it's all perfectly straightforward
Britain refers to the nation that is made up of 3 countries that aren't really countries as well as a part of another country that is no longer part of that country though some seem to quite strongly wish it were. It is formed from Great Britain which is a geographic term that includes those three countries that aren't really countries but not that part of the other country previously mentioned, though this is encapsulated in the term United Kingdom that by contrast does include that part of a country that is not united, along with the three countries that are not really countries but are united, at least officially if not in practice. People from the United Kingdom are British, and not United Kingdomish, though they are just as likely to refer to themselves as citizens of the countries that are not really countries. The UK is abbreviated as GBR because it has three letters rather than two, which is important, and they compete as Britain, Team GB, the United Kingdom, or from one of the countries that are not really countries depending on the sport and whether the other actual nations involved from other parts of the world feel like putting up with all this special case nonsense that they don't seem to grant to other non-countries like Quebec or the Basque.
(
cumquat may will not be commenting further on the allegations, Thu 24 Jun 2021, 2:23,
Reply)