By: Alan Belth
The British Islands are a considerable group lying off the western side of the European continent and not far distant from its shores. They are surrounded by the waters of the Atlantic Ocean. They consist of two large islands Great Britain and Ireland with many smaller groups and detached islets. In all upwards of five thousand islets the vastly greater numbers of them mere rocks are enumerated as constituting the entire group. The most northerly point of the British Islands is the extremity of Unst; one of the Shetland Islands in 60 49 N latitude. The most southward point in the group of the Scilly Islands is in 49 53 N lat. The extreme extent of the British archipelago in the direction of north and south is therefore 10 56 of latitude equivalent to 736 English miles or 1,210 kilometers.
The extreme east point of the British Islands is Lowestoft Ness in long 1 degree 46/ east of Greenwich. The group of islets called the Blaskets off the south west coast of Ireland near Dunmore Head are in 10degree 36/ W longitude Betwcen their extreme eastern and western points the British Islands therefore extend through 12degree 22/ equal on the line of the 52nd parallel to 527 English miles or 843 kilometers and correspondent to 49 minutes 27 seconds of time.
They lie at only a moderate distance from the shores of the European continent but within the waters of the most extensively navigated of oceans. Their shores infinitely varied in contour comprehend a greater extent of coast line than belongs with perhaps the single exception of Greece to any other region of correspondent superficial are. Between the coasts of England and France at the narrowest portion of the Strait of Dover the direct distance is scarcely more than 20 miles. This becomes increased in the wider portions of the English Channel to 60 miles between the Isle of Wight and Cape Barflcur on the French coast and to 100 miles at the entrance of the Channel. On the eastern side of Britain about 120 miles intervene between the mouth of the Thames and the estuaries of the Scheldt and the Mcuse on the Dutch coast. From the Humber to the entrance of the Elbe and the coast of the Cimbric Chersonese is a distance of about 350 miles. The southern and eastern sea board of Britain is thus within easy access from the shores of the neighbouring mainland at most only a few hours sail distant. This fact helps to explain much of the earlier history of Britain and cannot be too constantly kept present to the mind of the student either of British history or geography .
Geography of Britain in a nutshell
