|Alt names||Hjaltland||source: Times Atlas of World History (1993) p 345|
|Shet||source: BIAB Online (1999-2000) accessed 16 Dec 2002; UK Counties and Regions Abbreviations [web site] (1997-98) accessed 16 Dec 2002|
|Shetland Islands||source: Macmillan Encyclopedia 2001 (2000) accessed 16 Dec 2002; Oxford English Reference Dictionary (1996); Rand McNally Atlas (1994) I-160|
|Shetlands||source: Oxford English Reference Dictionary (1996)|
|Shetld||source: Gazetteer of Great Britain (1999) xviii|
|SHI||source: Curious Fox: UK Counties and Shires [online] (2002).|
|Zetland||source: Macmillan Encyclopedia 2001 (2000) accessed 16 Dec 2002; Webster's Geographical Dictionary (1984); Webster's Geographical Dictionary (1988) p 1108|
|Located in||Scotland ( - 1975)|
- source: Getty Thesaurus of Geographic Names
- source: Family History Library Catalog
Shetland (formerly spelled Zetland) formerly called Hjaltland, is one of 32 council areas of Scotland. It is an archipelago to the north-east of Orkney and mainland Scotland, with a total area of approximately 1466 km². It forms part of the division between the Atlantic Ocean to the west and the North Sea to the east. The administrative centre and only burgh is Lerwick.
The largest island, known as the Mainland, is the third largest Scottish island and also the third largest island surrounding Great Britain. It has an area of 374 square miles.
Shetland is also a lieutenancy area, comprises the Shetland constituency of the Scottish Parliament, and was formerly a county.