Western Europe: Exploring the
Region Today pg.306
Section 1: Great Britain and Ireland
Geography
7th Grade
Great Britain and Ireland
• Great Britain is the official
name given to England ,
Scotland, and Wales. It is an
island lying off the western
coast of Europe.
• Great Britain is made up of:
• England
– The capital is London
• Scotland
– The capital is Edinburgh
• Wales
– The capital is Cardiff
Is Great Britain the same as the United
Kingdom?
• No,
Great Britain and the
United Kingdom refer to
different areas.
• The United Kingdom includes
Great Britain and Northern
Ireland.
Great Britain
United Kingdom
A Democratic History
• The roots of British democracy go
back many hundreds of years. In
1215, a group of nobles forced one
English monarch, King John, to sign a
document called the Magna Carta,
or “Great Charter.”
• The Magna Carta strengthened the
power of the nobles and limited the
power of the king.
• In time, the group of nobles became known as the parliament. The
parliament later gained more power.
– It helped to decide the kinds of taxes paid by citizens and
elected people from areas of the country to serve as
representatives.
A representative represents, or stands for, a group of people.
• LIMITED POWER
– Britain’s monarchs today do not have the power to make laws. They may
participate in national ceremonies and may represent Britain on trips to other
countries, their power is limited.
– Great Britain is now a constituional monarchy.
In a constitutional monarchy the power of kings and
queens is limited. British laws are made by parliament,
not by King of Queen.
Ireland: One Island, Two Nations
In 1541, England’s King Henry VIII declared himself
King of Ireland and head of the Church. The
colonization of Ireland by the English began.
Over the centuries, Ireland’s heritage and ties to the
Roman Catholic Church have been the cause of
bitter disputes.
Catholics were often persecuted, or mistreated,
because of their beliefs.
A treaty signed i 1922 said that Northern Ireland,
where the Protestants held power, would remain
part of Great Britain. It granted independence to
most of the rest of Ireland, which became the Irish
Republic in 1949.