Empires

[semi-pro waster]

One of the characteristics of a nation though is the language (nation and country are not the same thing imho), if its true Gaelic was the language Scots used to speak then you're more Irish than British , i think so.

There's certainly close links between Scotland and Ireland, not just in a linguistic sense but to take the language alone and say that makes the Scottish more Irish than British isn't an argument that I find convincing. The British are a mongrel nation who have lineage spread through centuries worth of incomers (both hostile and peaceful) so picking on one specific seems a little odd.

 

[elroberto]

The British Empire was a stunning achievement but what impresses me the most is that sometimes it seemed to expand simply on the basis of "I say Rupert, I would rather like to see what is in that country there" and then it was annexed into the Empire shortly after.

Let's introduce the Izzard theory on this :-

That's what you do,that's how you build an empire. We stole countries with the cunning use of flags! Yeah, just sail around the world and stick a flag in.

"I claim India for Britain!"

They go, "You can't claim us, we live here! 500 million of us!"

"Do you have a flag?"

"We don't need a ****** flag! It's our country, you persons of questionable parentage!"

"No flag, no country, you can't have one! That's the rules that I've just made up.

 

[elroberto]

There's certainly close links between Scotland and Ireland, not just in a linguistic sense but to take the language alone and say that makes the Scottish more Irish than British isn't an argument that I find convincing. The British are a mongrel nation who have lineage spread through centuries worth of incomers (both hostile and peaceful) so picking on one specific seems a little odd.

Well Scots came from the picts who were also in Ireland. In terms of actually British, the closest you'll come to original inhabitants are the welsh and cornish, both of whom's languages are derived from Breton.

 

[meghatronic]

Scots Gaelic.

Although I'd argue that you don't need a independent language to be considered a country, if you do then Australia, Canada, and the US (amongst others) would all not classify as countries in their own right since they speak English to a greater or lesser degree.

Just FYI, I don't think Scotland is a 'country' per se, more of a nation [of people]. There are several measures of a 'country', and Scotland fails quite a few of them. It has no external recognition [as a country] nor sovereignty to name two. As Scottish govn. power was dictated by UK Parliament, that also destabilises that argument for a 'country' status, not to mention economic and social policies.

The constituent parts of the UK are not countries, including England. Unless you're using country to mean "constituent country".

 

[Ross1234]

Didnt the Scottish descend from the Vikings and the Scots who were from Ireland?

 

[meghatronic]

Didnt the Scottish descend from the Vikings and the Scots who were from Ireland?

The Albannaich certainly came from a mix of Picts, Gaels, Brythons, Angles and Norse....

EDIT and Saxons too.

EDIT2 - but "Scotland" as we know it also has mixes of the origins of the English too as the borders were redefined.

 

[Iraklis F.C.]

Gaels=Celts?

 

[meghatronic]

Gaels=Celts?

Wiki says yup.

Possibly Spanish...

 

[elroberto]

Celts were actually spread out through many parts of Northern Europe. So while the Irish, Scottish and Welsh define themselves as celtic nations it's not completely true. While they undoubtedly had celtic settlers there they were not the indiginous tribe.

 

[Iraklis F.C.]

Yep , the latest hordes who invaded the greek peninsula and settled alongside with the natives were celts too

 

[platinum87]

THE ROMAN EMPIRE

DONT **** WITH IT

 

[slambo69]

Britainnia - It rules!

 

[Fothsn]

That’s a good picture, haven’t seen that one before


The British Empire during World War Two;

 

[semi-pro waster]

Well Scots came from the picts who were also in Ireland. In terms of actually British, the closest you'll come to original inhabitants are the welsh and cornish, both of whom's languages are derived from Breton.

And others apart from the Picts as meghatronic points out which is why I'd call us a mongrel nation (both Scotland and any of the other nations in the British Isles).

Just FYI, I don't think Scotland is a 'country' per se, more of a nation [of people]. There are several measures of a 'country', and Scotland fails quite a few of them. It has no external recognition [as a country] nor sovereignty to name two. As Scottish govn. power was dictated by UK Parliament, that also destabilises that argument for a 'country' status, not to mention economic and social policies.

The constituent parts of the UK are not countries, including England. Unless you're using country to mean "constituent country".

I wasn't being particular in my use of the terms as I view Scotland as both a nation and a country. While it doesn't meet all measures of what makes a country I think it can still be viewed as distinct from the other constituent countries, that said I'm entirely happy that we are part of the Union as I think it benefits all of us or at least the good points outweigh the bad which is about all one can hope for in such matters.

 

[Phatjayunoi]

a lot of talk about past Empires of European countries here which of course is interesting, but many people seem to forget how important countries in the Middle East and especially China were back the "old days".

 

[rsatd]

I say lets re-make the empire! We just need India and Pakistan on our side and we will simply flood USA!

 

[Mat]

Since when was Antarctica part of the British Empire? I always thought it was specifically not owned by any one country...???

 

[rsatd]

That's obvious, where else are you going to get ice from?
Lets invade Antarctica first, start the empire from that to its former glory!

 

[Fothsn]

Here is the list, the numbers correspond with those on the map.

Many people from the British Empire fought during World War Two. This map shows all those countries that were members of the British Empire during that period.

1. Aden
2. Anglo Egyptian Sudan
3. Ascension Island
4. Australia
5. Bahamas
6. Barbados
7. Bechuanaland
8. Bermuda
9. Borneo
10. British Guiana
11. British Honduras
12. British Somaliland
13. Burma
14. Cameroon
15. Canada
16. Ceylon
17. Chagos
18. Crozet Island
19. Cyprus
20. Diego Garcia
21. Egypt
22. Ellice Islands
23. Falkland Islands
24. Fiji
25. Gambia
26. Gilbert Islands
27. Gibraltar
28. Gold Coast
29. Gough Island
30. Graham Land
31. Kaiser Wilhelm’s Land
32. Hong Kong
33. India
34. Iraq
35. Jamaica
36. Kenya
37. Malaya
38. Malta
39. Mauritius
40. Naura
41. Newfoundland
42. New Zealand
43. Nigeria
44. Northern Rhodesia
45. Nyasaland
46. Palestine
47. Papua
48. Prince Edward Island
49. Sandwich Islands
50. Seychelles
51. Sierra Leone
52. Socotra
53. South Georgia
54. South Orkneys
55. South Rhodesia
56. South Shetlands
57. South West Africa
58. St Helena
59. Tanganyika
60. Tasmania
61. Transjordan
62. Trinidad
63. Tristan Da Cunha
64. The United Kingdom of
Great Britain and Ireland
65. Uganda
66. Union of South Africa
67. We Hei Wei
68. West Indies

Quite a big list of countries there

 

[edgedemon]

Not bad for a county our size eh? We as a nation have achieved so much, are you proud to be British? I am know to be far to Paiotric hence this thread! [/quote]

This is pretty much how I felt about it, but helping Lavana (10yrs old) with her history homework, I was shocked to see how much attitudes have changed. Her text book was all about the oppression that Britain subjected the people to, how much wealth we took out the countries concerned, and in not so many words how we should be ashamed of it. I was shocked.
I s'pose attitudes change, and in 20yrs time, her children will be taught about it from yet another angle. I for one am proud of our history, we deserved the great in Great Britain...