early in the 20th century (though it persists in other languages). Ireland is the sovereign republic occupying the larger portion of the island of Ireland. To distinguish the state from the island, or to distinguish either of these from Northern Ireland, it is also called "the Republic of Ireland" or simply "the Republic". In the past, its Irish-language name, Éire (or Eire without the diacritic), was often used in an English-language context to distinguish it from "Northern Ireland". England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland are the four countries of the United Kingdom, though they are also referred to, especially in sporting contexts, as the home nations of the United Kingdom. England and Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland are separate legal jurisdictions within the United Kingdom. Great Britain means the countries of England, Wales and Scotland, considered as a unit. British Islands consists of the United Kingdom, the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man. These are the polities within the British Isles that have the British monarch as head of state. Linguistic terms: The two sovereign states in the region, the United Kingdom and Ireland, are frequently referred to as countries. So too are England, Wales, Scotland and, to a lesser extent, Northern Ireland (as is the whole island of Ireland). British is an adjective of the United Kingdom; for example, a citizen of the UK is called a British citizen—but for citizenship purposes "British" includes the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man. Anglo- is often used as an adjectival prefix referring to the United Kingdom (notwithstanding that its original meaning is "English") particularly in the field of diplomatic relations. It can also refer to the English language, to anglophone peoples and can have a variety of other shades of meaning. Wales is sometimes called the Principality of Wales, although this has no modern constitutional basis. Northern Ireland is often referred to as a province or called Ulster, after the traditional Irish province of Ulster within which it is located. Sport Forms of national representation vary from sport to sport. England, Scotland and Wales often compete separately as nations. In some sports—such as rugby and cricket—the island of Ireland competes as a nation; in others, most notably association football, Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland field separate teams. In these contexts England, Scotland, Wales and Ireland/Northern Ireland are sometimes described as the home nations. Forms of representation can