List of islands of the British Isles
This page is a list of the larger islands that form the British Isles, listing area and population data. The total area of the islands is 315,159 km².[1] Great Britain accounts for the majority this area at 66%,[2] with Ireland accounting for 26%,[3] leaving the remaining 8%—an area of 24,190 km²—comprising thousands of smaller islands. The largest of the other islands are to be found in the Hebrides and Northern Isles to the north, and Anglesey and the Isle of Man between Great Britain and Ireland. Also included are the Channel Islands, not strictly part of the British Isles archipelago as they are positioned off the French coast of Normandy, but traditionally included because of their political connection with the United Kingdom. This inclusion, in part, has resulted in the British Isles naming dispute.
There are 267 permanently inhabited islands in total:
- United Kingdom: 124 and part of Ireland
- England: 19 and part of Great Britain
- Northern Ireland: 1 and part of Ireland
- Wales: 6 and part of Great Britain
- Scotland: 97 and part of Great Britain (as of the 2001 census, 4 had only a sole permanent occupant, and further 20 had a permanent population of fewer than 10)
- Bailiwick of Guernsey: 6
- Bailiwick of Jersey: 1
- Republic of Ireland: 62 and part of Ireland
- Isle of Man: 2
The Bailiwick of Guernsey, the Bailiwick of Jersey and the Isle of Man are Crown dependencies.
Name | Area (km²) | Area rank | Population[4] | Population rank | Location | Country |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Great Britain | 209,331[2] | 01 | 60,800,000[5] | 01 | N/A | England, Scotland and Wales, United Kingdom |
Ireland | 81,638[3] | 02 | 6,378,000[6] | 02 | N/A | Republic of Ireland Northern Ireland, United Kingdom |
Lewis and Harris[7] | 2,179 | 03 | 19,918 | 11 | Outer Hebrides | Scotland, United Kingdom |
Skye[7] | 1,656 | 04 | 9,232 | 17 | Inner Hebrides | Scotland, United Kingdom |
Shetland Mainland[7] | 969 | 05 | 17,550 | 12 | Shetland Islands | Scotland, United Kingdom |
Mull[7] | 875 | 06 | 2,667 | 22 | Inner Hebrides | Scotland, United Kingdom |
Anglesey (including Holy Island) | 714 | 07 | 69,000 | 07 | Irish Sea | Wales, United Kingdom |
Islay[7] | 620 | 08 | 3,457 | 21 | Inner Hebrides | Scotland, United Kingdom |
Isle of Man[8] | 572 | 09 | 80,056 | 06 | Irish Sea | Isle of Man |
Orkney Mainland[7] | 523 | 10 | 15,315 | 14 | Orkney Islands | Scotland, United Kingdom |
Arran[7] | 432 | 11 | 5,045 | 20 | Firth of Clyde | Scotland, United Kingdom |
Isle of Wight[9] | 381 | 12 | 132,731 | 04 | English Channel | England, United Kingdom |
Jura | 367 | 13 | 188 | 50 | Inner Hebrides | Scotland, United Kingdom |
South Uist[7] | 320 | 14 | 1,818 | 25 | Outer Hebrides | Scotland, United Kingdom |
North Uist[7] | 303 | 15 | 1,271 | 28 | Outer Hebrides | Scotland, United Kingdom |
Yell | 212 | 16 | 957 | 34 | Shetland Islands | Scotland, United Kingdom |
Achill Island[10] | 147 | 17 | 2,620 | 23 | County Mayo | Republic of Ireland |
Hoy | 143 | 18 | 272 | 45 | Orkney Islands | Scotland, United Kingdom |
Bute[7] | 122 | 19 | 7,228 | 18 | Firth of Clyde | Scotland, United Kingdom |
Unst | 121 | 20 | 720 | 37 | Shetland Islands | Scotland, United Kingdom |
Jersey[11] | 116 | 21 | 89,300 | 05 | Channel Islands | Bailiwick of Jersey |
Rùm | 105 | 22 | 22 | — | Small Isles | Scotland, United Kingdom |
Isle of Sheppey[12] | 94 | 23 | 37,852 | 09 | Kent | England, United Kingdom |
Benbecula[7] | 82 | 24 | 1,219 | 29 | Outer Hebrides | Scotland, United Kingdom |
Tiree | 78 | 25 | 770 | 36 | Inner Hebrides | Scotland, United Kingdom |
Coll | 77 | 26 | 164 | — | Inner Hebrides | Scotland, United Kingdom |
Guernsey[13] | 65 | 27 | 62,711 | 08 | Channel Islands | Bailiwick of Guernsey |
Raasay | 64 | 28 | 192 | 49 | Inner Hebrides | Scotland, United Kingdom |
Barra[7] | 59 | 29 | 1,078 | 31 | Outer Hebrides | Scotland, United Kingdom |
Sanday | 50 | 30 | 478 | 40 | Orkney Islands | Scotland, United Kingdom |
South Ronaldsay | 50 | 31 | 458 | 41 | Orkney Islands | Scotland, United Kingdom |
Rousay | 49 | 32 | 212 | 47 | Orkney Islands | Scotland, United Kingdom |
Westray | 47 | 33 | 563 | 39 | Orkney Islands | Scotland, United Kingdom |
Fetlar | 41 | 34 | 86 | — | Shetland Islands | Scotland, United Kingdom |
Colonsay | 41 | 34 | 108 | — | Inner Hebrides | Scotland, United Kingdom |
Holy Island, Anglesey | 39 | 36 | 13,579 | 15 | Anglesey | Wales, United Kingdom |
Stronsay | 33 | 37 | 343 | 43 | Orkney Islands | Scotland, United Kingdom |
Inishmore | 31 | 38 | 824 | 35 | Aran Islands | Republic of Ireland |
Eigg | 30 | 39 | 67 | — | Small Isles | Scotland, United Kingdom |
Shapinsay | 30 | 40 | 300 | 44 | Orkney Islands | Scotland, United Kingdom |
Bressay | 28 | 41 | 384 | 42 | Shetland Islands | Scotland, United Kingdom |
Eday | 27 | 42 | 121 | — | Orkney Islands | Scotland, United Kingdom |
Hayling Island[14] | 27 | 42 | 16,887 | 13 | Hampshire | England, United Kingdom |
Foulness Island | 26 | 44 | 212 | 47 | Essex | England, United Kingdom |
Scalpay | 25 | 45 | 10 | — | Inner Hebrides | Scotland, United Kingdom |
Gorumna[10] | 24 | 46 | 1,010 | 33 | County Galway | Republic of Ireland |
Portsea Island | 24 | 46 | 147,088 | 03 | Hampshire | England, United Kingdom |
Lismore | 24 | 46 | 146 | — | Inner Hebrides | Scotland, United Kingdom |
Great Bernera | 21 | 49 | 233 | 46 | Outer Hebrides | Scotland, United Kingdom |
Ulva | 20 | 50 | 16 | — | Inner Hebrides | Scotland, United Kingdom |
Whalsay[7] | 20 | 50 | 1,034 | 32 | Shetland Islands | Scotland, United Kingdom |
Canvey Island[15] | 19 | 52 | 37,479 | 10 | Essex | England, United Kingdom |
Mersea Island[16] | 18 | 53 | 7,182 | 19 | Essex | England, United Kingdom |
Muckle Roe | 18 | 53 | 104 | — | Shetland Islands | Scotland, United Kingdom |
Walney Island[17] | 13 | 55 | 11,388 | 16 | Furness | England, United Kingdom |
Great Cumbrae[7] | 12 | 56 | 1,434 | 27 | Firth of Clyde | Scotland, United Kingdom |
Alderney[18] | 8 | 57 | 1,903 | 24 | Channel Islands | Bailiwick of Guernsey |
St Mary's[19] | 6 | 58 | 1,666 | 26 | Isles of Scilly | England, United Kingdom |
Sark | 5 | 59 | 600 | 38 | Channel Islands | Bailiwick of Guernsey |
Lundy | 4 | 60 | 28 | — | Devon | England, United Kingdom |
Calf of Man | 3 | 61 | 2 | — | Irish Sea | Isle of Man |
Thorney Island[20] | 2 | 62 | 1,079 | 30 | West Sussex | England, United Kingdom |
Herm | 2 | 62 | 60 | — | Channel Islands | Bailiwick of Guernsey |
Bardsey Island[21] | 2 | 62 | 4 | — | Gwynedd | Wales, United Kingdom |
See also
- British Isles
- List of islands of England
- List of islands of the Bailiwick of Guernsey
- List of islands of Ireland
- List of islands of the Bailiwick of Jersey
- List of islands of the Isle of Man
- List of islands of the United Kingdom
- List of islands of Scotland
- List of islands of Wales
- List of islands in the Atlantic Ocean
References
- ↑ COUNTRY/TERRITORY INDEX, ISLAND DIRECTORY, United Nations Environment Programme. Retrieved 9 August 2015.
Island Facts, Isle of Man Government. Retrieved 9 August 2015.
According to the UNEP, the Channel Islands have a land area of 194 km², the Republic of Ireland has a land area of 70,282 km², and the United Kingdom has a land area of 244,111 km². According to the Isle of Man Government, the Isle of Man has a land area of 572 km². Therefore, the overall land area of the British Isles is 315,159 km² - 1 2 Great Britain, ISLAND DIRECTORY, United Nations Environment Programme. Retrieved 9 August 2015. According to the UNEP, Great Britain has an area of 209,331 km².
- 1 2 Ireland, ISLAND DIRECTORY, United Nations Environment Programme. Retrieved 9 August 2015. According to the UNEP, Ireland has an area of 81,638 km².
- ↑ Population figures are from 2001 Census, except: Great Britain and Ireland both from 2011; Isle of Portland from 2005; Achill, Gorumna, Isle of Man, Jersey all from 2006.
- ↑ 2011 Census: Population Estimates for the United Kingdom. In the 2011 census, the population of England, Wales and Scotland was estimated to be approximately 61,370,000, composed of 60,800,000 on Great Britain and 570,000 on other islands. Retrieved 9 August 2015.
- ↑ "Historial Population Trends – 1841 – 2011, NISRA" (PDF). Retrieved 2015-08-09. In 2011, the population of the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland was 6,399,115, composed of approximately 6,378,000 on Ireland and 21,000 on other islands.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 General Register Office for Scotland – Statistics for Inhabited Islands Archived 21 April 2008 at the Wayback Machine.
- ↑ Isle of Man Census 2006 (excluding the population of 2 living on the Calf of Man)
- ↑ National Statistics – Isle of Wight (Local Authority). Neighbourhood.statistics.gov.uk. Retrieved on 2012-05-22.
- 1 2 Census 2006 – Table 11 – Population of Inhabited Islands off the Coast (PDF)
- ↑ Jersey Statistics Unit Archived 21 August 2008 at the Wayback Machine.
- ↑ National Statistics – Leysdown and Warden (Ward), Minster Cliffs (Ward), Queenborough and Halfway (Ward), Sheerness East (Ward), Sheerness West (Ward) and Sheppey Central (Ward)
- ↑ Guernsey population fall continues, BBC
- ↑ National Statistics – Hayling East (Ward) and Hayling West (Ward)
- ↑ National Statistics – Canvey Island Central (Ward), East (Ward), North (Ward), South (Ward), West (Ward) and Winter Gardens (Ward)
- ↑ National Statistics – West Mersea CP (Parish) and East Mersea CP (Parish)
- ↑ National Statistics – Walney North (Ward) and Walney South (Ward)
- ↑ Guernsey Press Article
- ↑ National Statistics – St. Mary's (Ward). Neighbourhood.statistics.gov.uk. Retrieved on 2012-05-22.
- ↑ National Statistics – West Thorney CP (Parish). Neighbourhood.statistics.gov.uk. Retrieved on 2012-05-22.
- ↑ Article on Bardsey Island residents. Guardian. Retrieved on 2012-05-22.