Hype for the Future 74H: Major Communities in the United Kingdom

Introduction

While the United Kingdom is most notable with the dominance of England, the countries of Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland can also claim cultural values independently of the dominant nation. Even though London is the capital of the entire United Kingdom, as well as of just England, the city does not provide much in terms of the cultural values of Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland, or even locations elsewhere within England, especially beyond Middlesex and East Anglia.

The Communities

Of the communities within the four constituent countries of the United Kingdom, the most important cities in terms of being locations of country governments are London, England; Edinburgh, Scotland; Cardiff, Wales; and Belfast, Northern Ireland. However, England also claims Manchester, Liverpool, Birmingham, Leeds, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, and a number of smaller communities of regional and cultural significance, while Scotland also claims Glasgow, Inverness, Elgin, Dundee, and Aberdeen quite similarly. While Wales is largely on the rural side, the major communities beyond Cardiff also include Newport in the Monmouthshire (Gwent) area as well as Swansea further west. Even more rural is the general area of Northern Ireland, though Londonderry also represents a cultural and central hub within the Six Counties in addition to Belfast in County Antrim and County Down.

The Crown Dependencies

The Isle of Man, Jersey, and Guernsey each contain zero (0) communities at nearly the same scale of urbanization as the communities on Great Britain and Northern Ireland. However, of the communities within the region, the capital cities are Douglas, Isle of Man; St. Helier, Jersey; and St. Peter Port, Guernsey.

British Overseas

Even smaller territories are identified within the British Overseas Territories, including the Cayman Islands, Turks and Caicos, Bermuda, the British Virgin Islands, Anguilla, and Montserrat—all within the general area of the Atlantic Ocean. While Saint Helena, Ascension, and Tristan da Cunha are also located within the Atlantic, each of these territories is located in the South Atlantic, and the British also maintain Gibraltar in Europe; Akrotiri and Dhekelia on Cyprus; the British Indian Ocean Territory in the namesake Indian Ocean; the Falkland Islands of the Southern Ocean; and Pitcairn.

Today, of the communities with identifiable capital cities, most notably in the Caribbean and North Atlantic, the communities do not actually contain sizable cities, with George Town in the Cayman Islands representing the most populated community in the British Overseas. The other capitals include, but are not limited to, Cockburn Town, Turks and Caicos; Road Town, British Virgin Islands; The Valley, Anguilla; Hamilton, Bermuda; and Plymouth, Montserrat, though the last capital city has recently recorded a population of zero (0) following the impacts of a volcanic eruption in the area.

Hype for the Future 74F: Blackburn, England

Introduction

The City of Blackburn is located in Lancashire, England, relatively nearby to the communities of Blackpool and Preston, and within fair proximity to the larger cities of Liverpool and Manchester to the south. Blackburn is effectively a mill community located within the relative north of England, and as a relatively middle-class community, the surrounding society has not developed significant tourist attractions nor a particular tourist base specifically to the smaller community relative to Manchester and Liverpool.

Attractions and Amenities

Within the City of Blackburn, Lancashire, England, just a few notable amenities are of particular significance, including the Blackburn Museum and Art Gallery in the central city, as well as one of only a few cathedrals of particular importance and historical significance remaining associated with the area in England, even in spite of the relatively smaller size.

Hype for the Future 74B: The Hebrides

Introduction

Off the west coast of the constituent country of Scotland 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 within the United Kingdom, the associated islands can contain dramatic scenery and significant natural views and beauty. While the Inner Hebrides are already relatively notable for scenery, especially when associated with Ross and Cromarty, the Outer Hebrides may represent some of the most dramatic scenery in all of not just Scotland, but perhaps also all of the European continent, with striking similarities thanks to the geological connection with much of Atlantic Canada, now directly across the Atlantic Ocean and with the Viking influence of Leif Erikson throughout the region.

The Islands

While the Inner Hebrides contain perhaps the most notable of the isles associated with Ross and Cromarty, the Isle of Skye, the Outer Hebrides can get significantly more dramatic, containing the Isles of Barra, Lewis and Harris, and the Uists, just to name a few. Beyond the aforementioned outlying and inlying islands, a number of additional islands, largely to the north of Buteshire and the Islands of the Clyde, may also be included within the Inner Hebrides, including the Isles of Islay, Jura, Mull, Tiree, and Coll, just to name a few.

Hype for the Future 74/284: The North of Scotland

Introduction

Though the vast majority of the Scottish population lives nearer the English border, the northern regions of Scotland are actually more attuned to Nordic customs for over a millennium, as much of the northern region was previously connected—quite strongly—to Norwegian control and subject to instability more than the regions even slightly further to the south, such as by the Urquhart Castle near Inverness.

The Counties

The Nordic regions of Scotland are largely determined by the Viking settlements of the region, most prominently associated with the Shetland Islands, the Orkney Islands, Caithness, Sutherland, and the Inner and Outer Hebrides, from north to south. Each of the regions listed contains distinctive characteristics that set the respective counties apart from one another, and the Shetland Islands in particular are located in relative proximity to the Faroe Islands of Denmark to the northwest and the Orkney Islands to the south. The Shetland Islands are also within reach of the mainland of Norway.

Hype for the Future 73C: Scotland’s Nordic Heritage

Introduction

While Scotland 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 is not a strictly Nordic country, centuries of rule by the Norwegians and other historic Nordic groups north of the Teutonic peoples have resulted in special Nordic treatment for the Shetland Islands, the Orkney Islands, and the Counties of Caithness and Sutherland, all from north to south. To the west are the Inner and Outer Hebrides, including notable islands such as the Isles of Skye, Barra, and the Uists, just to name a few.

Nordic Crosses

Today, the Nordic Cross is featured as the most prominent feature on the flags of Shetland and Orkney, while the Flag of Caithness adds a galley to symbolize the county atop the flag design. Sutherland also adds additional symbols, further deviating the flag design from the general Nordic cross.

Hype for the Future 60F: Capitals of the Caribbean

Overview

This post is dedicated to the capital cities and capital towns of the different islands located within the Caribbean, including, but not limited to, the Greater and Lesser Antilles chains. Also to be included are the islands of Aruba, Curaçao, and Bonaire, though not San Andrés nor surrounding outlying islands of Colombia significantly closer to the Nicaraguan coast than the Colombian.

Sovereign States

• Bahamas 🇧🇸: Nassau
• Cuba 🇨🇺: Havana
• Jamaica 🇯🇲: Kingston
• Haiti 🇭🇹: Port-au-Prince
• Dominican Republic 🇩🇴: Santo Domingo
• Antigua and Barbuda 🇦🇬: Saint John’s
• Saint Kitts and Nevis 🇰🇳: Basseterre
• Dominica 🇩🇲: Roseau
• Saint Lucia 🇱🇨: Castries
• Barbados 🇧🇧: Bridgetown
• Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 🇻🇨: Kingstown
• Grenada 🇬🇩: Saint George’s
• Trinidad and Tobago 🇹🇹: Port of Spain

British

• Cayman Islands 🇰🇾: George Town
• Turks and Caicos Islands 🇹🇨: Cockburn Town
• British Virgin Islands 🇻🇬: Road Town
• Anguilla 🇦🇮: The Valley
• Montserrat 🇲🇸: Plymouth

French

• Saint-Martin: Marigot
• Saint-Barthélemy 🇧🇱: Gustavia
• Guadeloupe 🇬🇵: Basse-Terre
• Martinique 🇲🇶: Fort-de-France

Dutch

• Aruba 🇦🇼: Oranjestad
• Curaçao 🇨🇼: Willemstad
• Bonaire 🇧🇶: Kralendijk
• Sint Eustatius: Oranjestad
• Saba: The Bottom
• Sint Maarten 🇸🇽: Philipsburg

American (claimed by the United States)

• United States Virgin Islands 🇻🇮: Charlotte Amalie
• Puerto Rico 🇵🇷: San Juan

Hype for the Future 50K: Ulster and Northern Ireland Compared

Technically, Ulster could include nine associated Irish counties, though only six of the counties are in Northern Ireland. Donegal is perhaps the most important distinction between Ulster and Northern Ireland, as County Donegal is located at not just the northernmost part of the Republic of Ireland, but also at the northernmost point of the entire island of Ireland.

While most of the Ulster Scots were, in fact, settling Northern Ireland, counties associated with the Republic of Ireland 🇮🇪 nearby were also represented, including the aforementioned Donegal. However, a disproportionate amount of the Scots-Irish to British Colonial America were associated with Counties Armagh and Antrim.

Traditionally, Ulster was the name of one of the four traditional Provinces of Ireland, being the second-largest by area after Munster and the second-largest by population after Leinster. The other traditional Province of Ireland was the Province of Connacht (formerly Connaught), located on the western side of the island. Munster was located in the southwest, and Leinster served much of the east and southeast of the island.

Today, the constituent country of Northern Ireland in the United Kingdom contains the Counties Armagh, Antrim, Down, Londonderry (Derry), Tyrone, and Fermanagh, while the counties in the Republic of Ireland that have also traditionally been identified as Ulster are the Counties Donegal, Cavan, and Monaghan.

Hype for the Future 50E: More on the British Virgin Islands

The Virgin Islands as a whole are named as such as a direct result of the 1492 expedition by Christopher Columbus resulting in the comparison to a notable virgin across the entire island chain. Today, the United States claims around fifty of the islands while the British claim around sixty. The Virgin Islands of the United States 🇻🇮 are centered around the particular islands of Saint Thomas, Saint John, and Saint Croix, while the Virgin Islands 🇻🇬 are centered around the particular islands of Tortola, Virgin Gorda, and Jost Van Dyke. The territorial capital associated with the United States is Charlotte Amalie, located on Saint Thomas, while the territorial capital associated with the British is a place known as Road Town, located on the island of Tortola.

Hype for the Future 50C: Montserrat

Montserrat 🇲🇸 is an island nation located in the Lesser Antilles and toward the northern end of the Leeward Islands. Plymouth is the capital de jure of the British Overseas Territory; however, the community has no permanent population followed by the impacts of a significant volcanic eruption 🌋 on the southern side of the island. The northern side of Montserrat has largely remained unaffected, but southern Montserrat, including the capital, had been significantly impacted while the capital had become a ghost town.

Hype for the Future 48D: Flags for the Emoji System

As many as nine separate emoji flags are disconnected from national identity, though the crossed flags 🎌 are firmly Japanese. The additional flags are the white flag 🏳️, the black flag 🏴, the pirate 🏴‍☠️, the checkered flag 🏁, the red flag 🚩, the rainbow flag 🏳️‍🌈, the transgender flag 🏳️‍⚧️, and the Flag of the United Nations 🇺🇳.

The Union Jack of Great Britain is represented in very many flags around the world—even the Hawaiian flag, which represents a territory that has never been under imperialist British rule. The following emojis contain the Union Jack:

🇬🇧🇦🇮🇦🇺🇻🇬🇰🇾🇮🇴🇨🇰🇫🇰🇫🇯🇲🇸🇳🇿🇳🇺🇵🇳🇸🇭🇹🇨🇹🇻

The French variant is also represented on the upper-left corner of the flags of a few French Overseas Territories in addition to France:

🇫🇷🇹🇫🇼🇫

Hype for the Future 47G: Irish Names?

Not all Irish place names, toponyms, or related feature names are inherently Irish, a vestige from English and British colonization of the island of Ireland. Though not all of Ireland is part of the Republic of Ireland 🇮🇪, Irish place names are often fairly similar throughout the island. Historically, the United Kingdom had colonized the entire island of Ireland; however, most of Ireland has since become a sovereign state with the capital city at Dublin. Northern Ireland, with capital city Belfast, is often associated with the region known as Ulster, though the Ulster territory has since been divided into further counties centuries ago. While Donegal is today associated with the Republic of Ireland, Northern Ireland is associated with counties including Armagh, Fermanagh, Tyrone, Londonderry, Antrim, and Down. Even within Northern Ireland, Londonderry has traditionally been identified by the name “Derry,” thus signaling the English and overall British colonization of the region.

Hype for the Future 47D: Common English Names

Common English names, including toponyms, surnames, and county names, among other types of place names, include Norfolk, Suffolk, Middlesex, Exeter, Devon, Cornwall, Truro, Plymouth, Cambridge, Chester, Lancaster, Northumberland, Bicester, Chichester, Lancaster, Doncaster, Cirencester, Blackburn, Ribchester, Manchester, Boston, London, Reading, Oxford, Birmingham, Bideford (known as Biddeford in Maine), Portsmouth, Exmouth, and Newcastle.

Hype for the Future 47C: Head of State in the Commonwealth of Nations

Even though the Commonwealth of Nations is comprised of around 56 independent member states, only 15 of the sovereign states have the Head of the Commonwealth as the Head of State. The nations in question are known as Commonwealth realms and include Antigua and Barbuda 🇦🇬, Australia 🇦🇺, the Bahamas 🇧🇸, Belize 🇧🇿, Canada 🇨🇦, Grenada 🇬🇩, Jamaica 🇯🇲, New Zealand 🇳🇿, Papua New Guinea 🇵🇬, Saint Kitts and Nevis 🇰🇳, Saint Lucia 🇱🇨, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 🇻🇨, the Solomon Islands 🇸🇧, Tuvalu 🇹🇻, and, of course, the United Kingdom 🇬🇧.

Even within the sovereignty of the United Kingdom, fourteen overseas territories continue to be claimed, including Akrotiri and Dhekelia, Anguilla 🇦🇮, Bermuda 🇧🇲, the British Antarctic Territory, the British Indian Ocean Territory 🇮🇴, the British Virgin Islands 🇻🇬, the Cayman Islands 🇰🇾, the Falkland Islands 🇫🇰, Gibraltar 🇬🇮, Montserrat 🇲🇸, the Pitcairn Islands 🇵🇳, South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands 🇬🇸, the Turks and Caicos Islands 🇹🇨, and the combined overseas territory of Saint Helena 🇸🇭, Ascension, and Tristan da Cunha.

Hype for the Future 47B: A Foray into the UK 🇬🇧

novaTopFlex is expressing significant interest expanding into the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. From England 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 to Scotland 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 to Wales 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿 and Northern Ireland to the Isle of Man 🇮🇲, Jersey, Guernsey 🇬🇬, and beyond, the United Kingdom often fails to disappoint. Even the overseas territories and Commonwealth countries, many of which are independent as in Canada 🇨🇦, Australia 🇦🇺, and New Zealand 🇳🇿, contribute to the overall cultural significance of the United Kingdom as a unitary system. Though the sovereign states elsewhere, also including India 🇮🇳, South Africa 🇿🇦, and Papua New Guinea 🇵🇬, just to name a few, are not immediately subject to the British Parliament as is the case with the Crown Dependencies of Jersey, Guernsey, and the Isle of Man, the overarching influence of the British Crown from the global Age of Imperialism remains quite intact overall.

The British Overseas Territories also play a large role in the global political situation and outcomes, though not nearly as much as England does within the United Kingdom. While many territories can boast surprisingly powerful characteristics at the world stage, often thanks to oceanic isolation, perhaps the most notable of the British Overseas Territories are the British Virgin Islands 🇻🇬, the Cayman Islands 🇰🇾, the Turks and Caicos Islands 🇹🇨, and Bermuda 🇧🇲. Though Barbados 🇧🇧 is today a sovereign entity, the culture of the modern nation is effectively synonymous with the typical cultural traits of the British Overseas Territories, possibly due to similar Caribbean influences, though the Dutch possessions of Aruba 🇦🇼, Bonaire 🇧🇶, and Curaçao 🇨🇼 may also play a role within the Caribbean Islands, both the Lesser Antilles (where most of the aforementioned islands are located) and the Greater Antilles.

Also of interest regarding the Commonwealth of Nations is the Bahamas 🇧🇸, home to places such as the notable Island of Eleuthera and the capital city, Nassau, on the Island of New Providence.