United Kingdom

Patterns of Settlement

The term United Kingdom refers to the political union of England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland. The land mass of the British Isles includes Scotland to the far north, the length of England, Wales, all of the Irish mainland, and the offshore islands. The North Sea and the English Channel separate the United Kingdom (total land area: 94,526 square miles) from Continental Europe. Britain was the name ascribed by the Roman rulers when referring to what is now England and Wales. The Laws in Wales Acts (1535 and 1542) established that the nations of Wales and England were governed by a common law. In 1603, the name Great Britain was established to refer to the nations of England and Scotland, which ...