Great Britain

Surrounded by the English Channel to the south, the Irish Sea to the west, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and the North Sea to the east... Includes England, Scotland and Wales... In Olympic competition, Great Britain also includes athletes from Northern Ireland, one-sixth of the island of Ireland... At its closest point, Great Britain lies only 35 km from France and the two countries are linked by a tunnel under the English Channel... England has been a unified country since the 10th century... The current name of the country, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland was adopted in 1927... A founding member of NATO.