What Is the Difference Between the United Kingdom and Great Britain and Why?

The United Kingdom includes England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland.

Southern Ireland is a separate nation.

The nations on the large island as well as Northern Ireland share a common government and passport.

Great Britain includes the main island of Scotland, Wales, and England and excludes all of Ireland, including the north.

It’s called Great Britain to distinguish it from Brittany or Little Britain, a province across the Channel in France.