Great Britain is the greater one of the British Islands, an archipelago located to the northwest of Europe. It is part of the territory of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland of the North. Politically, Great Britain is divided in three historical nations: England, Wales and Scotland. Geographically, Great Britain is the greatest island of the archipelago of the British Islands. Its surface is of 219,000 km². It is also the greatest island of Europe, and the eighth greater island of the world. As far as population, it is the third populated island more after Java (Indonesia) and Honsh? (Japan).
The name of Great Britain derives from the Latin name Brtannia, used by the Romans from the invasion of Julio Caesar in year 55 adC. The etimología of this term has been speculation subject (sometimes imaginary), but thinks that it is derived from britaní the céltica word ' ("painted"), a reference to the inhabitants of these islands by its corporal painting use and tattoos. Great Britain is widely used like synonymous of organization political of United Kingdom, which is incorrect, since the United Kingdom also includes to Ireland of the North along with the three nations that integrate Great Britain, in addition to other islands, like the Island of Scilly, the Hébridas Islands, the Orkney Islands, the Island of Wight, the Island of Man or the Islands of the Channel. The use of the British term is similar that is used in reference to the United Kingdom. In Castilian, the use of Britania is limited the name of the old Roman province like synonymous of United Kingdom. Abbreviation GB also is used in the United Kingdom in its vehicles according to the Code the International of Identification of Foreign Vehicles and for the British Olympic equipment.