I noticed that in the press reports of the Olympic Games, the British Olympic team is called Team GB, not Team UK. Why is it that?
Why is British Olympic team is called Team GB, not Team UK?
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has determined that the letters GB are to be used to refer to Great Britain in respect of the Olympic Games.
This is very much in line with the official use of GB with regard to the European identification letters for this country....just as F is used for France singly, D for Germany, NL - the Netherlands, E for Spain (Espana), P (Portugal) PL (Poland) N (Norway) I (Italy) CH (Switzerland - referring to the old Helvetia) and SF (for Finland - Suomi Finland) and so on and so on for all the rest of the countries of Europe.
Just look at the little EU blue emblem with the circle of yellow stars alongside your car registration number and you will see GB right in the middle of the circle, not UK....assuming that your vehicle is registered in the UK of course. Offshore islands such as the Isle of Man, Jersey and Guernsey display GBM, GBJ and GBG respectively on the EU number plates, as competitors from these islands are eligible for inclusion in Team GB.
GB is the official IOC id reference to the country of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, even though the absolute correct title should be the United Kingdom (look at your British passport and it will be headed "European Union - United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland" - as the Irish Province of Ulster (NI) falls under the jurisdiction of the British Crown.
However, there are certain groups and organisations who do not fully acknowledge NI to be British. Just look at most British insurance documents (the small print, of course) and you will, in the majority of cases, see that Northern Ireland is precluded from cover, for the reson that British Insurance companies tend not to perceive NI as being British.
Athletes from Northern Ireland are given the choice of competing either for Great Britain or for the Republic of Ireland.
So it's officially Team GB and not Team UK.
So now it's all the way to London Twenty Twelve four years hence.
This is very much in line with the official use of GB with regard to the European identification letters for this country....just as F is used for France singly, D for Germany, NL - the Netherlands, E for Spain (Espana), P (Portugal) PL (Poland) N (Norway) I (Italy) CH (Switzerland - referring to the old Helvetia) and SF (for Finland - Suomi Finland) and so on and so on for all the rest of the countries of Europe.
Just look at the little EU blue emblem with the circle of yellow stars alongside your car registration number and you will see GB right in the middle of the circle, not UK....assuming that your vehicle is registered in the UK of course. Offshore islands such as the Isle of Man, Jersey and Guernsey display GBM, GBJ and GBG respectively on the EU number plates, as competitors from these islands are eligible for inclusion in Team GB.
GB is the official IOC id reference to the country of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, even though the absolute correct title should be the United Kingdom (look at your British passport and it will be headed "European Union - United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland" - as the Irish Province of Ulster (NI) falls under the jurisdiction of the British Crown.
However, there are certain groups and organisations who do not fully acknowledge NI to be British. Just look at most British insurance documents (the small print, of course) and you will, in the majority of cases, see that Northern Ireland is precluded from cover, for the reson that British Insurance companies tend not to perceive NI as being British.
Athletes from Northern Ireland are given the choice of competing either for Great Britain or for the Republic of Ireland.
So it's officially Team GB and not Team UK.
So now it's all the way to London Twenty Twelve four years hence.
And I think the borders of Great Britain might be a tad different from the borders of the United Kingdom, although I have to admit I find the whole thing pretty confusing -- just pick a name, dammit! ;)
<<Athletes from Northern Ireland are given the choice of competing either for Great Britain or for the Republic of Ireland.>>
That is tricky and subtle! But what nationality is an athlete from Northern Ireland? Isn't he or she a Britishman?
That is tricky and subtle! But what nationality is an athlete from Northern Ireland? Isn't he or she a Britishman?
Why are the initials transcribed according to the correct spelling only in the case of Spain (at least where the two do not coincide), and in English for the others?
España = ESP
why not SPA?
No other countries are like this. For example, Russia = RUS, but if they were going by the proper name it would be ROS. GER for Germany? Why not DEU?
España = ESP
why not SPA?
No other countries are like this. For example, Russia = RUS, but if they were going by the proper name it would be ROS. GER for Germany? Why not DEU?
GB Great Britain - but the UK is used far more often. Confusing? Of course it is - very little in GB/UK is straightforward! That's one of the reasons we are percieved (sorry, perceived) as Perfidious Albion by the rest of Europe! (Albion is an archaic name for Britain, more particularly England).
As I say, GB is the official name tag for what makes up this complicated group of islands (except the Republic of Ireland, of course, which is an entirely independent country - they even have the Euro there, for heaven's sake!)
It is E for Spain! - using the initial letter of the Spanish word for the country. If you see a car sporting an S on the EU symbol then it's from Sweden. Here in Scotland we see the NL symbol more often than any other from the rest of Europe. The Dutch really love us Scots - that's for sure! Plus the fact we have mountains and they don't! And they love our whisky too.....and hunky men in skirts............. ;-)
As I say, GB is the official name tag for what makes up this complicated group of islands (except the Republic of Ireland, of course, which is an entirely independent country - they even have the Euro there, for heaven's sake!)
It is E for Spain! - using the initial letter of the Spanish word for the country. If you see a car sporting an S on the EU symbol then it's from Sweden. Here in Scotland we see the NL symbol more often than any other from the rest of Europe. The Dutch really love us Scots - that's for sure! Plus the fact we have mountains and they don't! And they love our whisky too.....and hunky men in skirts............. ;-)
<<and hunky men in skirts............. ;-)>>
Are Dutchmen interested in them?
Are Dutchmen interested in them?
Most of the borders of the United Kingdom are very watery indeed.......oh the joys of being an island nation, a precious stone set in a silvery sea with but a moat*to serve as a defence against the threats of others bent on evil intent.......*La Manche or as the Germans like to call it Der Kanal......but even Der Kanal is now crossable (or pass underable) by an ordinary passenger train or by The Shuttle (or Le Shuttle as our French brethren prefer to call it) - a train loaded with cars and coaches to transport poste haste between Folkestone and Calais in c.22 minutes (the time it actually took us a couple of weeks ago from when the train windows went out of the English daylight and out again into the French daylight and in reverse order on the way back).
Funnily enough it was raining in Folkestone when we left and fine and sunny in Calais 22 minutes later, and coming back it was raining in Calais and fine and sunny in Folkestone 22 minutes later. Poetic justice.
The reason for strict border controls into the UK even from other EU States is simply due to us being an island, apparently, and it is of course much easier to control than if we had land borders with other countries. But we do, we do, we do have a landborder with another EU State...the one between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland, but it seems that very few people bother much about it anyway.......it is Ireland after all and Paddies are generally a law unto themselves! God bless 'em!
It's inevitable, totally and completely inevitable, that we in the UK or GB or whatever you like to call us, will go the whole way and adopt the Euro like everyone else. It just has to be, and that's that....blame Tina. There Is No Alternative.
Coffee break time - with a vanilla cream slice....naughty but nice.
Funnily enough it was raining in Folkestone when we left and fine and sunny in Calais 22 minutes later, and coming back it was raining in Calais and fine and sunny in Folkestone 22 minutes later. Poetic justice.
The reason for strict border controls into the UK even from other EU States is simply due to us being an island, apparently, and it is of course much easier to control than if we had land borders with other countries. But we do, we do, we do have a landborder with another EU State...the one between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland, but it seems that very few people bother much about it anyway.......it is Ireland after all and Paddies are generally a law unto themselves! God bless 'em!
It's inevitable, totally and completely inevitable, that we in the UK or GB or whatever you like to call us, will go the whole way and adopt the Euro like everyone else. It just has to be, and that's that....blame Tina. There Is No Alternative.
Coffee break time - with a vanilla cream slice....naughty but nice.
Tea break time - tea and a wee piece of shortbread.
Unlike the codes for the American States (eg NY VT CT CA etc) the codes for the EU States are either single letters or double (or treble in the case of Ireland for some reason) depending on possible duplication of certain letters.
AUSTRIA A
BELGIUM B
BULGARIA BG
CYPRUS CY
CZECH REPUBLIC CZ
DENMARK DK
ESTONIA EE
FINLAND SF
FRANCE F
GERMANY D
GREECE GR
HUNGARY H
IRELAND IRL
ITALY I
LATVIA LV
LITHUANIA LT
LUXEMBOURG L
MALTA MT
NETHERLANDS NL
POLAND PL
PORTUGAL P
ROMANIA RO
SLOVAKIA SK
SLOVENIA SL
SPAIN E
SWEDEN S
UNITED KINGDOM GB
Non-EU countries of course are Norway (N) and dear little Switzerland (CH), plus one or two others such as Albania, Belarus and Ukraine. The last named has "upset" Russia by declaring an intention of joining the EU....watch this space.
I have just got back to the office after covering the celebration parade through the streets of Edinburgh for the Scottish members of the Team GB Gold Medal winners at Beijing - all of them on the open top upper deck of a bus emblazoned with the Saltire (the Scottish flag) - huge crowds of people, many of them waving the blue and white Saltire flag, especially down the Royal Mile and around Holyrood. This evening I will be at the official reception for the guys being hosted by the Lord Provost* of Edinburgh....should be fun.
One of the Scottish Gold Medal winner guys - the gorgeous Chris Hoy - lives very close to where I do in West Edinburgh.
*Provost is the Scottish equivalent of Mayor in England and Wales.
Unlike the codes for the American States (eg NY VT CT CA etc) the codes for the EU States are either single letters or double (or treble in the case of Ireland for some reason) depending on possible duplication of certain letters.
AUSTRIA A
BELGIUM B
BULGARIA BG
CYPRUS CY
CZECH REPUBLIC CZ
DENMARK DK
ESTONIA EE
FINLAND SF
FRANCE F
GERMANY D
GREECE GR
HUNGARY H
IRELAND IRL
ITALY I
LATVIA LV
LITHUANIA LT
LUXEMBOURG L
MALTA MT
NETHERLANDS NL
POLAND PL
PORTUGAL P
ROMANIA RO
SLOVAKIA SK
SLOVENIA SL
SPAIN E
SWEDEN S
UNITED KINGDOM GB
Non-EU countries of course are Norway (N) and dear little Switzerland (CH), plus one or two others such as Albania, Belarus and Ukraine. The last named has "upset" Russia by declaring an intention of joining the EU....watch this space.
I have just got back to the office after covering the celebration parade through the streets of Edinburgh for the Scottish members of the Team GB Gold Medal winners at Beijing - all of them on the open top upper deck of a bus emblazoned with the Saltire (the Scottish flag) - huge crowds of people, many of them waving the blue and white Saltire flag, especially down the Royal Mile and around Holyrood. This evening I will be at the official reception for the guys being hosted by the Lord Provost* of Edinburgh....should be fun.
One of the Scottish Gold Medal winner guys - the gorgeous Chris Hoy - lives very close to where I do in West Edinburgh.
*Provost is the Scottish equivalent of Mayor in England and Wales.
Does exlcuding Northern Ireland in Team GB mean that Northern Ireland is not a part of Great Britain?
Then Northen Ireland should form a sporting team of its own to compete at the Olympics. Isn't this a better solution?
I think it would be better to allow Northern Irish to choose GB or ROI... The United Kingdom is officially referred to as, I believe, The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland... Northern Ireland is not a part of GB but is a part of the UK.
Northern Ireland is most decidedly not a part of Great Britain. Great Britain is the island comprising England, Scotland and Wales.
Northern Ireland is part of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, meaning the people of Northern Ireland are British citizens.*
The term "Great Britain" is simply a reference to the largest island of the British Isles. This terminology makes more sense when expressed in French because it is "Grande-Bretagne" as opposed to "Bretagne" - Brittany!
* Though they are entitled to Irish citizenship too, I believe.
Northern Ireland is part of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, meaning the people of Northern Ireland are British citizens.*
The term "Great Britain" is simply a reference to the largest island of the British Isles. This terminology makes more sense when expressed in French because it is "Grande-Bretagne" as opposed to "Bretagne" - Brittany!
* Though they are entitled to Irish citizenship too, I believe.