England and Wales
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- For an explanation of often confusing terms like (Great) Britain, United Kingdom and England see also British Isles (terminology).
England and Wales are constituent parts of the United Kingdom. However, for many administrative and legal purposes they are treated as the single entity England and Wales. Specifically, the two nations share the same legal system, the successor to that of the Kingdom of England, and, as a consequence, most laws.
The other parts of the United Kingdom, Scotland and Northern Ireland, often have laws very different from those of England and Wales. In particular Scotland has an entirely different court system, and it is more frequent to have legislation for England, Wales and Northern Ireland than for England, Wales and Scotland.
As another example, in the sport of cricket, England and Wales field a single representative team in international competition, whereas Scotland is treated as a separate entity. The England and Wales team (usually abbreviated simply as England) is administered by the England and Wales Cricket Board.
Wales was brought under a common monarch with England with the Statute of Rhuddlan in 1284 and annexed to England for legal purposes by the 1536/1543 Acts of Union. However, references in legislation for 'England' were still taken as excluding Wales. The Wales and Berwick Act 1746 meant that in all future laws, 'England' would by default include Wales (and Berwick-upon-Tweed).
The de-annexation of Wales was gradual — Cardiff was proclaimed as the ceremonial Welsh capital in 1955, and in 1967 the Wales and Berwick Act was repealed insofar as it applied to Wales.