Four stripes of white, horizontal, diagonal, and vertical on a blue field, with a red cross in the middle. The flag of Great Britain, commonly known as King's Colours, the Union Jack, or the British flag, was used at sea from 1606 and more generally from 1707 to 1801.
The National Colors of England is Red, white and blue. These colors are the same as in the flag of the United Kingdom.
(Anglo-Saxons could also use phrases or non-basic words to describe these colours, e.g. 'the colour of the rose' (pink) or 'yellow-red' (orange).) So, while Modern English red means 'red', Old English read means 'red, purple, pink, orange' (and probably bits of brown as well).
According to Ancient and Heraldic traditions much symbolism is associated with colors. The colors on the British flag represent the following: White - peace and honesty. Red - hardiness, bravery, strength & valour. Blue - vigilance, truth and loyalty, perseverance & justice.
Patrick's blue is a name often mistakenly applied to several shades of blue associated with Ireland. However, while green is the de facto national colour of Ireland, representing Ireland in many sporting, cultural, and business events, azure blue is still found in symbols of both the state and the island.
England's flag is called the St. George's Cross, while Great Britain's official flag is called Union Flag or the Union Jack as explained earlier. Now that you know about their flag, you can learn more about their geographical territories from our The Difference Between the UK, Great Britain and England blog article.
THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA IS STILL A COLONY OF BRITAIN! The United States of America -- in spite of its Declaration in 1776, is still a colony of Britain!
At its height it was the largest empire in history and, for over a century, was the foremost global power. By 1913 the British Empire held sway over 412 million people, 23% of the world population at the time, and by 1920 it covered 35,500,000 km2 (13,700,000 sq mi), 24% of the Earth's total land area.
An empire is a group of countries ruled over by a single monarch or ruling power. An empire doesn't need an 'emperor'. The British Empire comprised of Britain, the 'mother country', and the colonies, countries ruled to some degree by and from Britain. In the 16th century Britain began to establish overseas colonies.
The UK boasts huge soft power — the most in the world according to a recent report. Brexit, despite all of the challenges, could make Britain more powerful. Soft power is the strength of a country to get others to co-opt their pursuits, whereas hard power is the strength to force countries to submit to your nation.
If the British empire never fell, there will be colonialism in the 21st century. In the scenario, nations that are once under British rule will not enjoy the benefits for leaving the British empire.
One reason why the British were reluctant to leave India was that they feared India would erupt into civil war between Muslims and Hindus. The country was deeply divided along religious lines. In 1946-47, as independence grew closer, tensions turned into terrible violence between Muslims and Hindus.
Little remains of British rule today across the globe, and it is mostly restricted to small island territories such as Bermuda and the Falkland Islands. However, a number of countries still have Queen Elizabeth as their head of state including New Zealand, Australia and Canada - a hangover of the Empire.
The British Empire reportedly didn't earn a profit from its colonies. The costs of administration, of garrisoning an army, building or developing the infrastructure and buying off the local potentates meant the costs of the Empire cancelled out any taxes raised.
Those who benefited can be divided into four groups in order of their share:
- Shareholders and investors of ventures in the colonies.
- Colonial administrators working in the Colonies.
- Residents of the great British port cities and manufacturing towns.
- Other denizens of the UK outside of these places.
Britain today is a nation of many cultures, and many of these connections have their roots in the British Empire. At its height, Britain ruled over a quarter of the world's population, from the wilderness of the Arctic, to the sands of Arabia, and the islands of the Caribbean.
In 1982, it adopted its own constitution and became a completely independent country. Although it's still part of the British Commonwealth—a constitutional monarchy that accepts the British monarch as its own. Elizabeth II is Queen of Canada.
Others say the start date should be the 1490s, while other historians date the empire from the early 1600s. The end of the empire came in the years after World War 2, with most of Britain's colonies ruling themselves independently by the late 1960s.
The invasion of the North American continent and its peoples began with the Spanish in 1565 at St. Augustine, Florida, then British in 1587 when the Plymouth Company established a settlement that they dubbed Roanoke in present-day Virginia.
The British were able to take control of India mainly because India was not united. The British signed treaties and made military and trading alliances with many of the independent states that made up India. These local princes were effective at maintaining British rule and gained much from being loyal to the British.
No. In the not too distant future the "UK" will no longer exist. From the end of the Second World War onwards, when the Soviet Union and the United States helpfully prevented the UK from becoming part of Germany, the UK's importance in the world has declined.
The British Empire. When Queen Victoria came to the throne in 1837, Britain already governed Canada, large areas of India, Australia, and New Zealand, and small parts of South America and Africa. Together, these countries formed the British Empire.
