Table of contents

  1. Abbreviations
  2. Addresses and telephone numbers
  3. Citations, references and sources
  4. Classifications
  5. Climate change
  6. Collective nouns
  7. Data
  8. Groups
  9. National Statistics
  10. Disability
  11. Ethnicity and race
  12. Sex, gender and gender identity
  13. Statistical language
  14. UK, Great Britain and Ireland
  15. Using capital letters
  16. Using spellcheckers
  17. Words not to use
  18. Words to watch

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UK, Great Britain and Ireland

Use UK rather than United Kingdom.

  • Great Britain is England, Wales and Scotland.
  • The UK is Great Britain and Northern Ireland.

Use Ireland to refer to both the country and the island.

Use the Republic of Ireland to distinguish between it and Northern Ireland.

Ireland is an island to the west of England.
The Republic of Ireland’s capital is Dublin, and the capital of Northern Ireland is Belfast.

South Wales is not a defined geographical area. Refer to it as “south Wales” unless it is used as part of a proper noun.

South Wales Police has been tackling bicycle crime across south Wales.

The ONS Geography Guide to Presenting Statistics PDF provides a full list of UK countries and regions (on page 5).

Use the GOV.UK country register for the correct British English names for all countries recognised by the UK government. Use the commonly used name rather than the official name.

Switzerland, not The Swiss Confedaration
United States, not The United States of America
Czechia, not The Czech Republic