Seminar № 3 Topic: Geography of Britain
The British Isles (groups of islands, separate islands: their location, climate, vegetation, specific features).
The British Isles is a geographical term describing an archipelago of over 6,000 islands. This archipelago consists of two main islands: Great Britain and Ireland, along with numerous smaller islands including the Isle of Man, Isle of Wight, Orkney Islands and Shetland Islands, among many, many others. Politically, the British Isles are home to two sovereign states: the United Kingdom (UK) and the Republic of Ireland. The UK itself consists of four constituent countries: England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. Northern Ireland shares the island of Ireland with the Republic of Ireland, which is an independent country. While the term ‘British Isles’ is commonly used for geographical description, it’s worth noting that it can be sensitive in the Republic of Ireland. Some people there prefer not to use this term due to its historical connotations associated with British rule over Ireland. Therefore, in some diplomatic and political contexts, alternative terms like ‘these islands’ or ‘Britain and Ireland’ may be used. he British Isles comprise a group of islands off the north-western coast of mainland Europe. This archipelago includes Great Britain, Ireland, the Isle of Man, the Orkney Islands the Shetland Islands, and over 6,000 smaller isles. They are separated from the European mainland by bodies of water such as the North Sea, the English Channel, and the Irish Sea. The geographical coordinates place the British Isles at roughly 53.0° N latitude and 1.8° W longitude, making it a part of the Northern Hemisphere. The earliest evidence of human activity in the British Isles dates back to the Palaeolithic era, around 30,000 years ago. Mesolithic hunter-gatherers eventually gave way to Neolithic farming communities, with monumental structures like Stonehenge being erected during this period. Around 800 BCE, the Celts arrived, bringing with them the languages that would eventually develop into Welsh, Gaelic and Cornish. The Roman conquest of Britain began in 43 CE, bringing Latin language and Roman law, but never fully extending to the whole of the British Isles, notably Ireland and parts of Scotland. After the fall of the Roman Empire, the Anglo-Saxons began arriving in the 5th century, influencing language and governance in what would become England. Norse Vikings raided and settled parts of the British Isles, especially Ireland and northern England, from the late 8th century onwards. In 1066, William the Conqueror led the Norman invasion of England, forever altering the English language and legal system. During the medieval period, the Plantagenet and Tudor dynasties ruled England, while Scotland remained an independent kingdom. Scotland and England had various conflicts, most notably the Wars of Scottish Independence in the 13th and 14th centuries. The 17th century saw significant political and social upheaval, including the English Civil War, which led to the temporary abolition of the monarchy. Scotland and England formally united in 1707 to create the Kingdom of Great Britain.The late 18th and 19th centuries were transformative years for the British Isles, particularly due to industrialisation. This era solidified Britain as a global power but also led to stark social inequalities.The 20th century was marked by two World Wars, decolonisation, and social reforms. In 1922, a significant part of Ireland left the United Kingdom to become what is now the Republic of Ireland. More recently, devolution has granted Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland varying degrees of legislative power, and the UK voted to leave the European Union in a 2016 referendum, formally exiting in 2020.
Two main islands: Great Britain and Ireland. Separate islands: the Hebrides, the Shetland Islands, the Orkney Islands, the Isles of Scilly, and the Isle of Man. The Channel Islands are also sometimes included in this grouping. + The Isle of Wight, Anglesey, Lundy Island.
The Hebrides. group of islands extending in an arc off the Atlantic (west) coast of Scotland. They are subdivided into two groups—the Inner Hebrides to the east and the Outer Hebrides to the west—which are separated from each other by channels called the Minch and the Little Minch. The Outer Hebrides are administered as the Western Isles council area. The northern Inner Hebrides lie within the Highland council area, and the southern Inner Hebrides are part of Argyll and Bute council area (council area, western Scotland, extending from the southwestern Grampian Mountains into the waters of the Atlantic Ocean and North Channel in ragged peninsulas indented and separated by deepwater lochs (sea inlets). The Hebrides comprise more than 40 islands and innumerable barren islets, but only a few of those islands are inhabited. There has been considerable depopulation, especially in the Outer Hebrides during the 20th century, because of a lack of economic opportunities. The chief islands of the crescent-shaped chain of the Outer Hebrides are Lewis and Harris, North Uist, Benbecula, South Uist, and Barra. St. Kilda lies some 40 miles (65 km) northwest of the main chain. The main islands of the Inner Hebrides are Skye, the Small Isles (Canna, Sanday, Rhum, Eigg, and Muck), Tiree, Mull, Colonsay, Jura, Islay, and Coll. The Hebrides are known for their unique natural features. The Cuillin Hills of Skye—reaching an elevation of 3,309 feet (1,009 metres)—are said to be the most spectacular massif in Britain. The small island of Rhum became a Nature Conservancy Research Centre in 1957, specializing in the study of the local geology, flora, and fauna. The wildlife of the Hebrides is particularly rich and includes red deer, wild goats, Highland cattle and ponies, and, on Soay Island, a primitive wild sheep. The Hebrides’ Celtic inhabitants of the 1st millennium ce suffered from Viking raids after the 8th century and were eventually placed under Viking sovereignty until 1266. The fusion of Celts and Vikings produced a period of relatively high cultural and material well-being in the 11th and 12th centuries. The cessation of local wars and the increased cultivation of the potato as a food crop were instrumental in the subsequent population increase, which soon reached the limit of the subsistence economy. A period of social unrest ensued, and in the 19th century emigration from the Hebrides to Australia and Canada became common. The immigration of sheep farmers to the islands from the Scottish mainland—they paid high rents for large acreages of ground—caused the eviction of many small tenants, who resettled in coastal townships where they supplemented the produce of their small plots of land by fishing. In the 19th and 20th centuries the United Kingdom assumed a greater role in the islands’ administration. In 1886 an act of Parliament gave the crofters (tenant farmers) security and heritability of tenure. Later fair rents were established by a Crofters Commission.The economy of the islands centres on crofting (tenant farming), weaving, and fishing. Tourism and the oil industry are also important economic engines. The best-known textile enterprise is the manufacture of Harris tweed, which traditionally has provided a part-time occupation for the crofters. The manufacture of tweed in the Hebrides is historically of ancient origin. The wool was originally vegetable-dyed, hand-spun, and handwoven in the crofters’ own homes. Today, before in-home weaving takes place, the washing and dyeing of sheared wool as well as its blending and carding into embryonic yarn, along with the spinning and warping processes, occur in factories, to which the woven tweed returns for finishing and stamping. The whole process now takes place on Lewis and Harris. Climate: Hebrides’ moderate sea climate is dominated by a slow cooling effect of the Gulf. Despite its northern location winters are seldom cold on the coast and summers are seldom warm. Wind and rain are abundant here. May is the driest month with about 17 rainy days. December is the wettest month with about 25 rainy days. During the month of January the wind usually picks up. The larger islands and the Highlands are influenced to a smaller degree by the effects of the Gulf Stream. During the summer as well as the winter nights can be cold after a bright day. Subzero temperatures are not uncommon then. The climate also is influenced by the height of the mountains. The highest summits have an Arctic climate. Vegetation: The machair is noted for different species of orchid and associated vegetation such as various grasses. Three heathers; ling, bell heather and cross-leaved heather are predominant in the large areas of moorland vegetation which also holds large numbers of insectivorous plants such as sundews. The expanse of heather-covered moorland explains the name Eilean an Fhraoich, Gaelic for The Heather Isle.Lewis was once covered by woodland, but the only natural woods remaining are in small pockets on inland cliffs and on islands within lochs, away from fire and sheep. In recent years, Forestry Commission plantations of spruce and pine were planted; but, most of the pines were destroyed by moth infestation. The most important mixed woods are those planted around Lews Castle in Stornoway, dating from the mid-19th century.Bonnie Prince Charlie's flower (Calystegia soldanella), reputedly originating from French seeds dropped by Bonnie Prince Charlie is, in Scotland, found only on Vatersay and Eriskay.
the Shetland Islands. Shetland Islands, group of about 100 islands, fewer than 20 of them inhabited, in Scotland, 130 miles (210 km) north of the Scottish mainland, at the northern extremity of the United Kingdom. They constitute the Shetland Islands council area and the historic county of Shetland. Among the settlements on Mainland, the largest island, is Scalloway, a fishing port. Lerwick, also on Mainland, is the islands’ largest town and commercial and administrative centre.Survival in the storm-battered waters of the Shetland IslandsLearn about the orcas in the waters off Scotland's Shetland Islands.East of Mainland are the islands of Whalsay and Bressay. North of Mainland lie the islands of Yell, Fetlar, and Unst, the most northerly island. One mile off the coast of Unst is the most northerly point in the United Kingdom, Muckle Flugga—a lighthouse and group of rocks. Fair Isle, 24 miles (39 km) south of Mainland, belongs to the National Trust for Scotland and has an important ornithological observatory. The scenery of the Shetland Islands is wild and beautiful, with deeply indented coasts (the sea lochs, or fjords, are locally called voes) enclosed by steep hills. The winds are nearly continuous and strong, and trees are therefore sparse, but the climate is very mild for such a high latitude—only 400 miles (640 km) south of the Arctic Circle—because of the warming influence of the North Atlantic Current, an extension of the Gulf Stream system.The main form of agriculture is crofting, each croft having a few acres of arable land and the right to graze sheep on the “scattald,” or common grazings. The Shetland breed of sheep produces fine wool that is spun and knitted by the island workers in the distinctive patterns known as Shetland and Fair Isle. Many of the crofts cannot adequately support a family, so islanders seek work in the North Sea oil industry, abroad, or in the Royal Navy. Fishing has always been important, and crofters fish to supplement their diet or their income. The herring fishery centred on Lerwick has declined since the mid-20th century, and fishing for other species is now more important. Only after the discovery of oil in the North Sea northeast of Shetland was the long-persisting depopulation slowed. The most-advanced technology entered into Shetland’s traditional way of life when a major oil terminal was built in the 1970s at Sullom Voe in the north of Mainland. Pipelines extend from the North Sea fields to that depot, which is approached by tankers using the sheltered deep water provided by Yell Sound. The oil developments increased the importance of Sumburgh Airport in the southern tip of Mainland, and the economy of the Shetlands has gained by supplying goods and services to the oil industry. Stone circles and brochs (circular stone towers) furnish evidence of prehistoric settlement, probably by Picts. During the 7th and 8th centuries missionaries from Ireland or western Scotland began conversion of the population to Christianity. In the 8th and 9th centuries Shetland was invaded by Norsemen, who ruled the islands until the 15th century. The principal language of the islands until the 18th century was Norn, derived from Old Norse, and many Norse customs survive. In 1472 the islands, with Orkney, were annexed to the Scottish crown. The islands have nevertheless stood outside the mainstream of Scottish history and traditions.
The Orkney Islands. Orkney Islands, group of more than 70 islands and islets—only about 20 of which are inhabited—in Scotland, lying about 20 miles (32 km) north of the Scottish mainland, across the strait known as the Pentland Firth. The Orkney Islands constitute a council area and belong to the historic county of Orkney.The Orkney Islands were the Orcades of ancient classical literature. There remains much evidence of prehistoric occupation at various periods: underground houses, circles, standing stones, and earth houses. Skara Brae, an underground village on the west coast of the island of Mainland, is one of the most complete European relics of the late Neolithic Period; this location and several others on the island collectively were designated a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1999. Norse raiders arrived in the late 8th century and colonized the islands in the 9th century; thereafter the islands were ruled by Norway and Denmark. Celtic missionaries had arrived in the 7th century, but the Norsemen were not converted until much later. Kirkwall’s cathedral, dedicated to St. Magnus, was mainly built by Norsemen during the 12th century. Orkney and Shetland passed into Scottish rule in 1472 in compensation for the nonpayment of the dowry of Margaret of Denmark, queen of James III. The Orkney Islands were fashioned by glacial erosion of the underlying sandstone, limestone, and igneous rocks into low, undulating hills, covered extensively by glacial deposits. Westerly winds and gales account for the general scarcity of trees. The largest of the islands is Mainland, or Pomona, which is divided into East Mainland and West Mainland; they are connected by a narrow strip of land about 2 miles (3 km) wide between Kirkwall and Scapa Flow. The streams are short, but trout fishing is good. The small islands of Burray and South Ronaldsay, to the south of East Mainland, are now joined to it by causeways constructed during World War II to prevent enemy submarines from entering the naval base at Scapa Flow. The second largest of the Orkney Islands, Hoy, lies south of West Mainland, along with smaller islands such as Graemsay, Flotta, and South Walls. To the north of Mainland, across the Wide Firth and Shapinsay Sound, lie Shapinsay, Rousay, Egilsay, Stronsay, Eday, Westray, Papa Westray, Sanday, North Ronaldsay, and several smaller islands. Orkney is a prosperous farming area despite its fragmentation. Its farms are small and owner-occupied, averaging about 35 acres (14 hectares) and using modern mechanical methods to achieve high productivity. Each year more land is claimed for agriculture, but much peat and moor remain. The main agricultural products are beef cattle and eggs, although the raising of pigs and the production of milk (largely for cheese) have both greatly increased. Some fodder crops are grown, but much is imported. Because of the importance of agriculture, the fishing industry has not been developed to the same extent as in the neighbouring Shetland Islands.Exploitation of North Sea oil resulted in the construction and operation of a major landfall terminal for the Piper and Claymore oil fields at Flotta on Scapa Flow. This terminal, similar to another at Sullom Voe in Shetland, offers employment in an area where population had declined. Other oil-related activities in Orkney include a limited amount of offshore servicing and the operation of helicopter services from Kirkwall.Vegetation: Orkney is one of the few locations where you can find one of Britain's rarest and most treasured flowers - the tiny Primula scotica, or Scottish primrose. This little purple gem only grows in Orkney, Sutherland and Caithness, with Yesnaby, Rousay and Papa Westray amongst the best places to see it. Luckily, it blooms twice a year – in May and July – so you have two chances to spot it.
Spring is when Orkney’s wildflowers begin to put on a show, with meadow buttercup, flag-iris, marsh marigold and primrose just some of the plants you’ll see. Visit during the summer months and you’ll be greeted by green fields and wildflowers. A walk along the coastline will reveal clumps of wild angelica, red campion and sea thrift, with beautiful marsh orchids amongst them. Those special months at midsummer, as May turns to June and July and the sun never seems to set, are a magical time to be in the islands, with an evening walk illuminated by soft light and all the colours of the fertile local landscape.Woodland walks:Orkney isn’t famed for its trees – indeed, it can often seem like you’ve travelled for miles without seeing one – but in reality, there are plenty of patches of woodland to explore. There are also a number of native trees that are hardy enough to withstand the island climate, including willow, aspen, and downy birch.The UK’s most northerly woodland can be found at Berriedale in Hoy, tucked back amongst the hills en-route to Rackwick, an oasis amongst the wild moorland of this special island. Other locations worth a visit include Happy Valley and Binscarth Wood in the West Mainland, and Olav’s Wood in South Ronaldsay.
4.The Isles of Scilly. Isles of Scilly, group of about 50 small islands and many more islets lying southwest of Cornwall, England, 25 to 36 miles (40 to 58 km) off Land’s End. Administratively, the islands are a distinct unit within England, though they form a part of the historic county of Cornwall. Because their council serves the functions of both a district and a county, they have a status similar to that of a unitary authority. The administrative centre is on St. Mary’s, the largest island in the group. The islands are composed of granite and are a continuation of the granite masses of the Cornish mainland. They reach an elevation of 165 feet (50 metres) on St. Mary’s and have dangerous rocky coasts with many reefs. Because the islands’ climate is exceptionally mild—the mean monthly temperatures range from 45 to 62 °F (7 to 16 °C)—their fauna and flora are quite different from those on the English mainland. Many subtropical plants flourish. Seals live on the rocks and islets. Among an immense variety of seabirds that visit the islands, the roseate tern is the rarest British breeding tern, and the Manx shearwater has its only British breeding site in the islands.
There are prehistoric remains in the form of barrows and rude pillars on the islands. Henry I (reigned 1100–35) gave the islands to the abbot of Tavistock in Devon. In the 16th century they became crown property and were leased in 1571 to Francis Godolphin, who built Star Castle above Hugh Town in 1593. During the English Civil Wars (1642–51), the islands were controlled by supporters of the monarchy, whose navy caused severe damage to Dutch ships. The Netherlands, which had been rebuffed after demanding reparation for losses, declared war against the islands in 1651. Soon after, Parliament’s supporters gained control of the islands. The war subsequently ended, although a formal peace treaty was not signed until April 17, 1986. In 1834 Augustus Smith succeeded the Godolphins as the islands’ lessee, and in 1933 the main islands were handed over to the British crown. nly five of the islands are inhabited—St. Mary’s, Tresco, St. Martin’s, Bryher, and St. Agnes. Most of the people live on St. Mary’s, which has a harbour at Hugh Town and a museum of Scilly history and prehistory. Bishop Rock Lighthouse (1858), at the islands’ western end, is a notable example of 19th-century civil engineering. The economy is based on tourism and on commercial flower growing and vegetable farming, the latter made possible by the prevailing mild climate. Fishing is also significant. There is ferry service to Penzance, on the mainland, and flights connect the islands to the Land’s End, Newquay, and Exeter airports. Area 6 square miles (16 square km). Pop. (2001) 2,153; (2011) 2,203.