The name Great Britain is often used as a synonym for England.
In other instances it is meant to refer to all the countries
of the British Isles. It is densely populated, containing more than 50 million residents in an area of 240,000 sq km. It is less than 1,000 km from south to north and under 500 km at its widest point. It is separated from Ireland by the Irish Sea. The English Channel separates it from France and the European continent, while the North Sea lies between it and Scandinavia. At its northwest and southwest points, it faces the Atlantic.
Politically, the island is divided into England, Scotland, and Ireland.