The British Isles

The British Isles are a group of islands located in the northwestern part of Europe. They include Great Britain, Ireland, the Hebrides, Shetland, Orkney, the Isle of Man, the Scilly Islands, Anglesey and the Isle of Wight. Altogether, the archipelago consists of about 6000 islands, which have a total area of about 315.000km².

The British Isles were and still are an important centre for myths in Europe. From Loch Ness to Stonehenge to the Irish hills, there are many places of power - and thus many places that attract supernatural beings like moths to light. Modern people often dismiss such things as superstition, but in the end they look at them and wonder if certain things might not be true - and what might be lurking in the shadows of these places.

— Rhiannon Griffith

Geography

by Sam Johnson

Geologically, the British Isles were formed mainly by the numerous glaciations of the ice ages, which ultimately led to the formation of the Irish Sea and the English Channel. Sea level rose to its present level about 5000 years ago, although the theories of a land bridge between Great Britain and Ireland are still very controversial today.

The Atlantic coast of the British Isles is characterised by numerous peninsulas, headlands and bays, while the inland coast between the two main islands and the east coast appears much less rugged.

Of the 6000 islands in the group, only about 130 are permanently inhabited. The two largest inhabited islands are Great Britain with 217.000km² in the east and Ireland with 84.400km² in the west.

The British Isles are very low overall, with Central Ireland and Southern Britain being particularly low. The lowest point is the North Slob in Ireland, which is 3 meters below sea level. The Ben Nevis in the Scottish Highlands is the highest point of the islands and lies 1345 meters above sea level. In total, only eight peaks in the British Isles exceed 1000 metres, although both Wales and Scotland and parts of Ireland are very mountainous.

The islands have many lakes and rivers, although the lakes are not particularly large on average. The most famous British river is the Thames, which flows through London.