British Isles British Isles The British Isles are an archipelago in the North Atlantic Ocean off the north-western coast of continental Europe that consists of the islands of Great Britain, Ireland, the Isle of Man and over six thousand smaller isles. They have a total area of about 315,159 km and a combined population of just under 70 million, and include two sovereign states, the Republic of Ireland (which covers roughly five-sixths of the island of Ireland) and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. The islands of Alderney, Jersey, Guernsey and Sark, and their neighbouring smaller islands, are sometimes
Norse activity in the British Isles Norse activity in the British Isles Norse activity in the British Isles occurred during the Early Medieval period when members of the Norse populations of Scandinavia travelled to Great Britain and Ireland to settle, trade or raid. The Norsemen who came to the British Isles have been generally referred to as Vikings, but it is debated whether the term "Viking" represented all Norse settlers or just those who raided. At the start of the Early Medieval period, Norse kingdoms of Scandinavia had developed trade links across southern Europe and the Mediterranean, giving them access to foreign imports such as silver,