Hiroshi

When I first visited the UK, I made the mistake of referring to the UK as Europe. Now I am more sensitive and refer to the UK as separate from Europe. I might say "Do you visit the UK or Europe often?"

How about Ireland? Do they have more ties to Europe? From a political sense, the Irish government embraces the Euro and EU more than Britain.

If the Irish feel the same way as the British, it will soon be a mouthful. "Do you visit the UK, Europe, or Ireland often?" Add Iceland, too!

The British logic does make some sense. Britain is not part of the Continental land mass. Politically, they don't have the Euro and, as 007 fans will attest, their secret agents die for Queen and country. The country is also rabies free.

Patrick

How silly. As far as I'm concerned anyone who thinks you shouldnt refer to the UK as part of Europe is just plain wrong.
I guess you could say,"do you ever visit the United States or North America?" which would be just as silly.
Technically you should be saying, "...or other parts of North America" just as you should be saying". . . the UK or other parts of Europe."

By the way, the EU, has little to do with a country being in the continent of Europe. If you're talking location, then all of Europe is Europe, whether part of the European Union or not.

Clifton

Friends and relatives of ours in Ireland referred to themselves as European. I'm not sure that experience makes up much of a poll though.

On the other hand, I did see that at least one English family member did not think much of making the European connection.

If my geography classes were correct though, and I still remember clearly enough, I see to remember there being only 7 continents. If either island isn't at least geographically Europe by proximity, I'm not sure which continent they'd be! I don't see how Japan wouldn't be Asia, not that they're thinking of rowing east or anything.

MaryZ

When in Ireland, I've referred to myself as being 'in Europe' without any negative repercussions. You might, however, want to think twice about being in the Republic of Ireland and also believing that you're in the 'British Isles'.

Janine

Good point about Japan. No-one questions that as being part of Asia - same with Sri Lanka, Malaysia, Singapore, etc. I suspect the Brits reluctance to class themselves in with Europe is due more to a superiority complex than any actual geographical fact.

sheila

The UK is and always has been in Europe. There are political sensitivities about the EU, but not about our geographic location

Kate

How ridiculous, of course we make reference to the fact we're in Europe. But I think one problem that I've often noticed on this board is the tendency to regard Europe as one single entity, without being conscious that Europe is a collection of vastly different countries: where else would you come across so much diversity in language and culture. To ignore this diversity is to show insensitivity.

Threads such as the one about cultural and legal differences in Europe compared to the US is interesting but highlights this key point: so many of the posts say "people in Europe do this or that", whereas the actual truth would be "people in the part of France that I visited to this or that". Whilst as members of the EU we are bound by certain common laws and practices, we are still vastly different, and fiecerly independant countries. The same is true for Germany, Spain, France, Italy and the rest as it is for Ireland and the UK.

RufusTFirefly

Well, the UK and Ireland aren't Europe, but they are part of Europe. Maybe it's the way you put it. "I made the mistake of referring to the UK as Europe." Well, that is a mistake--it isn't Europe, it's one country in Europe.

Hiroshi

I think my head was bitten off during my 1st trip to the UK when I talked about visiting Europe to an English man. He insisted that the UK was not part of Europe. Later during that trip somebody else confirmed that the UK was sometimes not considered Europe. Since then, I have been careful not to refer to the British as European or Europe.

For example, I might say "Ryanair flies within the UK and Europe" or "I enjoyed my visit to the UK and Europe (referring to a trip to the UK and Spain)"

Patrick

Hiroshi, your post only seems to prove one thing -- that you can run into idiots anywhere you travel. If you did meet an English man in the UK who insisted that the UK was not part of Europe then he was an idiot. Nothing more can be said about it.

jor

The UK has a long history of separating themselves from Europe, or The Continent as they call it. When Ireland and the whole of Europe honored the Eurail Pass (when I used it several years ago) the UK did not. Ireland embraces the Euro and EU, but the UK does not. The French wanted the Chunnel but the British public were very much against it.

In answer to your question, most Americans consider the UK and Ireland to be a part of Europe, but as usual the British consider themselves apart from Europe. The Irish not only relate to Europe more than the British but probably wish that Britian wasn't physically in the middle of the two.

More important than whether the Irish consider themselves to part of Europe, Don't EVER make the mistake of thinking or saying that Ireland is part of the UK!!! People of many nationalities think this. The Irish are very nationalistic and rightfully so.

Derek

The original post mentions attitudes that I have heard, i.e. UK being separate from Europe. In Peru, they are offended if you refer to the US as America as they claim they are in the Americas and are American.