United Kingdom?

Here in the United Kingdom of Britain and Northern Ireland (as it’s officially known), labels can be confusing. Currently I’m in the country of Wales, a constituent member of the UK on the island of Great Britain. So I’m in Wales, Britain, and the UK. All at once. If I lived here, I would be British, but I could also be Welsh. However, simply living in Wales does not make me Welsh, but living in Britain most likely would make me British. Now if that confuses you don’t worry, you’re not alone. Here’s my attempt to clarify the whole thing.

The island of Great Britain is comprised of three separate nations: England, Scotland, and Wales. England and Scotland (we’ll leave Wales alone for now) had their own monarchies for much of their history. After Elizabeth I died without an heir, the English invited James VI of Scotland (a member of the English royal lineage) to become their king. Thus James VI became James I of England. One monarch for both Kingdoms.

Meanwhile, in the 16th century, after having a common monarch since the 13th century, England and Wales became one legal entity. Then in 1707 the Act of Union officially united Scotland and England (including Wales) forming the United Kingdom of Great Britain. In 1922, after enduring many long years of British rule, Ireland gained independence and voted to separate from Britain forming the Republic of Ireland except for 6 of the 9 counties in the northern province of Ulster. These counties, known as Northern Ireland, voted to stay with Britain and were officially added to the United Kingdom title five years later.

To further confuse everyone, the ethnic history of each country varies. Ireland, Scotland, and Wales all trace their roots back to the Celts. The Celts occupied Britain before the Romans arrived in AD 43 and were pushed into the nether reaches of the island by the Caesar-loving conquerers. Today, six regions carry on the Celtic identity and deem themselves the six Celtic Nations: Scotland, Ireland, Wales, Cornwall (part of England), Brittany (in NW France), and the Isle of Man. Four of the “nations” have continued speaking Celtic languages: Scotland, Ireland, Wales, and Brittany. Here in Wales, there are many people who speak Welsh exclusively unless they need to speak English. Signage in Wales must be bilingual by law, so everything is posted in Welsh first and English Second. Signs in the Republic of Ireland (not northern) and the highlands of Scotland are bilingual as well, with both Gaelic (Scots or Irish) and English.

England, on the other hand, is not Celtic except for Cornwall, and many of the Cornish think themselves separate from England anyway. English roots go back to the Romans and later the Angles and the Saxons. Angle-land is where we get the name England. That’s why you could have someone living in Wales who is not Welsh, because it’s primarily an ethnic label. So not only is there political division, but cultural and ethnic division. And I’m not even getting into religion.

Now all of this joining-up over the years has made the question of national identity and pride an interesting one. For Scotland, Wales, and Ireland (both Northern and the Republic), independence from England is a dominant trait in their national psyches. For the most part, the Scottish and Welsh are very proud to be Scottish and Welsh and specifically, not English. They think of themselves as Scottish or Welsh first and British second (if at all). The Scots tend to see the English as posh, arrogant, and ethnocentric--Britain is England and England is Britain, there isn’t anything else. Here in Wales, our guide at the National Library made more than one joking reference to English oppression. He also stressed the importance of keeping the Welsh language alive, noting that he spoke no English at home. Language preservation is also a concern in the Republic of Ireland and Scotland, but only time will tell how successful they are.

In Northern Ireland, you find people who label themselves as British, Irish, British and Irish, or in the example of my friend Luke’s Northern Irish roommate, “I don’t really know/care.” Given the complicated and difficult history of Northern Ireland, it’s easy to understand his confused and apathetic response. When I asked someone born and raised in England, she told me many English would answer “British” when asked what their national identity was. But she also suggested that many consider British and English to be synonymous, so in saying British they very well could mean English. She also mentioned that many people in Britain may have a dimmer view of the relationship between each of the members in the UK than I do.

So if there are people in the UK that are just as unclear about the political, ethnic, linguistic, and nomenclatural distinctions of their home, then what hope do I have of ever figuring it out? Even in the sports world there is confusion and controversy. Speaking with a professor at the University of Aberystwyth about Welsh sports he explained that Wales has it’s own football (soccer) team, but not it’s own Cricket team. Any Welshman playing cricket on the national level plays with England. Each of the four members of the UK has their own football team, but there is no UK/Britain team. However, during the Olympics, there is a unified Great Britain Olympic team (including Northern Ireland) and intra-Britain distinctions are ignored, or at least the attempt to ignore them is made. But in order to maintain each nation’s individualism in football, Team GB does not field a football team for the Olympics. With the 2012 London games approaching, the mere mention of a unified British team competing sent ripples throughout the country with mostly negative, even vicious, reactions.

In recent years, each of the non-English constituents have gained an increasingly autonomous status. A Scottish Parliament began meeting in 1999, the first Parliament in Scotland since the Act of Union in 1707. That same year saw Wales gain a National Assembly, giving both countries greater political independence from London. There is also a Northern Ireland Assembly and despite several suspensions handed down from London, it is meeting once again.

In many ways, looking at the idea of national identity and pride here in the United (or not so united) Kingdom has made me look at my own. I find myself being very proud of my country the more time I spend over here. And yes, I’m aware of the many failings of our country both at home and abroad, but being in another culture has made me aware of the many successes our country has had. I am proud to be an American, but it’s not number one on my list of defining traits. It’s merely a part of who I am. And once you dig past the politics, sports, languages, histories, etc. I’m sure it’s the same for most of the people here.