Definition:
British Isles is a geographical term referring to the European islands that lie off the north coast of France. The British Isles are made up of the two large islands of Britain and Ireland, plus thousands of smaller, often uninhabited, islands.
Physical Map:
The British Isles from the westernmost part of Europe. They consists of following geographies (areas or territories):
Two large islands, Great Britain and Ireland, the island groups of the Hebrides, Orkney, Shetland and the Scilly Isles, the Isle of Wight, the Isle of Man and Anglesey. There are also about 5,500 other small islands.
Historical Background:
There are following two nations in the British Isles. The larger one is the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland (UK). The other is the Republic of Ireland, which forms the greater part of Ireland.
(1) Great Britain:
Great Britain consists of three historic countries: the Kingdoms of England and Scotland, and the principality of Wales. The English conquered Wales in 1282, and the two countries were formally united in 1536-42. The English tried for hundreds of years to conquer Scotland.
Eventually the two countries were linked when King James VI of Scotland (He was son of Mary, Queen of Scots. He took the English throne in 1603 after Elizabeth I died without an heir) inherited the English throne.
Scotland retained its own parliament until 1707. In 1997 the Scots voted to have their own parliament again, and at the same time the Welsh voted to have their own national assembly. A new assembly for Northern Ireland, which had been ruled directly from Westminster since 1972, was created in 1998.
(2) Ireland:
In 1171 the Norman rulers of England laid claim to Ireland. Successive rulers tightened their grip on the country, and in 1801 Ireland was made part of the United Kingdom.
The Irish were mostly Roman Catholic, but the British had encouraged Protestants from Scotland and England to settle there. In 1916 a rebellion against British rule broke out in Dublin, Ireland’s capital. By 1922 the southern, strongly Roman Catholic part of the island had become a Free State, but the Protestants of the north voted to remain a part of the United Kingdom as the province of Northern Ireland.
Ten-10 Important Points (British Isles):
(1) Union Flag: The current flag of the Union Flag (often called the Union Jack) dates from 1801, when the union of Ireland and Great Britain took place. The flag combines the crosses of St George of England (red on white), St Andrew of Scotland (diagonal white on blue) and St Patrick of Ireland (diagonal on white).
(2) Britain: Short for Great Britain.
(3) Britannia: Female warrior who symbolises Britain; the name of the Roman Province that was made up of England and Wales.
(4) Great Britain: The combined kingdom of England and Scotland, together with the principality of Wales.
(5) United Kingdom: Short for “United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland”. Political term referring to the kingdoms of England and Scotland, the principality of Wales, and Northern Ireland.
(6) Days of Empire: During Victoria’s reign (1837-1901), Britain’s powerful overseas empire included parts of Africa, the Americas, Asia and Australasia.
(7) Money Matters: The UK’s currency is the pound sterling. The Republic of Ireland’s currency is the euro, which has been adopted by many EU states as a common currency.
(8) Royal Residence: The British monarch’s London residence is Buckingham Palace. When the Queen is at home, the royal standard flies from the flagpole.
(9) Houses of Parliament, London: This houses the parliament of the republic of Ireland. It consists of the house of Representatives (Dail) and the Senate (Seanad).
(10) Leinster House, Dublin: This house the parliament of the Republic of Ireland. It consists of the House of Representatives (Dail) and the Senate (Seanad).