The British Isles is made up of all the places you see on the map above: England, Northern Ireland, Republic of Ireland, Wales and Scotland. However, this is not a single country, but rather a geographic reference. Although it is a geographical term, it is often mistakenly used in place of the United Kingdom or Great Britain.
The United Kingdom is all of the countries in the map above except the Republic of Ireland. The United Kingdom is the official name of the state we live in and which the Queen is the head of and the Prime Minister runs.
Great Britain is the name given to just the mainland, not including any parts of Ireland. Great Britain is therefore made up of England, Scotland and Wales.
Events and competitions
It is the United Kingdom that enters the Eurovision Song Contest. This means that all of the nations which make up the United Kingdom join together and enter as one. In the Olympics, Team GB represents Great Britain and also Northern Ireland.
However, in football, each country represents itself. England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland each have their own football team and there is no such thing as a United Kingdom or Great Britain team. Some people would, however, like to see one in the future.
