What term to you prefer for Great Britain, Ireland and surrounding islands

[politicus]

The Irish government recommends Britain and Ireland. Some PC academics use Atlantic archipelago.

[politicus]

"Atlantic archipelago" or even "Islands of the North Atlantic" are dumb and don't even fit that well, since they're more in the North Sea. If any place deserves "Atlantic archipelago" it's the Azores. For an all inclusive term that includes all the islands, not just the largest two, how about Anglo-Celtic Isles as one suggested term?

But anyway, British Isles for me.

Iceland is bigger than Ireland.

[politicus]

The Irish government recommend Britain and Ireland.  

Does it?

Well, it is Wiki info, but their quotes seems legit. Do you disagree?
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_Isles

Regarding British Isles they got a 2005 statement from the Foreign Minister:

"The British Isles is not an officially recognised term in any legal or inter-governmental sense. It is without any official status. The Government, including the Department of Foreign Affairs, does not use this term. Our officials in the Embassy of Ireland, London, continue to monitor the media in Britain for any abuse of the official terms as set out in the Constitution of Ireland and in legislation. These include the name of the State, the President, Taoiseach and others."

[politicus]

"Atlantic archipelago" or even "Islands of the North Atlantic" are dumb and don't even fit that well, since they're more in the North Sea. If any place deserves "Atlantic archipelago" it's the Azores. For an all inclusive term that includes all the islands, not just the largest two, how about Anglo-Celtic Isles as one suggested term?

But anyway, British Isles for me.

Iceland is bigger than Ireland.

From the context, I think "largest two" was referring to the two largest islands of that archipelago, and not of the Atlantic. In any case, the two largest Atlantic islands are Greenland and Baffin.

The International Hydrographic Organization recognizes the Arctic Sea as an ocean, so that would exclude those two from the Atlantic. At least Greenland, given that the Greenland Sea is often defined as part of the Arctic Ocean.

[politicus]

The Irish government recommend Britain and Ireland.  

Does it?

Well, it is Wiki info, but their quotes seems legit. Do you disagree?
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_Isles

Regarding British Isles they got a 2005 statement from the Foreign Minister:

"The British Isles is not an officially recognised term in any legal or inter-governmental sense. It is without any official status. The Government, including the Department of Foreign Affairs, does not use this term. Our officials in the Embassy of Ireland, London, continue to monitor the media in Britain for any abuse of the official terms as set out in the Constitution of Ireland and in legislation. These include the name of the State, the President, Taoiseach and others."

I don't dispute that the use of the term 'British Isles' is loaded and not favoured for use in Ireland, either officially, or in general.

However, nothing in the wiki page, nor in that quote, gives an indication to me that the Government of Ireland recommend the use of the term 'Britain and Ireland' as their preferred alternative to the term 'British Isles', as you assert in the OP.

Okay, just write that then instead of the passive-agressive "does it?". It seems Ireland and UK simply use "these Isles" in treaties. And it is all rather complicated.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_Isles_naming_dispute

[politicus]

"Atlantic archipelago" or even "Islands of the North Atlantic" are dumb and don't even fit that well, since they're more in the North Sea. If any place deserves "Atlantic archipelago" it's the Azores. For an all inclusive term that includes all the islands, not just the largest two, how about Anglo-Celtic Isles as one suggested term?

But anyway, British Isles for me.

Iceland is bigger than Ireland.

From the context, I think "largest two" was referring to the two largest islands of that archipelago, and not of the Atlantic. In any case, the two largest Atlantic islands are Greenland and Baffin.

The International Hydrographic Organization recognizes the Arctic Sea as an ocean, so that would exclude those two from the Atlantic. At least Greenland, given that the Greenland Sea is often defined as part of the Arctic Ocean.

Baffin Bay and the Labrador Sea are clearly arms of the Atlantic and that or the North Atlantic Ocean itself is where Greenland's population is largely located.  Granted, Greenland also borders the Arctic, but then so does Iceland if one considers the Greenland Sea to be part of the Arctic Ocean.  So if that disqualifies Greenland, it also disqualifies Iceland.

The bulk of the Icelandic population is concentrated in the SW, which is Atlantic by any standard.

[politicus]

The two largest islands to lie completely within the Atlantic Ocean are Britain (80,823 sq miles/209,331 sq km) and Newfoundland (42,031 sq miles/108,860 sq km).

[politicus]

How about British and Irish Isles? That even finesses the Northern Ireland issue.

I prefer the Rain-drenched Isles.

[politicus]

Has the Isle of Man (et al) ceased to exist?

It is not unsual to disregard minor islands when naming an island group.

[politicus]

British Isles.  Sometimes if I'm feeling smarmy I just say England.  Precisely for the reasons that it bothers you

Kinda like how I insist on calling the U.S. "America" when in the presence of Canadian company.

Hardly anyone would understand what you mean if you refer to the British Isles as England, they will just assume you meant, well, England (or maybe Britain). You need to say Greater England to provoke anyone.