Re: CHAT National toponyms (was: OT Caution!! IRA funding)

Tim May wrote:

>Joe wrote at 2004-09-16 21:46:59 (+0100)
> > Tim May wrote:
>
> > >England and Scotland are kingdoms, I think.  Certainly they were
> > >kingdoms before the Act of Union...  Wales is a principality, and
> > >Northern Ireland is a province.  I'm not sure that there _is_ a
> > >general term, unless Joe's right about 'part'.
> > >
> > >
> >
> >
> > Well, England and Scotland aren't Kingdoms.  The Act of Union dealt with
> > that.
>
>This may be the case, although as I read it the text of the Act leaves
>open the question of whether the two kingdoms have any continuing
>existence within the new United Kingdom:
>http://wikisource.org/wiki/Act_of_Union_1707
>
>
I don't think so:

That the Two Kingdoms of Scotland and England, shall upon the 1st May
next ensuing the date hereof, and forever after, be United into One
Kingdom by the Name of GREAT BRITAIN

Thus there is only one Kingdom.

> > Northern Ireland is all that remains of the ex-Kingdom of
> > Ireland, though that was also stripped of its Kingdomhood in 1801.
>
>All true, but irrelevant to the question of its current status.  What
>information I can find suggests that the Government of Ireland Act
>1920 created it as the "Province of Northern Ireland", although I
>can't find the text online.  I _do_ know that it is commonly referred
>to as "the Province" by e.g. the BBC.  The issue is somewhat confused
>by its identification with the historic province of Ulster, with which
>it is not coterminous.  The Northern Ireland Act 1998 does not appear
>to use the term "province" - nor, AFAICT, does it use any other term.
>
>
>
Well, the Government of Ireland Act a)Is repealed, and b)Predated the
Anglo-Irish Treaty.  I'd say it suggests that it was considered a
Province of the part called Ireland(along with Southern Ireland).  The
current 'constitution' of Northern Ireland refers to it as a part.

> > Wales mgith be a Principality, but Prince Charles has no actual
> > power in Wales.  So I'm not sure it can actually be called that.
>
>Nonetheless, that is what it is called.  It's not uncommon to see the
>region referred to as "the Principality" in news reports etc.
>
>On the other hand, the only official document I can referring to Wales
>as a principality is this one:
>http://www.hmso.gov.uk/si/si2000/draft/20007334.htm
>Which is one more than I can find referring to England, Scotland or
>Northern Ireland as anything.
>
>
>
>

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