'Britain' banned in Slovakia; call it UK or face fine
BRATISLAVA, Slovakia (AP) — Great Britain doesn't exist in Slovakia.
There's an institution with a power to issue fines of up to 6,600 euros ($7,000) for those who would disagree.
The state Geodesy, Cartography and Cadaster Authority has warned Slovakian media that a 1995 law says the country that comprises England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Island man only be called the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, or United Kingdom for short.
Using Britain and Great Britain are illegal.
The authority says it plans to organize trainings on the proper terms before imposing fines.
The British embassy in Bratislava and Slovakia's own Foreign Ministry could run afoul of the law.
Spokesman Peter Susko says the Foreign Ministry uses United Kingdom in official documents, and terms "understandable to people" in common communication.
bitterskittles on April 16th, 2017 at 14:03 UTC »
At least they were calling the UK Great Britain or just Britain in Slovakia. In Turkey, they call it England.
Oh do you live in Belfast? You live in England. Are you flying to Edinburgh? Oh I get it, you are going to England. You need an English visa Etc
mirakdva on April 16th, 2017 at 14:01 UTC »
Slovak here. The fines are valid only for media, but even for them it is ridiculous. There is a plan to change the law.
edit for explanation:
The law from 1995 says that everyone should use standardised names of the countries, especially in maps, media and literature. The original version of the law didnt have a part about imposing fines on media, this part got in later in 2003. The Bureau explains it as a manifestation of correctness towards the people of the respective countries, in the case of United Kingdom especially towards Northern Ireland.
Approx. 2 weeks ago a journalist from one of the Slovakian newspapers shared a letter from the Bureau of Cartography where they threatened to impose fine. Probably they are doing that often, just now it went public thanks to the social media.
Bluemechanic on April 16th, 2017 at 12:02 UTC »
They're usually used pretty interchangeably, the only difference is that Northern Ireland isn't part of Great Britain, but it is part of The United Kingdom.