Geography Atlas

Where Everything Happened
Sign In
Text size
100%
Theme

Switch Atlas

Region

The British Isles

Europe

The British Isles are the archipelago off the northwestern coast of continental Europe comprising the islands of Great Britain and Ireland along with thousands of smaller surrounding islands, home to the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland. Separated from mainland Europe by the English Channel and the North Sea, the islands share a long intertwined history, a temperate maritime climate and, across most of the archipelago, English as a common language alongside Irish, Scottish and Welsh Gaelic and other indigenous tongues.

Facts
Classification
Region Type
Maritime Grouping 1
Region Type
Maritime Grouping 1
Area (sq km)
315,159 2
Population
71,891,524 2
FAQs

Is the name British Isles accepted in Ireland?

The Government of Ireland does not officially recognise the term British Isles.

Not officially. The name British Isles is a geographical name and not a political unit, but there are objections to its use in relation to Ireland because of the political meaning of the word British. The Government of Ireland does not officially recognise the term, and its embassy in London discourages its use. Britain and Ireland is used as an alternative description, and Atlantic Archipelago has seen limited use in academia. Official documents written jointly by Ireland and the United Kingdom, such as the Good Friday Agreement, say these islands instead.
Connections

Associated With

Ireland, Countries

Ireland is one of the two large islands forming the British Isles.

Source British Isles (Wikipedia)
Irish Sea, Bodies of Water

The Irish Sea, between Great Britain and Ireland, deglaciated as sea levels rose to their current mark.

Source British Isles (Wikipedia)
London, Cities

Greater London is the largest urban area in the British Isles.

Source British Isles (Wikipedia)
United Kingdom, Countries

The United Kingdom governs most of the British Isles.

Source British Isles (Wikipedia)

Shaped By

Glaciation, Physical Processes
Source British Isles (Wikipedia)
In the Other Atlases

Found There

Great Famine of 1315-1317

Also in Agriculture and Farming Atlas: found in this subject.

Source Great Famine of 1315-1317, Wikipedia
North Sea

Also in Divinity Atlas: found in this subject.

The Thames

Also in Divinity Atlas: found in this subject.

The Reformation

Also in History Atlas: found in this subject.

The Viking Age

Also in History Atlas: found in this subject.

Micrognathozoa

Also in Nature Atlas: found in this subject.

First Battle of the Atlantic

Also in War and Military Atlas: found in this subject.

Source Wikipedia: Atlantic U-boat Campaign of World War ILead paragraph of the cited Wikipedia articletier 2
Quote, Lead paragraph of the cited Wikipedia article
The Atlantic U-boat campaign of World War I (sometimes called the "First Battle of the Atlantic", in reference to the World War II campaign of that name) was the prolonged naval conflict between German submarines and the Allied navies in Atlantic waters –the North Sea, the seas around the British Isles, and the coast of France.
Sources
1. The British Isles (Wikipedia)
Wikimedia FoundationIntroduction
Quote, Introduction
The British Isles, also called "these islands" in diplomatic settings, are an archipelago in the North Atlantic Ocean off the north-western coast of continental Europe, consisting of the islands of Great Britain, Ireland, the Isle of Man, the Inner and Outer Hebrides, the Northern Isles (Orkney and Shetland), and over six thousand smaller islands.
View the Source
2. British Isles (Wikipedia)
Wikimedia Foundation
  • Infobox, Area field
    315,159 km2 (121,684 sq mi)
  • Infobox, Population field
    71,891,524 (2019)
  • Associated With: United Kingdom, Lead section
    United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
  • Associated With: Ireland, Lead section
    the islands of Great Britain, Ireland
  • Associated With: London, Lead section
    The largest urban area by far is the Greater London Built-up Area with 9 million inhabitants.
  • Associated With: Irish Sea, Geology/formation section
    the central Irish Sea was deglaciated and the English Channel flooded, with sea levels rising to current levels some 8,000 years ago.
  • On Continent: Europe, Lead
    The British Isles, also called "these islands" in diplomatic settings, are an archipelago in the North Atlantic Ocean off the north-western coast of continental Europe, consisting of the islands of Great Britain, Ireland, the Isle of Man, the Inner and Outer Hebrides, the Northern Isles (Orkney and Shetland), and over six thousand smaller islands.
  • Shaped By: Glaciation, Article text
    The islands have been shaped by numerous glaciations during the Quaternary Period, the most recent being the Devensian.
View the Source
Wikidata: The British Isles
Wikidata Q38272, class allow-list match (w-wdresolver-0926)View the Source
Comments (0)
No comments yet. Be the first to share a thought.
Reader Challenges (0)
No disputes yet. Spotted an error or a better source? Open the first one.