Learning About: The Difference between the UK, Britain and England

I have been in doubt for a long time about the difference between the United Kingdom, Great Britain and England.

For some strange reason I thought England was a country, Great Britain was the alliance between Scotland, Wales, England and Northern Ireland, and the United Kingdom was the collection of islands including the Isle of Man.

I have done some research and also developed a small image that exemplifies what I have learned.

• The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is a sovereign state located off the northwestern coast of continental Europe.
• A sovereign state, commonly simply referred to as a state, is a political association with effective internal and external sovereignty over a geographic area and population which is not dependent on, or subject to any other power or state.
• Great Britain is an island lying to the northwest of Continental Europe.
• England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom.

I hope this may have been of use to you or somebody else with this question.

The following links were of use to me while doing my research:

• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/England
• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_Kingdom
• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_britain
• http://geography.about.com/library/faq/blqzuk.htm
• http://www.lib.utexas.edu/maps/europe/united_kingdom_pol87.jpg <– Map
• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ireland