British Isles. The British Isles are a group of islands off the north-western coast of continental Europe that include the islands of Great Britain, Ireland and over six thousand smaller isles.[5] Two sovereign states are located on the islands: Ireland (additionally described as the Republic of Ireland, covering five-sixths of the island of the same name)[6] and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland (commonly known as the United Kingdom).
The British Isles also include three dependencies of the British Crown: the Isle of Man and, by tradition, the Bailiwick of Jersey and the Bailiwick of Guernsey in the Channel Islands, although the latter are not physically a part of the archipelago.[7][8] Etymology[edit] The earliest known references to the islands as a group appeared in the writings of sea-farers from the ancient Greek colony of Massalia.[21][22] The original records have been lost; however, later writings, e.g.
Geography[edit]