Compare and Contrast: the British Isles vs the United Kingdom

The British Isles is a region off the northwest coast of Europe, but not actually considered to be a part of the European continent. This region sits in the Atlantic Ocean and consists of one main island and one smaller island, with smaller islands surrounding it. The main and bigger island includes the counties of Scotland, Wales and England, while the smaller island includes Ireland and Northern Ireland. Considering there are many countries in the British Isles, it is actually very small. When looking at a map of the continent of Australia, it is about half the size of west Australia; for a better comparison, when you put the British Isles on top of a map of The United States, the British Isles could pretty much fit into California. Although the British Isles is not officially part of the continent of Europe, the history behind it is still intertwined with it. The United Kingdom has a vast number of types of terrain on their land. From very deep valleys to high rugged mountains, the north and the west end of the United Kingdom had terrain that was formed thousands and thousands of years ago. While towards the south of the United Kingdom, it is filled with a lot of hills and some flat land.

To begin telling the history of the United Kingdom, we must first start off with before the “United Kingdom” was actually the United Kingdom. The beginning of history began with the rule of Anglo-Saxton King Athelstan. All the way back to around the 10th century CE, when he connected the Celtic kingdoms and became “the first to rule what previously many kings shared between them”. He was conquering many areas of land that in time became English territory. First came Wales; in 1284 the Statute of Rhuddlan gave Wales their own government which lasted from 1284 to around 1536. This defined them and gave them their own government but under the monarch of England. Years and years of fighting between countries and also their own, Wales finally got their own government to rule and finally became part of the British Empire and now the British Isles. When it comes to the history of Scotland, it is a very complicated and long upbringing, but in 1707, Scotland became officially part of the United Kingdom. The last and final country on the bigger island in the British Isles is England. England is most known for their kings and queens ruling over the land, their majestic castles and their English accent. England is one of the oldest countries, established all the way in 924 A.D. The smaller island in the British Isles is Ireland and Northern Ireland. The beginning of early modern history of Ireland starts with the entrance of the Normans, they rule over Ireland from around the 12th century up until around the 15th century, but Ireland never actually became associated with Great Britain up until with 1800 and 1900s. then around the 1920s, Ireland became a new Irish free state, while still having major influence by the Roman Catholic Church. Finally, the history behind Northern Ireland is as complicated as it gets. Back in the early 1900s, after war, the citizens of what is now Northern Ireland, wanted to be separate and have their own government, so passed in 1920, the Government of Ireland Act, gave Northern Ireland their own sperate government, and the independence they need. Although there is more complexity behind the history of the British Isles, this is a brief overview of the introductory beginnings of these many countries.

The many regions of the United Kingdom all have different types of land and terrain. From rugged mountains and round and deep valleys. The mountains are mostly in Scotland and Wales while the valleys and hills in southern England and in Ireland as well. The highest point in the United Kingdom is Ben Vevis, being 4406 feet, which compared to other parts of the world, that is a very small mountain. Agriculture is a very important part of the United Kingdom, with more than 65% of the land being used for it. The top agricultural products that come out of the United Kingdom are cattle, wheat and chicken meat. In the northern part of the region, which is Scotland, they catch and produce many types of fish, the main one being the Atlantic Salmon, which is one of the best in my opinion. Also, one of the most important agricultural needs from the United Kingdom is their livestock. The dominant livestock being their cattle in England and sheep in Wales, Ireland and Scotland.

The history of these many countries and the region of the British Isles lies very deep in the roots of their everyday practices. They still celebrate and sometimes use and do the same things the people way back in their history would do as well. The primary religion in the British Isles is Christianity and under the well-known Church of England. The Church of England was founded in 1534 and the main church being in London. At one point in history, the Church of England joined with the Church of Ireland, but many years later separated into two again. With Ireland in mind, there are many holidays celebrated in this country, the post popular in my opinion, and most well-known would be St. Patrick’s Day. St. Patrick’s Day is on the same day every year, March 17th, and it is celebrated in memory of the late St. Patrick. The citizens in Ireland would start by going to church in the morning followed by an evening celebration, this holiday falls in the lent season of Christianity. These people would eat meat, like bacon, they would eat Irish cabbage and drink, a lot, of alcohol. When it comes to the United Kingdom, there are no specific famous holidays that are celebrated only in this region, their most famous and most enjoyed holiday would be Christmas.

The United Kingdom and Ireland, just like the United States, are well known for their many forms and delicious types of cuisine. Depending on social status, many people will eat different things throughout their days. When Ireland comes into conversation, the first thing to come to mind would have to be Irish pubs. These are bars where you go and drink beer and liquor. In the United States there are even pubs that are Irish themed, that’s how you know they are popular. The most popular beer would have to be Guinness, it is popular throughout Ireland and is also a widely ordered drink here in the US too. When it comes to food in Ireland, the most used and popular recipe is Irish soda bread. Every family in this country has their own recipe for their soda bread, they all add a little twist on it; but the reasoning behind why it is so popular is because it is bread that does not require yeast. This recipe calls for baking soda and buttermilk instead. In the other part of the British Isles, the United Kingdom, there are many food items that are very popular. The first being fish and chips. These are bettered and fried fish, cod to be specific, with fried chips, here in the US we call them French fries. This dish is very popular in northern Europe. Another popular dish is their roast dinner. This meal is mainly served on Sundays and consists of the main roasted meat, served with potatoes and an array of sides ranging from stuffing and gravy to Yorkshire pudding. Yorkshire pudding is a baked English dish, it can be used as a side or even a main dish. It is similar to the American popover. The last one I would like to mention is the popular and formal tea. This tea is many used by upper class families, they have a “tea” in which is served with little snacks like scones, mini cakes and sandwiches.

I would have to say that the British Isles and the United States have a lot of similarities, yet they have many differences. Something I think that we both have in common is the shared value of the country’s history. There are many cities in the US that keep and restore historic buildings, and they still appreciate and celebrate the history behind these places till this day. The same thing goes for the British Isles, many of the old castles from the royal times are still used today. We both also share a love for food and cuisine. Fish and chips is obviously a very popular dish in the UK but it is still featured on many menus overseas as well. This is the one dish I would probably be most exited to try if I was ever to visit the Isles. I love any type of fish, but sometimes it is hard to find authentic fish in chips here in the states. Finally, the first place I would like to visit would be an Irish pub. Something about an Irish pub really intrigues me and it is something I want to see and experience first-hand. Lastly something I would like to see in England is a football (soccer) game. This is a very big sport in other countries, so it is hard to catch a good soccer game here in Florida especially. I would love to see Manchester United play in their stadium while drinking a beer and having an amazing fish and chips meal!