History of the British Isles
History of the British Isles The British Isles have witnessed intermittent periods of competition and cooperation between the people that occupy the various parts of Great Britain , the Isle of Man , Ireland , the Bailiwick of Guernsey , the Bailiwick of Jersey and the smaller adjacent islands. Today, the British Isles contain two sovereign states : the Republic of Ireland and the United Kingdom . There are also three Crown dependencies : Guernsey , Jersey and the Isle of Man . The United Kingdom comprises England , Northern Ireland , Scotland , and Wales , each country having its own history, with all but Northern Ireland having been independent states at one point. The history of the formation of the United Kingdom is very complex. The Brit...