British Isles.docVIP

British Isles British Isles Native name: English / Scots: British Isles1Irish: Oileáin Iarthair Eorpa / Na hOileáin Bhriotanacha / éire agus an Bhreatain Mhór[1]Manx: Ellanyn Goaldagh[2]Scottish Gaelic: Eileanan Bhreatainn[3]Welsh: Ynysoedd Prydain[4] Geography Location Western Europe Total islands 6,000+ Major islands Great Britain and Ireland Area 315,134?km2 121,673 sq mi Highest point Ben Nevis 1,344 m 4,409 ft Sovereign states and Crown Dependencies Guernsey Largest city Saint Peter Port Isle of Man Largest city Douglas Ireland Largest city Dublin Jersey Largest city Saint Helier United Kingdom Largest city London Demographics Population ~65 million Ethnic groups Britons, English, Irish, Scottish, Ulster-Scots, Welsh, Cornish,[5] Channel Islanders, Manx 1?? May appear in Scots as Breetish Isles.[6] The British Isles are a group of islands off the northwest coast of continental Europe that include Great Britain and Ireland, and numerous smaller islands.[7] There are two sovereign states located on the islands: the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, and Ireland.[8] The British Isles also includes the Crown Dependencies of the Isle of Man and, by tradition, the Channel Islands, although the latter are not physically a part of the island group.[9] The term British Isles is controversial in relation to Ireland, where there are objections to its usage. The government of Ireland discourages its use.[10][11][12][13] Britain and Ireland is a frequently used alternative name for the group.[14][15] The first English use of the term Brytish Iles was in 1577 by John Dee,[16] an advocate of imperial expansion.[17] Since Irish independence, the term British Isles is deprecated by some speakers, while others regard it purely as a geographical rather than political description.[16] Alternative names and descriptions Main articles: Terminology of the British Isles and British Isles naming dispute Several different names are c