View source for British Isles

{{Short description|Archipelago in north-western Europe}}
{{About|the archipelago|a list|List of islands of the British Isles|the term for this archipelago's United Kingdom portion|British Islands}}
{{pp-pc}}
{{Use British English|date=August 2010}}<!-- THIS ARTICLE USES BRITISH ENGLISH because this topic is British related. Please do not edit the British English spelling to American English spelling. The use of "are" in place of "is" in certain instances is considered grammatically correct. See [[American and British English differences#Formal and notional agreement]] for more information. -->
{{Use dmy dates|date=November 2023}}
{{Infobox islands
|local_name = 
 {{collapsible list
  |titlestyle = background:transparent; text-align:center; font-size:9pt;
  |liststyle = text-align:center;
  |title = Other native names

  |1= {{native name|ga|Éire agus an Bhreatain Mhór}}<ref name="téarma.ie – Dictionary of Irish Terms">The British Isles ''s'' ''pl''  ''Na hOileáin bhriontanacha'' {{cite web | url = http://www.tearma.ie/Search.aspx?term=the+British+Isles | title = the British Isles | work = téarma.ie – Dictionary of Irish Terms | publisher = [[Foras na Gaeilge]] and [[Dublin City University]] | access-date = 18 November 2016}}</ref>
  |2 = {{native name|cy|Ynysoedd Prydain}}
  |3 = {{native name|kw|Enesow Bretennek}}
  |4 = {{native name|gd|Eileanan Bhreatainn}}<ref>{{Citation|url=http://www.gla.ac.uk/departments/celtic/duilleagangidhlig/|title=University of Glasgow Department of Celtic}}</ref>
  |5 = {{native name|gv|Ny h-Ellanyn Goaldagh}}<ref>{{Citation|url=http://www.tynwald.org.im/papers/press/2008/pr33.pdf|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090224221228/http://www.tynwald.org.im/papers/press/2008/pr33.pdf|url-status=dead|archive-date=24 February 2009|title=Office of The President of Tynwald}}</ref>
  |6 = {{native name|fr|Îles Britanniques}}<ref>{{cite web|title=Règlement (1953) (Amendement) Sur l'importation et l'exportation d'animaux|url=https://www.jerseylaw.je/laws/enacted/Pages/L-17-1953.aspx|website=[[Jersey Legal Information Board]]|access-date=2 February 2012}}</ref>
}}
|image_name = MODIS - Great Britain and Ireland - 2012-06-04 during heat wave.jpg
|image_caption = A 2012 [[NASA]] satellite image of the British Isles, excluding [[Shetland]] and the [[Channel Islands]] which are out of the frame
|image_alt = A map of the British Isles and their location in Europe.
|map_image = British Isles (orthographic projection).svg
|map_size = 220
|location = [[North-western Europe]]
|coordinates = {{Coord|54|N|4|W|scale:10000000|display=inline,title}}
|waterbody = [[Atlantic Ocean]]
|area_km2 = 315159
|area_footnotes = <ref name="UNEP">[http://islands.unep.ch/Cindex.htm Country/Territory Index, Island Directory] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181213045516/http://islands.unep.ch/Cindex.htm |date=13 December 2018}}, United Nations Environment Programme. Retrieved 9 August 2015.<br />[https://www.gov.im/categories/business-and-industries/iom-key-facts-guide/island-facts/ Island Facts] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304050532/https://www.gov.im/categories/business-and-industries/iom-key-facts-guide/island-facts/ |date=4 March 2016}}, Isle of Man Government. Retrieved 9 August 2015.<br />According to the UNEP, the Channel Islands have a land area of {{val|194|u=km2|fmt=commas}}, the Republic of Ireland has a land area of {{val|70,282|u=km2|fmt=commas}}, and the United Kingdom has a land area of {{val|244,111|u=km2|fmt=commas}}. According to the Isle of Man Government, the Isle of Man has a land area of {{val|572|u=km2|fmt=commas}}. Therefore, the overall land area of the British Isles is {{val|315159|u=km2|fmt=commas}}.</ref>
|total_islands = 6,000+
|highest_mount = {{nowrap|[[Ben Nevis]], Scotland}}<ref name="Ordnance Survey Blog-2016">{{Cite news|url=https://www.ordnancesurvey.co.uk/blog/2016/03/britains-tallest-mountain-is-taller/|title=Great Britain's tallest mountain is taller - Ordnance Survey Blog|date=18 March 2016|work=Ordnance Survey Blog|access-date=9 September 2018}}</ref>
|elevation_m = 1345
|population = 71,891,524
|population_as_of = 2019
|population_footnotes = <ref>{{cite web |url = https://esa.un.org/unpd/wpp/Download/Standard/Population/ |title = World Population Prospects 2017 |access-date = 26 May 2017 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20160927210437/https://esa.un.org/unpd/wpp/Download/Standard/Population/ |archive-date = 27 September 2016 |url-status = dead}}</ref>
|density_km2 = 216
|languages = [[English language|English]], [[Welsh language|Welsh]], [[Cornish language|Cornish]], [[Irish language|Irish]], [[Manx language|Manx]], [[Scots language|Scots]], [[Scottish Gaelic]], [[French language|French]], [[Guernésiais]], [[Jèrriais]], [[Sercquiais]], [[Shelta]], [[Ulster Scots dialects|Ulster-Scots]], [[Angloromani]], [[British Sign Language]], [[Irish Sign Language]] 
|timezone1 = [[Greenwich Mean Time]] / [[Western European Time]]
|utc_offset1 = ±0{{!}}UTC
|timezone1_DST = [[Western European Summer Time]]{{ref label|footnote_a|a}}
|utc_offset1_DST = +1
|additional_info = {{Infobox |child=yes |label1 = Drives on the |data1 = left}}
|footnotes = {{Ordered list|list_style_type=lower-alpha|item_style=font-size:90%;
  |{{note|footnote_a}} [[Irish Standard Time]] in the Republic of Ireland, [[British Summer Time]] in the United Kingdom and associated territories.
}}
}}

The '''British Isles''' are an [[archipelago]] in the [[Atlantic Ocean|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 Hebrides|Inner]] and [[Outer Hebrides|Outer]] [[Hebrides]], the [[Northern Isles]] ([[Orkney]] and [[Shetland]]), and over six thousand smaller islands.<ref name="Britannica-2023">{{Cite web |date=12 May 2023 |title=British Isles |url=https://www.britannica.com/place/British-Isles |access-date=26 May 2023 |website=[[Britannica Online]]}}</ref> They have a total area of {{convert|315159|km2||abbr=on}}<ref name="UNEP" /> and a combined population of almost 75 million, and include two [[sovereign state]]s, the [[Republic of Ireland]] (which covers roughly five-sixths of Ireland)<ref>The diplomatic and constitutional name of the Irish state is simply ''Ireland''. For disambiguation purposes, ''Republic of Ireland'' is often used although technically not the name of the state but, according to the ''[[Republic of Ireland Act]] 1948'', the state "may be described" as such.</ref> and the [[United Kingdom|United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland]]. The [[Channel Islands]], off the north coast of [[France]], are normally taken to be part of the British Isles,<ref>Oxford English Dictionary: "British Isles: a geographical term for the islands comprising Great Britain and Ireland with all their offshore islands including the Isle of Man and the Channel Islands."</ref> even though geographically they do not form part of the [[archipelago]].<ref>{{Cite book |last1 = Alan |first1 = Lew |last2 = Colin |first2 = Hall |last3 = Dallen |first3 = Timothy|title = World Geography of Travel and Tourism: A Regional Approach |publisher=Elsevier |place = Oxford |year = 2008 |quote = The British Isles comprise more than 6,000 islands off the north-west coast of continental Europe, including the countries of the United Kingdom of Great Britain (England, Scotland and Wales) and Northern Ireland, and the Republic of Ireland. The group also includes the United Kingdom crown dependencies of the Isle of Man, and by tradition, the Channel Islands (the Bailiwicks of Guernsey and Jersey), even though these islands are strictly speaking an archipelago immediately off the coast of Normandy (France) rather than part of the British Isles. |isbn = 978-0-7506-7978-7}}</ref> Under the UK Interpretation Act 1978, the Channel Islands are clarified as forming part of the [[British Islands]],<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.statutelaw.gov.uk/content.aspx?activeTextDocId=1838152 |title="British Islands" means the United Kingdom, the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man. (1889) |publisher=Statutelaw.gov.uk |access-date=4 October 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090507182642/http://www.statutelaw.gov.uk/content.aspx?activeTextDocId=1838152 |archive-date=7 May 2009}}</ref> not to be confused with the British Isles.

The oldest rocks are 2.7 billion years old and are found in Ireland, Wales and the north-west of Scotland.<ref>{{Cite book| last=Woodcock| first=Nigel H.|author2=Rob Strachan| title=Geological History of Britain and Ireland| year=2012| publisher=John Wiley & Sons| isbn = 978-1-1182-7403-3| pages=49–50}}</ref> During the [[Silurian]] period, the north-western regions collided with the south-east, which had been part of a separate continental landmass. The topography of the islands is modest in scale by global standards. [[Ben Nevis]], the highest mountain, rises to only {{convert|1345|m}},<ref name="Ordnance Survey Blog-2016" /> and [[Lough Neagh]], which is notably larger than other lakes in the island group, covers {{convert|151|sqmi|km2|order=flip}}. The climate is temperate marine, with cool winters and warm summers. The [[North Atlantic drift]] brings significant moisture and raises temperatures {{convert|11|C-change||abbr=on}} above the global average for the latitude. This led to a landscape that was long dominated by temperate rainforest, although human activity has since cleared the vast majority of [[forest cover]]. The region was re-inhabited after the last glacial period of [[Quaternary glaciation]], by 12,000 BC, when Great Britain was still part of a peninsula of the European continent. Ireland was connected to Great Britain by the British-Irish Ice Sheet before 14,000 BC,<ref>Chris D. Clark; Anna L.C. Hughes; Sarah L. Greenwood; Colm Jordan; Hans Petter Sejrup (2012). "Pattern and timing of retreat of the last British-Irish Ice Sheet". Quaternary Science Reviews. 44: 112–146. Bibcode:2012QSRv...44..112C. doi:10.1016/j.quascirev.2010.07.019.</ref> and was not inhabited until after 8000 BC.<ref name="Edwards-2008">{{cite journal|last1=Edwards |first1=R.J. |last2=Brooks |first2=A.J. |date=2008 |title=The Island of Ireland: Drowning the Myth of an Irish Land-bridge? |editor=Davenport, J.J. |editor2=Sleeman, D.P. |editor3=Woodman, P.C. |journal=The Irish Naturalists' Journal |pages=19–34}}</ref> Great Britain became an island by 7000 BC with the flooding of [[Doggerland]].<ref name="McGreevy-2020">{{cite web |last1=McGreevy |first1=Nora |date=2 December 2020 |title=Study Rewrites History of Ancient Land Bridge Between Britain and Europe |url=https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/tiny-islands-survived-tsunami-almost-separated-britain-europe-study-finds-180976430/ |access-date=31 March 2022 |work=[[Smithsonian (magazine)|Smithsonian]]}}</ref>

The [[Gaels]] (Ireland), [[Picts]] (northern Great Britain) and [[Britons (historical)|Britons]] (southern Great Britain), all speaking [[Insular Celtic languages]],<ref>{{cite book |last=Koch |first=John C |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=f899xH_quaMC&pg=PA973 |title=Celtic Culture: Aberdeen breviary-celticism |publisher=ABC-CLIO |year=2006 |isbn=9781851094400}}</ref> inhabited the islands at the beginning of the 1st millennium BC. Much of Brittonic-occupied Britain was [[Roman conquest of Britain|conquered by the Roman Empire]] from AD 43. The first [[Anglo-Saxons]] arrived as Roman power waned in the 5th century, and eventually they dominated the bulk of what is now England.<ref>British Have Changed Little Since Ice Age, Gene Study SaysJames Owen for National Geographic News, 19 July 2005 [http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2005/07/0719_050719_britishgene.html].</ref> [[Viking]] invasions began in the 9th century, followed by more permanent settlements and political change, particularly in England. The [[Normans|Norman]] conquest of England in 1066 and the later [[Angevin Empire|Angevin]] partial conquest of Ireland from 1169 led to the imposition of a new Norman ruling elite across much of Britain and parts of Ireland. By the [[Late Middle Ages]], Great Britain was separated into the Kingdom of England and Kingdom of Scotland, while control in Ireland fluxed between [[Gaelic Ireland|Gaelic kingdoms]], [[Hiberno-Norman|Hiberno-Norman lords]] and the English-dominated [[Lordship of Ireland]], soon restricted only to [[the Pale]]. The 1603 [[Union of the Crowns]], [[Acts of Union 1707]] and [[Acts of Union 1800]] aimed to consolidate Great Britain and Ireland into a single political unit, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, with the Isle of Man and the Channel Islands remaining as [[Crown Dependencies]]. The expansion of the British Empire and migrations following the [[Great Famine (Ireland)|Irish Famine]] and [[Highland Clearances]] resulted in the dispersal of some of the islands' population and culture throughout the world, and rapid depopulation of Ireland in the second half of the 19th century. Most of Ireland seceded from the United Kingdom after the [[Irish War of Independence]] and the subsequent [[Anglo-Irish Treaty]] (1919–1922), with six counties remaining in the UK as Northern Ireland.

As a term, "British Isles" is a [[Geography|geographical]] name and not a political unit; nevertheless, there are [[British Isles naming dispute|objections to its usage]]<ref name="Britannica-2023"/><ref>{{Cite book |last1=Payne |first1=Malcolm |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=rasBRQwwOIIC&pg=PA7 |title=Social Work in the British Isles |last2=Shardlow |first2=Steven |publisher=[[Jessica Kingsley Publishers]] |year=2002 |isbn=978-1-85302-833-5 |pages=7 |quote=When we think about social work in the British Isles, a contentious term if ever there was one, what do we expect to see?}}</ref> in relation to Ireland due to the political interpretation of the word "British".<ref name="Davies-2000">{{Citation|first1=Alistair|last1=Davies|first2=Alan|last2=Sinfield|title=British Culture of the Postwar: An Introduction to Literature and Society, 1945–1999|publisher=Routledge|year=2000|isbn=978-0-415-12811-7|page=[https://archive.org/details/britishcultureof00adav/page/9 9]|quote=Some of the Irish dislike the 'British' in 'British Isles', while a minority of the Welsh and Scottish are not keen on 'Great Britain'.&nbsp;... In response to these difficulties, 'Britain and Ireland' is becoming preferred official usage if not in the vernacular, although there is a growing trend amongst some critics to refer to Britain and Ireland as 'the archipelago'.|url=https://archive.org/details/britishcultureof00adav/page/9}}</ref> The [[Government of Ireland]] does not officially recognise the term<ref name="Dáil Éireann-2012">"[http://www.oireachtas-debates.gov.ie/D/0606/D.0606.200509280360.html Written Answers – Official Terms"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121006211200/http://www.oireachtas-debates.gov.ie/D/0606/D.0606.200509280360.html |date=6 October 2012}}, [[Dáil Éireann]], Volume 606, 28 September 2005. In his response, the Irish Minister for Foreign Affairs stated that "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."</ref> and its embassy in London discourages its use.<ref>{{Citation|date=3 October 2006|first=David|last=Sharrock|url=http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/europe/article658099.ece|work=[[The Times]]|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070216021615/http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/europe/article658099.ece|archive-date=16 February 2007|location=UK |title=New atlas lets Ireland slip shackles of Britain|access-date=24 April 2020|quote=A spokesman for the Irish Embassy in London said: 'The British Isles has a dated ring to it as if we are still part of the Empire. We are independent, we are not part of Britain, not even in geographical terms. We would discourage its useage {{sic}}.'}}</ref> "Britain and Ireland" is used as an alternative description,<ref name="Davies-2000"/><ref name="Hazlett-2003">{{Cite book| title = The Reformation in Britain and Ireland: an introduction |isbn = 978-0-567-08280-0 |page = 17 |last = Hazlett |first = Ian |year = 2003 |publisher=Continuum International Publishing Group |quote=At the outset, it should be stated that while the expression 'The British Isles' is evidently still commonly employed, its intermittent use throughout this work is only in the geographic sense, in so far as that is acceptable. Since the early twentieth century, that nomenclature has been regarded by some as increasingly less usable. It has been perceived as cloaking the idea of a 'greater England', or an extended south-eastern English imperium, under a common Crown since 1603 onwards.&nbsp;... Nowadays, however, 'Britain and Ireland' is the more favoured expression, though there are problems with that too.&nbsp;... There is no consensus on the matter, inevitably. It is unlikely that the ultimate in non-partisanship that has recently appeared the (East) 'Atlantic Archipelago' will have any appeal beyond captious scholars.}}</ref><ref>{{Citation |title=Guardian Style Guide |date=19 December 2008 |url=https://www.theguardian.com/styleguide/b |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230524041755/https://www.theguardian.com/guardian-observer-style-guide-b |location=London |work=[[The Guardian]] |quote=A geographical term taken to mean Great Britain, Ireland and some or all of the adjacent islands such as Orkney, Shetland and the Isle of Man. The phrase is best avoided, given its (understandable) unpopularity in the Irish Republic. The plate in the National Geographic Atlas of the World once titled British Isles now reads Britain and Ireland. |archive-date=24 May 2023}}</ref> and "Atlantic Archipelago" has also seen limited use in academia.<ref name="Norquay-2002">{{Citation|first1=Glenda|last1=Norquay|first2=Gerry| last2=Smyth |title=Across the margins: cultural identity and change in the Atlantic archipelago |publisher=Manchester University Press|year=2002|isbn=978-0-7190-5749-6|page=4 |quote=The term we favour here—Atlantic Archipelago—may prove to be of no greater use in the long run, but at this stage, it does at least have the merit of questioning the ideology underpinning more established nomenclature.}}</ref><ref name="Schwyzer-2004">{{Citation|first1=Philip|last1=Schwyzer|first2=Simon| last2=Mealor |title=Archipelagic identities: literature and identity in the Atlantic Archipelago |publisher=Ashgate Publishing|year=2004 |isbn=978-0-7546-3584-0|page=10 |quote=In some ways 'Atlantic Archipelago' is intended to do the work of including without excluding, and while it seems to have taken root in terms of academic conferences and publishing, I don't see it catching on in popular discourse or official political circles, at least not in a hurry.}}</ref><ref name="Kumar-2003">{{Citation|first=Krishan|last=Kumar|title=The Making of English National Identity |publisher=Cambridge University Press|year=2003 |isbn=978-0-521-77736-0|page=6 |quote=Some scholars, seeking to avoid the political and ethnic connotations of 'the British Isles', have proposed the 'Atlantic Archipelago' or even 'the East Atlantic Archipelago' (see, e.g. Pocock 1975a: 606; 1995: 292n; Tompson, 1986) Not surprisingly this does not seem to have caught on with the general public, though it has found increasing favour with scholars promoting the new 'British History'.}}</ref><ref name="Michael Braddick-2002">{{Citation|author1=David Armitage|author2-link=Michael Braddick |author2=Michael Braddick |title=The British Atlantic world, 1500–1800 |publisher=Palgrave Macmillan |year=2002 |isbn=978-0-333-96340-1|page=284 |quote=British and Irish historians increasingly use 'Atlantic archipelago' as a less metro-centric term for what is popularly known as the British Isles.}}</ref> In official documents created jointly by Ireland and the United Kingdom, such as the [[Good Friday Agreement]], the term "these islands" is used.<ref name="Marshall Cavendish-2010"/><ref>{{Cite web |title=CAIN: Events: Peace: The Agreement - Agreement reached in the multi-party negotiations (10 April 1998) |url=https://cain.ulster.ac.uk/events/peace/docs/agreement.htm |access-date=19 April 2023 |website=cain.ulster.ac.uk}}</ref>

==Etymology==
{{Main|Britain (place name)|Names of the British Isles|Terminology of the British Isles}}

The earliest known references to the islands as a group appeared in the writings of seafarers from the ancient Greek colony of [[Marseille|Massalia]].<ref name="OCorrain-2001">[[#refFoster2001|Foster]], p.&nbsp;1.</ref><ref name="ReferenceA"/> The original records have been lost; however, later writings, e.g. [[Avienius]]'s ''[[Ora maritima]]'', that quoted from the [[Massaliote Periplus]] (6th century BC) and from [[Pytheas]]'s ''On the Ocean'' (around 325–320 BC)<ref>[[#refHarley1987|Harley]], p.&nbsp;150.</ref> have survived.

In the 1st century BC, [[Diodorus Siculus]] has ''Prettanikē nēsos'',<ref name="DiodorusSiculus">Diodorus Siculus' ''Bibliotheca Historica'' Book V. Chapter XXI. Section 1
[https://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus%3Atext%3A2008.01.0540%3Abook%3D5%3Achapter%3D21%3Asection%3D1 Greek text] at the [[Perseus Project]].</ref> "the British Island", and ''Prettanoi'',<ref name="DiodorusSiculus-2">Diodorus Siculus' ''Bibliotheca Historica'' Book V. Chapter XXI. Section 2
[https://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus%3Atext%3A2008.01.0540%3Abook%3D5%3Achapter%3D21%3Asection%3D2 Greek text] at the [[Perseus Project]].</ref> "the Britons",<ref name="ReferenceA">[[#refAllen2007|Allen]], p.&nbsp;172–174.</ref> describes Julius Caesar as having "advanced the Roman Empire as far as the British Isles" ({{Langx|grc|μέχρι τῶν Βρεττανικῶν νήσων|translit=mékhri tôn Brettanikôn nḗsōn|links=no|label=Greek}}),<ref>{{Cite book |url=https://archive.org/details/diodorus-of-sicily-in-twelve-volumes.-vol.-1-loeb-279 |title=Diodorus of Sicily in Twelve Volumes |publisher=[[Harvard University Press]] |year=1933 |editor-last=Oldfather |editor-first=Charles Henry |editor-link=Charles Henry Oldfather |series=[[Loeb Classical Library]] 279 |volume=I: Books I – II.34 |location=Cambridge, Massachusetts |pages=20–21 |language=grc, en-US}}</ref> and remarks on the region "about the British Isles" ({{Langx|grc|τὸ περὶ τὰς Βρεττανικὰς νήσους|translit=tò perì tàs Brettanikàs nḗsous|links=no|label=none}}).<ref>{{Cite book |url=https://archive.org/details/diodorus-of-sicily-in-twelve-volumes.-vol.-2-loeb-303 |title=Diodorus of Sicily in Twelve Volumes |publisher=[[Harvard University Press]] |year=1935 |editor-last=Oldfather |editor-first=Charles Henry |editor-link=Charles Henry Oldfather |series=[[Loeb Classical Library]] 303 |volume=II: Books II.35 – IV.58 |location=Cambridge, Massachusetts |pages=194–195 |language=grc, en-US}}</ref> According to Philip Freeman in 2001, "it seems reasonable, especially at this early point in classical knowledge of the Irish, for Diodorus or his sources to think of all inhabitants of the Brettanic Isles as ''Brettanoi'''''".'''<ref>{{Cite book |last=Freeman |first=Philip |url=https://archive.org/details/irelandclassical0000free |title=Ireland and the Classical World |publisher=[[University of Texas Press]] |year=2001 |isbn=978-0-292-72518-8 |location=Austin |pages=36}}</ref>

[[Strabo]] used Βρεττανική (''Brettanike''),<ref name="Strabo">Strabo's ''Geography'' Book I. Chapter IV. Section 2 [https://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus%3Atext%3A1999.01.0197%3Abook%3D1%3Achapter%3D4%3Asection%3D2 Greek text] and [https://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus%3Atext%3A1999.01.0239%3Abook%3D1%3Achapter%3D4%3Asection%3D2 English translation] at the [[Perseus Project]].</ref><ref name="Strabo-2">Strabo's ''Geography'' Book IV. Chapter II. Section 1 [https://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus%3Atext%3A1999.01.0197%3Abook%3D4%3Achapter%3D2%3Asection%3D1 Greek text] and [https://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus%3Atext%3A1999.01.0239%3Abook%3D4%3Achapter%3D2%3Asection%3D1 English translation] at the [[Perseus Project]].</ref><ref name="Strabo-3">Strabo's ''Geography'' Book IV. Chapter IV. Section 1 [https://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus%3Atext%3A1999.01.0197%3Abook%3D4%3Achapter%3D4%3Asection%3D1 Greek text] and [https://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus%3Atext%3A1999.01.0239%3Abook%3D4%3Achapter%3D4%3Asection%3D1 English translation] at the [[Perseus Project]].</ref> and [[Marcian of Heraclea]], in his ''Periplus maris exteri'', used αἱ Πρεττανικαί νῆσοι (''the Prettanic Isles'') to refer to the islands.<ref name="Müller-1855">{{cite book|title=Geographi Graeci Minores|volume= 1|chapter-url=https://archive.org/details/geographigraeci03mlgoog|author1=Marcianus Heracleensis|last2=Müller|first2=Karl|author-link2=Karl Wilhelm Ludwig Müller|chapter=Periplus Maris Exteri, Liber Prior, Prooemium| pages=516–517|editor1-last=Firmin Didot|editor1-first=Ambrosio|location=Paris|year=1855|display-authors=etal|author1-link= Marcian of Heraclea|publisher= editore Firmin Didot}} Greek text and Latin Translation thereof archived at the [[Open Library]] Project.{{DjVulink}}</ref>

According to [[A. L. F. Rivet]] and Colin Smith in 1979 "the earliest instance of the name which is textually known to us" is in [[The Histories (Polybius)|''The Histories'']] of [[Polybius]], who referred to them {{Langx|grc|αἱ Βρεταννικαί νήσοι|translit=hai Bretannikai nēsoi|label=as|lit=the Brettanic Islands' or 'the British Isles}}.<ref name="Rivet-1979">{{Cite book |last1=Rivet |first1=A. L. F. |author-link=A. L. F. Rivet |url=http://archive.org/details/placenamesofroma0000rive |title=The place-names of Roman Britain |last2=Smith |first2=Colin |publisher=[[Princeton University Press]] |year=1979 |isbn=978-0-691-03953-4 |pages=282}}</ref> According to Rivet and Smith, this name encompassed "Britain with Ireland".<ref name="Rivet-1979" /> According to [[Thomas O'Loughlin]] in 2018, the British Isles was "a concept already present in the minds of those living in continental Europe since at least the 2nd–cent. CE".<ref>{{Cite book |last=O'Loughlin |first=Thomas |author-link=Thomas O'Loughlin |title=Brill Encyclopedia of Early Christianity |year=2018 |edition=Online |volume=4 (Isi - Ori) |chapter=Ireland |doi=10.1163/2589-7993_EECO_SIM_00001698 |issn=2589-7993 |chapter-url=https://doi.org/10.1163/2589-7993_EECO_SIM_00001698}}</ref>

Historians today, though not in absolute agreement, largely agree that these Greek and Latin names were probably drawn from native [[Celtic languages|Celtic-language]] names for the archipelago.<ref>[[#refDavies2000|Davies]], p.&nbsp;47.</ref> Along these lines, the inhabitants of the islands were called the Πρεττανοί (''[[Priteni]]'' or ''Pretani'').<ref name="ReferenceA" /><ref>[[#refSnyder2003|Snyder]], p.&nbsp;68.</ref> The shift from the "P" of ''Pretannia'' to the "B" of ''[[Britannia]]'' by the Romans occurred during the time of Julius Caesar.<ref name="Snyder-2003">[[#refSnyder2003|Snyder]], p.&nbsp;12.</ref>

[[Greeks in Egypt|Greco-Egyptian]] [[Claudius Ptolemy]] referred to the larger island as ''great Britain'' (μεγάλη Βρεττανία ''megale Brettania'') and to Ireland as ''little Britain'' (μικρὰ Βρεττανία ''mikra Brettania'') in his work ''[[Almagest]]'' (147–148 AD).<ref>{{cite book |title=Claudii Ptolemaei Opera quae exstant omnia (Syntaxis Mathematica) |author=Claudius Ptolemy |author-link=Ptolemy |editor1-last=Heiberg |editor1-first=J.L. |publisher=in aedibus B. G. Teubneri |location=Leipzig |year=1898|volume=1 |chapter-url=http://www.wilbourhall.org/pdfs/HeibergAlmagestComplete.pdf |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20221009/http://www.wilbourhall.org/pdfs/HeibergAlmagestComplete.pdf |archive-date=9 October 2022 |url-status=live |pages=112–113 |chapter=Ἕκθεσις τῶν κατὰ παράλληλον ἰδιωμάτων: κβ', κε'}}</ref> According to Philip Freeman in 2001, Ptolemy "is the only ancient writer to use the name "Little Britain" for Ireland, though in doing so he is well within the tradition of earlier authors who pair a smaller Ireland with a larger Britain as the two Brettanic Isles".<ref>{{Cite book |last=Freeman |first=Philip |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ZSHhfOM-5AEC&pg=PA65 |title=Ireland and the Classical World |publisher=University of Texas Press |year=2001 |isbn=978-0-292-72518-8 |location=Austin, Texas |page=65}}</ref> In the second book of Ptolemy's ''[[Geography (Ptolemy)|Geography]]'' ({{Circa|150 AD}}), the second and third chapters are respectively titled in {{Langx|grc|Κεφ. βʹ Ἰουερνίας νήσου Βρεττανικῆς θέσις|lit=Ch. 2, position of Hibernia, a British island|label=Greek|links=no|translit=Iouernías nḗsou Brettanikê̄s thésis}} and {{Langx|grc|Κεφ. γʹ Ἀλβουίωνος νήσου Βρεττανικῆς θέσις|lit=Ch. 3, position of Albion, a British island|label=none|translit=Albouíōnos nḗsou Brettanikê̄s thésis}}.<ref>{{Cite book |last= |first= |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=0RivEAAAQBAJ |title=Klaudios Ptolemaios. Handbuch der Geographie: 1. Teilband: Einleitung und Buch 1-4 & 2. Teilband: Buch 5-8 und Indices |publisher=Schwabe Verlag (Basel) |year=2017 |isbn=978-3-7965-3703-5 |editor-last=Stückelberger |editor-first=Alfred |edition=2nd |language=grc, de |orig-date=2006 |editor-last2=Grasshoff |editor-first2=Gerd}}</ref>{{Rp|pages=143, 146}}

In [[Arabic]] [[geography and cartography in the medieval Islamic world]], the British Isles are known as {{Transliteration|ar|Jazāʾir Barṭāniya}} or {{Transliteration|ar|Jazāʾir Barṭīniya}}. Arabic geographies, including the ''{{transliteration|ar|ALA|[[Kitāb az-Zīj]]}}'' of [[al-Battānī]], mention the British Isles as twelve islands.<ref name="Dunlop-1971">{{Cite book |last=Dunlop |first=D. M. |author-link=Douglas Morton Dunlop |url=http://archive.org/details/arabcivilization0000dunl |title=Arab Civilization to A.D. 1500 |publisher=[[Longman]] and {{ill|Librairie du Liban|qid=Q55091753}} |year=1971 |isbn=978-0-582-50273-4 |location=Beirut and London |pages=160}}</ref><ref name="Dunlop-1957">{{Cite journal |last=Dunlop |first=D. M. |author-link=Douglas Morton Dunlop |date=April 1957 |title=The British Isles according to medieval Arabic authors |journal=[[Islamic Quarterly]] |volume=IV |issue=1 |pages=11–28}}</ref>

[[John Skelton (poet)|John Skelton]]'s English translation of Diodorus Siculus's {{Langx|la|[[Bibliotheca historica]]|label=none}}, written in the middle 1480s, mentions the British Isles as {{Lang|enm|the yles of Bretayne}}.<ref>{{Cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=-7tQAQAAMAAJ |title=The Bibliotheca Historica of Diodorus Siculus translated by John Skelton |publisher=[[Early English Text Society]] |year=1955 |editor-last=Salter |editor-first=F. M. |series=Early English Text Society Original Series 233 |volume=I: Text |pages=11 |editor-last2=Edwards |editor-first2=H. L. R.}}</ref> [[Thomas Twyne]]'s English translation of [[Dionysius Periegetes]]'s {{Langx|la|Orbis descriptio|label=none}}, published in 1572, mentions the British Isles as {{Lang|enm|the Iles of Britannia}}.<ref>{{Cite book |url=https://quod.lib.umich.edu/e/eebo/A20492.0001.001 |title=The surueye of the vvorld, or situation of the earth, so muche as is inhabited Comprysing briefely the generall partes thereof, with the names both new and olde, of the principal countries, kingdoms, peoples, cities, towns, portes, promontories, hils, woods, mountains, valleyes, riuers and fountains therin conteyned. Also of seas, with their clyffes, reaches, turnings, elbows, quicksands, rocks, flattes, shelues and shoares. A work very necessary and delectable for students of geographie, saylers, and others. First vvritten in Greeke by Dionise Alexandrine, and novv englished by Thomas Twine, Gentl. |publisher=[[Henrie Bynneman]] |year=1572 |language=enm |translator-last=Twyne |translator-first=Thomas |translator-link=Thomas Twyne}}</ref> The earliest citation of the phrase {{Lang|enm|Brytish Iles}} in the ''[[Oxford English Dictionary]]'' is in a work by [[John Dee]] dated 1577.<ref name="JohnDee-1577">John Dee, 1577. 1577 J. ''Arte Navigation'', p. 65 "The syncere Intent, and faythfull Aduise, of Georgius Gemistus Pletho, was, I could..frame and shape very much of Gemistus those his two Greek Orations..for our Brytish Iles, and in better and more allowable manner." From the OED, s.v. "British Isles"</ref>

Other names used to describe the islands include the ''[[Anglo-Celtic]] Isles'', ''Atlantic archipelago'' (a term coined by the historian [[J. G. A. Pocock]] in 1975<ref>{{Citation|title=Demography of immigrants and minority groups in the United Kingdom: proceedings of the eighteenth annual symposium of the Eugenics Society, London |issue=1981 |author=D. A. Coleman|publisher=Academic Press|year=1982|isbn=978-0-12-179780-5|page=213|quote=The geographical term ''British Isles'' is not generally acceptable in Ireland, the term ''these islands'' being widely used instead. I prefer ''the Anglo-Celtic Isles'', or ''the North-West European Archipelago''.}}</ref><ref>{{Citation|title=Irish historical studies: Joint Journal of the Irish Historical Society and the Ulster Society for Irish Historical Studies|publisher=Hodges, Figgis & Co.|year=1990|page=98|quote=There is mug to be said for considering the archipelago as a whole, for a history of the British or Anglo-Celtic isles or 'these islands'.}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |first=J. G. A. |last=Pocock |author-link=J. G. A. Pocock |title=British history: a plea for a new subject |journal=Journal of Modern History |volume=47 |issue=4 |year=1975 |pages=601–21 (606) |doi=10.1086/241367 |s2cid=143575698 |quote=We should start with what I have called the Atlantic archipelago – since the term 'British Isles' is one which Irishmen reject and Englishmen decline to take quite seriously.}}</ref>), ''British-Irish Isles'',<ref>John Oakland, 2003, [https://books.google.com/books?id=N9tRrtt2o68C&pg=PP1&dq=%22British+Civilization:+A+Student%27s+Dictionary%22&sig=Ub6Y20p_tWpxtK8JHN0cwF4LxZI#PPA22,M1 British Civilization: A Student's Dictionary], Routledge: London
<blockquote>
'''British-Irish Isles, the''' (geography) see British Isles
</blockquote>
<blockquote>
'''British Isles, the''' (geography) A geographical (not political or constitutional) term for England, Scotland, Wales, and Ireland (including the Republic of Ireland), together with all offshore islands. A more accurate (and politically acceptable) term today is the British-Irish Isles.
</blockquote></ref> ''Britain and Ireland'', ''UK and Ireland'', and ''British Isles and Ireland''.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.blackwellreference.com/public/tocnode?id=g9781405129923_toclevel_ss1-14 |title=Blackwellreference.com |publisher=Blackwellreference.com |access-date=7 November 2010}}</ref> 
Owing to political and national associations with the word ''British'', the Government of Ireland does not use the term ''British Isles''<ref name="Dáil Éireann-2012"/> and in documents drawn up jointly between the British and Irish governments, the archipelago is referred to simply as "these islands".<ref name="Marshall Cavendish-2010">{{Citation|title=World and its Peoples: Ireland and United Kingdom|page=8|publisher=Marshall Cavendish|location=London|year=2010|quote=The nomenclature of Great Britain and Ireland and the status of the different parts of the archipelago are often confused by people in other parts of the world. The name British Isles is commonly used by geographers for the archipelago; in the Republic of Ireland, however, this name is considered to be exclusionary. In the Republic of Ireland, the name British-Irish Isles is occasionally used. However, the term British-Irish Isles is not recognized by international geographers. In all documents jointly drawn up by the British and Irish governments, the archipelago is simply referred to as "these islands". The name British Isles remains the only generally accepted term for the archipelago off the north-western coast of mainland Europe.}}</ref> British Isles is the most widely accepted term for the archipelago.<ref name="Marshall Cavendish-2010"/>

==Geography==
{{See also|Geography of England|Geography of Wales|Geography of Scotland|Geography of Ireland|Geography of the United Kingdom|Geography of the Isle of Man|Geography of the Channel Islands}}

[[File:British-Isles-NW-European-shelf.png|thumb|alt=An image showing the geological shelf of the British Isles.|The British Isles in relation to the north-west [[Geography of Europe|European]] [[continental shelf]]]]

The British Isles lie at the juncture of several regions with past episodes of tectonic mountain building. These [[Orogeny|orogenic belts]] form a complex geology that records a huge and varied span of Earth's history.<ref>{{Cite book| last=Goudie| first=Andrew S.|author2=D. Brunsden| title=The Environment of the British Isles, an Atlas| year=1994| publisher=Clarendon Press| location=Oxford| page=2}}</ref> Of particular note was the [[Caledonian orogeny]] during the [[Ordovician]] and [[Llandovery epoch|early Silurian]] periods, when the [[craton]] [[Baltica]] collided with the [[terrane]] [[Avalonia]] to form the mountains and hills in northern Britain and Ireland. Baltica formed roughly the north-western half of Ireland and Scotland. Further collisions caused the [[Variscan orogeny]] in the [[Devonian]] and [[Carboniferous]] periods, forming the hills of [[Munster]], south-west England, and southern Wales. Over the last 500 million years the land that forms the islands has drifted north-west from around 30°S, crossing the [[equator]] around 370 million years ago to reach its present northern latitude.<ref><!--Goudie, ''The Environment of the British Isles, an Atlas''-->Ibid., p. 5.</ref>

The islands have been shaped by numerous glaciations during the [[Quaternary Period]], the most recent being the [[Devensian]].<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Jacobi |first1=Roger |last2=Higham |first2=Tom |title=12 - The Later Upper Palaeolithic Recolonisation of Britain: New Results from AMS Radiocarbon Dating |doi=10.1016/b978-0-444-53597-9.00012-1 |publisher=Elsevier |journal=Developments in Quaternary Sciences}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last1=Bradley |first1=Raymond S. |title=Paleoclimatology |chapter=Insects and Other Biological Evidence from Continental Regions |edition=Third |date=2015 |pages=377–404 |doi=10.1016/b978-0-12-386913-5.00011-9 |publisher=Academic Press |isbn=9780123869135}}</ref> As this ended, the central [[Irish Sea]] was deglaciated and the English Channel flooded, with sea levels rising to current levels some 8,000 years ago, leaving the British Isles in their current form.

There are about [[List of the British Isles by area|136 permanently inhabited islands]] in the group, the largest two being Great Britain and Ireland. Great Britain is to the east and covers {{convert|83,700|sqmi|km2|abbr=on}}.<ref name="Calder-1995">{{cite web |last=Calder |first=Joshua |title=100 Largest Islands of the World |url=http://www.worldislandinfo.com/LARGESTV1.html |website=WorldIslandInfo.com}}</ref> Ireland is to the west and covers {{convert|32,590|sqmi|km2|abbr=on}}.<ref name="Calder-1995"/> The largest of the other islands are to be found in the [[Hebrides]], [[Orkney]] and [[Shetland]] to the north, [[Anglesey]] and the Isle of Man between Great Britain and Ireland, and the [[Channel Islands]] near the coast of France. The most densely populated island is [[Portsea Island]], which has an area of {{convert|9.5|mi2|km2|abbr=on}}<ref>{{Cite book |last=Naldrett |first=Peter |title=Treasured Islands: The Explorer's Guide to Over 200 of the Most Beautiful and Intriguing Islands Around Britain  |date=2021 |publisher=Conway |isbn=978-1-84486-593-2 |location=[S.l.] |oclc=1257549460}}</ref> but has the third highest population behind Great Britain and Ireland.<ref>{{Cite web|date=11 November 2019|title=These are Britain's biggest islands|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/travel/news-and-advice/britain-islands-biggest-uk-coastline-lewis-harris-portsea-isle-wight-skye-anglesey-a9197726.html|access-date=9 September 2021|website=The Independent}}</ref>

The islands are at relatively low altitudes, with central Ireland and southern Great Britain particularly low-lying: the lowest point in the islands is the [[North Slob]] in [[County Wexford]], Ireland, with an elevation of {{convert|-3.0|m|feet}}. The [[Scottish Highlands]] in the northern part of Great Britain are mountainous, with [[Ben Nevis]] being the highest point on the islands at {{convert|1345|m|0|abbr=on}}.<ref name="Ordnance Survey Blog-2016" /> Other mountainous areas include Wales and parts of Ireland, although only seven peaks in these areas reach above {{convert|1000|m|0|abbr=on}}. Lakes on the islands are generally not large, although [[Lough Neagh]] in Northern Ireland is an exception, covering {{Convert|150|sqmi|km2}}.{{citation needed|date=January 2012}} The largest freshwater body in Great Britain by area is [[Loch Lomond]] at {{convert|27.5|sqmi|km2|0}} and [[Loch Ness]] is the largest by volume whilst [[Loch Morar]] is the deepest freshwater body in the British Isles, with a maximum depth of {{convert|1017|ft|abbr=on|order=flip}}.<ref name="Gazetteerfor Scotland,Morar">[http://www.scottish-places.info/features/featurefirst2408.html Gazetteer for Scotland] Morar, Loch.</ref> There are a number of major rivers within the British Isles. The longest is the [[River Shannon|Shannon]] in Ireland at {{convert|224|mi|0|abbr=on}}.<ref>[http://www.osi.ie/Education/Secondary-Schools/Teacher-Resources/Facts-%281%29.aspx Ordnance Survey (Ireland) Educational Facts].</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.britannica.com/place/River-Shannon |title=River Shannon |last=Ray |first=Michael |website=Encyclopædia Britannica |publisher=Encyclopædia Britannica, inc. |access-date=11 February 2020 |quote="about 161 miles (259 km) in a southerly direction to enter the Atlantic Ocean via a 70-mile (113-kilometre) estuary below Limerick city"}}</ref> The [[river Severn]] at {{convert|220|mi|0|abbr=on}}<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.britannica.com/place/River-Severn |title=River Severn |last=Wallenfeldt |first=Jeff |website=Encyclopædia Britannica |publisher=Encyclopædia Britannica, inc. |access-date=11 February 2020 |quote=about 180 miles (290&nbsp;km) long, with the Severn estuary adding some 40 miles (64&nbsp;km) to its total length}}</ref> is the longest in Great Britain.

===Climate===
The [[climate of the British Isles]] is mild,<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.bgs.ac.uk/discoveringGeology/geologyOfBritain/iceAge/home.html |title=Ice and our landscape {{!}} Geology of Britain {{!}} British Geological Survey (BGS)|website=www.bgs.ac.uk |access-date=19 November 2019}}</ref> moist and changeable with abundant rainfall and a lack of temperature extremes. It is defined as a temperate oceanic climate, or ''Cfb'' on the [[Köppen climate classification]] system, a classification it shares with most of north-west Europe.<ref>{{cite journal |author1=Peel, M. C. |author2=Finlayson B. L. |author3=McMahon, T. A. |year=2007 |title= Updated world map of the Köppen&ndash;Geiger climate classification | journal=Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci. |volume=11 |issue=5 |pages=1633–1644 |url=http://www.hydrol-earth-syst-sci.net/11/1633/2007/hess-11-1633-2007.html |issn=1027-5606 |doi=10.5194/hess-11-1633-2007 |bibcode=2007HESS...11.1633P |doi-access=free}} ''(direct: [http://www.hydrol-earth-syst-sci.net/11/1633/2007/hess-11-1633-2007.pdf Final Revised Paper])''.</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.met.ie/marine/marine_climatology.asp|title=Marine Climatology|publisher=Met Éireann|access-date=30 January 2008}}</ref> The [[North Atlantic Current|North Atlantic Drift]] (Gulf Stream), which flows from the Gulf of Mexico, brings with it significant moisture and raises temperatures {{convert|11|C-change||abbr=on}} above the global average for the islands' latitudes.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Mayes |first=Julian |author2=Dennis Wheeler |title=Regional Climates of the British Isles |url=https://archive.org/details/regionalclimates00whee |url-access=limited |year=1997 |publisher=Routledge |location=London |page=[https://archive.org/details/regionalclimates00whee/page/n36 13]}}</ref> Most Atlantic [[Low-pressure area|depressions]] pass to the north of the islands; combined with the general [[Westerlies|westerly circulation]] and interactions with the landmass, this imposes a general east–west variation in climate.<ref><!--Mayes, ''Regional Climates of the British Isles''-->Ibid., pp. 13–14.</ref> There are four distinct climate patterns: south-east, with cold winters, warm and dry summers; south-west, having mild and very wet winters, warm and wet summers; north-west, generally wet with mild winters and cool summers; and north-east with cold winters, cool summers.<ref>{{Cite web |title=UK Climate Factsheet |url=https://www.rgs.org/CMSPages/GetFile.aspx?nodeguid=4abef83d-916e-4b81-b156-286947cc5de3&lang=en-GB |website= |publisher=[[Royal Geographical Society]] |type=PDF}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=The climate of the UK |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/guides/zpykxsg/revision/3 |access-date=19 November 2019 |website=[[BBC Bitesize]]}}</ref>

==Flora and fauna==
{{See also|Fauna of Great Britain|Fauna of Ireland|List of trees of Great Britain and Ireland}}

[[File:Irl-female red deer Killarney.jpg|thumb|Red deer hinds in [[Killarney National Park]], Ireland]]

The islands have a mild climate and varied soils, giving rise to a diverse pattern of vegetation. Animal and plant life is similar to that of the north-western [[European mainland]]. However there are fewer numbers of species, with Ireland having even fewer. All native [[flora]] and [[fauna]] in Ireland is made up of species that migrated primarily from Great Britain. The only window when this could have occurred was prior to the melting of the [[ice bridge]] between the two islands 14,000 years ago, approaching the end of the last ice age.

As with most of Europe, prehistoric Britain and Ireland were covered with forest and swamp. Clearing began around 6000 BC and accelerated in medieval times. Despite this, Britain retained its primeval forests longer than most of Europe owing to a small population and later development of trade and industry, and wood shortages were not a problem until the 17th century. By the 18th century most of Britain's forests were consumed for shipbuilding or manufacturing charcoal and the nation was forced to import lumber from Scandinavia, North America and the Baltic. Most forest land in Ireland is maintained by state forestation programmes. Almost all land outside urban areas is farmland. However relatively large areas of forest remain in east and north Scotland and in southeast England. Oak, elm, ash and beech are amongst the most common trees in England. In Scotland pine and birch are most common. Natural forests in Ireland are mainly oak, ash, [[wych elm]], birch and pine. Beech and [[Tilia|lime]], though not native to Ireland, are also common there. Farmland hosts a variety of semi-natural vegetation of grasses and flowering plants. Woods, [[hedgerows]], mountain slopes and marshes host [[Calluna vulgaris|heather]], wild grasses, [[common gorse|gorse]] and [[Pteridium aquilinum|bracken]].

Many larger animals, such as wolves, bears and [[European elk]], are today extinct. However some species, such as red deer, are protected. Other small mammals, such as [[European rabbit|rabbits]], [[red fox|foxes]], [[Eurasian badger|badger]]s, [[European hare|hare]]s, [[European hedgehog|hedgehog]]s and [[stoat]]s, are very common and the [[European beaver]] has been reintroduced in parts of Scotland. [[Wild boar]] have also returned to parts of southern England following escapes from farms and illegal releases. Many rivers contain [[European otter|otter]]s and [[grey seal|grey]] and [[common seal]]s are numerous on coasts. There are about 250 bird species regularly recorded in Great Britain and another 350 that occur with varying degrees of rarity. The most numerous species are [[Eurasian wren|wren]], [[European robin|robin]], [[house sparrow]], [[woodpigeon]], [[common chaffinch|chaffinch]] and [[common blackbird|blackbird]].<ref>{{cite web |last1=Ornithology |first1=British Trust for |title=It's official – the Wren is our commonest bird |url=https://www.bto.org/press-releases/it%E2%80%99s-official-%E2%80%93-wren-our-commonest-bird |website=BTO |date=4 February 2020 |access-date=15 July 2020}}</ref> Farmland birds are declining in number,<ref>{{cite web |last1=Johnston |first1=Ian |title=Shocking declines in bird numbers show British wildlife is 'in serious trouble' |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/environment/uk-bird-numbers-species-declines-british-wildlife-turtle-dove-corn-bunting-willow-tits-farmland-a7744666.html |website=The Independent |date=19 May 2017 |access-date=15 July 2020}}</ref> except for those bred for “sport”, such as [[common pheasant|pheasant]], [[red-legged partridge]] and [[red grouse]]. Fish are abundant in the rivers and lakes, in particular salmon, trout, perch and [[Esox|pike]]. Sea fish include [[Squalidae|dogfish]], cod, [[sole (fish)|sole]], [[pollock]] and bass, as well as mussels, crab and oysters along the coast. There are more than 21,000 species of insect.

Few species of reptiles or amphibians are found in Great Britain or Ireland. Only three snakes are native to Great Britain: the [[Vipera berus|adder]], the [[barred grass snake]] and the [[Coronella austriaca|smooth snake]];<ref>{{cite web |year=2007 |title=Guide to British Snakes |url=http://www.wildlifebritain.com/britishsnakes.php |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150308140526/http://www.wildlifebritain.com/britishsnakes.php |archive-date=8 March 2015 |access-date=17 August 2010 |publisher=Wildlife Britain}}</ref> none are native to Ireland. In general Great Britain has slightly more variation and native wildlife, with weasels, [[European polecat|polecat]]s, wildcats, most [[shrews]], [[European mole|moles]], [[European water vole|water voles]], [[roe deer]] and common toads also being absent from Ireland. This pattern is also true for birds and insects. Notable exceptions include the [[Kerry slug]] and certain species of woodlouse native to Ireland but not Great Britain.

Domestic and domesticated animals include the [[Connemara pony]], [[Shetland pony]], [[English Mastiff]], [[Irish Wolfhound]] and many breeds of cattle and sheep.

==Demographics==
{{Further|Demographics of the Republic of Ireland|Demographics of the United Kingdom}}
{{See also|Genetic history of the British Isles}}
[[File:British Isles population density 2011 NUTS3.svg|upright|thumb|alt=A map of the British Isles showing the relative population densities across the area.|Population density per km<sup>2</sup> of the British Isles' [[Nomenclature of Territorial Units for Statistics|regions]]]]

England has a generally high population density, with almost 80% of the total population of the islands. Elsewhere in Great Britain and Ireland, high density of population is limited to areas around a few large cities. The largest urban area by far is the [[Greater London Built-up Area]] with 9&nbsp;million inhabitants. Other major population centres include the [[Greater Manchester Built-up Area]] (2.4&nbsp;million), [[West Midlands conurbation]] (2.4&nbsp;million) and [[West Yorkshire Urban Area]] (1.6&nbsp;million) in England,<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.ons.gov.uk/ons/about-ons/what-we-do/publication-scheme/published-ad-hoc-data/population/august-2012/mid-2010-urban-area-syoa-ests-england-and-wales.xls |title=Mid-2010 Population Estimates for 2001 Census defined Urban Areas in England and Wales by Single Year of Age and Sex |format=XLS |website=Office for National Statistics |access-date=16 June 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130605151000/http://www.ons.gov.uk/ons/about-ons/what-we-do/publication-scheme/published-ad-hoc-data/population/august-2012/mid-2010-urban-area-syoa-ests-england-and-wales.xls |archive-date=5 June 2013}}</ref> [[Greater Glasgow]] (1.2&nbsp;million) in Scotland<ref>[http://www.gro-scotland.gov.uk/files2/stats/population-estimates/special-area/settlements-localities2010/2010-settlements-table2.pdf Mid-2010 population estimates – Settlements in order of size] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130522082521/http://www.gro-scotland.gov.uk/files2/stats/population-estimates/special-area/settlements-localities2010/2010-settlements-table2.pdf |date=22 May 2013}} General Register Office for Scotland.</ref> and [[Greater Dublin Area]] (1.9&nbsp;million) in Ireland.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.dubchamber.ie/policy/economic-profile-of-dublin|title=Dublin Region Facts {{!}} Dublin Chamber of Commerce|website=www.dubchamber.ie|access-date=12 October 2017|archive-date=10 October 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171010034202/http://www.dubchamber.ie/policy/economic-profile-of-dublin|url-status=dead}}</ref>

The population of England rose rapidly during the 19th and 20th centuries, whereas the populations of Scotland and Wales showed little increase during the 20th century; the population of Scotland has remained unchanged since 1951. Ireland for most of its history had much the same population density as Great Britain (about one-third of the total population). However since the [[Great Famine (Ireland)|Great Irish Famine]] the population of Ireland has fallen to less than one-tenth of the population of the British Isles. The famine caused a century-long population decline, drastically reduced the Irish population and permanently altered the demographic make-up of the British Isles. On a global scale, this disaster led to the creation of an [[Irish diaspora]] that numbers fifteen times the current population of the island.

The linguistic heritage of the British Isles is rich,<ref>{{Citation|title=Languages of the British Isles Past and Present|isbn=978-0-233-96666-3|author=WB Lockwood|publisher=Ladysmith|location=British Columbia|year=1975|quote=An introduction to the rich linguistic heritage of Great Britain and Ireland.|url-access=registration|url=https://archive.org/details/languagesofbriti0000lock}}</ref> with twelve languages from six groups across four branches of the [[Indo-European languages|Indo-European]] [[Language family|family]]. The [[Insular Celtic languages]] of the [[Goidelic]] sub-group ([[Irish language|Irish]], [[Manx language|Manx]] and [[Scottish Gaelic]]) and the [[Brittonic languages|Brittonic]] sub-group ([[Cornish language|Cornish]], Welsh and [[Breton language|Breton]], spoken in [[Brittany|north-western France]]) are the only remaining [[Celtic languages]]—the last of their continental relations were extinct before the 7th century.<ref>{{Citation|editor-first=Matthew|editor-last=Spriggs|first1=John|last1=Waddel|first2=Jane|last2=Conroy|title=Celts and Other: Maritime Contact and Linguistic Change|work=Archaeology and Language|volume=35|page=127|publisher=Routledge|location=London|year=1999|isbn=978-0-415-11786-9|quote=Continental Celtic includes Gaulish, Lepontic, Hispano-Celtic (or Celtiberian) and Galatian. All were extinct by the seventh century AD.}}</ref> The [[Norman language]]s of [[Guernésiais]], [[Jèrriais]] and [[Sercquiais]] spoken in the Channel Islands are similar to French, a language also spoken there. A [[Cant (language)|cant]], called [[Shelta]], is spoken by [[Irish Travellers]], often to conceal meaning from those outside the group.<ref>{{Citation|title=Charles G. Leland: The Man & the Myth|first=Gary|last=Varner|year=2008|publisher=Lulu Press|location=Morrisville, North Carolina|isbn=978-1-4357-4394-6|page=41|quote=Shelta does in fact exist as a secret language as is used to conceal meaning from outsiders, used primarily in Gypsy business or negotiations or when speaking around the police.}}</ref> However, English, including [[Scots language|Scots]], is the dominant language, with few monoglots remaining in the other languages of the region.<ref>{{Citation|title=The Encyclopedia of Language and Linguistics|volume=5|first=R. E. Asher|last=J. M. Y. Simpson|page=2505|publisher=Pergamon Press|location=Oxford|year=1994|isbn= 978-0-08-035943-4|quote=Thus, apart from the very young, there are virtually no monoglot speakers of Irish, Scots Gaelic, or Welsh.}}</ref> The [[Norn language]] of [[Orkney]] and [[Shetland]] became extinct around 1880.<ref>{{Citation|title=The Death of the Irish Language: A Qualified Obituary|first=Reg|last=Hindley|publisher=Taylor & Francis|location=Oxon|year=1990|isbn=978-0-415-04339-7|page=221|quote=Three indigenous languages have died in the British Isles since around 1780: Cornish (traditionally in 1777), Norn (the Norse language of Shetland: c. 1880), Manx (1974).}}</ref> <!-- This image might be of interest to keep, but hard to place right now in the article: [[File:BI-langs.svg|thumb|left|alt=A Euler diagram showing the modern languages of the British Isles in and how the related to each other by language branch and typical spoken location.|{{legend|red|Language branches}}{{legend|blue|Modern languages}}{{legend|green|Typical spoken locations}}<hr/>[[Euler diagram]] showing language branches, major languages and typically where they are spoken for [[modern languages]] in the British Isles.]] -->

===Urban areas===

{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
! Rank
! Urban area
! Population
! Country
|-
! 1
|align=left|[[London]]||9,787,426||[[England]]
|-
! 2
|align=left|[[Greater Manchester Built-up Area|Greater Manchester]]||2,553,379||[[England]]
|-
! 3
|align=left|[[West Midlands Conurbation]]||2,440,986||[[England]]
|-
! 4
|align=left|[[West Yorkshire Urban Area]]||1,777,934||[[England]]
|-
! 5
|align=left|[[Glasgow]]||1,209,143||[[Scotland]]
|-
! 6
|align=left|[[Dublin]]||1,173,179||[[Republic of Ireland]]
|-
! 7
|align=left|[[Liverpool]]||864,122||[[England]]
|-
! 8
|align=left|[[South Hampshire]]||855,569||[[England]]
|-
! 9
|align=left|[[Tyneside]]||774,891||[[England]]
|-
! 10
|align=left|[[Nottingham]]||729,977||[[England]]
|-
! 11
|align=left|[[Sheffield]]||685,386||[[England]]
|-
! 12
|align=left|[[Bristol]]||617,280||[[England]]
|-
! 13
|align=left|[[Belfast]]||595,879||[[Northern Ireland]]
|-
! 14
|align=left|[[Leicester]]||508,916||[[England]]
|-
! 15
|align=left|[[Edinburgh]]||482,005||[[Scotland]]
|-
! 16
|align=left|[[Brighton and Hove]]||474,485||[[England]]
|-
! 17
|align=left|[[Bournemouth]]||466,266||[[England]]
|-
! 18
|align=left|[[Cardiff]]||481,082||[[Wales]]
|-
! 19
|align=left|[[Teesside]]||376,633||[[England]]
|-
! 20
|align=left|[[Stoke-on-Trent]]||372,775||[[England]]
|-
! 21
|align=left|[[Coventry]]||359,262||[[England]]
|-
! 22
|align=left|[[Sunderland]]||335,415||[[England]]
|-
! 23
|align=left|[[Birkenhead]]||325,264||[[England]]
|-
! 24
|align=left|[[Reading, Berkshire|Reading]]||318,014||[[England]]
|-
! 25
|align=left|[[Kingston-upon-Hull]]||314,018||[[England]]
|-
! 26
|align=left|[[Preston, Lancashire|Preston]]||313,322||[[England]]
|-
! 27
|align=left|[[Newport, Wales|Newport]]||306,844||[[Wales]]
|-
! 28
|align=left|[[Swansea]]||300,352||[[Wales]]
|-
! 29
|align=left|[[Southend-on-Sea]]||295,310||[[England]]
|-
! 30
|align=left|[[Derby]]||270,468||[[England]]
|-
! 31
|align=left|[[Plymouth]]||260,203||[[England]]
|-
! 32
|align=left|[[Luton]]||258,018||[[England]]
|-
! 33
|align=left|[[Aldershot]]||252,397||[[England]]
|-
! 34
|align=left|[[Medway]]||243,931||[[England]]
|-
! 35
|align=left|[[Blackpool]]||239,409||[[England]]
|-
! 36
|align=left|[[Milton Keynes]]||229,431||[[England]]
|-
! 37
|align=left|[[Barnsley]]||223,281||[[England]]
|-
! 38 
|align=left|[[Cork (city)|Cork]]||222,000||[[Republic of Ireland]]
|-
! 39
|align=left|[[Northampton]]||215,963||[[England]]
|-
! 40
|align=left|[[Norwich]]||213,166||[[England]]
|-
! 41
|align=left|[[Aberdeen]]||207,932||[[Scotland]]
|}

==History==
{{Main|History of the British Isles}}{{More citations needed section|date=January 2023}}{{Cleanup rewrite|2=section|date=August 2021}}
2.5 million years ago the British Isles were repeatedly submerged beneath an ice sheet that extended into the middle of the North Sea, with a larger ice sheet that covered a significant proportion of Scandinavia on the opposite side. Around 1.9 million years ago these two ice sheets frequently merged, essentially creating a land bridge between Scandinavia and northern Great Britain.<ref>{{Cite web |date=13 June 2018 |title=New research reveals British Isles buried under ice sheets 2.5 million years ago |url=https://www.manchester.ac.uk/discover/news/new-research-reveals-british-isles-buried-under-ice-sheets-25-million-years-ago/ |access-date=6 January 2023 |website=[[University of Manchester]]}}</ref> Further south there was a direct land bridge, now known as [[Doggerland]], which was gradually submerged as sea levels rose.<ref name="McGreevy-2020" /><ref>{{Cite web |last1=Greenhalgh |first1=Tate |last2=Hendry |first2=Lisa |title=The making of an island |url=https://www.nhm.ac.uk/discover/the-making-of-an-island.html |access-date=6 January 2023 |website= |publisher=[[Natural History Museum, London|Natural History Museum]]}}</ref> However, the Irish Sea was formed before Doggerland was completely covered in water, with Ireland becoming an island roughly 6,000 years before Great Britain did.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Chakra |first=Hayden |date=13 December 2021 |title=Prehistoric Ireland - Formation Of An Island |url=https://about-history.com/prehistoric-ireland-formation-of-an-island/ |access-date=6 January 2023 |website=AboutHistory}}</ref>

The first evidence of human activity on the islands dates from 840,000 or 950,000 years ago, based on flint tools found near [[Happisburgh]] on the [[Norfolk]] coast of Great Britain.<ref>{{cite news |last=Sample |first=Ian |date=7 July 2010 |title=First humans arrived in Britain 250,000 years earlier than thought |work=The Guardian |url=https://www.theguardian.com/science/2010/jul/07/first-humans-britain-stone-tools |access-date=14 June 2023 |issn=0261-3077}}</ref> In contrast, the earliest evidence of human activity on the island of Ireland dates from 12,500 years ago.<ref>{{Cite news |date=21 March 2016 |title=Earliest evidence of humans in Ireland |work=BBC News |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-35863186 |access-date=14 June 2023}}</ref>

At the time of the Roman Empire, about two thousand years ago, various tribes, which spoke [[Celtic languages|Celtic dialects]] of the [[Insular Celtic languages|Insular Celtic]] group, inhabited the islands. The Romans expanded their civilisation to control southern Great Britain but were impeded in advancing any further, building [[Hadrian's Wall]] to mark the northern frontier of their empire in 122 AD. At that time Ireland was populated by a people known as Hiberni, the northern third or so of Great Britain by a people known as Picts and the southern two thirds by Britons.

[[File:Alfred Jewel.jpg|thumb|upright|The [[Alfred Jewel]] (9th century)]]
Anglo-Saxons arrived as [[Fall of Rome|Roman power waned in the 5th century AD]]. Initially their arrival seems to have been at the invitation of the Britons as mercenaries to repulse incursions by the Hiberni and Picts. In time, Anglo-Saxon demands on the British became so great that they came to culturally dominate the bulk of southern Great Britain, though recent genetic evidence suggests Britons still formed the bulk of the population. This dominance created what is now England and left culturally British enclaves only in [[Hen Ogledd|the north of what is now England]], in [[Cornwall]] and what is now known as Wales. Ireland had been unaffected by the Romans except, significantly, for being [[Christianisation of Ireland|Christianised]]—traditionally by the Romano-Briton Saint Patrick. As Europe, including Britain, descended into turmoil following the collapse of Roman civilisation, an era known as the Dark Ages, Ireland entered a [[golden age]] and [[Hiberno-Scottish mission|responded with missions]] (first to Great Britain and then to the continent), the founding of monasteries and universities. These were later joined by [[Anglo-Saxon mission]]s of a similar nature.

Viking invasions began in the 9th century, followed by more permanent settlements, particularly along the east coast of Ireland, the west coast of modern-day Scotland and the Isle of Man. Though the Vikings were eventually neutralised in Ireland, their influence remained in the cities of [[Dublin]], [[Cork (city)|Cork]], [[Limerick]], [[Waterford]] and [[Wexford]]. England, however, was slowly conquered around the turn of the first millennium AD, and eventually became a feudal possession of [[Denmark]]. The relations between the descendants of Vikings in England and counterparts in [[Normandy]], in northern France, lay at the heart of a series of events that led to the [[Normans|Norman]] [[Norman conquest of England|conquest of England in 1066]]. The remnants of the [[Duchy of Normandy]], which conquered England, remain associated to the English Crown as the Channel Islands to this day. A century later the marriage of the future [[Henry II of England]] to [[Eleanor of Aquitaine]] created the [[Angevin Empire]], partially under the [[List of French monarchs|French Crown]]. At the invitation of [[Diarmait Mac Murchada]], a provincial king, and under [[Laudabiliter|the authority of]] [[Pope Adrian IV]] (the only Englishman to be elected pope), the [[Norman invasion of Ireland|Angevins invaded Ireland]] in 1169. Though initially intended to be kept as an independent kingdom, the failure of [[Ruaidrí Ua Conchobair|the Irish High King]] to ensure the terms of the [[Treaty of Windsor (1175)|Treaty of Windsor]] led Henry II, as King of England, to rule as effective monarch under the title of [[Lord of Ireland]]. This title was granted to his younger son, but when Henry's heir unexpectedly died the title of [[King of England]] and Lord of Ireland became entwined in one person.

[[File:James I of England by Daniel Mytens.jpg|thumb|upright|James VI of Scotland (James I of England)]]

By the [[Late Middle Ages]] Great Britain was separated into the Kingdoms of [[Kingdom of England|England]] and [[Kingdom of Scotland|Scotland]]. Power in Ireland fluxed between [[Gaelic Ireland|Gaelic kingdoms]], [[Hiberno-Norman|Hiberno-Norman lords]] and the English-dominated [[Lordship of Ireland]]. A similar situation existed in the [[Principality of Wales]], which was slowly being annexed into the Kingdom of England by a series of laws. During the course of the 15th century the Crown of England would assert a claim to the Crown of France, thereby also releasing the King of England from being [[vassal]] of the [[King of France]]. In 1534 King Henry VIII, at first having been a strong defender of Roman Catholicism in the face of the Reformation, separated from the Roman Church after failing to secure a divorce from the Pope. His response was to place the King of England as "the only Supreme Head in Earth of the [[Church of England]]", thereby removing the authority of the Pope from the affairs of the English Church. Ireland, which had been held by the King of England as Lord of Ireland, but which strictly speaking had been a feudal possession of the Pope since the Norman invasion, was declared [[Kingdom of Ireland|a separate kingdom]] in personal union with England.

Meanwhile, Scotland had remained an independent Kingdom. In 1603 that changed when the King of Scotland [[Union of the Crowns|inherited the Crown of England]] and consequently the Crown of Ireland too. The subsequent 17th century was one of political upheaval, religious division and war. English colonialism in Ireland of the 16th century was extended by large-scale Scottish and English colonies in [[Ulster]]. Religious division heightened, and the king of England came into conflict with parliament over his tolerance of Catholicism. The resulting [[English Civil War]] or [[War of the Three Kingdoms]] led to a [[revolutionary republic]] in England. Ireland, largely Catholic, was mainly loyal to the king, but by military conquest was subsumed into the new republic. Following defeat of the parliament's army, large-scale land redistributions from loyalist Irish nobility to English commoners in the service of the parliamentary army created a new [[Protestant Ascendancy|Ascendancy]] class, which obliterated the remnants of Old English (Hiberno-Norman) and Gaelic Irish nobility in Ireland. The new ruling class was Protestant and English, whilst the populace was largely Catholic and Irish. This theme would influence Irish politics for centuries to come. When the monarchy was restored in England, the king found it politically impossible to restore the lands of former landowners in Ireland. The "[[Glorious Revolution]]" of 1688 repeated similar themes: a Catholic king pushing for religious tolerance in opposition to a Protestant parliament in England. The king's army was defeated at the [[Battle of the Boyne]] and at the militarily crucial [[Battle of Aughrim]] in Ireland. Resistance held out, eventually forcing the guarantee of religious tolerance in the [[Treaty of Limerick]]. However the terms were never honoured and a new monarchy was installed.

The Kingdoms of England and Scotland were [[Acts of Union 1707|unified in 1707]] creating the [[Kingdom of Great Britain]]. Following an attempted republican [[1798 Rebellion|revolution in Ireland in 1798]], the Kingdoms of Ireland and Great Britain were [[Acts of Union 1800|unified in 1801]], creating the [[United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland|United Kingdom]]. The Isle of Man and the Channel Islands remaining outside of the United Kingdom, but with their ultimate good governance being the responsibility of the British Crown (effectively the British government). Although the colonies of North America that would become the United States of America were lost by the start of the 19th century, the [[British Empire]] expanded rapidly elsewhere. A century later, it would cover one-third of the globe. Poverty in the United Kingdom remained desperate, however, and industrialisation in England led to terrible conditions for the working classes. Mass migrations following the [[Great Famine (Ireland)|Irish Famine]] and [[Highland Clearances]] resulted in the distribution of the islands' population and culture throughout the world and a rapid de-population of Ireland in the second half of the 19th century. Most of Ireland seceded from the United Kingdom after the [[Irish War of Independence]] and the subsequent [[Anglo-Irish Treaty]] (1919–1922), with the six counties that formed Northern Ireland remaining as an autonomous region of the UK.

==Politics==
{{See also|Ireland–United Kingdom relations|Politics of the United Kingdom|Politics of the Republic of Ireland|Ireland–Isle of Man relations|Politics of the Isle of Man|Politics of Jersey|Politics of Guernsey|Politics of Alderney|Politics of Sark}}
[[File:British Isles Euler diagram 15.svg|right|thumb|upright=1.25|An [[Euler diagram]] of the subdivisions of the British Isles. Geographical subdivisions are in green, political subdivisions in blue.]]
[[File:British Isles (political structures).jpg|thumb|Relations within the British Isles include both [[Politics|political]] and [[Economy|economic]] arrangements{{Efn|Examples of relations within the British Isles include: [[British–Irish Intergovernmental Conference]], [[British–Irish Parliamentary Assembly]], [[British Irish Council]], [[North/South Ministerial Council]], [[Common Travel Area]], [[United Kingdom - Crown Dependencies Customs Union]], [[European Single Market]], [[Euro]], [[EU Customs Union]], [[United Kingdom Internal Market Act 2020|UK Internal Market]], [[Pound Sterling]]}}]]

There are two sovereign states in the British Isles: [[Republic of Ireland|Ireland]] and the [[United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland]]. Ireland, sometimes called the Republic of Ireland, governs five-sixths of the island of Ireland, with the remainder of the island forming Northern Ireland. Northern Ireland is a part of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, usually shortened to simply "the United Kingdom", which governs the remainder of the archipelago with the exception of the Isle of Man and the Channel Islands. The Isle of Man and the two Bailiwicks of the Channel Islands, [[Jersey]] and [[Bailiwick of Guernsey|Guernsey]], are known as the [[Crown Dependencies]]. They exercise constitutional rights of self-government and judicial independence;<ref name="Gov.je">{{cite web |url=http://www.gov.je/Government/JerseyWorld/InternationalAffairs/Pages/RelationshipEUandUK.aspx |title=Jersey's relationship with the UK and EU |publisher=Gov.je |access-date=7 November 2010 |archive-date=13 November 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101113143949/http://www.gov.je/Government/JerseyWorld/InternationalAffairs/Pages/RelationshipEUandUK.aspx |url-status=dead}}</ref> responsibility for international representation rests largely with the UK (in consultation with the respective governments); and responsibility for defence is reserved by the UK. The United Kingdom is made up of four [[Countries of the United Kingdom|constituent parts]]: England, Scotland and Wales, forming Great Britain, and Northern Ireland in the north-east of the island of Ireland. Of these, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland have [[Devolution|devolved]] governments, meaning that each has its own parliament or assembly and is self-governing with respect to certain matters set down by law. For judicial purposes, Scotland, Northern Ireland and [[English law|England and Wales]] (the latter being one entity) form separate legal jurisdictions, with there being no single law for the UK as a whole.

Ireland, the United Kingdom and the three Crown dependencies are all [[parliamentary democracies]], with their own separate parliaments. All parts of the United Kingdom return [[Member of Parliament (United Kingdom)|Members of Parliament]] (MPs) to [[Parliament of the United Kingdom|parliament in London]]. In addition to this, voters in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland return members to a [[Scottish Parliament|devolved parliament in Edinburgh]] and [[Senedd|in Cardiff]] and an [[Northern Ireland Assembly|assembly in Belfast]]. Governance in the norm is by majority rule; however, Northern Ireland uses a system of [[Consociationalism|power sharing]] whereby [[Unionism in Ireland|unionists]] and [[Irish nationalist|nationalists]] share executive posts proportionately and where the assent of both groups is required for the [[Northern Ireland Assembly]] to make certain decisions. (In the context of Northern Ireland, unionists are those who want Northern Ireland to remain a part of the United Kingdom and nationalists are those who want Northern Ireland to join with the rest of Ireland.) The [[British monarch]] is the head of state of the United Kingdom, while in the Republic of Ireland the head of state is the [[President of Ireland]].

Ireland is the only part of the isles that is a member state of the [[European Union]] (EU). The UK was a member between 1 January 1973<ref>{{Cite web |title=The United Kingdom's accession to the EC - Decolonisation: geopolitical issues and impact on the European integration process - CVCE Website |url=https://www.cvce.eu/en/education/unit-content/-/unit/dd10d6bf-e14d-40b5-9ee6-37f978c87a01/3cf54bc7-03f0-4306-9f25-316d508d0c38 |access-date=30 April 2021 |website=www.cvce.eu}}</ref> and 31 January 2020, but the Isle of Man<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.gov.im/cso/externalrelations/eu.xml |title=Relationship with European Union – Isle of Man Government – Chief Secretary's Office |publisher=Gov.im |access-date=7 November 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100925081145/http://www.gov.im/cso/externalrelations/eu.xml |archive-date=25 September 2010}}</ref> and the Channel Islands were not.<ref name="Gov.je"/><ref>{{cite web|url=https://gov.gg/guernseyandtheworld |website=States of Guernsey |title = Guernsey and the World |date=20 November 2015 |publisher=Gov.gg |access-date=12 October 2020}}</ref> Since the [[partition of Ireland]], an informal free-travel area has existed across the island of Ireland. This area required formal recognition in 1997 during the course of negotiations for the [[Amsterdam Treaty]] of the European Union, and (together with the Crown dependencies) is now known as the [[Common Travel Area]]. As such, Ireland is not part of the [[Schengen Area]], which allows passport-free travel between most EU member states, and is the only member state with an opt-out from the obligation to join the Schengen Zone.<ref>See Article 4 of Protocol (No 19) on the Schengen Acquis integrated into the framework of the European Union ([https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/ALL/?uri=CELEX:12016E/PRO/19]).</ref>

Reciprocal arrangements allow British and Irish citizens specific voting rights in the two states. In Ireland, British citizens can vote in General and local elections, but not in European Parliament elections, constitutional referendums or presidential elections (for which there is no comparable franchise in the United Kingdom). In the United Kingdom, Irish and [[Commonwealth of Nations|Commonwealth]] citizens can vote in every election for which British citizens are eligible.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Johnstone |first=Neil |date=28 April 2023 |title=Who can vote in UK elections? |url=https://commonslibrary.parliament.uk/research-briefings/cbp-8985/ |website=[[UK Parliament]]}}</ref> In the Crown dependencies, any resident can vote in general elections,<ref>{{Cite web |title=General Election 2022 |url=https://www.vote.je/general-election-2022/ |access-date=30 April 2021 |website=Vote.je - States of Jersey Elections |archive-date=30 April 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210430160957/https://www.vote.je/general-election-2022/ |url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2 December 2019 |title=Elections & Electoral Roll |url=https://www.gov.gg/elections |access-date=30 April 2021 |website=www.gov.gg}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=Isle of Man Government - Register to Vote |url=https://www.gov.im/categories/home-and-neighbourhood/elections-and-voting/register-to-vote/ |access-date=30 April 2021 |website=www.gov.im}}</ref> but in Jersey and the Isle of Man only British citizens can run for office.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Standing in the 2022 General Election|url=https://www.vote.je/standing-in-the-2022-general-election/|access-date=30 April 2021|website=Vote.je - States of Jersey Elections|archive-date=30 April 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210430160955/https://www.vote.je/standing-in-the-2022-general-election/|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Candidates |url=https://www.gov.im/categories/home-and-neighbourhood/elections-and-voting/2021-general-election/candidates/ |access-date=30 April 2021 |website=[[Isle of Man Government]]}}</ref> These pre-date European Union law, and in both jurisdictions go further than what was required by European Union law (EU citizens may only vote in local elections in both states and European elections in Ireland). In 2008, a [[Ministry of Justice (United Kingdom)|UK Ministry of Justice]] report investigating how to strengthen the British sense of citizenship proposed to end this arrangement, arguing that "the right to vote is one of the hallmarks of the political status of citizens; it is not a means of expressing closeness between countries".<ref>Goldsmith, 2008, [http://www.justice.gov.uk/docs/citizenship-report-full.pdf Citizenship: Our Common Bond], Ministry of Justice: London {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090327121654/http://www.justice.gov.uk/docs/citizenship-report-full.pdf |date=27 March 2009}}</ref>

In addition, some civil bodies are organised throughout the islands as a whole. The [[Royal National Lifeboat Institution]] (RNLI), a charity that operates a lifeboat service, is organised throughout the islands as a whole, covering the waters of the United Kingdom, Ireland, the Isle of Man, and the Channel Islands.<ref>{{Cite web |date=12 January 2007 |title=Royal National Lifeboat Institution |url=https://rnli.org/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230524051736/https://rnli.org/ |archive-date=24 May 2023 |access-date=26 May 2023 |website=[[RNLI]]}}</ref>

The [[Northern Ireland peace process]] has led to a number of unusual arrangements between the Republic of Ireland, Northern Ireland and the United Kingdom. For example, citizens of Northern Ireland are entitled to the choice of Irish or British citizenship or both, and the Governments of Ireland and the United Kingdom consult on matters not devolved to the [[Northern Ireland Executive]]. The Northern Ireland Executive and the Government of Ireland also meet as the [[North/South Ministerial Council]] to develop policies common across the island of Ireland. These arrangements were made following the 1998 [[Good Friday Agreement]].

===British–Irish Council===
{{Main|British–Irish Council}}

Another body established under the Good Friday Agreement, the British–Irish Council, is made up of all of the states and territories of the British Isles. The [[British–Irish Parliamentary Assembly]] ({{langx|ga|Tionól Pharlaiminteach na Breataine agus na hÉireann}}) predates the British–Irish Council and was established in 1990. Originally it comprised 25 members of the [[Oireachtas]], the Irish parliament, and 25 members of the [[parliament of the United Kingdom]], with the purpose of building mutual understanding between members of both legislatures. Since then the role and scope of the body has been expanded to include representatives from the [[Scottish Parliament]], the [[Senedd]] (Welsh Parliament), the [[Northern Ireland Assembly]], the [[States of Jersey]], the [[States of Guernsey]] and the [[High Court of Tynwald]] (Isle of Man).

The Council does not have executive powers but meets biannually to discuss issues of mutual importance. Similarly, the Parliamentary Assembly has no legislative powers but investigates and collects witness evidence from the public on matters of mutual concern to its members. Reports on its findings are presented to the Governments of Ireland and the United Kingdom. During the February 2008 meeting of the British–Irish Council, it was agreed to set up a standing secretariat that would serve as a permanent 'civil service' for the Council.<ref>[Communiqué of the British-Irish Council], February 2008{{full citation needed |date=October 2020}}</ref> Leading on from developments in the British–Irish Council, the chair of the British–Irish Inter-Parliamentary Assembly, [[Niall Blaney]], has suggested that the body should shadow the British–Irish Council's work.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Purdy |first=Martina |date=28 February 2008 |title=Unionists urged to drop boycott |work=[[BBC News]] |url=https://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/northern_ireland/7268911.stm |access-date=26 May 2023}}</ref>

==Culture==
{{See also|Culture of Ireland|Culture of the United Kingdom|Sport in Ireland|Sport in the United Kingdom}}

[[File:Lords match in progress.jpg|thumb|One Day Cricket International at Lord's; England v Australia 10 July 2005]]
[[File:Pádraig Harrington 2007.jpg|thumb|right|[[Pádraig Harrington]] teeing off at [[the Open Championship]] ([[golf]]) [[2007 Open Championship|in 2007]]]]

The United Kingdom and Ireland have separate media, although British television, newspapers and magazines are widely available in Ireland,<ref>{{cite web |last=Moran |first=Albert |title=Ireland |url=http://www.museum.tv/archives/etv/I/htmlI/ireland/ireland.htm |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071214101405/http://www.museum.tv/archives/etv/I/htmlI/ireland/ireland.htm |archive-date=14 December 2007 |access-date=17 October 2008 |publisher=[[The Museum of Broadcast Communications]]}}</ref> giving people in Ireland a high level of familiarity with the culture of the United Kingdom. Irish newspapers are also available in the UK, and Irish state and private television are widely available in Northern Ireland.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.nidirect.gov.uk/articles/how-you-get-tg4-rte-one-and-rte-two#:~:text=The%20Republic%20of%20Ireland%20channels,an%20aerial%2C%20satellite%20and%20cable. |title=How you get TG4, RTE One and RTE Two |work=Nidirect |date=18 November 2015 |access-date=23 March 2021}}</ref> Certain reality TV shows have embraced the whole of the islands, for example ''[[The X Factor (UK TV series)|The X Factor]]'', seasons 3, 4 and 7 of which featured auditions in Dublin and were open to Irish voters, whilst the show previously known as ''Britain's Next Top Model'' became ''[[Britain and Ireland's Next Top Model]]'' in 2011. A few cultural events are organised for the island group as a whole. For example, the [[Costa Book Awards]] are awarded to authors resident in the UK or Ireland. The [[Mercury Music Prize]] is handed out every year to the best album from a British or Irish musician or group.

Many globally popular sports had their modern rules codified in the British Isles, including golf, [[association football]], [[Cricket in the British Isles (disambiguation)|cricket]], [[Rugby football|rugby]], [[History of snooker|snooker]] and darts, as well as many minor sports such as [[croquet]], [[bowls]], [[pitch and putt]], [[History of water polo|water polo]] and [[Gaelic handball|handball]]. A number of sports are popular throughout the British Isles, the most prominent of which is association football. While this is organised separately in different national associations, leagues and national teams, even within the UK, it is a common passion in all parts of the islands. [[Rugby union]] is also widely enjoyed across the islands with four national teams from [[England national rugby union team|England]], [[Ireland national rugby union team|Ireland]], [[Scotland national rugby union team|Scotland]] and [[Wales national rugby union team|Wales]]. The [[British and Irish Lions]] is a team chosen from each national team and undertakes tours of the Southern Hemisphere rugby-playing nations every four years. Ireland plays as a united team, represented by players from both Northern Ireland and the Republic. These national rugby teams play each other each year for the [[Triple Crown (rugby union)|Triple Crown]] as part of the [[Six Nations Championship]]. Also, since 2001, the professional club teams of Ireland, Scotland, Wales, Italy and South Africa compete against each other in the [[United Rugby Championship]]. [[Gaelic Football]] and [[Hurling]] are the two most common sports in the [[Republic of Ireland]]<ref name="The Social Significance of Sport">{{cite web
 |url=http://www.esri.ie/pdf/BKMNINT180_Main%20Text_Social%20and%20Economic%20Value%20of%20Sport.pdf 
 |title=The Social Significance of Sport 
 |access-date=27 November 2006 
 |url-status=dead 
 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081028204341/http://www.esri.ie/pdf/BKMNINT180_Main%20Text_Social%20and%20Economic%20Value%20of%20Sport.pdf 
 |archive-date=28 October 2008 
}}</ref> and among the top sports in [[Northern Ireland]]<ref>{{cite web|publisher = DCAL| title = Attendance at Live Sports Events by Adults in Northern Ireland: Findings from the Continuous Household Survey 2011/12 | work = Belfast: DCAL, [n.d.]| url = https://www.communities-ni.gov.uk/sites/default/files/publications/dcal/attendance-at-live-sports-events-by-adults-in-northern-ireland-201112_0.pdf | access-date = 26 October 2016}}</ref> and have their roots in ancient  [[Gaelic Ireland|Gaelic culture]]<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.irelandbeforeyoudie.com/the-5-most-popular-sports-in-ireland-ranked/|title=5 Most Popular Sports In Ireland In 2025, Ranked|website=Ireland Before You Die |date=28 January 2025 }}</ref>

The [[Ryder Cup]] in golf was originally played between a United States team and a team representing Great Britain and Ireland. From 1979 onwards, this was expanded to include the whole of Europe.

==Transport==
{{See also|Transport in Ireland|Transport in the United Kingdom}}

[[London Heathrow Airport]] is Europe's busiest airport in terms of passenger traffic, and the Dublin-London route is the busiest air route in Europe collectively,<ref>{{Cite web |last=McCárthaigh |first=Seán |date=31 March 2003 |title=London busiest air traffic route within EU |url=http://archives.tcm.ie/irishexaminer/2003/03/31/story437213650.asp |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101206210538/http://archives.tcm.ie/irishexaminer/2003/03/31/story437213650.asp |archive-date=6 December 2010 |access-date= |website=[[Irish Examiner]]}}</ref> the busiest route out of Heathrow, and among the top-20 [[List of busiest passenger flight routes|busiest international air routes in the world]]. The [[English Channel]] and the southern [[North Sea]] are the busiest seaways in the world.<ref>{{Citation |first=Jack |last=Hardisty |title=The British Seas: an Introduction to the Oceanography and Resources of the North-west European Continental Shelf |publisher=Routledge |location=London |year=1990 |isbn=978-0-415-03586-6 |page=5 |quote=Not only are the English Channel and the Southern North Sea, in particular, the busiest shipping clearways in the world, but the seas are also sources of the European community's industrial wealth (fisheries, petroleum, aggregates, and power) and sinks for the disposal of refuse from its intensely urbanized and industrialized coats.}}</ref> The [[Channel Tunnel]], opened in 1994, links Great Britain to France and is the second-longest rail tunnel in the world.

The idea of building a [[Irish Sea tunnel|tunnel under the Irish Sea]] has been raised since 1895,<ref>"Tunnel Under the Sea", ''[[The Washington Post]]'', 2 May 1897 [https://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/washingtonpost_historical/access/282943272.html?dids=282943272:282943272&FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT&date=MAY+02%2C+1897&author=&pub=The+Washington+Post&desc=TUNNEL+UNDER+THE+SEA&pqatl=google (Archive link)] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121103065904/http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/washingtonpost_historical/access/282943272.html?dids=282943272:282943272&FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT&date=MAY+02%2C+1897&author=&pub=The+Washington+Post&desc=TUNNEL+UNDER+THE+SEA&pqatl=google |date=3 November 2012}}.</ref> when it was first investigated. Several potential Irish Sea tunnel projects have been proposed, most recently the Tusker Tunnel between the ports of [[Rosslare Europort|Rosslare]] and [[Fishguard]] proposed by [[The Institute of Engineers of Ireland]] in 2004.<ref>{{Citation|title=Tunnel 'vision' under Irish Sea|url=https://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/wales/south_west/4121001.stm|publisher=[[BBC News]] |date=23 December 2004}}</ref> A rail tunnel was proposed in 1997 on a different route, between [[Dublin]] and [[Holyhead]], by British engineering firm Symonds. Either tunnel, at {{convert|50|mi|0|abbr=on}}, would be by far the longest in the world, and would cost an estimated £15&nbsp;billion (€20&nbsp;billion). A proposal in 2007,<ref>{{Cite news |date=21 August 2007 |title=From Twinbrook to the Trevi Fountain |publisher=[[BBC News]] |url=https://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/northern_ireland/6956570.stm |access-date=}}</ref> estimated the cost of building a bridge from [[County Antrim]] in Northern Ireland to [[Galloway]] in Scotland at £3.5bn (€5bn).

== See also ==
{{Portal|Ireland|United Kingdom}}
* [[British Islands]]
* [[Extreme points of the British Isles]]
* [[List of islands of the British Isles]]
* [[Proposed British Isles fixed sea link connections]]

== Notes ==
{{Notelist}}

== References ==
{{Reflist}}
* {{Cite book |last=Allen |first=Stephen |title=Lords of Battle: The World of the Celtic Warrior |publisher=Osprey Publishing |year=2007 |isbn=978-1-84176-948-6 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=28C63w4vKD8C |ref=refAllen2007}}{{Dead link|date=October 2023 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes}}
* {{Cite book |last=Davies |first=Norman |author-link=Norman Davies |title=The Isles a History |publisher=Macmillan |year=2000 |isbn=978-0-333-69283-7  |ref=refDavies2000 |title-link=The Isles a History}}
* {{Cite book |author1=Donnchadh O Corrain |display-authors=etal |date=1 November 2001 |editor-last=Foster |editor-first=Robert Fitzroy |title=The Oxford History of Ireland |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=bD9RFgLaGQkC |publisher=Oxford University Press |isbn=978-0-19-280202-6 |ref=refFoster2001}}
* {{Cite book |last=Harley |first=John Brian |author2=David Woodward |year=1987 |title=The History of Cartography: Cartography in Prehistoric, Ancient, and Medieval Europe and the Mediterranean |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=uJaP4i7-_MIC |publisher=Humana Press |isbn=978-0-226-31633-8 |ref=refHarley1987}}{{Dead link|date=October 2023 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes}}
* {{Cite book |last=Snyder |first=Christopher |year=2003 |title=The Britons |url=https://archive.org/details/britons00snyd |url-access=registration |publisher=Blackwell Publishing |isbn=978-0-631-22260-6 |ref=refSnyder2003}}

== Further reading ==
{{Refbegin|30em}}
* {{Cite book |last=Collingwood |year=1998 |first=Robin George |title=Roman Britain and the English Settlements |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=fMcbnMFn8lcC |publisher=Biblo & Tannen Publishers |isbn=978-0-8196-1160-4}}
* {{Cite book |last=Ferguson |first=Niall |author-link=Niall Ferguson |year=2004 |title=Empire |url=https://archive.org/details/empire00nial |url-access=registration |publisher=Basic Books |isbn=978-0-465-02329-5 |access-date=22 July 2009}}
* {{Cite book |last=Maddison |first=Angus |title=The World Economy: A Millennial Perspective |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=6D01BTuzScwC |year=2001 |publisher=Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development |isbn=978-92-64-18654-5 |access-date=22 July 2009}}
* {{Cite book |last=Markale |first=Jean |year=1994 |title=King of the Celts |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=-qIzhamrT2kC |publisher=Bear & Company |isbn=978-0-89281-452-7}}
* [[Simon Schama]] (2000). ''[[A History of Britain (book)|A History of Britain]]: At the Edge of the World, 3500 B.C. – 1603 A.D.'' BBC/Miramax. {{ISBN|978-0-7868-6675-5}}.
* [[Simon Schama]] (2002). ''A History of Britain: The Complete Collection on DVD''. BBC.
* [[George Macaulay Trevelyan|G. M. Trevelyan]] (1987). ''Shortened History of England''. Penguin Books. {{ISBN|978-0-14-023323-0}}.
{{Refend}}

== External links ==
{{Commons}}
* An [https://www.bgs.ac.uk/map-viewers/bgs-geology-viewer/ interactive geological map] of the British Isles

{{British Isles}}
{{United Kingdom topics}}
{{History of Europe}}
{{European history by country}}
{{History of the British Isles |bar=yes}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:British Isles| ]]
[[Category:Archipelagoes of Europe]]
[[Category:Geography of Europe]]
[[Category:Northwestern Europe]]
[[Category:Regions of Europe]]