Great Britain

Great Britain is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean off the north-west coast of continental Europe, consisting of the countries England, Scotland and Wales, which comprise most of the United Kingdom. With an area of 209,331 km2 (80,823 sq mi), it is the largest of the British Isles, the largest European island, and the ninth-largest island in the world. It is dominated by a maritime climate with narrow temperature differences between seasons. The island of Ireland, with an area 40 per cent that of Great Britain, is to the west. These islands, along with over 1,000 smaller surrounding islands and named substantial rocks, comprise the British Isles archipelago. The term "Great Britain" can also refer to the entire political territory of England, Scotland and Wales, including their offshore islands. This territory, together with Northern Ireland, constitutes the United Kingdom. Connected to mainland Europe until 9,000 years ago by a land bridge now known as Doggerland, the island of Great Britain has been inhabited by modern humans for around 30,000 years. In 2011, it had a population of about 61 million, making it the world's third-most-populous island after Java in Indonesia and Honshu in Japan, and the most populated island outside of Asia.

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