What is Great Britain?
{{about|the island|the sovereign state|United Kingdom}} {{multiple image |align=right |direction=vertical |image1=Satellite image of Great Britain and Northern Ireland in April 2002.jpg |caption1=[[Satellite imagery|Satellite image]], 2002 |image2=Great Britain.svg |caption2=The island of Great Britain, shown in red }} '''Great Britain''' is an [[island]] in the [[Northwest|north-west]] [[Atlantic Ocean]], one of the [[British Isles]]. It is the biggest [[Europe|European]] island, off the [[coast]] of [[Continental Europe]]. To the [[west]] of Great Britain is [[Ireland]], across the [[Irish Sea]]. Across the [[English Channel]] to the [[south]] of Great Britain is [[France]]. Across the [[North Sea]] to the [[east]] is [[Belgium]], the [[Netherlands]], [[Germany]], [[Denmark]] and [[Norway]]. Together with many other smaller islands, Great Britain and Ireland have the name [[British Isles]]. The island is part of the [[United Kingdom]], a [[sovereign state]] which shares the name [[Britain (place name)|Britain]] with the island. Three of the United Kingdom's [[Countries of the United Kingdom|countries]] are mostly on Great Britain: [[England]], [[Scotland]], and [[Wales]]. The largest city on Great Britain is London. London is the [[capital city]] of the United Kingdom and also the capital of England. Most of Great Britain is part of England. The [[North|northern]] third of the island is part of Scotland. In the [[south-west]] of Great Britain is Wales. The United Kingdom had the name [[Kingdom of Great Britain|Great Britain]] between the [[Acts of Union 1707]] and the [[Act of Union 1800]]. Northern Ireland is not on the island of Great Britain, but it is part of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. (The island of Ireland contains nearly all of the [[Republic of Ireland]], which is a sovereign state, as well as nearly all of Northern Ireland.) Great Britain is not the official name of a present-day [[state]]. Some people call the United Kingdom ''Great Britain'' and people from other part