The British Isles are a group of islands off the northwest coast of continental Europe that include Great Britain, Ireland and over six-thousand smaller islands. There are two sovereign states located on the islands: the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, and Ireland. The British Isles also include the Crown Dependencies of the Isle of Man and, by tradition, the Channel Islands, although the latter are not physically a part of ...
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The British Isles are a group of islands off the northwest coast of continental Europe that include Great Britain, Ireland and over six-thousand smaller islands. There are two sovereign states located on the islands: the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, and Ireland. The British Isles also include 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.
The term British Isles is controversial in relation to Ireland, where there are objections to its usage due to the association of the word "British" with Ireland. The Government of Ireland discourages its use, and in relations with the United Kingdom the words "these islands" are used. Although still used as a geographic term, the controversy means that alternative terms such as "Britain and Ireland" are increasingly preferred.
The first references to the islands as a group appeared in the writings of travellers from the...
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