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British Islands
Term within the law of the United Kingdom / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
This article is about the term referring to the UK, Channel Islands and Isle of Man collectively. For the archipelago, see British Isles. For a list of islands within the United Kingdom, see List of islands of the United Kingdom. For other islands under British sovereignty, see British Overseas Territories.
The British Islands[1] is a term within the law of the United Kingdom which refers collectively to the following four polities:
- the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland;
- the Bailiwick of Guernsey (including the jurisdictions of Alderney, Guernsey and Sark);
- the Bailiwick of Jersey;
- the Isle of Man.[2]
Quick Facts Geography, Location ...
![]() A map showing the areas referred to as the British Islands shaded red | |
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Geography | |
---|---|
Location | North-western Europe |
Adjacent to | Atlantic Ocean, North Sea |
Total islands | 6,000+ |
Highest elevation | 1,345 m (4413 ft) |
Highest point | Ben Nevis[citation needed] |
Administration | |
Capital and largest settlement | Saint Peter Port |
Area covered | 78 km2 (30 sq mi) |
Capital and largest settlement | Saint Helier |
Area covered | 118 km2 (46 sq mi) |
Capital and largest settlement | Douglas |
Area covered | 572 km2 (221 sq mi) |
Capital and largest city | London |
Area covered | 244,111 km2 (94,252 sq mi) |
Demographics | |
Languages | Auregnais, Cornish, English, French, Guernésiais, Irish, Jèrriais, Manx, Scots, Scottish Gaelic, Sercquiais, Shelta, Ulster-Scots, Welsh |
Additional information | |
Time zone | |
• Summer (DST) | |
Drives on the | left |
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The Isle of Man and the Bailiwicks of Guernsey and Jersey are Crown Dependencies and are not a part of the United Kingdom. The Parliament of the United Kingdom on occasions introduces legislation that is extended to the islands, normally by the use of Orders in Council. For this reason it has been found useful to have a collective term for the combined territories. A statutory definition can be found in Schedule 1 of the Interpretation Act 1978.[3]
The term The United Kingdom and the Islands is used in the Immigration Act 1971.[4]