Yow! Things are getting confusing. Great Britain used to be called Britain by the Romans (so if someone still does on this list, he must be very old.) Great was not just added to include other places. Great Britain is just the modern and correct way to call it. This or you can use UK, a synonym with Great Britain which includes England, Scotland and Wales as well as other smaller islands acquired by the Brits through historical battles and trades with the French and Europe. One I know about personally is the isle of Wight: great place for relaxing BTW.
Some definitions courtesy of dictionary.com: Brit·ta·ny (brtn-) also Bre·tagne (br-täny) A historical region and former province of northwest France on a peninsula between the English Channel and the Bay of Biscay. It was settled c. 500 by Britons driven out of their homeland by the Anglo-Saxons. The region was formally incorporated into France in 1532. Brit·ain1 (brtn) The island of Great Britain during pre-Roman, Roman, and early Anglo-Saxon times before the reign of Alfred the Great (871-899). The name is derived from Brittania, which the Romans used for the portion of the island that they occupied. United Kingdom or United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland Commonly called Great Britain or Britain.. Abbr. UK A country of western Europe comprising England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland. Beginning with the kingdom of England, it was created by three acts of union: with Wales (1536), Scotland (1707), and Ireland (1800)
