People often have difficulty in deciding which words to use to describe various geographical and political entities within the geographical area known as the British Isles (including Ireland). There are many pitfalls in the terminology, which can be politically sensitive. The following aims to reduce the chance of unwittingly offending natives of the area.

Article at: www.alt-usage-english.org/

See also: "What is the UK? Is it the same as Britain, Great Britain or England?"
at http://www.alt-usage-english.org/whatistheuk.html