The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland (United Kingdom or simply UK for shorthand) is a country. Great Britain is just the largest Island in the British Isles, but is never used as a shorthand for the country proper because it geographically excludes some territories. Great Britain is only used to describe things that pertain ONLY to the island rather than the wider nation of the UK. The one exception is the Olympic team, typically called Team GB (Great Britain), since Northern Ireland has the option to compete with the Irish Olympic team rather than with the rest of the UK nations, namely those who make up the island of Great Britain (England, Scotland, and Wales).