Country or principality or nation?

[rabsboy]

Is wales a country or principality? Is there a website that will give me a definative answer? Same question regarding scotland

[Peter Pedant]

why do you need a website when you have someone like me?

Principality definitely.

because like it or not - they've got a prince!

[Charlie-boy]

[kempie]

The terms country, nation, state and land are casually used as synonyms, but in a more strict usage they are distinguished:

• country is the geographical area that connotes an independent political entity
• nation designates a people, however national and international both confusingly refer as well to matters pertaining to what are strictly states, as in national capital, international law
• state is about government, and an entity in international law
• land may be used for "a country and its people" but also thought of as country belonging to a nation or a monarch

Therefore Wales is nation (and a principality) which is a component part of of the island of Great Britain, which is itself a part of the country and state known as the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.

Scotland is a bit more complicated since it has its own parliament which would make it a country but should fall into the category of a nation.

Reference here

[acw]

Peter is correct as usual! :-)

Also, Scotland is a country.  And don't let any lovely Jocks hear you saying otherwise!!! :-p

http://www.nationmaster.com/encyclopedia/Wales

You have to scroll a bit to get to the information.  I guess the site also tells you about Scotland somewhere on there. 

[acw]

Cross posted with kempie - sorry for any repeats!

[THECORBYLOON]

When the Scots Parliament was opened on Jul 1, 1999,  Presiding Officer Sir David Steel said it was "constitutionally correct" to refer to the Queen as "Queen of Scots" so Scotland is a Kingdom,

[mycatis]

She's not our bloody Queen thanks

[beale]

I think you'll find she is.

[mycatis]

I know, sorry just being stroppy! :)

[beale]

Quite alright mycatis. Looking back my own post looks a bit mardy, and I'm not even a monarchist or anything. Oh well!