Complications of British Geographic Terminology From Brilliant Maps
1.Scandinavia VS Nordic Countries
Scandinavia includes Norway, Denmark, and Sweden within its most limited definition, not including any ‘colonies’ such as Svalbard. However, some consider Scandinavia to include Norway, Denmark, Sweden, Finland, and Iceland as well as their constituent territories. Scandinavia as a term should be used within a historical context, and most of the time when we are referring to Scandinavia, we are in fact referencing the group of countries that are Nordic: Norway, Denmark, Sweden, Finland, and Iceland including all territories.
For more: https://onepagestories.home.blog/2019/06/07/where-exactly-is-scandinavia/
2.Holland VS the Netherlands
Many people, even those from the Netherlands, will call the entirety of the country Holland, though any Dutch person who calls it that most likely lived within the actual Holland. Holland is a geographic term with roots in Dutch history and roughly corresponds to the combination of the two modern-day provinces of North Holland and South Holland. Although, some people will use it as a term for exactly that region. The region, while not representative of the country as a whole, includes most of the principal cities of the country; Amsterdam, Rotterdam, and The Hague. In history, the region was unified as a separate Dutch state, but today is a series of two provinces.
3.England VS Great Britain VS Britain VS The United Kingdom
This is a complicated one. England is one of the four constituent countries of Britain, along with Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland (although Northern Ireland functions like a province). Many people will use England as a term to describe all of the British Isles or just Great Britain. However, England is also used as a term for England and Wales sometimes. This is incorrect as England is a part of Britain, not combined with Wales, and the division of the constituent countries is mostly ceremonial. The British Isles includes England, Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland, and Ireland. Great Britain is the mainland island of the country that includes most of England, Wales, and Scotland, except for other islands. Britain is an informal term often used to describe the European segment of the United Kingdom, although it is just as often equal to the full name of the United Kingdom. Basically, just don’t use England to refer to what is actually the whole of the UK. And there are the Channel Islands, which are too complex to explain.
4.Misnomered Capitals
There are lots of countries where people will say one city is the capital because it is more well-known or more populated. These include New Zealand, whose capital is Wellington, not Auckland, Canada, whose capital is Ottawa, not Toronto, Australia, whose capital is Canberra, not Sydney or Brisbane, Turkey, whose capital is Ankara, not Istanbul, Switzerland, whose capital is either Bern or Zurich, not Geneva, Tanzania, whose capital is Dodoma (for the most part), not Dar es Salaam, Morocco, whose capital is Rabat, not Marrakesh or Casablanca, Brazil, whose capital is Brasilia, not Rio de Janeiro, South Africa, which has three capitals, none of which are Johannesburg, India, whose capital is New Delhi, not Mumbai, the UAE, whose capital is Abu Dhabi, not Dubai, and Myanmar, whose capital is Naypyidaw, not Yangon. Sometimes disputed capital cities complicate this as well.
One Page Stories 