History of the British Isles History of the British Isles The British Isles have witnessed intermittent periods of competition and cooperation between the people that occupy the various parts of Great Britain, the Isle of Man, Ireland, the Bailiwick of Guernsey, the Bailiwick of Jersey and the smaller adjacent islands. Today, the British Isles contain two sovereign states: the Republic of Ireland and the United Kingdom. There are also three Crown dependencies: Guernsey, Jersey and the Isle of Man. The United Kingdom comprises England, Northern Ireland, Scotland, and Wales, each country having its own history, with all but Northern Ireland having been independent states at
Terminology of the British Isles There have been several suggestions for replacements for the term "British Isles". Although there is no single accepted replacement, the terms "Great Britain and Ireland", "The British Isles and Ireland" and "Britain and Ireland" are all used. The word "England" is often used synecdochically to refer to Great Britain—or the United Kingdom as a whole—which often causes offence, particularly to those from the non-English parts of Britain. In a similar way, references to England as an island, to an "English passport", or to Scottish or Welsh places as being in England are examples of this usage of the term "England".