British Isles

British Isles, archipelago off the northwest coast of Europe, in the northeastern Atlantic Ocean. The English Channel, the North Sea, and the Strait of Dover separate the British Isles from the European continent. The two largest islands of the archipelago are Great Britain, which is divided into England, Scotland, and Wales, and Ireland, made up of Ireland and Northern Ireland. Ireland lies west of Great Britain, with the North Channel, the Irish Sea, and Saint George’s Channel between them. Politically, Northern Ireland and the countries of Great Britain belong to the United Kingdom. The archipelago of the British Isles also includes the Orkney Islands northeast of Scotland, the Shetland Islands off northern Scotland, the Scilly Isles southwest of England, the Hebrides west of Scotland, the Channel Islands southeast of England, the Isle of Man northwest of England, the Isle of Wight south of England, and more than 5,000 smaller adjacent islands and islets. These, along with Great Britain and Ireland, claim a total land area of about 315,000 sq km (about 122,000 sq mi).

Geographically, the southern portion of Great Britain is part of the plain of northern Europe. The northern part of the island, dotted with scenic lakes, is made up of ancient, eroded mountains. Great Britain has a rainy but mild climate. The 18th-century Industrial Revolution began in this area, where iron and coal deposits were plentiful.

Ireland is mostly hilly and well watered, with many lakes and rivers. The economy of Ireland has traditionally been agricultural. Since the mid-1950s, however, manufacturing and services have replaced agriculture in economic significance. Tourism is important in Ireland, as it is in Great Britain and most of the major islands of the British Isles.