United Kingdom: Development of a Nation
How the United Kingdom became the United Kingdom.

How British/English/Scottish/Welsh/Irish as a people, and the country of United Kingdom as a nation-state, evolved and materialized into current form, in terms of ancestral bloodlines, language, borders, culture, and even how they received their name.

Ancestral Background
Development of Language
Formation of Borders
Etymology (How Name Received)
Culture
United Kingdom in 2008

Ancestral Background (English, Welsh, Scottish, Irish)

English Ancestral Background

1. Basque people from Iberian peninsula before 5000 BC.
2. Celts from continental Europe by 250 BC. Become known as Britons. Celts were descendents of original inhabitants of central Europe which developed the Celt language (sub-branch of Proto-Indo-European language – the ancestor language of nearly all European languages) and Celt culture. According to genetic evidence, Celts left only a minor genetic imprint upon the existing Briton population.
3. After Romans leave Britannia in 410, Germanic peoples invade from modern Northern Germany, Denmark and Southern Scandinavia, Angle and Saxon tribes in particular. They began invading coasts along Eastern and Southern Britain (modern England), intermixing with existing inhabitants to become somewhat minor contributor to modern English genetic composition.
4. Norse (Normans – from Normandy in Northern France) invade England in 1066, becoming the ruling class, and intermixing with the existing population, adding a very minor Norse component to English genetic composition. Norse are Scandinavian, of original Germanic stock, but the portion that remained in Scandinavia when Germanic tribes migrated to the mainland (Northern Germanic).
5. Summary: Genetic composition mostly inherited from Basque peoples from Iberian peninsula, with minor contributions from various invading waves during the Medieval times, primarily the Celts in pre-Roman times, Germanic tribes in the 5th century and the Norse in the 11th century.

Welsh Ancestral Background (Wales):

1. Like the English, primarily descended from Basque people from Iberian peninsula before 5000 BC.
2. Also like the English, inherited a minor Celt genetic composition by 250 BC. At this point, Britons (those inhabiting the British Isles) were homogenous.
3. When the Germanic tribes from Scandinavia began conquering southeast Briton in the 5th century, those in the southwest section of the island were insulated, becoming diverging genetically from their relatives to the east - the English - who assimilated Germanic bloodlines into their lineage. The Welsh were also insulated against future invaders, such as the Danes and Norse.
4. Summary: Genetic composition mostly inherited from Basque peoples from Iberian peninsula, with minor contributions from Celt invaders in the 3rd and 4th centuries BC. They diverged from the English by resisting Medieval invaders Scandinavia and Northern Europe.

Scottish Ancestral Background (Scotland):

1. Like the English and Welsh, primarily descended from Basque people from Iberian peninsula before 5000 BC.
2. Also like the English and Welsh, inherited a minor Celt genetic composition by 250 BC. At this point, Britons (those inhabiting the British Isles) were homogenous. Those in the north, ancestors to modern Scots, were known as the Pict tribes.
3. Irish Gaelic (Scotti) people from modern Ireland invade northern Britain (modern Scotland) around 500, intermixing with Britons Pict tribes. Meanwhile, the northern Scotti/Pict peoples were insulated from the Germanic invasions during the 5th century, just as the Welsh were, further separating them from the English to the south.
4. Summary: Genetic composition mostly inherited from Basque peoples from Iberian peninsula, with minor contributions from Celt invaders in the 3rd and 4th centuries BC. They diverged from the English by resisting Medieval invaders Scandinavia and Northern Europe, then further diverged from English and Welsh after Irish Gaelic Scotti invasions, who intermixed with the Britons to the north.

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Development of Language (English, Welsh, Scottish, Irish)

Development of English Language:

1. Originates as a Germanic language spoken by Angle and Saxon tribes in modern Northern Germany, Denmark.
2. During Germanic invasions of Britannia starting in the 5^th century, after the withdrawal of the Romans, Angles and Saxons brought their language to the isles, displacing the Celt and Latin languages spoken during Roman period. It would quickly become the dominant language in the Angle-ruled territories, later known as "England".
3. Adopted by the Normans (Norse) when they invaded from France and became ruling class in 1066. Evolved into modern English in the years since.

Development of Welsh Language:

1. Originated from Proto-Celt language when Celts migrated from continental Europe in ancient times. The Celt language is a direct sub-branch from the Proto-Indo-European language, developed by original inhabitants in modern Russia, which spread throughout all of Europe, the root of virtually all European languages.
2. The Welsh's Celt based language borrowed from Latin (language of Romans) during Roman occupation (ending in 5^th century). Evolved into modern Welsh.
3. After falling under English dominion beginning in the 13th century, English would gradually displace Welsh as the primary language in Wales.

 Development of Scottish Language:

1. Irish Gaelic peoples brought their Irish language with them during invasions of Britain (Proto-Celtic language) around 500. Evolved into Scottish Gaelic still spoken in NW corner of modern Scotland. The Celt language is a direct sub-branch from the Proto-Indo-European language, developed by original inhabitants in modern Russia, which spread throughout all of Europe, the root of virtually all European languages.
2. Replaced by Anglo-Saxon language (predecessor to English language) during Germanic invasions of 5^th century. Developed as a dialect to English (Scottish) in the northern portion of Britain (modern Scotland).

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Formation of United Kingdom Borders:

1. England: The territory conquered and ruled by the invading Angles and Saxons in the 5th century approximated modern England, the forerunner to, and heart of the United Kingdom. This southeastern portion of Britannia was most vulnerable to the Germanic invasions, and therefore fell under "Angle" rule (hence "England"). The Britons to the west (forerunners to modern Welsh), and the Picti to the north (forerunners to modern Scots) became separate "nations" as a result.
2. Wales: Section in western Britain that was insulated from Germanic invasions during 5^th century, giving rise to a Welsh national identity. Occupied by England from the 13^th century onward, until being fully incorporated into England in 1535. Never independent from England/Great Britain/United Kingdom again.
3. Scotland: Northern section of Britain that was also insulated from Germanic invasions during 5^th century, giving rise to a Scottish national identity. The Scotti in the north would form the Kingdom of Alba which would gradually push south until 1034, where the border would closely approximate today’s borders with only minor exceptions. The majority of the western isles part of modern Scotland would be acquired by the Kingdom of Alba by 1263. Joined with Great Britain (England+Wales) in the Acts of Union in 1707, becoming permanently linked with England from this point onward as the United Kingdom.
4. 1713: UK captures Gibraltar from Spain (southern tip) during War of Spanish Succession, still possessed by UK to this day.
5. Northern Ireland: England conquers Ireland in 1536, remains a possession of England/Great Britain/United Kingdom until being formally incorporated in 1801 Acts of Unions. Ireland gains independence in 1922, but agrees to UK demand to keep 6 northernmost counties as part of UK (since they voted to remain part of UK, since they were largely Protestant as opposed to the rest of Ireland, which was primarily Catholic), finalizing modern boundaries of the United Kingdom.

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Etymology (How Name Received): (Britain, England, Wales, Scotland, Irish)

Britain Etymology: Came from the word Bruthin, used by ancient Greek explorers who visited the British Isles in the 4^th century BC. It derived from the name Bretannus, who was thought to have been the Celtic forefather of the inhabitants of the British Isles, according to a few ancient scripts. Bruthin translates to Britannias in Latin, the language of the Roman Empire. Therefore, the Romans named the isles “Britannia” upon sending expeditions into the area around 55 BC. The name has been associated with the British Isles since, and used as the name of the country after England incorporated Wales and later Scotland under its rule, forming "Great Britain".

England Etymology: Named after the Angles, largest of the group of Germanic tribes that successfully conquered southern and eastern Britain after the withdrawal of the Romans in the 5^th century AD. Angles named after Angeln, the name of a peninsula in northern Germany, west of Jutland (modern Denmark), inhabited by Angles.

Wales Etymology: Originates from Germanic word Walha, meaning “foreigner”, as they were referred to by the invading Anglo-Saxons in the 5^th century.

Scotland Etymology: Based on name given to the Gaelic people to the north (modern Scotland) – Scoti. Scoti meaning “land of the Gaels” in Latin.

United Kingdom Culture:

Roman: During the 4+ centuries of Roman rule, Britannia was very much Romanized, taking upon them the Roman language, valuing civilized law and education. After the Romans withdrew as a prelude to the fall of Rome, Britannia became subject to barbaric invasions from Scandinavia, breaking down society and order.

In 1215, the English pioneered democracy with the advent of the Magna Carta. England would remain at the leading edge of the democratic movement throughout history. As a resource-rich island, protected from much of the turmoil on the mainland continent, England became prosperous during the late Middle Ages, giving rise to democratic principles. This was further established during the naval revolution during the 1500s, as England increased its wealth and cultural sophistication, due to its exposure to several, far-flung cultures.

During the colonial era, from the 1500s through the 20th century, England-dominated Great Britain would achieve the most widespread empire to have ever existed. Thus, it succeeded in exporting its language and culture throughout the entire globe, making England the epicenter of the world during this long time period, fueling a sense of superiority and boundless English pride.

England also found itself at odds with the Roman bishops (popes) beginning in the 16th century, compelling it to form its own church (Church of England), originating a strong, Protestant tradition that persists to this day.

At the cutting edge of the academic world for so long, England would also serve as the home to a rich philosophical and literary tradition, with icons such as Shakespeare and Sir Thomas More.

Although ruled out of England since being added to the United Kingdom in 1707, Scotland would manage to maintain vestiges of its own distinct culture. Parts of Scotland would maintain its traditional Scottish language, while establishing a Scottish-influenced English dialect. Scotland has also maintained its own, separate legal system from England.

United Kingdom in 2008:

Economy: One of world’s most advanced, leading economies. Growing welfare state. Strong growth since 1992. Has not joined the European Economic and Monetary Union (Euro standardization, single market). Despite bringing the industrial revolution to the world, manufacturing now declining in importance, primarily service-driven economy (banking services, insurance, etc.).
Government: Constitutional monarchy (democracy)
Religion: 71.6% Christian (led by Anglican – Church of England – strong Protestant tradition, and Roman Catholic Church), 23.1% None, 2.7% Muslim. Survey – only 38% believe in God, but many belong to Christian churches out of tradition, atheist/agnostic = 23%, leaving about 39% that believe in some other form of intelligent design (non-Judeo-Christian). The Church of England is the state religion, although membership is not compulsory. Not supported by public funds, but the Church of England retains representation in the UK Parliament.
Demographics: White 92.1% (English, Welsh, Scottish, Irish), Black African 2% (from African Slave Trade era), Indian 1.8% (as in India, former UK colony), Pakistani 1.3% (former UK colony).
Foreign Policy: Strong supporter of U.S.-backed “War on Terror”, along with invasion of Iraq. Growing public sentiment against.
Population: 60,943,912

 

Formation of Nations (All European Nations)

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