Right. Everyone keeps messing this up, and it's annoying, so here I will explain to you the makeup of the United Kingdom of Great Britain.
The UK is composed of four seperate states: England, Scotland, Northern Ireland, and Wales. It is not just made up of England.
During the last four centuries or so, England successfully brought Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland into union with itself and each other. I know that they bribed the Scottish ministers after cheating them out of money (they persuaded the Scots to invest basically everything in an empire project, and then refused to have any of their colonies trade with said project, project failed, Scotland went bankrupt, England said 'Hey, here, sign this Act of Union and we'll give you money'. All this after howevermany hundred years of fending them off, Highland Clearances, murders, rapes, subjugation, you get it. They did basically the same to the Welsh and Irish. Which is why Scotland, Wales and Ireland, along with pretty much all of continental Europe, hold the English in occaisionally justified contempt).
How we got to where we are doesn't matter, really. The main thing is that the UK is composed of four states under one head of state (The Queen). All states have some level of autonomy.
Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland each have their own little mini-parliaments, graciously handed to us within the last fifteen years by the English. Those little parliaments control education, a little taxation, healthcare, law, religion, and agriculture to a certain extent. All of England's matters are decided in Westminster.
Westminster controls foreign policy, overall taxation, and pretty much Everything Else That Matters for all four of the states. I still think that England deserves its own mini-parliament. All English matters are decided along with 'British' ones in Westminster.
Each state has its own national football and rugby teams, and its own team in the Commonwealth Games. Scotland has its own Elephant Polo team, who are still the world champions. I do not know how the Elephant Polo team came about, but I love them to bits.
When a team that isn't England fails, it was a failure for the Scottish or Welsh team. When a team that isn't England wins, it was a victory for the British team. See how it works?
London is the capital of England and England alone. Edinburgh is the capital of Scotland, Cardiff is the capital of Wales, and Belfast is the capital of Northern Ireland.
Each have their own unique education systems.
I hope that is information enough to stop people on here from confusing England with Britain. England is not Britain. It is one quarter of Britain (though it has most of the population, hence why it gets the most political time spent on it, the most money, etc). The countries are distinct, though, and will always be that way.
The most useful phrase I know to use in Europe is 'Je suis Ecossaise'. 'I am Scottish'. Suddenly the locals treat you nicely, because they've found out you're not English.
Just so you know. I am Scottish, not British, and it bugs me when people don't know enough about my country to make that distinction. Or people who write, 'I'm of Scottish and British descent'. What on earth does that mean? Scottish and English? Scottish and Welsh?
Thank you.
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