BRITISH ISLES, or BRITISH IS LANDS, a popular name applied to the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, most frequently, though incorrectly, called (Eng land." The name °Great Britain," strictly speaking, means only England and Scotland, and was first used by fames VI of Scotland when he acceded to the English throne. In official writings that term has since been employed to designate the whole country — the United Kingdom, of which the genetive and adjectival form is the word (British," in the same sense as °American" signifies °of' the United States.* The official form, (Britannic," is not commonly used except in such phrases as °His Britannic Majesty's Consul-General," etc. In compound words, where the name of the United Kingdom comes first, the adjective °Anglo° is used; when last, the term °British" is employed, e.g., °Anglo-American," °Franco-British." The ab sence of any strict definition has at times given rise to some local jealousy; hence the term may be regarded as a compromise to include the English, Irish, Scottish and Welsh peoples, and °British Islands' as a convenient name for the region covered by the United Kingdom. Beyond that region, °British Em pire° and °Greater Britain° are popular expres sions denoting all the self-governing dominions, colonies and protectorates which acknowledge the British Crown. Thus the official title of the sovereign is °George V, RI., by the Grace of God, of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and of the British Dominions beyond the Seas, King, Defender of the Faith, Emperor of India.° This title was declared by proclamation 9 May 1910, under the Titles Act, 1901.
The British Islands are composed of two large islands, Great Britain (England, Scotland and Wales) and Ireland, and over 5,000 smaller islands and rocks, with a total area of 121,633 square miles, inhabited (1911 census) by a pop ulation of 45,370,530. The United Kingdom represents in area about an 80th part of the British Empire exclusive. of India; it has just 1,000 square miles less than the State of New Mexico, and comes eighth in order of size among the European countries. The whole land and sea area of the British Islands lies practically within a quadrilateral of 10 degrees of latitude and longitude. They are situated at the northwest corner of Europe, with which Britain was at one time connected. There is evidence that Britain was inhabited before that connection was severed. It is a matter of con jecture whether these primitive people died out entirely. Their successors must have come by
sea, and consequently must have been sufficiently advanced to construct and navigate large boats. The coast, where the white cliffs of Dover are plainly visible from the other side of the straits, was close enough to the Continent to tempt the adventurous and to offer a refuge to fugitives from the hostility of stronger neighbors. Both Britain and Ireland thus became inhabited in one way or another about which history fur nishes no dates. Though Aristotle knew of the existence of the islands, nothing beyond a few casual notices have come down to us until the Roman conquest in B.C. 55. Some 300 years before that epoch the Greek colonist Pytheas from Massilia had discovered and sailed along the east coast of Britain, and was able to report that the inhabitants practised agriculture, brewed beer and mined tin. Successive in vasions by Celtic tribes occurred across the channel, and when Cmsar arrived he found the coast inhabited by the Belgm, while less civilized Celts in the interior were already being pressed toward the western mountains. For several centuries after the departure of the Romans Britain was exposed to raids and invasions. Then came the Norman Conquest (1066), and England was brought into closer touch with the Continent, yet the natural insularity of the people so influenced their foreign rulers that 200 years later the Norman or French de scended Edward I (q.v.) was thoroughly Eng lish, and it was he who began the task of unit ing Britain. Not until three centuries later was that task completed. Ireland is separated from Britain by an arm of the sea which in places is no wider than the Straits of Dover, yet this dividing sea has doubtless contributed in no small measure to keeping the people of Ireland much more apart from England in character and sentiment than the Scots and the Welsh. The geographical situation of Ireland made it inevitable that she should be politically united with the larger island in some shape or form. If Ireland had lain nearest to the Continent, it might have fallen under the control of France as easily as under England: it would in either case have been a bone of contention between the two. That there exists in fact so much hostility to England among the Irish people is an unfortunate illustration of the power which sentiment can exert to override the natural tendencies due to geographical and other con siderations of common interests.