Britain and Ireland

The islands of Britain and Ireland are part of an archipelago off the west coast of Europe (121,674 square miles), and the term "Great Britain and Ireland" is sometimes used, somewhat loosely, to refer to that entire archipelago or (more commonly) to the two countries that occupy those islands. For example, one might, when political divisions might be thought to be unimportant as in discussions of science and education, speak of "chemists in Great Britain and Ireland" or "universities of Britain and Ireland." The entire archipelago consists of these islands:

• Great Britain
• Ireland
• The Isle of Man
• The Isle of Wight
• The Channel Isles
• The Orkney Isles
• The Shetland Isles
• The Hebrides
• Anglesey
• Arran?

and many other smaller islands.

The term British Isles is sometimes used for this geographical entity; some people believe one should avoid using it because it has the rather politically loaded implication that Ireland, the Isle of Man, and the Channel Isles are British.

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