What is the difference between scotland and wales

The language issue has worked against it. It is notable that the party, trying to overcome this, has recently appointed leaders who either do not speak fluent Welsh or even were born in England. It has also struggled to find the correct political space for its policies other than independence. In Scotland, Labour has proved no match for its nationalist rivals. After devolution, the SNP steadily gained ground in the Scottish Parliament, eventually becoming so successful that it effectively broke the proportional voting system, which was supposed to deliver coalitions, winning an overall majority in Read: Brexit has brought the idea of Scottish independence back from the dead.

As the SNP rose, Labour faded. It faced complaints that its politicians were, in effect, absentee landlords—they held Scottish seats but lived primarily in London. And since Scots Gaelic is little spoken, with around 58, speakers in the last census in , Scottish Labour was deprived of a language to signal its unique identity. A run of lackluster leaders were outgunned by Salmond and Sturgeon. And from onward, more and more right-wing versions of the Conservative Party gained power in Westminster, giving the SNP, which is firmly in the progressive tradition, a vivid opponent with which to contrast itself.

As Britain goes to the polls this week, there is one final quirk to the story of the Scottish and Welsh independence movements: While Plaid Cymru is expected to stall at the polls, it is perfectly possible that the SNP will continue to thrive as a political force—without Scottish independence moving any closer to becoming a reality. The SNP has all of these, and it has been given extra firepower by Brexit. Despite this, there has not been an expected spike in support for independence.

Henderson wondered whether Brexit seemed like enough disruption to voters, without severing another old alliance. So far, its separatist movement has been unlucky in its leaders, and unlucky in its opponents. The story of Wales and Scotland tells us many important things about how political movements succeed and falter, often depending on factors far outside their control.

But perhaps the most important lesson is this: National identity is neither fixed nor immutable. What's absolutely certain is that Great Britain doesn't include any part of Ireland, and it doesn't include the Isle of Man.

So where's the gray area? It's the islands. The Shetlands, for example, are well removed from the coast of Scotland, but they ARE a part of the country of Scotland.

Once you understand that the United Kingdom is a country made up of England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland, another question arises. If the UK is a country, is England a country? A city? What about Scotland? The British Isles includes many islands not even part of the UK.

The diverse history of England, Scotland and Wales has led to very different cultural traditions; The Scots and Welsh have right to feel aggrieved whenever the term 'English' is used wrongly, to mean all three. The name United Kingdom refers to the union of what were once four separate countries: England , Scotland , Wales and Ireland though most of Ireland is now independent, only Northern Ireland remains part of the UK.

The United Kingdom. Britain comprises only England and Wales. Find out why here. Great Britain comprises only England, Scotland and Wales. The United Kingdom coloured in red with the Republic of Ireland in grey. The first is that it is used to distinguish Britain from its similar sounding, but much smaller French neighbour, Brittany. The British Isles is the name of a group of islands situated off the north western corner of mainland Europe.

Just like Wales and Scotland, England is commonly referred to as a country but it is not a sovereign state. It is the largest country within the United Kingdom both by landmass and population, has taken a pivitol role in the creation of the UK, and its capital London also happens to be the capital of the UK.

It is perhaps understandable then that England is often although incorrectly used as a term to describe the whole of the UK. So there you have it!