I miss The Plough, and the great galaxies that hang around it (M51, M101, M81, M82 and a load of other ones). The whole constellation was always UMa or the Great Bear to me, but the seven bright stars are definitely "The Plough"! ["Big Dipper" always grated to me, but hey, it's what you grow up with...]
As far as the name for our islands/countries - the UK is made up of Great Britain (the larger island) and Northern Ireland (part of the smaller island), and a bunch of other small islands. There are four countries within the UK: Scotland, England, Northern Ireland and Wales. The whole sort of general mish-mash is called the UK. Origins (Anglo Saxon and other) are complicated.
A note to Aussies... referring to us as "English", or the whole UK as "England" generally offends us Scots, as well as the Welsh and Irish, though I'm sure those people who are actually from the part of Britain that is England don't mind so much. "Britain" and "British" are usually fine (and certainly are to me), though it might depend upon which flavour of Irishman you're talking to!
Clear as mud?
Whatever the country name, it's a long way from here, and usually rains a lot more!