Great Britain

From Traditional Witchcraft Wiki Project

Great Britain is the largest island of the British Isles. It lies to the northwest of Continental Europe with Ireland to the west and comprises the larger part of the territory of the United Kingdom.

It is the largest island in Europe, and eighth largest in the world. It is surrounded by over 100 smaller islands and islets. It was formed around 9000 years ago at the end of the Pleistocene ice age when sea levels rose due to isostatic crust depression and melting glaciers. When this happened, the island was cut off from the European mainland.

Great Britain was were first inhabited by people who crossed over the land bridge from the European mainland. It was later inhabited by the Celts and most of it (not the northernmost part) was conquered by Ancient Romans. After the fall of the Roman Empire, the south and east of the island was colonized by Germanic tribes who eventually became the English, and Vikings in subsequent centuries settled in several parts of the island.

Since 1707, the entire island has been one political unit, firstly as the Kingdom of Great Britain and later as part of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and then the present United Kingdom. Since the formation of this unified state, the adjective British has come to refer to things associated with the United Kingdom generally such as citizenship, and not just the island of Great Britain.