Apologies in advance for my ignorance. I’ve never made it to the U.K. despite 3/4 of my DNA coming from those isles.
I’m redoing/updating a supporters list and I’ve run into something I’ve no answer to….
99% of the addresses I’m given say “United Kingdom”. Now, and again forgive me, I’ve always thought of the U.K. as England, Ireland, and Scotland. Likewise I call the people from there as English (or British), Irish, or Scottish. As an aside, a family member has always insisted we are Welsh not English based on the origin of our surname…
So, when filing out my list and I know “United Kingdom” is right for a mailing/billing address but it doesn’t feel right to me. Thus, I’ve been looking up the towns I don’t know to see which of the 3 aforementioned areas they are from and switch the address accordingly.
Anyway, can someone from the British Isles (or United Kingdom?) please straighten me out?
***EDIT – 12FEB2021
After much reading and input I’ve come to my own conclusions. Thanks everyone for the feedback and patience with my ignorance. Here are some of my notes:
Wikipedia
“The census held throughout the UK in 2011 recorded information on the chosen national identity of each respondent. A separate census was carried out for each of England and Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland. The results clearly show that in no part of the UK do the majority of the population self-identify as British, but as English, Welsh, Scottish or Irish etc.”
Wikipedia
“Do not enforce uniformity
It is not possible to create a uniforming guideline, when such strong disagreement exists on the relative importance of the labels.
Re-labelling nationalities on grounds of consistency—making every UK citizen “British”, or converting each of those labelled “British” into their constituent nationalities—is strongly discouraged. Such imposed uniformity cannot, in any case, be sustained.”
Wikipedia
“Irish nationality law is contained in the provisions of the Irish Nationality and Citizenship Acts 1956 to 2004 and in the relevant provisions of the Irish Constitution. A person may be an Irish citizen through birth, descent, marriage to an Irish citizen or through naturalisation. The law grants citizenship to individuals born in Northern Ireland under the same conditions as those born in the Republic of Ireland.”
OK, so now I’m thinking they view “Irish is Irish” but then I read this:
What is the cultural difference between the Irish and the Northern Irish?
So I’m still confused on this.
Wikipedia
“Some persons opted “to combine both identities” as “they felt Scottish or Welsh, but held a British passport and were therefore British”, whereas others saw themselves as exclusively Scottish or exclusively Welsh and “felt quite divorced from the British, whom they saw as the English”. Commentators have described this latter phenomenon as “nationalism”, a rejection of British identity because some Scots and Welsh interpret it as “cultural imperialism imposed” upon the United Kingdom by “English ruling elites”, or else a response to a historical misappropriation of equating the word “English” with “British”, which has “brought about a desire among Scots, Welsh and Irish to learn more about their heritage and distinguish themselves from the broader British identity“.
What are the National identities of the people living in Britain?
“Most white people born in Great Britain, although British citizens, do not regard themselves as British and prefer to state their national identity as English, Scottish or Welsh. People born in England are called English or British and can say that they live in England, Britain and/or the UK. Most people in England tend to say they are British rather than English.”
England versus Great Britain versus United Kingdom
“England, Scotland, and Wales are three constituent countries united under one state, the United Kingdom, on the island of Great Britain. The United Kingdom is the three countries of Great Britain plus the country of Northern Ireland.”
The Great British Venn Diagram
– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –
The initial goal of all this was to list the town/cities of where people were from in a manner that everyone could relate to. It then became a quest for understanding on my part.
Based on the information I get I am inclined to do:
Section: United Kingdom
Listing: Town, England/Ireland/Wales/Scotland (to be best of my ability)
IF I get a complete address it looks like this:
For England:
James, Bond, Shelley Drive, Lincoln, Lincolnshire, LN2 4TD, United Kingdom Lincoln Lincolnshire United Kingdom GB
For Scotland
William, Wallace, Chatcart Road, GLASGOW, G42 0DY, United Kingdom GLASGOW United Kingdom GB
For Ireland
Paul David Hewson, Coolock Ln, Santry, Dublin 9, D09WD54, Ireland Santry DUBLIN 9 Ireland IE
For Northern Ireland:
Vivian Patrick Campbell, Main Street, Pomeroy, Dungannon, Tyrone, BT702QP, United Kingdom Dungannon Tyrone United Kingdom GB
For Wales:
Bartholomew, Roberts, Thomas Cres, North Cornelly, Bridgend, Bridgend, CF33 4HT, United Kingdom Bridgend Bridgend United Kingdom GB
Contrast with an address for here:
Robert Hepler Lowe, 931 Thomas Jefferson Pkwy, Charlottesville, VA 22902
Here is a table with the values minus the street address:
Currently, the UK comprises England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. Eire is a different nation and is not in the UK. It’s fine to put “UK” on all your addresses unless the addressee lives elsewhere. It would be laborious to look up each town and label them either of the four listed – it can be done, but unnecessary. Things may change in the future and even I had problems with locating a town in the county I grew up in – I thought it was still within the county boundaries, only to find it’s in Wales!
To which do you refer to yourself as?
I enjoy looking the towns up, I’ve always loved maps and learning anout different places.
The United Kingdom (UK) is made up of England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. does not include ireland (southen)
We are all classed as British, then English welsh scottish and irish
Britain is the 3 countrys without Northern Ireland.
To which do you refer to yourself as?
Hi Eric. Brit here. The political entity that is the sovereign country is the United Kingdom. It is made up of England, Scotland Wales and Northern Ireland.
You can compare a similar situation with The Netherlands which most outsiders call Holland, but in fact Holland is just the penisular part that contains Amsterstam.
Here is a map that can explain it better than I:
http://catholicgauze.blogspot.com/2008/02/england-versus-great-britain-versus.html
Very useful link!
I am British in citizenship but I from the area of England.
So if I said you live in XYZ, England that is appropriate?
British
So if I said you live in XYZ, England that is appropriate?
I am most certainly English, and my wife is Welsh. We are both British. Rather like you being Virginian first and American second. British being the umbrella under which the four countries exist. Whatever you do DO NOT call a Welsh, Scots or Irish person English, no more than you are a Canadian.
The acceptable thing to do is Address as follows:-
Joe Bloggs
1 My Street
My Town
My County (optional)
AB1 2CD
UK
There are many repeated placenames within the UK, some Newport for example occurs sixteen times across England Scotland and Wales so adding the country is fraught with pitfalls.
Hope that helps
Outside of Texas, almost no one in the U.S. refers to themselves as a “Virginian” or “Californian” etc. (well OK, New York city dwellers do, but that’s another story). The states haven’t been sovereign-like at all since the colonial period whereas England, Ireland, Scotland, and Wales were nations. Here in the U.S. when we talk about ancestry we say we are part Irish, English, Scottish, French, Korean, etc.
However, whew, here is my confusion…
When you ask us where we are from we say, “Detroit, Michigan” not, “Detroit, United States” which is why “Belfast, United Kingdom”, or “Edinburgh, United Kingdom” doesn’t look or sound right to me. “Belfast, Ireland” and “Edinburgh, Scotland” do look and sound right. Does that make sense?
I refer to myself as British, despite living within England’s boundaries and having both English and Welsh ancestry. But more importantly within the UK is to compare others with the county you are most familiar with, either through family connections or by having lived a great part of your life. And so, as I have lived in Devon county for more than 40 years, married into a farming family and have in-laws here, there and everywhere, I regard myself as a Devon man first, British next.
I’m glad you enjoy the lookups: be aware (as someone else has mentioned in the comments) that there are place names which are the same but belong in different counties. Postcodes are vital for mail to reach the right town. (In my county, there just happen to be two villages which have identical names and are within 5 miles of each other!)
Thanks! Please see https://www.tweakhound.com/2021/02/10/question-for-folks-in-the-u-k/#comment-3262
To someone from the UK I would say either Town/County or Town/Country depending upon a whats clearer description for them. In some cases just Town would be clear enough (Birmingham, Manchester and so on) If the person is outside the UK most people say Town/UK.
Most ‘foreigners’ think Scotland, Northern Ireland and (in particular) Wales are parts of England. (although somewhat confusingly there is a village called Wales in the County of South Yorkshire)
In short, theres no correct answer, except not to call everyone English
Having lived in Texas (Tejas if you’re Latinex) for 28 years (but natives will tell you “You’ll NEVER be a texan!!!!” , and I’m OK with that), I have finally come to the conclusion that 1) most who brag endlessly about being texan as if it makes their manly parts somehow more manly are not natives, but from NJ and 2) in general, they (whether native or not) are compensating for a truly deserved inferiority complex.
Healthcare 37th
Education 34th
Infrastructure 33rd
Crime 33rd
COVID: More than 29 million people live in Texas. The state’s cases per 100,000 population is 3,269.84. By comparison, California — home to more than 39 million people — has a rate of 2,371.56 cases per 100,000. We FINALLY beat California at something!!!!!! (there’s that ‘humble’ brag for which we are so well known, again.)
But…… we have no state income tax!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Except, as measured in total tax burden: 32nd in the nation @ 8.20% or near the middle of the pack.
So, if you squint REAL hard at closing time in all the bars, I really do look kinda, sorta just like George Clooney and that the fact that I’m driving my Mom’s Forrester and still live at home makes me a real prize!
P.S. Born in Baltomore but raised in Illinois and Missouri and I’m Scottish. texans could learn a thing or two about real heritage: you can not take my freedom!!!!!!! :~)
Bangers and mash and Guiness for everyone!
Hi Eric .
I think if i have you question correct .
The simplest way of addressing your question would be to consider peoples residence in these terms maybe ‘ for instance if someone asks me where i am from within the UK i would answer “example” Warrington (the town ) in the county of (Cheshire) so the way you may want to list that would be ‘ Town then County then UK . If i was asked this from outside of the UK i would say town and county then UK but that is my preference .
As of this moment i think most folks would collectively refer to themselves as being from the united kingdom there will be folks that don’t as they are fiercely proud of there birthplace and rightly so . Although Brexit may have dire consequences for that if scotland wales etc seek devolution and become independent country’s which is possible in the future.
Post updated. Please read.
I’m yer man from Bromsgrove. I was born in Wales, so I am Welsh, but I’ve lived in Bromsgrove, England, for 50+ years. I like it here! My ancestry? Seems to be from all over the UK.