British Isles

Archipelago off the northwest coast of Europe, consisting of Great Britain (England, Wales, and Scotland), Ireland, the Orkney and Shetland islands, the Isle of Man, and many other islands that are included in various counties, such as the Isle of Wight, Scilly Isles, Lundy Island, and the Inner and Outer Hebrides. The Channel Islands are often included in the definition, but are geographically closer to France. The British Isles are divided from Europe by the North Sea, Strait of Dover, and the English Channel, and face the Atlantic to the west.