Giant's Causeway
rock formation on the Antrim coast of Northern Ireland / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Giant's Causeway [3] is an area of about 40,000 interlocking basalt columns. The formation is a result of an ancient volcanic eruption. It is in County Antrim on the northeast coast of Northern Ireland. It is a World Heritage Site by UNESCO.[4] It was named a National Nature Reserve in 1987 by the Department of the Environment for Northern Ireland. In a 2005 poll of Radio Times readers, the Giant's Causeway was named as the fourth greatest natural wonder in the United Kingdom.[5]
Giant's Causeway and Causeway Coast | |
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Native names Irish: Clochán an Aifir/Clochán na bhFomhórach[1] Scots: Tha Giant's Causey[2] | |
Location | County Antrim |
Coordinates | 55°14′27″N 6°30′42″W |
Official name: the Giant's Causeway and Causeway Coast | |
Type | Natural |
Criteria | VII, VIII |
Designated | 1986 (10th session) |
Reference no. | 369 |
State Party | United Kingdom |
Region | Europe |
The tops of the columns form stepping stones that lead from the cliff foot and disappear under the sea. Most of the columns are hexagonal, although there are also some with four, five, seven and eight sides. The tallest are about 12 metres (36 ft) high, and the solidified lava in the cliffs is 28 metres thick in places.
The Giant's Causeway is today owned and managed by the National Trust. It is the most popular tourist attraction in Northern Ireland.[6]