A note on geopolitical terminology

‘The British Isles’ is a geographical term which refers to the two large islands that contain the mainlands of Scotland, Northern Ireland, the Irish Republic, Wales, and England, together with a large number of other, smaller islands that are part of the territories of these countries: one island (the Isle of Man) and one archipelago (the Channel Islands) have a significant degree of autonomy within the state which encompasses the bulk of the British Isles, the United Kingdom. ‘The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland’ (the UK) is a state that encompasses Scotland, Wales, England, Man, and the Channel Islands, together with the northernmost part of the island of Ireland. If Northern Ireland is omitted entirely from a description, the designation of the area described is properly ‘Great Britain’. ‘Ireland’ properly designates the whole of the island of Ireland (though popularly it is used to refer to the state of Ireland, that is the Republic of Ireland, which occupies the central, southern, and north-western parts).