Peninsula when I was a kid, but I don't think that counts.

 

[Aisha]

Oh, and what about accents? Is a Scottish accent a British accent? I always thought "British" just meant "English". (I feel dumb now, apologies for my ignorance.)

All scots are Brits, but not all Brits are Scots. A Scottish accent is a British one. But it changes so much from city to city, people in the British Isles have extremely varied English (referring to the language) accents. Don't apologise, everything is unknown until we learn about it.

 

[Solivagant]

No one has visited Middle Earth as much as me

I may have I have also visited Tatooine, Coruscant, Endor, Hoth and Cloud City many times as well.......whoops, those aren't countries......

Hmmm... Now that I think about it, I believe Middle Earth is a continent. Does that make Eriador, Rhovanion, Mordor, Rhun, Harad and Forod the countries? If so I can add a whole bunch more to my list!