The British Isles

Gabriela Gluhcheva
&
Alexandra Alexieva 11b
 What are the British Isles?

British Isles, group of islands off the

northwestern coast of Europe. The
group consists of two main islands,
Great Britain and Ireland, and
numerous smaller islands and island
groups, including the Hebrides,
the Shetland Islands, the Orkney
Islands, the Isles of Scilly, and the Isle
of Man. Some also include the Channel
Islands in this grouping.
 Great Britain
Great Britain is the largest island of the British Isles. It
lies to the northwest of Continental Europe,
with Ireland to the west, and makes up the larger part of
the territory of the United Kingdom. It is the largest island
in Europe and eighth largest in the world. It is surrounded
by over one thousand smaller islands and islets within
the Atlantic Ocean, North Sea, Irish Sea, Celtic Sea, and
the English Channel. Great Britain is an island off the
north-west coast of continental Europe. It is the largest
island in Europe, and consists of England, Scotland, and
Wales. The terms "Great Britain" and "United Kingdom"
are often used interchangeably.
 Geography of Great Britain

Geographically, the island is marked by low, rolling countryside in the

east and south, while hills and mountains predominate in the western
and northern regions. Before the end of the last ice age, Great Britain was
a peninsula of Europe; the rising sea levels caused by glacial melting at
the end of the ice age caused the formation of the English Channel, the
body of water which now separates Great Britain from continental
Europe at a minimum distance of 34 kilometers. The major cities in
England are London, Liverpool, Manchester, and Birmingham. The chief
cities of Scotland are Edinburgh, Glasgow, Aberdeen, and Dundee. The
chief urban centers of Wales are Cardiff, Swansea, and Newport in the
south, and Wrexham in the north. The capital cities of each are:
•England: London
•Scotland: Edinburgh
•Wales: Cardiff
 Ireland

The Republic of Ireland, often

referred to as simply Ireland, is a
country in north-western Europe
occupying five-sixths of the island of
Ireland. The remainder of the island is
occupied by Northern Ireland, a
constituent state of the United Kingdom.
Besides Northern Ireland to its north, it
is also bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to
the west and by the Irish Sea to the east.
 Geography of Ireland

It is bound to the west by the Atlantic Ocean, to the northeast

by the North Channel, to the east is the Irish Sea which
reconnects to the ocean via the southwest with St George's
Channel and the Celtic Sea.
The ocean is responsible for the rugged western coastline,
along which are many islands, peninsulas, and headlands. The
main geographical features of Ireland are low central plains
surrounded by a ring of coastal mountains. The highest peak is
Carrauntoohil. Ireland has fewer animal and plant species
than either Britain or mainland Europe because it became an
island shortly after the end of the last Ice Age. Many different
habitat types are found in Ireland, including farmland, open
woodland, temperate forests, conifer plantations, peat bogs,
and various coastal habitats.
The capital city is Dublin, located near the
midpoint of Ireland's east coast, at the mouth
of the River Liffey and at the center of the
Dublin Region. Founded as
a Viking settlement, the city has been Ireland's
primary city since mediaeval times. Today, it is
an economic and cultural center for the island
of Ireland, and has one of the fastest growing
populations of any European capital city.
Other cities include Cork, Limerick, Galway,
and Waterford.
 The Hebrides

Hebrides, group of islands extending in an arc off the

Atlantic (west) coast of Scotland. They are subdivided into
two groups—the Inner Hebrides to the east and the Outer
Hebrides to the west—which are separated from each other
by channels called the Minch and the Little Minch. The
Outer Hebrides are administered as the Western
Isles council area. The Hebrides comprise more than 40
islands and innumerable barren islets, but only a few of
those islands are inhabited. The chief islands of the
crescent-shaped chain of the Outer Hebrides are Lewis and
Harris, North Uist, Benbecula, South Uist, and Barra. St.
Kilda. The main islands of the Inner Hebrides are Skye, the
Small Isles (Canna, Sanday, Rhum, Eigg, and Muck),
Tiree, Mull, Colonsay, Jura, Islay, and Coll.
 Geography of the Hebride Islands

The Hebrides are known for their unique natural features.

The Cuillin Hills of Skye are said to be the most spectacular
massif in Britain. The small island of Rhum became a
Nature Conservancy Research Centre in 1957, specializing
in the study of the local geology, flora, and fauna. The
wildlife of the Hebrides is particularly rich and includes red
deer, wild goats, Highland cattle and ponies, and, on Soay
Island, a primitive wild sheep. The economy of the islands
centres on crofting (tenant farming), weaving, and fishing .
The grassy plains (machair) on the western coasts of some
of the islands are the most fertile agricultural areas in the
Hebrides, especially when fertilized with seaweed, the
common local practice. 
 The Shetland Islands

Shetland is a group of islands in the northern North Sea,

some 150 miles from the north-east tip of the Scottish
mainland. Once annexed by the Vikings and subsequently
part of the kingdom of Norway, Shetland (together with
Orkney) became part of Scotland in 1469. Among the
settlements on Mainland, the largest island, is Scalloway,
a fishing port. Lerwick, also on Mainland, is the islands’
largest town and commercial and administrative centre. East
of Mainland are the islands of Whalsay and Bressay. North of
Mainland lie the islands of Yell, Fetlar, and Unst, the most
northerly island. One mile off the coast of Unst is the most
northerly point in the United Kingdom, Muckle Flugga—
a lighthouse and group of rocks. Fair Isle, south of Mainland,
belongs to the National Trust for Scotland and has an
important ornithological observatory.
 Geography of the Shetland Islands

The scenery of the Shetland Islands is wild and beautiful, with

deeply indented coasts (the sea lochs, or fjords, are locally called
voes) enclosed by steep hills. The winds are
nearly continuous and strong, and trees are therefore sparse, but
the climate is very mild for such a high latitude - only 640 km
south of the Arctic Circle - because of the warming influence of
the North Atlantic Current, an extension of the Gulf
Stream system. The main form of agriculture is crofting, each
croft having a few acres of arable land and the right to graze
sheep. The Shetland breed of sheep produces fine wool that is
spun and knitted by the island workers in the distinctive patterns
known as Shetland and Fair Isle. Many of the crofts cannot
adequately support a family, so islanders seek work in the North
Sea oil industry, abroad, or in the Royal Navy. Fishing has always
been important, and crofters fish to supplement their diet or
their income. 
 The Orkney Islands

Orkney Islands, group of more than 70 islands and islets

in Scotland, lying about 32 km north of the Scottish mainland,
across the strait known as the Pentland Firth. The Orkney
Islands constitute a council area and belong to the historic
county of Orkney.
The Orkney Islands were the Orcades of ancient classical
literature. There remains much evidence of prehistoric
occupation at various periods: underground houses, circles,
standing stones, and earth houses. Skara Brae, an underground
village on the west coast of the island of Mainland, is one of the
most complete European relics of the late Neolithic Period; this
location and several others on the island collectively were
designated a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1999.
 Geography of the Orkney Islands

The Orkney Islands were fashioned by glacial erosion

of the underlying sandstone, limestone, and igneous
rocks into low, undulating hills, covered extensively
by glacial deposits. Westerly winds and gales account
for the general scarcity of trees. The largest of the
islands is Mainland, or Pomona, which is divided into
East Mainland and West Mainland; they are
connected by a narrow strip of land about 3 km wide
between Kirkwall and Scapa Flow. The streams are
short, but trout fishing is good. Orkney is a
prosperous farming area despite its fragmentation. Its
farms are small and owner-occupied. The main
agricultural products are beef cattle and eggs. There
are only two towns on Mainland: Kirkwall, a royal
burgh, and Stromness.
 The Scilly Isles

Isles of Scilly are a group of about 50 small

islands and many more islets lying southwest
of Cornwall, England 40 to 58 km off Land’s
End. Administratively, the islands are a
distinct unit within England, though they
form a part of the historic county of
Cornwall. Because their council serves the
functions of both a district and a county,
they have a status similar to that of a unitary
authority. The administrative centre is on St.
Mary’s, the largest island in the group.
 Geography of The Isles of
Scilly
The islands are composed of granite and are a
continuation of the granite masses of the Cornish
mainland. They have dangerous rocky coasts with many
reefs. Because the islands’ climate is exceptionally mild
—the mean monthly temperatures range from 7 to 16 °C
-their fauna and flora are quite different from those on
the English mainland. Many subtropical plants flourish.
Seals live on the rocks and islets. Among an immense
variety of seabirds that visit the islands, the
roseate tern is the rarest British breeding tern, and the
Manx shearwater has its only British breeding site in
the islands. Only five of the islands are inhabited—St.
Mary’s, Tresco, St. Martin’s, Bryher, and St. Agnes.
Most of the people live on St. Mary’s.
 Isle of Man

Isle of Man is one of the British Isles,

located in the Irish Sea off the northwest
coast of England. The island lies roughly
equidistant between
England, Ireland, Scotland, and Wales.
The Isle of Man is not part of the United
Kingdom but rather is
a crown possession (since 1828) that is
self-governing in its internal affairs
under the supervision of the British
Home Office.
 Geography of the Island of Man

The island consists of a central mountain mass culminating

in Snaefell (621 metres) and extending north and south in
low-lying agricultural land. Man’s coastline is rocky and has
fine cliff scenery. The grass-covered slate peaks of the central
massif are smooth and rounded as a result of action during
various glacial periods. The island’s landscape is treeless
except in sheltered places. To the southwest lies an islet,
the Calf of Man, with precipitous cliffs, which is
administered by the Manx National Heritage as a bird
sanctuary. The climate is maritime temperate, with cool
summers and mild winters. The average temperature is 4.9
°C in February and 14.3 °C in August. The native flora and
fauna are of little interest, but the domestic Manx cat, a
distinctive tailless breed, is traditionally believed to have
originated on the island.
 The Channel Islands

Channel Islands is an archipelago in

the English Channel, west of the Cotentin
peninsula of France, at the entrance to
the Gulf of Saint-Malo, 130 km south of the
English coast. The islands are dependencies
of the British crown (and not strictly part of
the United Kingdom). They comprise four
main islands, Jersey, Guernsey, Alderney,
and Sark, with lesser islets and a labyrinth
of rocks and reefs. The islands were the
only British territory to endure German
occupation during World War II.
 Geography of The Channel Islands

Fine scenery, flowering vegetation, and a

mild maritime climate have made the
Channel Islands popular resort areas. The
islands are famous for their breeds of
cattle and for the export of fruit, flowers,
tomatoes, and early potatoes. English and
French are commonly spoken (though use
of the latter is declining), and a Norman-
French patois survives. St. Helier, on
Jersey, and St. Peter Port, on Guernsey,
are the islands’ main population centres.
The End