Politics in the British Isles converse of unionism, nationalism, is also an important factor for politics in the Isles. Nationalism can take the form of Welsh nationalism, Cornish nationalism, English nationalism, Irish nationalism, Scottish nationalism, Ulster nationalism or independence movements in the Isle of Man or Channel Islands. Identity is intertwined with politics, especially in the case of nationalism and independence movements. Details on identity formation in the British Isles can be found at Britishness, Scottish identity, Irish people. Pan-Celticism is also a movement which is present in several of the countries which have a Celtic heritage. There are no major political parties that are
British Isles also taken to be part of the British Isles, even though, as islands off the coast of France, they do not form part of the archipelago. The oldest rocks in the group are in the north west of Scotland, Ireland and North Wales and are 2.7 billion years old. During the Silurian period the north-western regions collided with the south-east, which had been part of a separate continental landmass. The topography of the islands is modest in scale by global standards. Ben Nevis rises to an elevation of only , and Lough Neagh, which is notably larger than other lakes