| British islands ((in)British Isles ) | |
 | |
| Information | |
| Area | 315 160,11 km² |
|---|---|
| Population | 71 891 524 hab. () |
| Density | 228,11 inhab./km² |
| Spindle | UTC ± 00: 00, UTC 01:00 |
| Location | |
 54 ° 0 ′ 0 ″ N 4 ° 0 ′ 0 ″ W | |
The British islands are an archipelago ofNorth Europe. The two main islands being the Britain and theIreland, the region is also called Great Britain and Ireland.
Understand
The UK and the Republic of Ireland, the two countries of the British Isles, are among the most visited regions in the world. They include some of the world's most recognized monuments and historical sites as well as unique natural environments, cosmopolitan cities, charming little towns and secluded places.
All parts of the British Isles are easily accessible via trains, boats, planes or the roads that connect them. TheEnglish is included everywhere and is used for maps and road signs.
Regions
 British Isles |
|
Cities
- 1 Belfast – Capital ofNorth Ireland and meeting point of cultures Irish and British.
- 2 Birmingham – Located in the Center ofEngland, important economic center of the region.
- 3 Cardiff – Capital of Wales.
- 4 Dublin – Capital of Republic of Ireland.
- 5 Edinburgh – Capital ofScotland.
- 6 Glasgow – The largest city in theScotland.
- 7 Liverpool
- 8 London – Capital of UK with a rich and diverse history.
- 9 Manchester – Birthplace of the Industrial Revolution.
Other destinations
To go
For specific information, go to the articles for specific regions.
Entry formalities
There are five different jurisdictions with their own rules regarding immigration to the British Isles. It is therefore necessary to consult the pages of the regions concerned. TheIsle of man and the Channel Islands have their own immigration regulations which are different from those of the UK. The differences mainly concern those who wish to stay for the long term and are not important to tourists. Although the jurisdictions are separate, there is considerable cooperation and coordination between the different authorities in the British Isles. In fact, these form a common travel area (Common Travel Area in English) generally allowing travelers to avoid checks when moving from one region to another.
By plane
Each of the regions of the British Isles have direct flights from outside the archipelago with the exception of theIsle of man.
The largest entry point to the archipelago is theLondon Heatrow Airport located at 24 km from downtown London. It is served by a wide range of international flights including direct flights to most countries of the world. Several connections to other regions of the archipelago are available. In addition, coach connections from the airport to other regions on the mainland of the Britain are generally effective. The airport is connected by rail to the city center of London, but, for other areas in Great Britain, it will be necessary to take a connection or go to Reading station which is connected to the airport on a regular basis by a shuttle.
However, the fact that Heatrow Airport is located in the Far South of the British Isles means that it may be more advantageous to take a direct flight to another part of the archipelago. However, from some places around the world, Heatrow Airport may be the only option to travel to the archipelago.
Other airports with direct international long distance flights and toEurope include those of Birmingham, of Dublin, ofEdinburgh, of Glasgow, of London (Gatwick), from Manchester, of Newcastle upon Tyne and of Shannon.
Circulate
Formalities
The British Isles forming a common travel area, the border formalities between the different regions of the archipelago are simplified. However, if you are coming from a country from which you need a visa to enter a country in the archipelago, you will need to do a separate visa application to enter another country even though the rules are very strict. similar within the different countries of the British Isles. For example, if you need a visa to enter the UK, you will also need to apply for a visa if you want to go to Ireland. On the other hand, if you come from a country from which you do not need a visa, once you have passed the immigration control of one country you can freely go to another having your passport on you. Citizens of the European Economic Area have the right to travel freely in the countries of the British Isles by having a national identity card or passport. Citizens of the common travel area can obviously travel freely from one country to another.
Speak
The majority of the inhabitants of the British Isles have theEnglish as a mother tongue. However, visitors will be surprised to find that English is not the primary language used in local communications in all parts of the British Isles. The Welsh is the main of these local languages after English. It is the most spoken language in some parts of the Wales. Other local languages includeIrish, the Scottish Gaelic and the Manx. The Cornish is a language that has come close to extinction, but which is being reintroduced by some enthusiasts. In the Channel Islands, there are some speakers of Norman. However, even in these regions almost everyone speaks English as well.
Visitors speaking a reasonable level of English will have no difficulty throughout the British Isles. There are still significant regional differences in the way English is spoken. This fact will make it easier for you to be understood since people are used to decoding English that is different from theirs. Don't be embarrassed if you can't understand someone, even locals from different areas sometimes have a hard time.
All official signs are in English. However, in some areas a local language is used on signs prominently while English is in smaller print. This is particularly the case in the Gaeltacht regions in Ireland where Irish is used, in Hebrides in Scotland where Scottish Gaelic is used and in the Wales where Welsh is used. However, sometimes only the local language is present without English.
Buy
The British pound (£) is the currency of UK and British Crown Dependencies. The euro (€) is the currency of the Republic of Ireland. The currency of one of the countries is not accepted within the other country with rare exceptions. See the pages for each country for more information.
