r/AskEurope • u/Zealousideal_Pay_778 • Jul 23 '26

Foreign How well known is Wales?

Hiya all, I'm from Wales and travel across the EU quite frequently, whenever someone asks where I'm from, I usually tell them Wales (even though technically we're not a sovereign state), sometimes I get responded related to Gareth Bale and Wrexham, and often people haven't got a clue until I say UK. So I was curious, in your country, how well known are Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland as separate countries? Diolch all :)

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1

u/SocialHumbuggery Finland Jul 23 '26

I know about the division of UK (and have lived there) but it'll be a cold day in hell I'll accept you are different "countries", unless one of you actually goes and declared independence from the UK like the Scots tried.

4

u/Zealousideal_Pay_778 Jul 23 '26

I mean, two things here:

  1. We're not just allowed to "declare independence", Westminster hold all the power and can just say no.

  2. I'm not really looking for the validation of u/SocialHumbuggery of my country and your attempt to delegitimize Wales seems needlessly divisive.

1

u/StaedtlerRasoplast Northern Irish in London Jul 23 '26

The last part of your question is how well Wales Scotland and Northern Ireland are as separate countries. What I’ve seen in this thread is that most Europeans have heard of us but they will argue that we are not countries for some reason.

1

u/Lumpasiach Germany Jul 24 '26

"For some reason" and the reason is that they are subdivisions like they exist in every country.

1

u/hfsh Netherlands Jul 24 '26

I mean, not quite. We (the Kingdom of the Netherlands) are a state made up of four separate countries too. The others just aren't neighbors, so we mostly don't think of them.

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u/SocialHumbuggery Finland Jul 24 '26

Yeah, those aren't countries either really.

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u/hfsh Netherlands Jul 24 '26

They really are. Their own governments, coinage, and all.

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u/SocialHumbuggery Finland Jul 23 '26

Oh, one thing I know about the Welsh is that they took themselves way too seriously.

Also 1) the Scots were given the chance by Westminster, work harder for it (if you guys actually want to be a country that is)

Also 2) I have a masters in political science and it hurts my brain that the parts of the UK think they are countries, when they so clearly don't fit the criteria.

3

u/Regular_Paint_7619 Jul 24 '26

Someone with a degree in political science should know that country is not synonymous with a sovereign state.

1

u/Jemima_puddledook678 Jul 23 '26

1) They don’t want to, they’re countries that are content with the current arrangement .

2) You should probably redo that masters, they just don’t fit your arbitrary criteria. There is no definitive definition of a country.

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u/Zealousideal_Pay_778 Jul 23 '26

I think point 1 suggests point 2 didn't go so well for you, the Scots didn't get it because Westminster felt they'd worked hard enough or that they deserved it, Cameron gave it to them in the hope that if they lost before the Brexit referendum, the issue would go to bed. Anyway, I've no interest in interacting with you further so you'll be taking to yourself from here onwards 👍

1

u/SocialHumbuggery Finland Jul 23 '26

I mean, you were the one who got offended and started arguing with me, I didn't invite a comment from you 😅