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{{otheruses4|the island|the state that existed from 1707 to 1801|Kingdom of Great Britain|the modern state|United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland|an explanation of terms such as "British", "United Kingdom", "England", "Scotland" and "Wales"|Terminology of the British Isles|other uses|Great Britain (disambiguation)}}
{{Use dmy dates}}{{pp-move-indef|small=yes}}
{{Infobox Islands
|name = Great Britain
|native name = {{Collapsible list
|title = <center>Languages spoken as native. <center>
|<center> {{lang|en|'''Great Britain'''}} {{en icon}} </center>
<center> {{lang|sco|'''Great Breetain'''}}<ref>{{cite web |title=Dictionary of the Scots Language|url=http://www.dsl.ac.uk|publisher=DSL.ac.uk}} Retrieved on 1&nbsp;February 2009.</ref> {{sco icon}} </center>
<center> {{lang|cy|'''Prydain Fawr'''}} {{cy icon}} </center>
<center> {{lang|gd|'''Breatainn Mhòr'''}} {{gd icon}} </center> </center>}}
|nickname =
|image name = Satellite image of Great Britain and Northern Ireland in April 2002.jpg
|image caption = True colour image of Great Britain, captured by a [[National Aeronautics and Space Administration|NASA]] [[satellite]] on 6 April 2002.
|image size = 200px
|locator map = LocationIslandGreatBritain.png
|map_custom = no
|location = [[Northern Europe]]
|coordinates = {{coord|53.826|N|2.422|W|display=inline}}
|archipelago = [[British Isles]]
|area = {{convert|219000|km2|sqmi|0|abbr=on}} <ref>http://www.intute.ac.uk/worldguide/guide_largestislands.html</ref>
|rank = 9th
|highest mount = [[Ben Nevis]]
|elevation = 1344 m
|country = {{flag|United Kingdom}}
|country admin divisions title =
|country admin divisions = {{flag|England}} <br>{{flag|Scotland}} <br>{{flag|Wales}}
|country largest city = [[London]]
|country largest city area = 609 sq mi (1,577.3 km²)
|population = approximately 61,500,000 (as of mid-2008)<ref name=nso/>
|density =277
|ethnic groups = [[British people|British]] ([[Cornish people|Cornish]], [[English people|English]], [[Scottish people|Scottish]] & [[Welsh people|Welsh]])<ref name="ons Kernow">{{cite web|url=http://www.ons.gov.uk/census/2011-census/consultations/eth-group-nat-iden/sum-rep-exp-com-grp.pdf|publisher=[[Office for National Statistics]]|title=-images-eicexpertsreportfull_tcm77-19490.pdf - [[Adobe Acrobat|Adobe Reader]]|format=pdf|year=2007|page=19|accessdate=2009-08-31|work=National Statistics: 2011 Census: Ethnic group, national identity, religion and language consultation}}</ref>}}
'''Great Britain''' is an [[island]] <ref>[http://islands.unep.ch/Tiarea.htm Islands by land area, United Nations Environment Programme]</ref> lying to the northwest of [[Continental Europe]]. It is the [[List of islands by area|ninth largest island in the world]], and the largest European island. With a population of about 59.6 million people in mid-2008,<ref name=nso>{{cite web|url=http://www.statistics.gov.uk/cci/nugget.asp?ID=6|title=Population Estimates|date=27 August 2009|work=National Statistics Online|publisher=Office for National Statistics|accessdate={{Date|2009-10-25}}|location=Newport, Wales}}</ref> it is [[List of islands by population|the third most populated island on Earth]]. Great Britain is surrounded by over 1000<ref>[http://mapzone.ordnancesurvey.co.uk/mapzone/didyouknow/howmany/q_14_27.html says 803 islands which have a distinguishable coastline on an Ordnance Survey map, and several thousand more exist which are too small to be shown as anything but a dot.]</ref> smaller [[islands]] and [[islets]]. The island of [[Ireland]] lies to its west.

All of the island is [[Territory (country subdivision)|territory]] of the sovereign state the [[United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland]], and most of the United Kingdom's territory is in Great Britain. The term "Great Britain" is sometimes used inaccurately to refer to the United Kingdom as a whole. Most of [[England]], [[Scotland]], and [[Wales]] are on the island, as are their respective [[capital city|capital cities]], [[London]], [[Edinburgh]], and [[Cardiff]].

The '''Kingdom of Great Britain''' resulted from the political union of the kingdoms of [[Kingdom of England|England]] and [[Kingdom of Scotland|Scotland]] on 1 May, 1707 under [[Anne of Great Britain|Queen Anne]]. It existed until 1801 when the [[Kingdom of Great Britain]] and the [[Kingdom of Ireland]] were united. This resulted in the [[United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland]]. This in turn became the [[United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland]] in 1922 with the secession of the [[Irish Free State]].

==Political definition==
{{main|Kingdom of Great Britain|United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland}}
Great Britain is the largest island of the [[United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland]]. Politically, Great Britain also refers to [[England]], [[Scotland]] and [[Wales]] in combination,<ref name="Key facts about the United Kingdom">{{cite web | title = Key facts about the United Kingdom | work = | publisher = Direct.gov.uk | url = http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Governmentcitizensandrights/LivingintheUK/DG_10012517 | accessdate = 2008-10-11}}</ref> and therefore also includes a number of outlying islands such as the [[Isle of Wight]], [[Anglesey]], the [[Isles of Scilly]], the [[Hebrides]], and the island groups of [[Orkney]] and [[Shetland]]. It does not include the [[Isle of Man]] and the [[Channel Islands]] which are not part of the United Kingdom, instead being self-governing dependent territories of that state with their own legislative and taxation systems.<ref name="Key facts about the United Kingdom"/><ref>{{cite book | last = Ademuni-Odeke | first = | title = Bareboat Charter (ship) Registration | publisher = Martinus Nijhoff Publishers | date = 1998 | pages = 367 | url = http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=rvIWmznNEGYC&pg=PA367&dq=great+britan+political+definiton+isle+of+man&as_brr=3&sig=ACfU3U3wgiQcCuZU2yn9ApGgLix9BwuYmg#PPA367,M1 | isbn = 9041105131}}</ref>

The union of the kingdoms of [[Kingdom of England|England]] and [[Kingdom of Scotland|Scotland]] began with the 1603 [[Union of Crowns]], a personal union under [[James VI of Scotland]], [[James VI of Scotland|I of England]]. The political union that joined the two countries happened in 1707, with the [[Acts of Union 1707|Acts of Union]] merging the parliaments of each nation, and forming the [[Kingdom of Great Britain]], which covered the entire island.

In 1801, an Act of Union between Great Britain and [[Ireland]] created the [[United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland]] (UK). This in turn became the [[United Kingdom|United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland]] in 1922, following the partition of Ireland and the creation of the [[Irish Free State]].

==Geographical definition==
{{main|Geography of Great Britain}}
{{see|Geography of England|Geography of Scotland|Geography of Wales}}
Great Britain lies to the northwest of [[Continental Europe]] and east of [[Ireland]]. It is separated from the continent by the [[North Sea]] and by the [[English Channel]], which narrows to {{km to mi|num=34|abbr=no|spell=Commonwealth|precision=0|wiki=yes}} at the [[Straits of Dover]].<ref>http://www.eosnap.com/?tag=strait-of-dover accessed 14 November 2009</ref> It stretches over about ten degrees of [[latitude]] on its longer, north-south axis, and occupies an area of 209,331&nbsp;km² (80,823 square miles).<ref name="unep">United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) ISLAND DIRECTORY TABLES "ISLANDS BY LAND AREA". Retrieved from http://islands.unep.ch/Tiarea.htm on 13 August 2009</ref> Geographically, the island is marked by low, rolling countryside in the east and south, while hills and mountains predominate in the western and northern regions. It is surrounded by over 1,000 smaller [[islands]] and [[islets]].

It is the [[List of islands by population|third most populous island]] after [[Java (island)|Java]] and [[Honshū]].<ref>See [http://www.geohive.com/cd/index.php Geohive.com Country data]; [http://www.stat.go.jp/english/data/kokusei/2000/final/hyodai.htm Japan Census of 2000]; [http://www.statistics.gov.uk/ United Kingdom Census of 2001]. The editors of [[List of islands by population]] appear to have used similar data from the relevant statistics bureaux, and totalled up the various administrative districts that comprise each island, and then done the same for less populous islands. An editor of this article has not repeated that work. Therefore this plausible and eminently reasonable ranking is posted as unsourced [[Wikipedia:Common knowledge|common knowledge]].</ref>

The [[English Channel]] is thought to have been created between 450,000 and 180,000&nbsp;years ago by two catastrophic [[glacial lake outburst flood]]s caused by the breaching of the [[Weald-Artois Anticline]], a ridge which held back a large [[proglacial lake]], now submerged under the North Sea.<ref>{{cite journal |last=Gupta |first=Sanjeev |coauthors=Jenny S. Collier, Andy Palmer-Felgate & Graeme Potter |year=2007 |title=Catastrophic flooding origin of shelf valley systems in the English Channel |journal=[[Nature (journal)|Nature]] |volume=448 |issue=7151 |pages=342–345 |doi=10.1038/nature06018 |url=http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v448/n7151/full/nature06018.html |laysummary=http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/19833064/ |laysource=[[msnbc.com]] |laydate=2007-07-18 |accessdate=2007-07-18 }}</ref> Around 10,000&nbsp;years ago, during the [[Wisconsin glaciation|Devensian glaciation]] with its lower [[sea level]], Great Britain was not an island, but an upland region of northwestern Europe, lying partially underneath the Eurasian ice sheet. The sea level was about {{convert|120|m}} lower than today, and the bed of the North Sea was dry and acted as a land bridge to Europe, now known as [[Doggerland]]. It is generally thought that as sea levels gradually rose after the end of the last glacial period of the current ice age, Doggerland became submerged beneath the North Sea, cutting off what was previously the British peninsula from the European mainland by around 6500BC.<ref name=gaffney>[http://livebettermagazine.com/eng/magazine/pdf_docs/2008_01/Global_Warming_Gaffney.pdf Vincent Gaffney, "Global Warming and the Lost European Country"]</ref> An alternative hypothesis is that much of the land was inundated about the same time by a [[tsunami]], caused by a submarine landslide off the coast of [[Norway]] known as the [[Storegga Slide]].<ref>[http://sprint.clivar.org/soes/staff/ejr/Rohling-papers/2008-Weninger%20et%20al%20Documenta%20Praehistorica.pdf Bernhard Weninger et al., The catastrophic final flooding of Doggerland by the Storegga Slide tsunami, Documenta Praehistorica XXXV, 2008]</ref>

==History==
{{main|History of Great Britain}}
{{see|Prehistoric Britain|Roman Britain|Medieval Britain|Early Modern Britain }}
{{see|History of England|History of Scotland|History of Wales}}
The island was first inhabited by people who had crossed over the land bridge from the European mainland. Traces of early humans have been found in Great Britain from some 700,000 years ago and modern humans from about 30,000 years ago. Until about 10,000 years ago, Great Britain was joined to [[Ireland]], and as recently as 8,000 years ago it was joined to the continent by [[Doggerland|a strip of low marsh]] to what is now [[Denmark]] and [[the Netherlands]]. In [[Cheddar Gorge]] near [[Bristol]], the remains of animal species native to mainland Europe such as [[antelope]]s, [[brown bear]]s, and [[wild horse]]s have been found alongside a human skeleton, '[[Cheddar Man]]', dated to about 7150 B.C. Thus, animals and humans must have moved between mainland Europe and Great Britain via a crossing.<ref>Lacey, Robert. ''Great Tales from English History''. New York: Little, Brown and Company, 2004. ISBN 0-316-10910-X.</ref> Great Britain became an island at the end of the [[Pleistocene]] [[ice age]] when sea levels rose due to [[isostatic depression]] of the crust and the melting of [[glacier]]s.

Its [[Iron Age]] inhabitants are known as the [[Britons (historic)|Britons]], a group speaking a [[Celtic languages|Celtic language]]. The Romans conquered most of the island (up to [[Hadrian's Wall]], in northern [[England]]) and this became the [[Ancient Rome|Ancient Roman]] province of ''[[Roman Britain|Britannia]]''. For 500 years after the Roman Empire fell, the Britons of the south and east of the island were assimilated or displaced by invading [[Germanic peoples|Germanic]] tribes ([[Angles]], [[Saxons]], and [[Jutes]], often referred to collectively as [[Anglo-Saxons]]). At about the same time [[Goidelic languages|Gaelic]]-speaking [[Scoti|Scots]] invaded from Ireland, absorbing both the [[Picts]] and [[Britons (historical)|Britons]] of northern Britain, and in the 9th Century the Kingdom of [[Scotland]] was formed. The south-east of Scotland was colonised by the [[Angles]] and formed, until 1018, a part of the [[Kingdom of Northumbria]]. Ultimately, the population of south-east Britain came to be referred to, after the Angles, as the [[English people]].

Germanic speakers referred to Britons as ''Welsh''. This term eventually came to be applied exclusively to the inhabitants of what is now [[Wales]], but it also survives in names such as [[Wallace (surname)|Wallace]], and in the second syllable of [[Cornwall]]. ''Cymry'', a name the Britons used to describe themselves, is similarly restricted in modern Welsh to people from Wales, but also survives in English in the place name of [[Cumbria]]. The Britons living in the areas now known as Wales and Cornwall, were not assimilated by the Germanic tribes, a fact reflected in the survival of Celtic languages in these areas into modern times. At the time of the Germanic invasion of Southern Britain, many Britons emigrated to the area now known as [[Brittany]], where [[Breton language|Breton]], a Celtic language closely related to [[Welsh language|Welsh]] and [[Cornish language|Cornish]] and descended from the language of the emigrants, is still spoken. In the ninth century, a series of Danish assaults on northern English kingdoms led to them coming under Danish control (an area known as the [[Danelaw]]). In the tenth century, however, all the English kingdoms were unified under one ruler as the kingdom of [[England]]. In 1066, England was [[Norman Conquest|conquered by the Normans]], who introduced a French ruling élite that was eventually assimilated. Wales came under Anglo-Norman control in 1282, and was officially annexed to England in the sixteenth century.

On 20 October 1604 King James (who had succeeded separately to the two thrones of England and Scotland) proclaimed himself as 'King of Great Brittaine, France and Ireland', a title that continued to be used by many of his successors.<ref>[http://www.heraldica.org/topics/britain/britstyles.htm#1604 Proclamation styling James I King of Great Britain on 20 October 1604]</ref> However, England and Scotland each remained legally in existence as separate countries with their own parliaments until 1707, when an [[Act of Union 1707|Act of Union]] joined both parliaments. That act used two different terms to describe the new all-island nation, a 'United Kingdom' and the 'Kingdom of Great Britain'. However, the former term is regarded by many as having been a ''description'' of the union rather than its formal name at that stage. Most reference books therefore, describe the all-island kingdom that existed between 1707 and 1800 as the "Kingdom of Great Britain".

In 1801, under a new [[Act of Union 1800|Act of Union]], this kingdom merged with the [[Kingdom of Ireland]], over which the monarch of Great Britain had ruled. The new kingdom was called the [[United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland]]. In 1922, 26 of Ireland's [[Counties of Ireland|32 counties]] attained dominion status within the British Empire, forming a separate [[Irish Free State]]. The remaining truncated kingdom is named the [[United Kingdom|United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland]].

==Terminology==
===Etymology===
{{main|Britain (name)}}

The oldest mentions of terms related to the formal name of Britain was made by [[Aristotle]] (c. 384–322 BC), in his text [[On the Universe]], Vol. III. To quote his works, “...in the ocean however, are two islands, and those very large, called Bretannic, Albion and Ierna....”
The archipelago has been referred to by a single name for over two thousand years, the term British Isles derives from terms used by classical geographers to describe the island group. [[Pliny the Elder]] (c. 23–79 AD) in his '' [[Natural History (Pliny)|Natural History]]'' (iv.xvi.102) records of Great Britain: “It was itself named Albion, while all the islands about which we shall soon briefly speak were called the Britanniae.”

The earliest known name of Great Britain is ''[[Albion]]'' (Ἀλβίων) or ''insula Albionum'', from either the Latin ''albus'' meaning white (referring to the [[white cliffs of Dover]], the first view of Britain from the continent) or the "island of the ''Albiones''", first mentioned in the ''[[Massaliote Periplus]]'' and by [[Pytheas]].<ref name="snyder">{{cite book
| last = Snyder
| first = Christopher A.
| title = The Britons
| publisher = [[Blackwell Publishing]]
| date = 2003
| isbn = 0-631-22260-X }}</ref>

The name ''Britain'' descends from the Latin name for Britain, ''Brittania'' or ''Brittānia'', the land of the Britons. [[Old French]] ''Bretaigne'' (whence also [[Modern French]] ''[[Bretagne]]'') and [[Middle English]] ''Bretayne, авBreteyne''. The French form replaced the [[Old English]] ''Breoton, Breoten, Bryten, Breten'' (also ''Breoton-lond, Breten-lond''). Brittania was used by the Romans from the 1st century BC for the [[British Isles]] taken together. It is derived from the travel writings of the [[ancient Greece|ancient Greek]] [[Pytheas]] around 320 BC, which described various islands in the North Atlantic as far North as [[Thule]] (probably [[Iceland]]).

The peoples of these islands of ''Prettanike'' were called the Πρεττανοι, ''[[Priteni]]'' or ''Pretani''.<ref name=snyder/>
''Priteni'' is the source of the [[Welsh language]] term [[Prydain]], ''Britain'', which has the same source as the [[Goidelic languages|Goidelic]] term [[Cruithne (people)|Cruithne]] used to refer to the early [[Brythonic languages|Brythonic]] speaking inhabitants of Ireland.<ref>{{cite book
| last = Foster (editor)
| first = R F
| authorlink =
| coauthors = Donnchadh O Corrain, Professor of Irish History at University College Cork: (Chapter 1: ''Prehistoric and Early Christian Ireland'')
| title = The Oxford History of Ireland
| publisher = Oxford University Press
| date = 1 November 2001
| location =
| url =
| doi =
| isbn = 0-19-280202-X }}</ref> The latter were later called [[Picts]] or [[Caledonians]] by the [[Ancient Rome|Romans]].

===Derivation of "Great"===
After the [[Old English]] period, ''Britain'' was used as a historical term only.
[[Geoffrey of Monmouth]] in his [[Pseudohistory|pseudohistorical]] ''[[Historia Regum Britanniae]]'' (''c.''&nbsp;1136) refers to the island of Great Britain as ''Britannia major'' ("Greater Britain"), to distinguish it from ''Britannia minor'' ("Lesser Britain"), the continental region which approximates to modern [[Brittany]]. The term "Great Britain" was first used officially in 1474, in the instrument drawing up the proposal for a marriage between [[Cecily Neville|Cecily]] the daughter of [[Edward IV of England]], and [[James IV of Scotland|James]] the son of [[James III of Scotland]], which described it as "this Nobill Isle, callit Gret Britanee." It was used again in 1604, when [[James I of England|King James VI and I]], in a deliberate attempt to impose a term which would unite his double inheritance of the kingdoms of Scotland and England, proclaimed his assumption of the throne in the style "King of Great Britain, France, and Ireland&nbsp;..."<ref name=hay>[http://ads.ahds.ac.uk/catalogue/adsdata/PSAS_2002/pdf/vol_089/89_055_066.pdf Denys Hay, ''The use of the term "Great Britain" in the Middle Ages'', Proceedings of the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland, 1955-56, pp.55-66]</ref>

===Use of the term ''Great Britain''===
"Great Britain" refers to the majority of the "[[United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland]]" (UK). It refers to the largest island only, or to England, Scotland and Wales as a unit (though these three countries also include many smaller islands). It does not include Northern Ireland.<ref> Britain 2001:The Official Handbook of the United Kingdom, 2001, ONS/Her Majesty's Stationary Office, London, ISBN 011 621278 0 </ref>

In 1975 the government affirmed that the term [[Britain (disambiguation)|Britain]], not Great Britain, could be used as a shortened form of the United Kingdom.<ref> Britain 2001: The Official Handbook of the United Kingdom, 2001, ONS/Her Majesty's Stationary Office, London, ISBN 011 621278 0 </ref> [[British (disambiguation)|British]] refers, however, to all citizens of the United Kingdom—including Welsh, Scottish, English, and Northern Irish.<ref> Britain 2001: The Official Yearbook of the United Kingdom, 2001, Office of National Statistics/Her Majesty's Stationary Office ISN 011 621278 0 </ref>

The abbreviations '''GB''' and '''GBR''' are used in some international codes as a synonym for the United Kingdom. Examples include: [http://www.upu.int/post_code/en/list_of_sites_by_country.html#U Universal Postal Union], international sports teams, [[NATO]], the [[International Organization for Standardization]] country codes [[ISO 3166-2:GB|ISO 3166-2]] and [[ISO 3166-1 alpha-3]], and [[List of international license plate codes|international licence plate codes]], among others.

On the Internet, '''[[.uk]]''' is used as a [[country code top-level domain]] for the United Kingdom. A '''[[.gb]]''' top-level domain was also used to a limited extent in the past, but this is now effectively obsolete because the domain name registrar will not take new registrations.

==Biodiversity==
===Fauna===
{{main|Fauna of Great Britain}}
[[Image:Robin, Leighton Moss January 2009.jpg|165px|right|thumb|The [[European Robin|Robin]] is popularly known as "Britain's favourite bird".<ref>{{cite web |title=The Robin - Britain's Favourite Bird|url=http://www.britishbirdlovers.co.uk/articles/the-robin-britains-favourite-bird.html|publisher=BritishBirdLovers.co.uk}} Retrieved on 1&nbsp;February 2009.</ref>]]
Animal [[Biodiversity|diversity]] is modest, as a result of factors including the island's small land area, the relatively recent age of the habitats developed since the last [[Ice Age]] and the island's physical separation from [[continental Europe]], and the effects of seasonal variability.<ref>{{cite web |title=Decaying Wood: An Overview of Its Status and Ecology in the United Kingdom and Europe|url=http://www.fs.fed.us/psw/publications/documents/gtr-181/004_Butler.pdf|publisher=FS.fed.us}} Retrieved on 1&nbsp;February 2009.</ref> Great Britain has also gone through [[industrialisation]] and increasing [[urbanisation]], which have contributed towards the overall loss of species.<ref name="animals">{{cite web |title=A Short History of the British Mammal Fauna |url=http://www.abdn.ac.uk/mammal/history.shtml|publisher=ABDN.ac.uk}} Retrieved on 1&nbsp;February 2009.</ref> A [[DEFRA]] study from 2006 suggested that 100 species have become extinct in the UK during the 20th century, about 100 times the [[background extinction rate]].<ref>[[DEFRA]], 2006</ref> However, some species, such as the [[brown rat]], [[red fox]], and introduced [[grey squirrel]], are well adapted to urban areas.

[[Rodents]] make up 40% of the total number of [[List of mammals of Great Britain|mammal species in Great Britain]]. These include [[squirrel]]s, [[mice]], [[vole]]s, [[brown rat|rats]] and the recently reintroduced [[European beaver]].<ref name="animals" /> There is also an abundance of [[European Rabbit|rabbits]], [[European Hare|hares]], [[West European Hedgehog|hedgehogs]], [[Common Shrew|shrews]], [[European Mole|moles]] and several species of [[bat]].<ref name="animals" /> Carnivorous mammals include the [[red fox|fox]], [[Eurasian Badger|badger]], [[otter]], [[weasel]], [[stoat]] and elusive [[European Wildcat|wildcat]].<ref name="else">Else, ''Great Britain'', 85.</ref> Various species of [[pinniped|seal]], [[whale]] and [[dolphin]] are found on or around British shores and coastlines. The largest land-based wild animals today are [[deer]]. The [[red deer]] is the largest species, with [[roe deer]] and [[fallow deer]] also prominent; the latter was introduced by the [[Normans]].<ref name="else" /><ref>[http://www.nottingham.ac.uk/archaeology/research/plants_fallow.php The Fallow Deer Project, University of Nottingham]</ref> Habitat loss has affected many species. [[List of extinct animals of Britain|Extinct large mammals]] include the [[brown bear]], [[grey wolf]] and [[wild boar]]; the latter has had a limited reintroduction in recent times.<ref name="animals" />

There is a wealth of [[List of birds of Great Britain|birdlife in Britain]], 583 species in total,<ref>{{cite web |title=British Ornithologists' Union Records Committee|url=http://www3.interscience.wiley.com/cgi-bin/fulltext/121577421/HTMLSTART?CRETRY=1&SRETRY=0|publisher=Interscience.wiley.com}} Retrieved on 16&nbsp;February 2009.</ref> of which 258 breed on the island or remain during winter.<ref>{{cite web |title=Birds of Britain|url=http://www.bto.org/birdfacts/|publisher=BTO.org}} Retrieved on 16&nbsp;February 2009.</ref> Because of its mild winters for its latitude, Great Britain hosts important numbers of many wintering species, particularly [[duck]]s, [[goose|geese]] and [[swan]]s.<ref>{{cite web |title=Duck, Geese and Swan Family|url=http://www.naturegrid.org.uk/biodiversity/birds/ducks.htm|publisher=NatureGrid.org.uk}} Retrieved on 16&nbsp;February 2009.</ref> Other well known bird species include the [[golden eagle]], [[grey heron]], [[Common Kingfisher|kingfisher]], [[Rock Pigeon|pigeon]], [[House Sparrow|sparrow]], [[Common Pheasant|pheasant]], [[Grey Partridge|partridge]], and various species of [[crow]], [[finch]], [[gull]], [[auk]], [[grouse]], [[owl]] and [[falcon]].<ref name="birds">{{cite web |title=
Birds|url=http://www.naturegrid.org.uk/biodiversity/birdindex.html|publisher=NatureGrid.org.uk}} Retrieved on 16&nbsp;February 2009.</ref> There are six species of [[List of reptiles of Great Britain|reptile]] on the island; three [[snakes]] and three [[lizards]] including the legless [[slow worm]]. One snake, the [[adder]], is venomous but rarely deadly.<ref>{{cite web |title=The Adder's Byte|url=http://www.countrysideinfo.co.uk/the1.htm|publisher=CountySideInfo.co.uk}} Retrieved on 1&nbsp;February 2009.</ref> [[List of amphibians of Great Britain|Amphibians]] present are [[common frog|frogs]], [[common toad|toads]] and [[Smooth newt|newts]].<ref name="animals" />

===Flora===
{{main|List of the vascular plants of Britain and Ireland|l1=Flora of Great Britain}}
[[Image:Heather (Highlands).jpg|155px|right|thumb|[[Calluna vulgaris|Heather]] growing wild in the [[Scottish Highlands|Highlands]] at [[Dornoch]].]]
In a similar sense to fauna, and for similar reasons, the flora of Great Britain is impoverished compared to that of continental Europe.<ref name="floraa">{{cite web |title=Plants of the Pacific Northwest in Western Europe|url=http://www.ou.edu/cas/botany-micro/ben/ben195.html|publisher=Botanical Electric News}} Retrieved on 23&nbsp;February 2009.</ref> Great Britain's flora comprises 3354 [[vascular plant]] species in total, of which 2297 are native and 1057 have been introduced into the island.<ref name="frodin">Frodin, ''Guide to Standard Floras of the World'', 599.</ref> The island has a wide variety of [[trees of Britain and Ireland|trees]], including native species of [[birch]], [[beech]], [[ash]], [[Crataegus|hawthorn]], [[elm]], [[oak]], [[Common Yew|yew]], [[pine]], [[cherry tree|cherry]] and [[apple tree|apple]].<ref name="tree">{{cite web |title=Checklist of British Plants|url=http://www.nhm.ac.uk/nature-online/life/plants-fungi/postcode-plants/checklist-british-plants.html|publisher=Natural History Museum}} Retrieved on 2&nbsp;March 2009.</ref> Other trees have been naturalised, introduced especially from other parts of Europe (particularly [[Norway]]) and [[North America]]. Introduced trees include several varieties of pine, [[Sweet Chestnut|chestnut]], [[Acer platanoides|maple]], [[Norway Spruce|spruce]], [[Acer pseudoplatanus|sycamore]] and [[fir]], as well as [[cherry plum]] and [[European Pear|pear trees]].<ref name="tree" /> The tallest species are the [[Douglas fir]]s; two specimens have been recorded measuring 65 meters or 212 feet.<ref>{{cite web |title=Facts About Britain's Trees|url=http://www.wildaboutbritain.co.uk/facts_about_britains_trees|publisher=WildAboutBritain.co.uk}} Retrieved on 2&nbsp;March 2009.</ref> The [[Fortingall Yew]] in [[Perthshire]] is the oldest tree in Europe.<ref>{{cite web |title=The Fortingall Yew|url=http://www.perthshirebigtreecountry.co.uk/index.asp?pg=26|publisher=PerthshireBigTreeCountry.co.uk}} Retrieved on 23&nbsp;February 2009.</ref>

There are at least 1500 different species of [[wildflower]] in Britain,<ref name="flowepow">{{cite web |title=Facts and Figures about Wildflowers|url=http://www.wildaboutbritain.co.uk/facts_and_figures_about_wildflowers|publisher=WildAboutFlowers.co.uk}} Retrieved on 23&nbsp;February 2009.</ref> Some 107 species are particularly rare or vulnerable and are protected by the [[Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981]]. It is illegal to uproot any wildflowers without the landowner's permission.<ref name="flowepow" /><ref>{{cite web |title=Endangered British Wild Flowers|url=http://www.countrylovers.co.uk/hort/edgrflwr.htm|publisher=CountryLovers.co.uk}} Retrieved on 23&nbsp;February 2009.</ref>
A vote in 2002 nominated various wildflowers to represent specific counties.<ref>{{cite web |title=County Flowers of Great Britain|url=http://www.wildaboutbritain.co.uk/county_flowers_great_britain|publisher=WildAboutFlowers.co.uk}} Retrieved on 23&nbsp;February 2009.</ref> These include [[Common Poppy|red poppies]], [[Common Bluebell|bluebells]], [[Bellis perennis|daisies]], [[Narcissus (genus)|daffodils]], [[Bog Rosemary|rosemary]], [[gorse]], [[Iris (plant)|iris]], [[ivy]], [[mint]], [[orchid]]s, [[brambles]], [[thistle]]s, [[buttercup]]s, [[Primula vulgaris|primrose]], [[thyme]], [[tulips]], [[violets]], [[Primula veris|cowslip]], [[Calluna vulgaris|heather]] and many more.<ref name="flora">{{cite web |title=People and Plants: Mapping the UK's wild flora|url=http://www.plantlife.org.uk/uk/assets/saving-species/saving-species-publications/People-and-plants-mapping-the-UKs-flora.pdf|publisher=PlantLife.org.uk}} Retrieved on 23&nbsp;February 2009.</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=British Wildflower Images|url=http://www.map-reading.co.uk/wildflowers/|publisher=Map-Reading.co.uk}} Retrieved on 23&nbsp;February 2009.</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=List of British Wildlfowers by Common Name|url=http://www.wildaboutbritain.co.uk/wildflower/common-names|publisher=WildAboutBritain.co.uk}} Retrieved on 23&nbsp;February 2009.</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=British Plants and algae|url=http://www.arkive.org/british-species/plants-and-algae/|publisher=Arkive.org}} Retrieved on 23&nbsp;February 2009.</ref> There are also many species of [[algae]], [[lichens]], [[fungi]] and [[mosses]] across the island.<ref>{{cite web |title=Lichen|url=http://www.yorkshiredales.org.uk/index/learning_about/nature_in_the_dales/species/fungi_and_lichen/lichen.htm|publisher=YorkshireDales.org.uk}} Retrieved on 23&nbsp;February 2009.</ref>

==Settlements==
{{see also|List of largest United Kingdom settlements by population}}
===Capital cities===
*[[United Kingdom]]: [[London]]

Capitals of [[countries of the United Kingdom]] in Great Britain:
*[[England]]: [[London]]
*[[Scotland]]: [[Edinburgh]]
*[[Wales]]: [[Cardiff]]

===Other major cities===
Cities with a population of over 300,000 in Great Britain (not including the capital cities listed above):

[[Birmingham]], [[Glasgow]], [[Liverpool]], [[Leeds]], [[Sheffield]], [[Bristol]], [[Nottingham]], [[Manchester]], [[Leicester]] and [[Coventry]].

==See also==
*[[List of islands of England]]
*[[List of islands of Scotland]]
*[[List of islands of Wales]]

==References==
===Footnotes===
{{Reflist|colwidth=30em}}

===Bibliography===
{{beginref|2}}
*{{cite book |title=[[Natural History (Pliny)|Natural History]] |last= [[Pliny the Elder]] (translated by Rackham, Harris)|first=|year=1938 |publisher=Harvard University Press}}
*{{cite book |title=The Celtic Languages |last=Ball, Martin John |first=|year=1994|publisher=Routledge|isbn=0415010357}}
*{{cite book |title=Butler's Lives of the Saints |last= Butler, Alban|first=|year=1997 |publisher=Continuum International Publishing Group|isbn=0860122557}}
*{{cite book |title=Guide to Standard Floras of the World |last= Frodin, DG|first=|year=2001 |publisher=Cambridge University Press|isbn=0521790778}}
*{{cite book |title= British Food: An Extraordinary Thousand Years of History |last= Spencer, Colin|first=|year=2003|publisher=Columbia University Press|isbn=0231131100}}
*{{cite book |title=The Rough Guide to Britain|last= Andrews, Robert|first=|year=2004 |publisher=Rough Guides Ltd|isbn=1843533014}}
*{{cite book |title=The Shakespeare Enigma|last= Dawkins, Peter|first=|year=2004 |publisher=Polair Publishing|isbn=0954538943}}
*{{cite book |title=History in Quotations|last=Major, John |first=|year=2004|publisher=Cassell|isbn=0304353876}}
*{{cite book |title= Great Britain |last=Else, David |first=|year=2005|publisher=Lonely Planet|isbn=1740599217}}
*{{cite book |title=Britain and the Americas: Culture, Politics, and History |last=Kaufman, Will & Macpherson Slettedahl, Heidi| first=| year=2005 |publisher=ABC-CLIO| isbn=1851094318}}
*{{cite book |title=Origins of the British|last=[[Stephen Oppenheimer|Oppenheimer, Stephen]]| first=| year=2006 |publisher=Carroll & Graf| isbn=0786718900}}
*{{cite book |title= Placenames of the World|last=Room, Adrian|first=|year=2006|publisher=McFarland|isbn=0786422483}}
*{{cite book |title= A Book of the Beginnings, Vol.1|last=Massey, Gerald |first=|year=2007|publisher=Cosimo|isbn=1602068291}}
*{{cite book |title=Names and Their Histories: A Handbook of Historical Geography and Topographical Nomenclature |last=Taylor, Issac |first=|year=2008|publisher=BiblioBazaar|isbn=0559296673}}
{{refend}}

==External links==
{{commons}}
* [http://learningobjects.wesleyan.edu/makingofbritain/ Interactive map of Great Britain]
* [http://www.bbc.co.uk/coast Coast] – the BBC explores the coast of Great Britain
* [http://www.ordnancesurvey.co.uk/freegb/index.htm#maps Administrative map of Great Britain] – from the [[Ordnance Survey]]; various formats
* [http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/state/nations/ BBC Nations]{{dead link|date=July 2009}}
* [http://www.macs.hw.ac.uk/britishisles/ The British Isles]
* [https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/uk.html CIA Factbook United Kingdom]

{{British Isles}}
{{United Kingdom topics}}

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[[Category:Great Britain| ]]
[[Category:Islands]]
[[Category:Northern Europe]]
[[Category:Western Europe]]

[[af:Groot-Brittanje]]
[[ang:Bryten]]
[[ar:بريطانيا العظمى]]
[[ast:Gran Bretaña]]
[[be:Востраў Вялікабрытанія]]
[[bs:Velika Britanija]]
[[br:Breizh-Veur]]
[[bg:Великобритания (остров)]]
[[ca:Gran Bretanya]]
[[cs:Velká Británie (ostrov)]]
[[cy:Prydain Fawr]]
[[da:Storbritannien (ø)]]
[[de:Großbritannien (Insel)]]
[[et:Suurbritannia saar]]
[[es:Gran Bretaña]]
[[eo:Britio (insulo)]]
[[eu:Britainia Handia]]
[[fa:بریتانیای کبیر]]
[[fr:Grande-Bretagne]]
[[ga:An Bhreatain]]
[[gd:Breatainn Mhòr]]
[[gl:Gran Bretaña - Great Britain]]
[[ko:그레이트브리튼 섬]]
[[hr:Velika Britanija (otok)]]
[[id:Pulau Britania Raya]]
[[ia:Grande Britannia]]
[[is:Stóra-Bretland]]
[[it:Gran Bretagna]]
[[he:בריטניה הגדולה]]
[[ka:დიდი ბრიტანეთი (კუნძული)]]
[[kw:Breten Veur]]
[[ku:Brîtanya (girav)]]
[[la:Britannia Maior]]
[[lv:Lielbritānija (sala)]]
[[lt:Didžioji Britanija]]
[[li:Groeët-Brittannië]]
[[lmo:Gran Bretagna]]
[[hu:Brit-sziget]]
[[ml:ഗ്രേറ്റ് ബ്രിട്ടണ്‍]]
[[mr:ग्रेट ब्रिटन]]
[[nl:Groot-Brittannië]]
[[nds-nl:Groot-Brittannie]]
[[ja:グレートブリテン島]]
[[no:Storbritannia (øy)]]
[[nn:Øya Storbritannia]]
[[nrm:Grande Brétangne]]
[[oc:Grand Bretanha]]
[[tpi:Bikpela Briten]]
[[nds:Grootbritannien]]
[[pl:Wielka Brytania (wyspa)]]
[[pt:Grã-Bretanha]]
[[kaa:Ullı Britaniya]]
[[ro:Marea Britanie]]
[[rmy:Bari Britaniya]]
[[rm:Gronda Britannia]]
[[qu:Hatun Britanya]]
[[ru:Великобритания (остров)]]
[[sco:Great Breetain]]
[[sq:Britania e madhe (ishull)]]
[[scn:Gran Britagna]]
[[simple:Great Britain]]
[[sk:Veľká Británia (ostrov)]]
[[sl:Velika Britanija]]
[[szl:Wjelgo Brytańijo (wyspa)]]
[[ckb:بریتانیای مەزن]]
[[sr:Велика Британија]]
[[fi:Iso-Britannia (saari)]]
[[sv:Storbritannien (ö)]]
[[tl:Gran Britanya]]
[[tt:Бөек Британия (утрау)]]
[[th:บริเตนใหญ่]]
[[tg:Британияи Кабир]]
[[tr:Büyük Britanya Adası]]
[[tk:Beýik Britaniýa]]
[[uk:Великобританія (острів)]]
[[vi:Đảo Anh]]
[[vls:Grôot-Brittannië]]
[[yi:גרויסבריטאניע]]
[[bat-smg:Dėdliuojė Brėtanėjė]]
[[zh:大不列顛島]]

Revision as of 23:37, 1 December 2009

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