Editing Continental Europe (section)

===Great Britain and Ireland===
In both [[Great Britain]] and Ireland, ''the Continent'' is widely and generally used to refer to the mainland of Europe.{{citation needed|date=April 2023}} An amusing British newspaper headline supposedly once read, "Fog in [[English Channel|Channel]]; Continent Cut Off".<ref>{{Cite news |url=http://edition.cnn.com/2005/WORLD/europe/04/19/oakley.blog.dayten/index.html |title=Europe no star as election issue |publisher=CNN |first=Robin |last=Oakley |date=April 19, 2005 | access-date=April 30, 2010}}</ref> It has also been claimed that this was a regular weather forecast in Britain in the 1930s.<ref>{{cite book|title=Fog in Channel?: Exploring Britain's Relationship with Europe|editor1-first=Tom|editor1-last=Sykes|editor2-first=Simon|editor2-last=Sykes|date=September 2, 2009|publisher=Shoehorn Publishing|id= {{ASIN|1907149066|country=uk}}}}</ref> In addition, the word ''Europe'' itself is also regularly used to mean Europe excluding the islands of Great Britain, Iceland, and Ireland<ref>{{Cite web |title=What is Europe? |url=https://www.open.edu/openlearn/society-politics-law/geography/what-europe/content-section-1.2.2 |access-date=2024-10-03 |website=Open Learning |language=en}}</ref> (although the term is often used to refer to the [[European Union]]<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-14525705 |title=Britain pushes hard choices for Europe's hard core |work=BBC News |first=Douglas |last=Fraser |date=August 15, 2011}}</ref>). The term ''mainland Europe'' is also sometimes used.{{citation needed|date=April 2023}} Usage of these terms may reflect political or cultural allegiances, for example it has been observed that there is a correlation between whether a British citizen considers themselves "British" or "European" and whether they live in an area which primarily supported [[Brexit]].<ref>{{Cite web |last1=O'Carroll |first1=Lisa |last2=Barr |first2=Caelainn |title=Half of young adults in the UK do not feel European, poll reveals {{!}} Society {{!}} The Guardian |url=https://www.theguardian.com/society/2017/apr/11/half-of-young-adults-in-the-uk-do-not-feel-european-demos-survey |access-date=2022-06-26 |date=2017-04-11 |website=amp.theguardian.com}}</ref>

Derivatively, the adjective ''continental'' refers to the social practices or fashion of continental Europe. Examples include [[Breakfast by country#Continental breakfast|breakfast]], topless sunbathing and, historically, long-range driving (before Britain had [[controlled-access highway|motorways]]) often known as [[Grand tourer|''Grand Touring'']].{{citation needed|date = April 2012}} Differences include electrical plugs, time zones for the most part, the use of [[left- and right-hand traffic|left-hand traffic]], and for the United Kingdom, currency and the continued use of certain [[imperial units]] alongside the [[metric system|metric units]] which have long since displaced customary units in continental Europe.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/6988521.stm |title=EU gives up on 'metric Britain' |work=BBC News |access-date=4 May 2015 |date=11 September 2007}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=Will British people ever think in metric?|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-16245391|publisher=BBC|access-date=4 May 2015|date=21 December 2011|first1=Jon|last1=Kelly}}</ref>

Britain is physically connected to continental Europe through the undersea [[Channel Tunnel]] (the longest undersea tunnel in the world), which accommodates both the [[Eurotunnel Shuttle]] (passenger and vehicle use – vehicle required) and [[Eurostar]] (passenger use only) services. These services were established to transport passengers and vehicles through the tunnel on a 24/7 basis between [[England]] and continental Europe, while still maintaining passport and immigration control measures on both sides of the tunnel. This route is popular with refugees and migrants seeking to enter the UK.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-33709244|title=France boosts Calais tunnel security|date=July 29, 2015|publisher=BBC News}}</ref>